IllustrationTURN SIGNALS AND HAZARDS WORK INTERMITTENT. AT FIRST IT WAS ONLY AFTER A RAIN NOW IM LUCKY IF THE WORK AT ALL. IT HAS COME CLOSE MANY OF TIMES TO CAUSE A WRECK. *TR
2002 Chevrolet Malibu
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 310.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Malibu years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
380–25K
8225–50K
10250–75K
7175–100K
73100–150K
25150K+
391 reports with mileage · 176 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 259 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 143 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 63 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
18 crash reports1 fire reports13 injury reports
What owners actually said
567 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE ECM WAS REPAIRED TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE RECURRED WITHIN ONE YEAR. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THE FAILURE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PASS LOCK SECURITY SYSTEM. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR DIAGNOSIS…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE ECM WAS REPAIRED TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE RECURRED WITHIN ONE YEAR. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THE FAILURE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PASS LOCK SECURITY SYSTEM. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 110,000.
WOULD NOT START. *TR
OWN 2002 CHEVY MALIBU. THE SECURITY INTERLOCK KICKS IN FREQUENTLY. I HAVE TO WAIT 10 MINUTES WHILE THE CAR RESETS, ONLY THEN MAY I START THE CAR. (KINDA SIMILAR TO THE FUEL PUMP SHUTTING OFF IF A REAR END BUMP OCCURS-SAFETY). STRANGELY TOO, I HEAR AN ELECTRICAL SIZZLING SOUND JUST OVER AND BEHIND THE RADIO. THIS IS AFFECTING MY …
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OWN 2002 CHEVY MALIBU. THE SECURITY INTERLOCK KICKS IN FREQUENTLY. I HAVE TO WAIT 10 MINUTES WHILE THE CAR RESETS, ONLY THEN MAY I START THE CAR. (KINDA SIMILAR TO THE FUEL PUMP SHUTTING OFF IF A REAR END BUMP OCCURS-SAFETY). STRANGELY TOO, I HEAR AN ELECTRICAL SIZZLING SOUND JUST OVER AND BEHIND THE RADIO. THIS IS AFFECTING MY TURN SIGNALS FROM WORKING. I HIT THE SAFETY FLASHER BUTTON AND THE SIZZLING NOISE STOPS, AND THE TURN SIGNALS MAY OR MAY NOT OPERATE. SOMEHOW THE RADIO, THE SECURITY SYSTEM, AND THE TURN SIGNALS ARE "WIRED" TOGETHER, AND THE CAR THINKS SOMEONE IS STEALING MY RADIO, CAUSING THE SECURITY INTERLOCK TO KICK IN. THAT'S WHEN I HAVE TO TURN THE KEY TO ON, THAN WAIT 10 MINUTES FOR THE SECURITY SYSTEM TO RESET. ONLY AFTER 10 MINUTES MAY I RESTART THE CAR (THIS IS IN THE OWNERS MANUAL). THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY. I THINK THERE MAY BE A LINK IN HERE SOMEWHERE THE MY CAR BATTERY IS DRAINING WHILE THE CAR SITS. SOMETHING RELATING TO MY RADIO(SO IT DOESN'T GET STOLEN), AND SECURITY SYSTEM ARE CAUSING THE "NO START" INTERLOCK TO KICK IN. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD TURN OVER BUT WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY SIX TIMES WHERE THREE CRANKSHAFT SENSORS ALONG WITH TWO OTHER UNKNOWN SENSORS WERE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER YET THE DEALER WAS UNABLE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD TURN OVER BUT WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY SIX TIMES WHERE THREE CRANKSHAFT SENSORS ALONG WITH TWO OTHER UNKNOWN SENSORS WERE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER YET THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 65,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55,000.
PASSLOCK - THEFT SYSTEM ACTIVATES AND WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO START THE CAR IT OCCURS 2-3 TIMES A WEEK TOOK IT TO GARAGE - THEY RESET THE SYSTEM - STILL DOES THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER - DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM 2002 CHEVY MALIBU. *TR
I HAVE A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU LS AND THE PASSLOCK/ ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM HAS KEPT MY CAR FROM STARTING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. IN RE-SEARCHING THIS PROBLEM ONLINE I'VE FOUND THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME ISSUE. IF THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT, IT MAKES SENSE THAT GM SHOULD HAVE TO COVER THE EXPENSES THE FIX THE …
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I HAVE A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU LS AND THE PASSLOCK/ ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM HAS KEPT MY CAR FROM STARTING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. IN RE-SEARCHING THIS PROBLEM ONLINE I'VE FOUND THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME ISSUE. IF THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT, IT MAKES SENSE THAT GM SHOULD HAVE TO COVER THE EXPENSES THE FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR
I JUST BOUGHT A USED 2002 CHEVY MALIBU. IT ONLY HAD 72,000 MILES ON IT SO I THOUGHT I WAS GETTING A GREAT DEAL. LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT IT WOULD LEAVE ME SITTING, NOT STARTING, ABOUT ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH! NOW I FIND OUT THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I ALSO FOUND THE WORK AROUND OF LETTING YOUR CAR SIT IN THE ON P…
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I JUST BOUGHT A USED 2002 CHEVY MALIBU. IT ONLY HAD 72,000 MILES ON IT SO I THOUGHT I WAS GETTING A GREAT DEAL. LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT IT WOULD LEAVE ME SITTING, NOT STARTING, ABOUT ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH! NOW I FIND OUT THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I ALSO FOUND THE WORK AROUND OF LETTING YOUR CAR SIT IN THE ON POSITION FOR TEN MINUTES. IF CHEVY KNOWS THIS, WHY DON'T THEY FIX IT? I MAY NEVER BUY ANOTHER CHEVY. I CAN NOT BELIEVE THEY ARE NOT STANDING BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. I'M TIRED OF STRESSING EVERY TIME I GO SOME PLACE AND SHUT MY CAR OFF, WONDERING IF IT'S GOING TO START. *TR
OWN A 2002 MALIBU WITH 95K MILES. SINCE DECEMBER OF 2009 THE CAR DOES NOT START ALL THE TIME. ONCE YOU TURN THE CAR OFF THE CAR WILL NOT RESTART. YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR AT LEAST A HALF HOUR BEFORE THE CAR WILL START AGAIN. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH SINCE DECEMBER AND IN JUNE IT HAS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES. HAVE TAKEN IT…
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OWN A 2002 MALIBU WITH 95K MILES. SINCE DECEMBER OF 2009 THE CAR DOES NOT START ALL THE TIME. ONCE YOU TURN THE CAR OFF THE CAR WILL NOT RESTART. YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR AT LEAST A HALF HOUR BEFORE THE CAR WILL START AGAIN. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH SINCE DECEMBER AND IN JUNE IT HAS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES. HAVE TAKEN IT TO MY MECHANIC THREE TIMES AND THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM REALLY WAS UNTIL VIEWING ALL THE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON NHTSA WEBSITE. *TR
CHEVY MALIBU 2002 V6 - COOLANT LEAK PROBLEM. *TR
Official recalls
214V400000 · Electrical System:ignition
Jul 3, 2014
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14350.
