There are 50 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2001 Chevrolet Malibuin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, UNKNOWN WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE IGNITION HAD TO BE TURNED TO THE ON POSITION AND THE CONTACT HAD TO WAIT FOR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TO LIGHT UP COMPLETELY FOR THE VEHICLE TO START. THE PROCESS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START EVERY TIME THE CONTACT WOULD ATTEMPT TO START THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED AND THE ANTI-THEFT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE AFTER A WAIT PERIOD. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 147,000.
ONE DAY OUT OF NOWHERE WHILE IN PARK AND IDLING CAR JUST DIED, RESTARTED FINE, THEN A COUPLE DAYS LATER AT A STOPLIGHT DIED AGAIN, WAS ABLE TO RESTART AND DRIVE ON, BUT THIS CONTINUED FROM THEN ON EVERYTIME IT WAS STOPPED AND RUNNING WOULD JUST DIE COULD RESTART WHEN READY TO DRIVE OFF AND IT WOULD GO FINE, UNTIL THE LAST TIME IT DIED WHILE GOING 35 MPH IN TRAFFIC AND I WAS BARELY ABLE TO STEER OUT OF TRAFFIC AND ALMOST COULDN'T STOP, BUT WOULDN'T RESTART ANYMORE, AND STILL WON'T START. TOOK TO A MECHANIC WHO INFORMED ME THAT THE IGNITION CAUSED THE ANTI THEFT TO ENGAGE AND TURN OFF COMPONENTS IN MOTOR, I'VE READ I OTHERS HAVING SAME PROBLEM IN THIS SAME YEAR MAKE AND MODEL JUST WONDERING WHY IT HASN'T BEEN RECALLED ALONG WITH ALL THE REST OF CHEVY' SCARS HAVING THIS PROBLEM, OBVIOUSLY IT'S A BIGGER PROBLEM THAN JUST A COUPLE AND THE LAST TIME IT DIED ON ME I WAS LUCKY TO NOT GET HIT. *TR
OVER THE PAST MONTH, THE MALIBU HAS STALLED OUT WHILE DRIVING. IT HAS OCCURRED BOTH ON ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION ONE TIME ALMOST CAUSING A BROADSIDE IMPACT AS MY SON PULLED OUT TO MAKE A LEFT ONTO A BUST STREET. HE WAS FORTUNATE AND THE ONCOMING DRIVER WAS ABLE TO BRAKE IN TIME. WE TOOK IT TO A GARAGE THAT SAID OUR IGNITION SWITCH HAD TO BE REPLACED, WHICH WE HAD DONE. CURIOUS BECAUSE THIS IS THE EXACT PROBLEM THAT HAS OCCURRED WITH THE OTHER VEHICLES INVOLVED IN THE CHEVY RECALL, BUT OUR VEHICLE HAS YET TO BE RECALLED FOR THIS OBVIOUSLY HAZARDOUS DEFECT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AND THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR OVER A PERIOD OF FIVE MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,700. UPDATED 08/28/14*LJ UPDATED 09/4/2014 *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY AT LOW SPEEDS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER BUT THE REPAIRS WERE UNKNOWN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 151,249.
MY CAR SEEMED TO BE RIDING ROUGH AND MY RADIATOR LIGHT CAME ON. TODAY I WENT FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND THE MECHANIC SAID I HAD AN "INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAK." MY OIL IS LEAKING INTO MY COOLANT. HE TOLD ME THERE WAS A RECALL FROM GM FOR DEXCOOL. I CAN'T SEEM TO FIND ANY INFORMATION ON THIS BUT TO HAVE IT FIXED WILL BE VERY COSTLY. *TR
I WOULD LIKE ALL THE RECALLS FOR THIS CON OF A CAR AND I WOULD LIKE TO GET IN ON ANY LAWSUIT AGAINST GM FOR THEIR DRUG DEALING BUSINESS ETHICS OR LACK OF THESE CARS ARE A DEATH TRAPWAITING TO STRIKE GET GM OUT OF BUSINESS AND BAIL OUT THE CONSUMER NOT THE GREEDY LIARS THAT SELL TRINKETS FOR 50K OR MORE GIVING US LESS THAN SAFE GARBAGE THEY CALL A CAR. MY SKASTES RUN BETTER 2100.00 2X FOR REPLACED ENGINES AND 375.00 PARTS AND LABOR FOR ALARM FIX NOT WORKING PROPERLY FROM FACTORY YOU KNOW IT AND YOU ASK FOR A BAIL OUT I WANT YOU IN PRISON EVERY WORKER AND THE CEOS NO BAIL OUTS BAIL US OUT YOU ROBBING LIARS THAT SELL GARBAGE THAT CAN KILL HUMANS BAIL OUT MY REAR END. *TR
JUST BOUGHT 2001 CHEVY MALIBU, ITS LEAKING COOLANT AND THE ENGINE IS OVERHEATING TO THE POINT OF SMOKE. SO THE GASKET IS SHOT, I'VE TAKEN THIS CAR IN BEFORE OVER THIS PROBLEM BUT STILL SEEMS TO COME BACK TO THE CAR OVERHEATING AND SMOKE. NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW HOW TO FIX THIS ONE GUY TOLD ME TO JUST GET A NEW ENGINE, THE COOLANT DIAGNOSTIC DIDN'T HELP AND ALL OF MY COOLANT CAN'T SEEM TO STAY IN THERE IT JUST LEAKS AS SOON AS IT'S IN, SO NOW WHAT??? THERE SHOULD HAVE DEFINITELY BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS GM NEEDS TO FIX THIS CONSIDERING MY ENGINE WAS TESTED AND REFURBISHED BY CHEVY NO MORE THAN 8 MONTHS AGO AT THE DEALER. THIS CAR FINALLY STALLED OUT ON THE HIGHWAY AND ALMOST KILLED ME, THERE IS NO DAMAGE OTHER THAN THE ONES I MENTIONED ABOVE. *TR
CAR OVER HEATED, TEMP GAUGE OVER NORMAL RANGE. ADDED TWO GALLONS OF ANTIFREEZE, STILL OVER HEATED, AND CHECKED FOR ANTIFREEZE IN THE OIL. ANTIFREEZE WAS PRESENT INDICATING A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. NO CORRECTIVE REPAIR HAS BEEN DONE YET>. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU LS. WHENEVER THE ENGINE WAS STARTED, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STAY ON; IT STALLED FREQUENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 109,000.
