IllustrationPASSLOCK SENSOR PREVENTED STARTING THE CAR ALTHOUGH THE ORIGINAL KEY WAS USED. HAD TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE PASSLOCK SENSOR. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE SERVICE SHOP FOR REPAIR. *TR
2002 Chevrolet Malibu
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 310.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Malibu years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
380–25K
8225–50K
10250–75K
7175–100K
73100–150K
25150K+
391 reports with mileage · 176 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 259 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 143 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 63 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
18 crash reports1 fire reports13 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
259 reportsI OWN A 2002 CHEVY MALIBU. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH ONLINE AS WELL AS MULTIPLE VISITS TO MY MECHANIC, I NOW REALIZE THAT THE PROBLEM I AM ENCOUNTERING IS A COMMON ONE FOR MY VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE THEFT SYSTEM OR "PASSLOCK". MY CAR WILL FAIL TO START BECAUSE THE PASSLOCK SENSOR DETECTS WHAT IT THINKS IS AN IMPROPER KEY. …
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I OWN A 2002 CHEVY MALIBU. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH ONLINE AS WELL AS MULTIPLE VISITS TO MY MECHANIC, I NOW REALIZE THAT THE PROBLEM I AM ENCOUNTERING IS A COMMON ONE FOR MY VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE THEFT SYSTEM OR "PASSLOCK". MY CAR WILL FAIL TO START BECAUSE THE PASSLOCK SENSOR DETECTS WHAT IT THINKS IS AN IMPROPER KEY. A 10 MINUTE DELAY WILL ENSUE WHERE I CAN NOT START MY CAR AT ALL DURING THIS TIME. THIS HAS HAPPENED FREQUENTLY FOR THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF. WITHIN THE LAST MONTH IS HAS HAPPENED UP TO 3 TIMES A DAY! I FIND IT COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE THAT CHEVROLET HAS NOT RECALLED THE CAR FOR THIS ERROR. I CAN NO LONGER RUN THE RISK OF GETTING STUCK IN A BAD SITUATION/AREA AND MY CAR FAILING ME. *TR
2002 MALIBU WON'T START PROBABLY DUE TO THE ANTI THEFT PASS LOCK SENSOR. THIS HAPPENED BEFORE AND WE WERE ABLE TO START THE NEXT DAY. HOWEVER IT' HAPPENING AGAIN AND I CANNOT START THE CAR FROM THE LAST THREE HOURS. GET GM OF THEIR BEHINDS TO FIX THE PROBLEM BY MAKING THE ISSUE A RECALL.*AK
ANTI-THEFT LOCK SYSTEM ON UTES2002 MALIBU. WAIT TIME OF 10 TO 30 MINUTES TO RESET. CAR WILL NOT START. SAFTY ISSUE DUE TO NO RELIABLE SAFE WAY TO CRANK CAR. *AK
ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM PREVENTED FROM BEING ABLE TO START ON THE CAR. I WAS ABLE TO RESET IT BY TURNING THE KEY ON AND WAIED 15 TO 20 MINUTES. ONCE THIS STARTED HAPPENING ALL THE TIME I HAD TO REPLACE THE IGNITION. *AK
ANTI THEFT SYSTEM PROBLEM IN MALIBU. CAR WILL NOT START UNLESS KEY IS LEFT IN THE IGNITION FOR 10 MINS. HAPPENS ABOUT 3 TIMES A DAY. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE. HE ALSO STATED THAT EVEN WHEN THE SYSTEM IS REPAIRED, THE UNIT WILL FAIL AGAIN AT SOME POINT. THE MANUFACT…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE. HE ALSO STATED THAT EVEN WHEN THE SYSTEM IS REPAIRED, THE UNIT WILL FAIL AGAIN AT SOME POINT. THE MANUFACTURER MADE THE CONTACT AN OFFER TO PARTICIPATE IN A STUDY AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR HER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS REMAINED AT THE SHOP SINCE THE DATE OF THE FAILURE. THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 74,000.
