1998 Chevrolet Malibu review from North America
"Not worth your money at any price"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Since purchasing the car used in 2000, I have had a number of problems:
The power mirrors failed, which under warranty required a complete replacement.
The engine has numerous oil leaks, some fixed under warranty, after the warranty expired, more leaks began, and were not fixed.
The engine made a knocking sound when cold. The dealer described this as "normal piston slap" and indicated that they would not fix this.
The interior fan motor quit under warranty, and was replaced.
Shortly after warranty, the first two fan speeds quit working.
The air conditioner never worked well, and would turn on and off at any given time. On a hot day, the car would never really become cool.
The brakes were horrible, and were completely replaced a few times. With pads and rotors the bill would be about 600.00. Even with different upgraded and expensive rotors, one good fast stop from highway speeds would warp the rotors.
The ABS light would come on and off at times. The dealer described this as normal.
At cold idle the engine would surge and sputter. Again the dealer described this as normal. The told me the engine's computer was just doing its routine checks of the sensors.
Frequently black or blue smoke would be emitted from the exhaust on startup.
The battery was replaced, and the alternator was weak.
The suspension had a number of problems, shocks and struts were worn out by 70,000KM and numerous vibrations and rattles emitted from the suspension.
Overall, fuel economy was atrocious! In the city I swear I could see the gas gauge moving on its descent. The highway was a bit better, but not great.
General comments?
Generally I would describe the car as garbage. Designed to last just long enough for you to be able to pay it off, and therefore be in a position to be able to buy another one.
I traded the car in this year on a brand new Suzuki, and would not consider buying from GM again in the future.
This car had one saving grace: The transmission was flawless, and shifts smoother than just about any other car that I have ever driven.
Recommended Reviews:
  | A high maintenance car |
| One giant maintenance headache for almost 5 years |
All 1998 Chevrolet Malibu reviews
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.1 V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7/10 |
| Reliability marks | 4/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 4/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 33000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 149000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Honda Civic |
| Date of Entry | 22nd March, 2003 |