Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Chevrolet Malibu owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet Malibu. While the contact was attempting to lift open the hood of the vehicle the engine coolant suddenly splashed on top of the engine and the pavement below the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the contact had the coolant tank replaced. Two weeks after the repair while traveling at 20 MPH the contact noticed that coolant had begun leaking and that smoke was coming from the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the contact was informed that the intake manifold needed to be replaced. The failure mileage was 155,000.
Takata recall: my sons antitheft constantly turns on causing the car not to start or shut off and disables his keyless remotes which than need to be reprogrammed. After searching online I was able to find a way to get it started due to many people having the same issue had some tricks. My son is in college and has been stranded many times due to this malfunction. He's had 2 accidents where the car won't fully stop causing him to hit a car. His ac light constantly shuts off making the ac not work proper. This is the worse car!
At about 27000mi (3000mi. Service) I notified dealer of squeaking in front & rear suspension bushings. Dealer sprayed lube on rear (about $100)and notified me that they would have to lower complete front end to lube front, approx $200 more. Extended warranty didn't cover. At 30000 mi service dealer notified me I needed complete brake job. I inspected brakes while on lift. Mechanic said he made mistake! He said that he hadn't pulled wheels of yet. Said there was 80% left, repair invoice said 50% left. A little over a week later there was a puddle of trans fluid on garage floor & air conditioning smelled like urine when on, also switching itself from recirculation to fresh. Took car to dealer, they replaced switch, deductible $se on extended warranty, sprayed something in outside vent (mold they said?), and tightened trans cooling line, their fault! …
Air conditioning - electrical failure, would flicker on and off. Engine - head gasket, faulty. Was replaced. Power window - regulator and motor faulty, the window just stop rolling up and down, did not show signs of faiure till it happened. In shop right now, not covered under manufacturer warranty. Other - cooling system, uses the infamous dex-cool coolant. The engine gets hot every time I drive it. Hot meaning two bars above middle. It usually resides in the middle. The radiator cap has been replaced twice and the head gasket was also suspected of being a problem related to this. The problem still exists and is going to the dealer tomorrow for another inspection. The worst time it occurred was after the head gasket had been replaced. The vehicle ran fine for two months. We took it on vacation to lake powell when the problems occurred again. The engine started to get hot. …
I have contacted GMC Chevrolet division via their customer service line to no avail. I have several pages of documentation that supports the vehicle I drive(1999 Malibu) is one that Chevy should be ashamed to attribute to the "made in America" caqmpaign. I have had to replace on seven occasions the rear stop/tail lights. The bulbs burst, they simply stop and as of 08/14/04 I have replaced yet another set of bulbs except this time the lights failed to work at all. The worker at napa auto store in riverdale georgia even checked the fuses and found no fuse blown; he even showed me the fuses as he pulled them. …
Ignition switch has been getting loose and difficult to turn on for a long time. Received ntsb recall letter about unintentional key rotation for the 1999 Chevy Malibu. I followed the ntsb instructions and removed the key from the key ring. On April 21, 2015 the Chevy dealer glued a plastic housing to my keys. After receiving my keys back I could hardly get the key to rotate the ignition lock, I had to jiggle the key quite vigorously to get the ignition to operate. Four days later the key fell out of the ignition and the engine shut down while I was driving about 40 MPH. Although difficult to steer and brake I was able to safely bring the car to the side of the road, locate the key on the floor and after reinserting the key restarted he car. I had a roll of tape in the glove box and I used it to tape the key in position. No further difficulties. …
I first noticed the low antifreeze light came on after the car was sitting for over 6 hours. After stopping to see what was wrong, the light went off. After getting home, I looked at the engine and noticed a collection of antifreeze pooling on the engine, and much sludge collected on the engine. I refilled the antifreeze reservoir and took the car into bob montgomery Chevrolet, louisvile, kentucky. They indicated that the intake manifold gasket needs replacement, which is what I figured after doing some research online. Apparently, this problem has been reported before by over 1100 car owners, and is a design flaw with this particular engine. Moreover, some research indicates that the design has not been corrected, and therefore can be expected to reoccur. My problem first occurred during the first week I owned the car, fall of 2000. …
I had frequent loss of coolant, and drips on my driveway surface. Upon taking to dealer I was informed that intake gasket leaking. Also I was told brakes were almost gone. At 53,000 miles this seemed excessive on both counts. The replacement of the intake gasket was about $700.00. Replacing the pads and turning rotors cost $250.00. This makes the 3rd set of pads, and resurfacing of the second set of rotors since I bought the car new. Shortly after the repairs the ABS light started coming on whenever making a turn. Brought the car into the dealer in May and was told that the front wheel bearing assy needed to be replaced. I was also told that this occurance had nothing to do with the recent brake job, even though there were no problems until I had the brake job done at their recommendation. The dealer, while acknowleding no blame paid 50% of the repair leaving me with a $200.00 bill. …
This vehicle has had several problems I'll try to list.the airbags did not deploy they had been replaced when they fixed the horn problems.completely dissatisfied with my vehicle.I'm not sure if vehicle will be totaled since the accident was 9/6/01. I believe at the very least the airbags should have deployed.I don't know who to complain to.I've replaced rear brakes and rotors,altenator,water pump,battery,horn contact replaced twice at same time had to replace air bag due to sensor behind airbag,interior door panel replaced bracket broken,oil light continued to come on often even though service dealer could not dulpicate,air conditioner not blowing hard secured blower and blower resister wiring another time had to replaced A/C control unit,engine leaking oil around intake replaced intake gaskets,rear seat sqeaked w/ passengers service shop had attempted to fix but was unsuccessful ,so …
Faulty cooling situation with 1999 Chevy Malibu. It has been getting warm, two bars above middle, on the temperature gauge. The mechanic said it was a faulty head gasket, so he replaced it. Two months later, we were on a trip in the middle of the southern utah desert region coming home from lake powell when the engine started to get hot again. We were able to bring it down by turning off the A/C and running the heat. However, we were in the middle of nowhere and close to breaking down. Had it just been my wife in the car, she would not have known what to do and the car would have over-heated. She drives it just to work now, 4 miles away and it gets hot in the process. It uses dex-cool coolant and also has the GM 3.1 liter v-6 engine, both have inherent problems. It has cost us more money than we have to get it fixed and cannot sell it because of this problem. …
NHTSA investigations
Engine coolant boils over
There is no summary currently available
Engine complaints in other Malibu years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1999 Chevrolet Malibu?
NHTSA has 143 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1999 Chevrolet Malibu, 18% of the model year's 789 complaints. The component named most often is cooling system (39 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Chevrolet Malibu engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 1999 Chevrolet Malibu, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1999 Chevrolet Malibu engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 59,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.