Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2002 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic, who reported the mileage at 105,000. The key was stuck in the ignition, but was replaced. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. The seller provided the VIN from the title and a Carfax report that the vehicle had only two previous owners. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was 49,500. Upon research, the Good Car report indicated that there were several owners of the vehicle. The contact stated the seller was possibly deceiving buyers. A Carfax report was not provided. There were no other agencies contacted.
The worst 2002 Chevrolet Malibu problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical259
- Lights143
- Engine85
- Brakes55
- Fuel system29
- Airbags18
- Suspension14
- Steering13
- Visibility13
- Body12
- Tires10
- Seat belts9
- Acceleration6
- Transmission5
- Driver assistance1
- Wheels1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
Won't start 88Stalling 34Fuel pump 24Overheating 16Headlights 12ABS 10Loss of power 10Check engine light 9Engine failure 9Hesitation 8No deployment 7Grinding brakes 6Door locks 6Warning lights 6Wipers 6Adaptive cruise 5Ball joint 5
Recalls 2
Electrical system: ignition
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 14V400000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: headlights
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 02V107000 · Recall details
See all 2 recalls for the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
Defect investigations
Turn signal failures
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 the federal safety agency that no safety-related defect exists.the agency reserves the right to take future action if warranted by the circumstances.
PE05055
Technical service bulletins for the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu 391
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
- Unknown or other
- Electrical system
- Unknown or other
- Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles
- GM is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman facilities
- This service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves...
- This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as...
- This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Service Programming System (SPS)...
- This bulletin provides information for electrical ground repairs using new General Motors replacement...
2002 Chevrolet Malibu fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1L 6‑cyl | FWD | 18 | 26 | 21 |
What 2002 Chevrolet Malibu owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The anti-theft/ passlock system fault in this generation of GM vehicles is very widespread and effects a large percentage of vehicles in this generation. I am sure there have been hundreds if not thousands of complaints about same issue and GM refuses to fix the problem. The problem causes the car to randomly shut off due to anti theft fault and can happen on interstate, highway or in town driving. This is a very dangerous fault and very expensive for owners especially when dealerships themselves don't even know what they are dealing with. They will throw parts at the problem with no real knowledge. GM needs to be held accountable. Currently the ignition the BCM have been replaced and now the car will not start at all and I have no lights or gauges on my cluster.
The turn signals work sometimes and sometimes they don't work. I researched this on the internet and it seams to be a serious problem with this car make. If there are no recalls on this there should be. This is a major safety hazard. I just bought this car for my teenage son.
The hydraulic brake lines between the front and rear of the car corroded and quickly leaked fluid out so the brakes no longer functioned. The fluid leaked out when the car was parked after driving on the highway the night before. If this happened when I was driving the results could have been catestophic my mechanic stated that this is a common problem with chevys. I saved some of the brake lines he had to remove.
The characteristics of the problem are as follows: the engine just dies randomly. When the engine dies, I noted the gauges all indicated the key was in the off position, even though the key had not been touched. They by turning the key to the off position and wiggling it only after bringing the vehicle to a complete stop and putting the gear shift in the park position, could I get the car to start and be on my way. This same condition happens at 65 MPH on the freeway; at 0 MPH; 5 MPH; approaching a stop sign; slowing the vehicle, and other condition while driving that you can think of type driving conditions . I have had the ignition switch replace twice and that has not cured the problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that the engine hesitated when started. Also, the instrument panel lighting became very dim and the data on the screen was not visible. Also, the passenger door would not lock and the windows failed to roll down. All the warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact jumped the battery and the engine restarted. Later, the vehicle decelerated while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the anti-theft system failed. The mechanic was currently performing a second diagnostic test. The manufacturer and dealer were not made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 46,786.
Passlock censor in the ignition lock cylinder failing. Security relearn needed. Vehicle was stationary.
Car would not start, had to replace alternator. One week later same problem, had a mechanic check it now saying its the battery so replaced that. Was starting ok then it wouldn't start so we wiggled key around and it started. Was able to drive several days doing this but then it would not start at all. The mechanic says it is the ignition switch. When I looked this up I see that lots of people having problem with ignition switch. Gm cars are crap!!! I cant afford to fix this I am on very limited budget so my car been siting for over month now. Gm needs to fix for free.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start and the key felt hot while in the ignition. The dealer and manufacturer had not been contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 92,000.
My vehicle is messing up on me and it was shut off my vehicle is messing up on me it will shut off well driving ill pull over and wait a couple mins and I will pull out the fuel fuse and wait a couple mins and will put it back and it will start again after a week it shut off on me and would not start had to have it towed took it to a mechanic he changed the fuel pump and marjoram worked for 5days then the same problem again changed the sensors worked ok for 2days and the problem came back again so I changed the spark plugs fuel filter all fuses still nothing its been sitting for 3 to 4 months now I can't seem to find the problem I changed everything u can thing of now the check engine and test system light is on
Compare the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
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Other model years
19971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Questions about the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
Is the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu reliable?
Owners have filed 567 complaints about the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu, fewer than a typical Malibu model year.
What is the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu year score?
The 2002 Chevrolet Malibu scores 80 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Chevrolet Malibu: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu?
Electrical system, with 259 complaints, typically around 78,000 miles. Next is lights (143).
How many recalls does the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu have?
2 recalls, covering electrical system and exterior lighting.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu electrical?
Yes, 1 recall: 14V400000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Chevrolet Malibu have the most electrical problems?
The Chevrolet Malibu model years with the most electrical complaints are 2013 (376 complaints), 2009 (368 complaints) and 2010 (295 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu get?
Official estimates for the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu range from 21 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.1L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 18 city and 26 highway.
VIN decoder
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