IllustrationI TURNED ON MY AC AND THE TEMP AND FUEL GUAGE FUSE BLOWED WHILE HAVING THE AIR ON STILL CHANGING OUT FUSES AND THE AUTOMATIC CAR LOCKS ON IT OWN WHEN YOU CLOSES THE DOORS GETTING OUT OR IT WILL LOCK WHEN SOME ONE GETS OUT OF THE CAR ALL BY ITSELF WITHOUT HITTING THE DOOR LOCK ON THE KEYLESS ENTRY.
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 reportsPURCHASED MY 2002 CHEV MALIBU NEW! HAS 39000MILES ON IT ,GRANTED, CAR IS 14YRS OLD BUT IN MINT CONDITION . ITS GONE THROUGH 3 SETS OF ROTORS ,3 SETS OF FRONT PADS, 2 SETS OF CALIPERS AND ONE SET OF BRAKE LINES, BOTH FRONT HUB & BEARINGS TWICE!! .THERE` S A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN OF THIER BRAKE SYSTEM DESIGN!!
THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT DOES NOT LOCK WHEN STRESSED. THE PASSENGER ONE DOES. CHEVROLET WILL NOT FIX IT FOR FREE. A FRIEND HAS THE SAME VEHICLE AND IT DIDN'T LOCK IN AN ACCIDENT. SHE SMASHED HER FACE OFF THE STEERING WHEEL. WE DON'T WANT TO HAPPEN TO OUR DAUGHTER.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE SECURITY THEFT LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SECURITY SYSTEM PREVENTED THE VEHICLE FROM STARTING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE S…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE SECURITY THEFT LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SECURITY SYSTEM PREVENTED THE VEHICLE FROM STARTING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SYSTEM WAS RESET BY THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V400000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM), BUT THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 159,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
VEHICLE WAS RUNNING FINE. PARKED CAR FOR 1 HOUR WENT TO START CAR IT WOULD TURN OVER BUT NOT START. AFTER CHECKING ALL FUSES AND FUEL PUMP I WAS ADVISED IT COULD BE AN ANTI THEFT MALFUNCTION. I FOLLOWED A PROCEDURE TO RELEARN THE SYSTEM AND THE CAR STARTED. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON 3 OCCASIONS AND I FEAR THE CAR WILL LEAVE ME ST…
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VEHICLE WAS RUNNING FINE. PARKED CAR FOR 1 HOUR WENT TO START CAR IT WOULD TURN OVER BUT NOT START. AFTER CHECKING ALL FUSES AND FUEL PUMP I WAS ADVISED IT COULD BE AN ANTI THEFT MALFUNCTION. I FOLLOWED A PROCEDURE TO RELEARN THE SYSTEM AND THE CAR STARTED. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON 3 OCCASIONS AND I FEAR THE CAR WILL LEAVE ME STRANDED OR MALFUNCTION WHILE OPERATING WHICH COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS INJURY
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND FAILED TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE O…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND FAILED TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V400000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD TROUBLE STARTING AND WOULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V400000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM), BUT THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO STALL AND EX…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD TROUBLE STARTING AND WOULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V400000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM), BUT THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO STALL AND EXHIBITED ISSUES STARTING AFTER THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
VEHICLES RACK AND PINION RUSTED OFF FROM THE FRONT CRADLE WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. I WAS LUCKY TO NOT GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF PROBLEMS LIKE THIS ONE WITH THE MALIBU'S THAT I HAVE READ.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHEN THE DRIVER TURNED THE IGNITION TO THE ON POSITION, THE VEHICLE DID NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHILE AT THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHEN THE DRIVER TURNED THE IGNITION TO THE ON POSITION, THE VEHICLE DID NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHILE AT THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 125,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE IGNI…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V400000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILE WAS 78,400.
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.