2003 Chevrolet Malibu Vehicle Speed Control Problems
Owners have filed 85 complaints with NHTSA about vehicle speed control problems on the 2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 15% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 70,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “control accelerator” (13% of reports).
- 85vehicle speed control complaints
- 70,000median miles at failure
- 11mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 26%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Control accelerator: mentioned in 11 of 85 complaints (13%)
- Became stuck: mentioned in 10 of 85 complaints (12%)
- Suddenly accelerated: mentioned in 7 of 85 complaints (8%)
- Continued accelerate: mentioned in 6 of 85 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems happen?
Based on 67 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 85 complaints, 11 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 3 an injury.
Chevrolet Malibu vehicle speed control complaints by model year
| Model year | Vehicle Speed Control complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Malibu | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2023 Malibu | 2 | 3% | 38,706 |
| 2022 Malibu | 4 | 4% | 60,000 |
| 2021 Malibu | 1 | 1% | 5,000 |
| 2020 Malibu | 18 | 9% | 80,000 |
| 2019 Malibu | 12 | 6% | 26,115 |
| 2018 Malibu | 114 | 16% | 51,670 |
| 2017 Malibu | 135 | 19% | 58,000 |
| 2016 Malibu | 152 | 18% | 60,100 |
| 2015 Malibu | 28 | 10% | 85,000 |
| 2014 Malibu | 17 | 5% | 45,000 |
| 2013 Malibu | 28 | 3% | 72,000 |
| 2012 Malibu | 52 | 6% | 56,700 |
| 2011 Malibu | 87 | 9% | 72,000 |
| 2010 Malibu | 116 | 9% | 69,750 |
| 2009 Malibu | 73 | 5% | 82,500 |
| 2008 Malibu | 42 | 4% | 93,000 |
| 2007 Malibu | 31 | 3% | 99,840 |
| 2006 Malibu | 35 | 3% | 95,750 |
| 2005 Malibu | 27 | 3% | 150,000 |
| 2004 Malibu | 27 | 2% | 91,000 |
| 2003 Malibu | 85 | 15% | 70,000 |
| 2002 Malibu | 6 | 1% | 84,000 |
| 2001 Malibu | 25 | 3% | 82,000 |
| 2000 Malibu | 21 | 2% | 73,000 |
| 1999 Malibu | 7 | 1% | 92,000 |
| 1998 Malibu | 22 | 2% | 60,410 |
| 1997 Malibu | 13 | 3% | 95,797 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 124, 'accelerator control systems.' in hot ambient conditions, the accelerator pedal arm may stick at the attachment to the bracket and not return to the engine idle position when the operator lifts his foot from the accelerator pedal.
Risk: Failure to return to idle could result in a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the accelerator pedal arm and replace the accelerator and brake pedal assembly with a new assembly, if necessary. The recall began on december 20, 2004. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, pontiac at 1-800-620-7668, or oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Unknown
The contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while stopped at a red light, the vehicle occasionally accelerated independently. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer nor an independent mechanic to be…
Chevy malibu 2003, 24000 miles on the car. While driving on any street or highway, the car accelerates on it own, revs anywhere from 3000 rpm to 6000rpm, then need to shift car on neutral, kick the accelerator to unstick and proceed. Had car at gm dealer at 2 intervals, 2 weeks at a time. Cannot…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Chevrolet Malibus have vehicle speed control problems?
No. NHTSA has 85 owner complaints about vehicle speed control for the 2003 Chevrolet Malibu (15% of the 569 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Chevrolet Malibu vehicle speed control?
Yes: 1 safety recall list vehicle speed control. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems start?
The median reported mileage is 70,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about vehicle speed control problems on the 2003 Chevrolet Malibu?
The most frequent phrase is “control accelerator”, in 11 of 85 complaints, followed by “became stuck” (10).
Other 2003 Chevrolet Malibu problems
See all 2003 Chevrolet Malibu problems or vehicle speed control problems across all Malibu years.