1998 Chevrolet Malibu consumer reviews

I bought this 98 Malibu LS from my niece who bought it new. It had 150K on it when I bought it and it was in decent shape still. She had kept up the maintenance on it well. While she owned it, she had to have the intake manifold gaskets replaced TWICE. (This is a VERY common problem with GM's 3.1 liter engine. They know it but won't stand behind it. A Chevrolet technician told me that GM never did solve the problem in production.) There is debate over what causes the intake gasket to blow. Some say its due to the GM's corrosive DEXCOOL coolant. Some say its poor quality gaskets. Some say the intake manifold bolts stretch and loosen. Whatever the cause, its not uncommon to have the intake gaskets replaced over and over. I drove the car for about a year and a half (10K miles) and had the intake gaskets blow again (3rd time). About three months after that repair, the timing cover gasket started leaking coolant as well. Other than the coolant leaks, it has been a very reliable car. Average looks, decent MPG for a V-6, nice ride for a midsize car, average comfort. I've heard of another common problem with these Mailbus: Body control modules going bad which keep the car from starting intermittently. I did not experience this problem with my particular Malibu.

We've had good luck with this car. Over 150K miles and it has been a dependable commuter car. Some of the parts are inferior though. For example, belt pulleys are plastic and one exploded on me while driving on the interstate (replaced all pulleys with aftermarket steel ones); plastic interior parts break around the dash; FM radio is weak and AM radio does not work. I think the key is to change the oil regularly. Oh -- the fuel gauge broke and apparently this happens frequently enough that there is a Technical Service Bulletin on it -- but the dealer won't let me have it and NHTSA charges $25 for it on their webpage. Since the taxpayer bailed these guys out, the least they can do is spring for a lousy TSB.

i have had nothing but trouble with this vehicle. mechanics have said why did you buy this it is the worst vehicle made. they were right. i have put a lot of money into this car just so i can keep breaking down. i am in the process of buying a new car but to let everyone know how horrible this car is!

the chevy malibu is a great car!It is totaly worth the price and it runs great!i have owned this car for 4 years and not had any problems! its a wonderful 1st car!

Most Reliable Car I have owned. I didn't visit mechanic shops everyday. Easy to drive. I would strongly recommend this car...

My wife and I bought this Malibu a year before we had our first child, planning for the future. This was a GREAT choice for us and our family. The car runs well, few problems that I would need to bring up, maintenance is cheap, AND it's AMERICAN!! We will definitely buy another Chevrolet in the near future. Have about 125,000 miles on it now, have done regular maintenance like tires, brake pads and rotors, plugs, wires, etc. But I expect that. IT'S PART OF OWNING A CAR!! GM got it right with this one. Go USA!!

Purchased Dec 03 for $4,000. Looked good, and ran well at the time. Spent around $1,200 on the A/C the following summer, they never got it right. Doesn't always cool at slow speeds, but great on the road. Replaced tires shortly after purchase. Brakes last Winter, 109K on car at time. I now have 113K, the tires just around 30K, 1/2 the Guarantee millage, but according to Sam's, expires after 4 year. The CD player just stopped playing, and the AM doesn't work. Shop, said replace antenna. Hey for 4 Grand, plus another $1,600 for repairs, and tires = $5,600. It still looks good, runs well, get 18-30 miles to the gallon. I really can not complain to laud. If I just could find some one to fix the A/C correctly, I would keep it another 4 years. I had 180K on my Corsica, and I purchased that used. It had the same engine, but a 3 speed trans.

Purchased our 1998 Malibu used in 2001 with 14,000 miles. We did have some problems with it fairly soon after buying it, suspension issues I believe. It has since turned out to be very reliable as much as our 1997 Lumina was. Since the suspension issue we've had a brake job, a new battery and a new alternater, besides tires and oils changes that is it. We have the 2.4 twincam I4, though rough running it has been a great engine and has great get and go. Felt comfortable getting this engine as my mom had a Quad4 in her Grand Am, again a rough running engine but has gobs of power. My wife loves this car and even though it is 10 years old refuses to give it up. We have added keyless remote and I just added an autodimming rear view mirror to it. It looks great, rides smooth and gets 24 mpg around town and 32 mpg on the highway. We can't say how happy we are with this car.

I bought this vehicle 4 years ago, and it's had relatively few problems. I love the affordable features like a/c & cd, and timeless styling, which still looks current (heck, I think they're still being built as fleet cars). My criticism is with the inferior materials used in the making of this car. Last year, the break line burst after corroding. I was in my driveway but easily could have had complete break failure on the road. Winter salt might be to blame but I think European cars use anti-corrosive materials. This week, a suspension coil broke. The car was sitting in the driveway, and suddenly the driver's side wheel dropped several inches. The repair for both sides to even it out is over $700, which is cheaper than a new car. What will give out next I wonder. Again, New York potholes might be to blame. The car is fast, comfortable, roomy, and not too big. When I owned a '92 VW Passat, the timing belt broke, and the VW never ran more than a week at a time again. The body & interior of the Passat were amazing and made for eternity but the 4 cyl. engine was an exotic piece of junk. I wish I'd kept my Mitsubishi Mighty Max. On the Malibu, the paint is starting to bubble around the gas tank. One of the Malibu's tail lights has always filled up with water and leaked water into the trunk. The water then collects in the spare tire reservoir. This nasty water is impossible to get out, and freezes in the winter, slowly eroding the bottom of the trunk. A new tail light assembly only slightly improved the situation. The tail light rubber seals are cheaply made. I could take this Malibu apart with a screw driver, which also makes it easier to fix for mechanics.

I bought my Malibu LS about four years ago, and less than six months after buying it, I was forced to dump over $1K into it just to get it moving again. Since then, it has been nothing but a headache for me and has almost spent more time in the shop than being driven. I have put almost as much money into keeping it running as I spent on the purchase price. Every time I get something major on it fixed and/or replaced, something else major breaks or cracks or blows up. I just spent about $1k on getting it running again, and the engine is now smoking. I refuse to 'fix' it again, and am now searching for an Audi or VW. I will never, EVER, buy a Chevy again, and I would love to have my 1985 Nissan hatchback back.