Tl* the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet malibu. While driving 70 MPH, the anti-theft system engaged and the engine seized. The contact was not able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to his home. The manufacturer was notified, but was unable to assist. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 130,000. The VIN was unknown.
1998 Chevrolet Malibu engine problems
146 complaints (15% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 65,000.
- owner complaints
- 146
- of this car's complaints
- 15%
- typical mileage
- 65,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Engine46
- Engine: gasoline32
- Exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe20
- Cooling system17
- Exhaust system4
- Engine: gasoline: belts and associated pulleys3
- Cooling system: fan3
- Exhaust system: emission control: catalytic convertor2
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Chevrolet Malibu engine problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu engine
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Stalling 28Overheating 24Won't start 18Check engine light 11Engine failure 10Loss of power 8Knocking 7
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 1998 Chevrolet Malibu owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet malibu. The contact received recall the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system). The contact stated that the key would come out of the ignition independently while the vehicle was in motion. The contact stated that the air bag warning light intermittently flashed and the engine seized. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 226,000.
This is the second time I have replaced my lower intake manifold seal. This is outrageous that chevy will not fix a known defect.
I bought a certified used car from bill heard in plant city before they closed down,from day 1 I had a problem with the car ignition not starting and the anti theft,I have been left stranded several time s cause of this problem,I have taken it back to them twice and they kept telling me there is nothing wrong although at times there is then they told me if it happens again just let the car set for 10mins and it will be ok, well it should not happen in the first place,then after almost flipping the car I found out that the front rotors are totally shot and when I had to hit my brakes one caught before the other causing the car to go into a skid,then the ignition and the anti theft act up again and this time the horn is stuck so I had to pull the fuse to stop the horn tested the relay and it was fine the switch is stuck somewhere and know one seems to know where,so now I have a used certified used car with no horn and worn out rotors faulty ignition and oh I forgot that every now and then I will get shocked getting out of the car and a broke motor mount that I was told that I would have to fix own my own due to it was aware and tear apart that they won't cover, well it should have been replaced before the car was even sold. So now I have taken it to 2 other dealers to get it fixed and they told me I would have to pay for it well I don't think that's right due to the fact that all of that should have been checked and fixed before the car was ever sold and I guess since I was a first time buyer with no credit that it was ok for them to stick it to me which in turn I see why bill heard went out of business with people like that working for them,so now I need to know what I should do about this so called certified used piece of death trap I was sold?
The intake manifold on my 1998 chevrolet malibu is leaking for a second time. The first occurred at 36,000 miles. The second time is now at 120,000 miles. There are a large number of occurrences of this gasket leaking but no recall by gm to address the issue.
Intake manifold gasket leak, causing anti freeze to mix with the oil, causing failure and excessive wear to internal motor parts.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet malibu. The dealer stated that the steering: rack and pinion was leaking and the contact paid $195, plus $470 for labor. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number 03v527000 (steering:rack and pinion). The contact called gm in april of 2002 and was informed that he would be reimbursed. When he informed gm that he took the vehicle to a private shop, gm changed their mind and never provided reimbursement. The current mileage was 74,000 and failure mileage was 42,114. Updated 04/16/08 *bf the dealer repaired the cam position sensor as well. Updated 04/16/08
1998 chevy malibu: faulty intake manifold gasket resulting in coolant leak in engine. Resulted in engine needing to be replaced and upper intake gasket changed at $2000 canadian. Two months later,and less tan 5,000 kms later, fuel tank needs to be replaced. Less than 30 days later, upper intake gasket and front brakes need to be changed at cost of $1500 canadian.
My car had to have the thermostat, pleninum gasket, intake gasket, egr gasket, valve cover gaskets replaced for the second time since I have had this car. I was told that it was because of the dex-cool antifreeze that is used in these cars warps the gaskets and seals. I am very disappointed that this has happened to my car. I do not have the money to be replacing these gaskets twice. I would like gm to reimburse me some of my finances that have cost to have this problem fixed for the second time. This time it cost me $222.00 for a rental car and $976.00 for repairs.
I bought my 1998 chevy malibu with 51,133 miles on it. It started to leak anti freeze shortly after I bought the car (73,753 miles). It ended up being a replacement of the camshaft sensor, replace water pump, replace rt.c.v shaft and replace seal sleeve. The egr gasket was also replaced. The total cost of this repair was 874.52 labor and parts included.
Questions about the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu engine
Does the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu have engine problems?
Owners have filed 146 complaints about the engine of the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu, 15% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 1998 Chevrolet Malibu engine problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 65,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu engine?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Chevrolet Malibu have bad engine?
The Chevrolet Malibu model years with the most engine complaints are 2016 (305 complaints), 2018 (286 complaints) and 2017 (258 complaints).
Other 1998 Chevrolet Malibu problems
Brakes 376Electrical 130Suspension 108Lights 83Steering 74Visibility 63Tires 57Transmission 50Airbags 40Fuel system 34Seat belts 24Acceleration 22Body 18Wheels 9Seats 6Driver assistance 2Locks 2
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