SHAWN JANSEN'S MALIUBU WAS DRIVING FAST, AND I COULD CLEARLY SEE HIM WINGING IT. *TR
PASSCODE ANTITHEFT SYSTEM - 2 SEPARATE REPAIRS, LATEST OCT, 2011 INVOLVING THE IGNITION/THEFT SYSTEM. THE SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS AND THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT ANTIFREEZE WAS LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 69,000 AND THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
FIVE YEARS AGO I REPLACE HEAD GASKETS ON A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. RECENTLY, MY VEHICLE WILL NOT HOLD ANTIFREEZE AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE RAISES. I HAVE WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC THAT THE HEAD GASKETS BLOWN AGAIN. I HAVE HEARD SEVERAL PEOPLE WITH THE MALIBU ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THIS. IS THERE A RECALL OR COMPENSATION TO THE OWNERS FOR THIS OBVIOUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOWER INTAKE GASKET, LOCATED NEAR THE WATER PUMP, WAS LEAKING WATER AND ANTIFREEZE. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE WOULD OVERHEAT AND WATER WOULD LEAK OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE LOWER INTAKE GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED AT THE COST OF $695. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 149,130.
THIS CAR IS AN ABSOLUTE LEMON,IT FORCES YOU TO USE DEXCOOL ANTIFREEZE AND THIS EATS AWAY THE RUBBER IN THE LINES,HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS FIXING HEAD GASKETS AND REDOING THE WHOLE COOLING SYSTEM TO BE ABLE TO USE THE OLD GREEN ANTIFREEZE AND AFTER ALL OF THE PROBLEMS(CANT AFFORD NEW CAR!) I HAVE LOOKED ON LINE AND I AM NOT ALONE,THOUSANDS HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEM,THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE WITH CHEVY ABOUT THE ANTI THEFT SYSTEM,YOU HAVE TO PUT KEY IN ON POS. AND WAIT TEN MINS FOR IT TO RESET. I HAVE LOST A JOB B/C I WAS LATE FOR WORK TOO MANY TIMES,HAVE HAD IGNITION REPLACED TWICE,IT HAS NOTHING TO DO W/IGNITION. I GET STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE CAR WONT START AND GOTTA FREEZE TO DEATH (IN MICHIGAN!) WAITING FOR IT TO RESET. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. AND CHEVY DOES NOTHING! *TR
GASKET IS CAUSING ANTIFREEZE LEAK INTO ENGINE AND THE CAR IS OVERHEATING. HAVE USE ABOUT A FEW BOTTLES OF ANTIFREEZE BACK TO BACK. ITS GOING TO COST SO MUCH TO REPAIR. IM WAITING FOR A RECALL FROM GM. THE SOONER THE BETTER. *TR
MY CAR OVER HEATED TWICE. THE FIRST TIME I REALIZED THAT THE ANTIFREEZE WAS VERY LOW AND I FILLED IT UP AND WENT TO MY MEETING. AFTER MY MEETING WAS OVER AND BEGAN TO DRIVE THE CAR, IT OVER HEATED AGAIN. I HAD TO REFILL THE ANTIFREEZE 3 TIMES BEFORE I GOT IT TO AN AUTO SHOP (AS I WAS DRIVING). ONCE I GOT TO THE AUTO SHOPE, I WAS TOLD THAT THE ANTIFREEZE WAS RUNNING IN TO THE OIL PAN. CURRENTLY, I DON'T HAVE A CAR BECAUSE I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT THE ENGINE WAS NO GOOD AND THEY HAD SEEN SEVERAL CARS LIKE MINE (SAME YEAR) WITH THE SAME MOTOR PROBLEM. *TR
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026