I AM THE OWNER OF A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU WITH JUST OVER 50,000 MILES USE. OVER THE PAST 6 MONTHS THE CAR HAS EXHIBITED A FAILURE TO START. A LITTLE RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS IS THE RESULT OF A COMMON FAILURE OF THE GM PASSLOCK SYSTEM. THE TEMPORARY FIX IS TO RESET THE SYSTEM BY TURNING THE IGNITION KEY TO THE ON POSITION AND …
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I AM THE OWNER OF A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU WITH JUST OVER 50,000 MILES USE. OVER THE PAST 6 MONTHS THE CAR HAS EXHIBITED A FAILURE TO START. A LITTLE RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS IS THE RESULT OF A COMMON FAILURE OF THE GM PASSLOCK SYSTEM. THE TEMPORARY FIX IS TO RESET THE SYSTEM BY TURNING THE IGNITION KEY TO THE ON POSITION AND WAITING 10-15 MINUTES. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS IS VERY ANNOYING AND INCONVENIENT. AT THIS POINT IT DOESN'T REPRESENT AN IMMEDIATE SAFETY ISSUE, IN THAT THE IGNITION SYSTEM ISN'T SHUTTING DOWN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. HOWEVER, I AM CONCERNED THAT THE INABILITY TO MOVE THE VEHICLE DOES REPRESENT A SAFETY ISSUE. MY STEPSON USES THIS CAR TO TRAVEL TO WORK AND TO COLLEGE. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT HIS SAFETY IF HE CAN'T START THE CAR IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, E.G., TO AVOID CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. IF THIS WERE A SMALL THING TO HAVE REPAIRED, I WOULDN'T COMPLAIN SO MUCH, BUT MY MECHANIC TELLS ME IT WILL COST NEARLY $500. AS I SAID ABOVE, THIS PROBLEM IS QUITE COMMON--OR SO MY INTERNET RESEARCH TELLS ME. GM SHOULD RECALL THIS POORLY DESIGNED MECHANISM. THANK YOU. --TED KRINER *TR
MY WIFE WAS OUT DOING DAILY ERRANDS AND WHEN SHE WENT TO START THE CAR IT WOULD TURN OVER BUT NOT START. THEN, AFTER TRYING SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS IT STILL WOULDN'T START. CAR WAS THEN TOWED TO A AUTOMOBILE MECHANIC, AND THE NEXT DAY BEFORE ANY WORK WAS DONE THE CAR STARTED, AND THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING…
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MY WIFE WAS OUT DOING DAILY ERRANDS AND WHEN SHE WENT TO START THE CAR IT WOULD TURN OVER BUT NOT START. THEN, AFTER TRYING SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS IT STILL WOULDN'T START. CAR WAS THEN TOWED TO A AUTOMOBILE MECHANIC, AND THE NEXT DAY BEFORE ANY WORK WAS DONE THE CAR STARTED, AND THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THEN, A FEW WEEKS LATER MY WIFE AND SON WERE OUT DOING ERRANDS AGAIN AND SAME THING HAPPENED, BUT LUCKILY AFTER A HALF HOUR OF TRYING TO START THE CAR IT DID START. THE BATTERY WAS JUST OVER A YEAR OLD ,AND NO OTHER NOTICEABLE PROBLEMS. I WAS AFRAID THAT MY WIFE AND 1 YEAR OLD CHILD WERE GOING TO END UP STRANDED. THE ONLY THING I WAS TOLD BWAS THAT IT COULD BE LINKED TO THE FACTORY SECURITY CODE USED IN THE CAR, BUT NO ONE STATED THAT THEY COULD TEST FOR THAT, THEY JUST ASSUMED THATS WHAT HAPPENED. HAS ANY ONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM. *AK
THE IGNITION SWITCH HAS HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE ON THIS VEHICLE. THE THEFTLOCK KEY PASS SENSOR KEEPS FAILING AND MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO START THE VEHICLE. TO CORRECT THIS THE ENTIRE IGNITION SWITCH MODULE HAS HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE. I AM TOLD THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO DISABLE THE THEFTLOCK FEATURE. *TR
Official recalls
214V400000 · Electrical System:ignition
Jul 3, 2014
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. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: 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. GM's number for this recall is 14350.
