AI Damage1998 Chevrolet Malibu Classic: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu Classic filed 5 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 5
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 80% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 40% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 20% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 20% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 20% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (80% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 2 complaints (40% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 1 complaints (20% of all).
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 1 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 5 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The consumers son was involved in an accident, and the air bag failed to deploy. The vehicle was totaled. Prior to the accident, the consumer experienced ignition problems several times.
The crash began with an uncontrollable and unexpected spinout, there was no ability to steer, brake and air bags did not deploy. These are the exact conditions listed in the gm recall. Gm will not accept a filing for this make and model vehicle and should be added to the gm ignition claim program.
I completed recall nhtsa-14v400, gm-n140350 on oct 30, 2014 at dublin chevy where they inserted the spacers in my 2 ignition keys. Since then I have been notified 4 more times to come in, by gm, concord chevy and dublin chevy. .
While driving approximately 45 mph, the engine stalled without warning. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 14,282 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 39% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Malibu Classic has 28 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 5, below average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu Classic?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, air bags, engine. Total complaints: 5. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (40%), stalls while driving (20%), steering or power steering problems (20%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu Classic?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1998 Chevrolet Malibu Classic from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1998 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.