02V107000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights
Apr 10, 2002
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." SOME OF THESE VEHICLES WERE PRODUCED WITH A LEFT LOW-BEAM HEADLAMP THAT DOES NOT MEET THE PHOTOMETRIC PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: LIGHT INTENSITIES BELOW THE MINIMUM INTENSITY REQUIREMENTS CAUSE REDUCTION IN VISIBILITY DOWN THE ROAD FOR THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE AND INTENSITIES ABOVE THE MAXIMUM INTENSITY REQUIREMENTS CAUSE INCREASE IN GLARE FOR DRIVERS AHEAD OF, OR APPROACHING, THE VEHICLE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE LEFT LOW-BEAM HEADLAMP AND REPLACE IT IF IT DOES NOT MEET REQUIREMENTS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 23, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE05055 · Turn Signal Failures
Opened Sep 27, 2005 · Closed Jan 13, 2006
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting:hazard Flashing Warning Lights:switch; Exterior Lighting:turn Signal:switch
IN DECEMBER 2004, GM ISSUED A SPECIAL POLICY FOR MY 1999-2000 ALERO, GRAND AM AND MALIBU VEHICLES NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL 03V327. THE POLICY COVERED TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILURE FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES (WHICHEVER OCCURRED FIRST) TO PROVIDE A NO COST REPLACEMENT OF THE HAZARD SWITCH. GM SENT LETTERS TO OWNERS STARTING DECEMBER 30, 2004.IN JANUARY 2006, GM WILL UPDATE THE SPECIAL POLICY TO INCLUDE MY 2002 ALERO, GRAND AM AND MALIBU VEHICLES NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL 03V-327.THE POLICY COVERS TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILURE FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES (WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST) TO PROVIDE A NO COST REPLACEMENT OF THE HAZARD SWITCH.GM WILL SEND LETTERS TO OWNERS STARTING LATE APRIL 2006.THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE MANUFACTURER IS SUFFICIENT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FUTURE ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Exterior Lighting:hazard Flashing Warning Lights:switch
IN DECEMBER 2004, GM ISSUED A SPECIAL POLICY FOR MY 1999-2000 ALERO, GRAND AM AND MALIBU VEHICLES NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL 03V327. THE POLICY COVERED TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILURE FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES (WHICHEVER OCCURRED FIRST) TO PROVIDE A NO COST REPLACEMENT OF THE HAZARD SWITCH. GM SENT LETTERS TO OWNERS STARTING DECEMBER 30, 2004.IN JANUARY 2006, GM WILL UPDATE THE SPECIAL POLICY TO INCLUDE MY 2002 ALERO, GRAND AM AND MALIBU VEHICLES NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL 03V-327.THE POLICY COVERS TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILURE FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES (WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST) TO PROVIDE A NO COST REPLACEMENT OF THE HAZARD SWITCH.GM WILL SEND LETTERS TO OWNERS STARTING LATE APRIL 2006.THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE MANUFACTURER IS SUFFICIENT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FUTURE ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
Exterior Lighting:turn Signal:switch
IN DECEMBER 2004, GM ISSUED A SPECIAL POLICY FOR MY 1999-2000 ALERO, GRAND AM AND MALIBU VEHICLES NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL 03V327. THE POLICY COVERED TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILURE FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES (WHICHEVER OCCURRED FIRST) TO PROVIDE A NO COST REPLACEMENT OF THE HAZARD SWITCH. GM SENT LETTERS TO OWNERS STARTING DECEMBER 30, 2004.IN JANUARY 2006, GM WILL UPDATE THE SPECIAL POLICY TO INCLUDE MY 2002 ALERO, GRAND AM AND MALIBU VEHICLES NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL 03V-327.THE POLICY COVERS TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILURE FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES (WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST) TO PROVIDE A NO COST REPLACEMENT OF THE HAZARD SWITCH.GM WILL SEND LETTERS TO OWNERS STARTING LATE APRIL 2006.THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE MANUFACTURER IS SUFFICIENT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FUTURE ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.