1998 Chevrolet Malibu LS review from North America
"A great mid-size, mid-budget, car"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Replaced brakes twice in 12,000 miles.
Serpentine belt pulley jammed, causing belt to fall off. New pully fixed the problem.
A/C kicks off at will. Common problem with 1998 Malibu, but no big deal.
Needed new front bushings to get rid of constant squeak in front end.
Dealer fixed vibration in transmission before purchasing car. At 45mph, car would have subtle vibration. Rebuilt transmission has fixed this problem.
General comments?
Despite what looks like a large list of problems, this has been one of my favorite cars to drive!
Great acceleration on big hills where I live.
Plenty of cargo and passenger room.
Great CD/stereo system--love that bass!
In the two years I've owned it, it's only spent a total of three days in the shop for the various small problems. Perhaps that's because I made the dealer fix the transmission problem before I bought it, otherwise, I would have more to complain about.
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  | Lemon!!! |
| 1997 - Malibu LS 3.1L V6 155-hp Not such a bad choice, but see if you can verify its maintenance history before buying one |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 9/10 |
| Reliability marks | 8/10 |
| Comfort marks | 9/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 50000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 67000 miles |
| Previous car | Chrysler LeBaron |
| Date of Entry | 8th April, 2003 |