1997 Chevrolet Malibu Problems, Recalls & Reliability
696 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 7 defect investigations. It scores 29/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 88,000 miles.
Typical
Where 1997 sits among all Malibu years
What owners report
“Theft light. Car won’t start it’s happened 20 times in the last 6 months. I was driving and theft light caused everything to shut down. This is a dangerous thing that needs to be fixed”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 Malibu
“Right front brake pad burned and damaged the rotor. New vehicle with 16,856 miles.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 Malibu
“Rack and pinion steering gear failed causing the steering wheel to lock up while driving. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 Malibu
“The vehicle stalled on highway when the drive belt snapped due to broken pulley assembly. Yh”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 Malibu
“Suspension system has had continuous repairs of components however the vibration and rough ride are still present, unable to rectify poor suspension system.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 Malibu
“The windshiled wiper failed prior to recall (01v-068) during a rainstorm which resulted in poor visibility while driving. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 Malibu
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 141 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 83,501 miles. Half of those reports fall between 57,800 and 107,616 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
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.…
Fix: 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.…
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
CERTAIN DELPHI FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS, P/NOS. FP10020-11B1, FP10026-11B1, AND FP10027-11B1, SOLD AFTER JANUARY 9, 2007, AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE UNIVERSAL PRESSURE REGULATORS (UPR) WERE PRODUCED WITHOUT AN…
Fix: DELPHI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE UPR FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 23, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT DELPHI AT 877-411-8770.
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES HAVE LOWER PINION BEARINGS IN THE POWER RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY IN WHICH THE RETAINER TABS WERE NOT CRIMPED PROPERLY. THESE RETAINERS COULD FAIL AND PERMIT THE BALL BEARINGS TO ESCAPE.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW LOWER PINION BEARING UNLESS INSPECT OF THE EXISTING BEARING INDICATES THAT REPLACEMENT OF THE GEAR ASSEMBLY IS NECESSARY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 5, 2004.…
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE "SALT BELT" STATES: ALASKA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE,…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER PIVOT HOUSING. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 14, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE…
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE FASTENERS THAT SECURE THE PASSENGER AIR BAG MODULE TO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TIE BAR WERE OMITTED.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE AIR BAG MODULE FOR THE PRESENCE OF THE FASTENERS AND, IF NECESSARY, INSTALL ANY FASTENERS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN OMITTED.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 02V286000.
Led to recall campaign 01V068000.
Technical service bulletins
119 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on brakes & stability and engine — are on file for the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1997 Malibu TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu reliable?
The 1997 Chevrolet Malibu drew 696 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 29/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 1997 Chevrolet Malibu problems?
The top reported problems for the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu are electrical (142 complaints), brakes & stability (136), and steering (84).
At what mileage do 1997 Chevrolet Malibu problems show up?
Owners most often report 1997 Chevrolet Malibu problems around 83,501 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 57,800 and 107,616 miles.
Does the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.