02V107000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights
Apr 10, 2002
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." SOME OF THESE VEHICLES WERE PRODUCED WITH A LEFT LOW-BEAM HEADLAMP THAT DOES NOT MEET THE PHOTOMETRIC PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: LIGHT INTENSITIES BELOW THE MINIMUM INTENSITY REQUIREMENTS CAUSE REDUCTION IN VISIBILITY DOWN THE ROAD FOR THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE AND INTENSITIES ABOVE THE MAXIMUM INTENSITY REQUIREMENTS CAUSE INCREASE IN GLARE FOR DRIVERS AHEAD OF, OR APPROACHING, THE VEHICLE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE LEFT LOW-BEAM HEADLAMP AND REPLACE IT IF IT DOES NOT MEET REQUIREMENTS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 23, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE05055 · Turn Signal Failures
Opened Sep 27, 2005 · Closed Jan 13, 2006
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting:hazard Flashing Warning Lights:switch; Exterior Lighting:turn Signal:switch
IN DECEMBER 2004, GM ISSUED A SPECIAL POLICY FOR MY 1999-2000 ALERO, GRAND AM AND MALIBU VEHICLES NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL 03V327. THE POLICY COVERED TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILURE FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES (WHICHEVER OCCURRED FIRST) TO PROVIDE A NO COST REPLACEMENT OF THE HAZARD SWITCH. GM SENT LETTERS TO OWNERS STARTING DECEMBER 30, 2004.IN JANUARY 2006, GM WILL UPDATE THE SPECIAL POLICY TO INCLUDE MY 2002 ALERO, GRAND AM AND MALIBU VEHICLES NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL 03V-327.THE POLICY COVERS TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILURE FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES (WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST) TO PROVIDE A NO COST REPLACEMENT OF THE HAZARD SWITCH.GM WILL SEND LETTERS TO OWNERS STARTING LATE APRIL 2006.THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE MANUFACTURER IS SUFFICIENT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FUTURE ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Exterior Lighting:hazard Flashing Warning Lights:switch
IN DECEMBER 2004, GM ISSUED A SPECIAL POLICY FOR MY 1999-2000 ALERO, GRAND AM AND MALIBU VEHICLES NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL 03V327. THE POLICY COVERED TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILURE FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES (WHICHEVER OCCURRED FIRST) TO PROVIDE A NO COST REPLACEMENT OF THE HAZARD SWITCH. GM SENT LETTERS TO OWNERS STARTING DECEMBER 30, 2004.IN JANUARY 2006, GM WILL UPDATE THE SPECIAL POLICY TO INCLUDE MY 2002 ALERO, GRAND AM AND MALIBU VEHICLES NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL 03V-327.THE POLICY COVERS TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILURE FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES (WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST) TO PROVIDE A NO COST REPLACEMENT OF THE HAZARD SWITCH.GM WILL SEND LETTERS TO OWNERS STARTING LATE APRIL 2006.THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE MANUFACTURER IS SUFFICIENT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FUTURE ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
Exterior Lighting:turn Signal:switch
IN DECEMBER 2004, GM ISSUED A SPECIAL POLICY FOR MY 1999-2000 ALERO, GRAND AM AND MALIBU VEHICLES NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL 03V327. THE POLICY COVERED TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILURE FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES (WHICHEVER OCCURRED FIRST) TO PROVIDE A NO COST REPLACEMENT OF THE HAZARD SWITCH. GM SENT LETTERS TO OWNERS STARTING DECEMBER 30, 2004.IN JANUARY 2006, GM WILL UPDATE THE SPECIAL POLICY TO INCLUDE MY 2002 ALERO, GRAND AM AND MALIBU VEHICLES NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL 03V-327.THE POLICY COVERS TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILURE FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES (WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST) TO PROVIDE A NO COST REPLACEMENT OF THE HAZARD SWITCH.GM WILL SEND LETTERS TO OWNERS STARTING LATE APRIL 2006.THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE MANUFACTURER IS SUFFICIENT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FUTURE ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.