1998 Chevrolet Malibu LS review from North America
"The Malibu is a very fun car, its just not built very well"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
First of all when I bought the car, there were already things wrong with it.
The brakes were bad when I bought it and the ABS light on the dashboard would come on and sound a chime.
Right from the start for some reason the ventilation fan won't function on a speed below 3.
From the beginning and even now occasionally a metallic grinding noise can be heard in the engine. This noise stops however when the A/C is activated.
At 69,000 miles the passenger side wheel bearings needed to be replaced.
My 17" 9 spoke alloy wheels are somehow completely destroyed by etching and corrosion.
The rubber seals on the Taillights are falling off.
The remote key-less entry system only works from a distance of no greater than 15 feet.
This is not a problem, but a mistake in design. The automatic headlight feature has no override, so the headlights come on weather you like it or not!
The labels on the window buttons rub off onto your fingers as if they were made of dry erase marker.
At night the back-light on the dash and radio displays get so hot that they can actually burn you.
The stopper covers on the seat-belt buckles snap off if you bend over the wrong way.
Brakes are loud and very noisy.
Back doors squeak loudly and are difficult to open fully.
Car sometimes has a difficult time starting.
The driver side power mirror no longer moves.
And the Drivers side window is beginning to die.
General comments?
Other than the quarks of the vehicle, it's a very attractive car and handles quite nicely.
The body work is very sleek and unoffensive.
The car lacks the pickup it should have from a V6.
Seats are very comfortable and the whole interior is designed to give the front and rear seat occupants maximum room.
Recommended Reviews:
![]() ![]() | Horrible! |
![]() ![]() | The nightmare of all nightmares! |
All 1998 Chevrolet Malibu reviews
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model Year | 1998 |
| First year of ownership | 2005 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.1 V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7/10 |
| Reliability marks | 6/10 |
| Comfort marks | 10/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 3/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 63262 miles |
| Most recent distance | 74886 miles |
| Previous car | Chevrolet Prizm |
| Date of Entry | 24th December, 2005 |

