Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Chevrolet Malibu owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The day May 13, 2009 my wife was driving the vehicle for about hillsborough avenue at 12: 15 a day. Another vehicle driving in the opposite direction crossed the street to enter the parking lot of ross. My wife quickly use the brakes but the vehicle was when collided with the other vehicle stopped. My wife suffered trauma to the spine and neck. Breaking the 5th lumbar vertebra and herniated cervical. Never again could work or it could operate. Requires a spinal fusion which costs $ 80,000.00. Now we know why the vehicle did not stop and did not prevent the accident.
Traveling on interstate I 40 doing 65mph cross over the media luckly their were no other car beside me or coming after I cross the media all I know it picked up speed like the gas pedal had stuck and it juke like but the air bag didn't come out it tore the front end of the body up the it accelerate by it self sometime just seating still.
Steering wheel locked,engine power was lost, brakes would not work. I could not control the vehicle,I hit a poled,borke both legs, have a rod in femur and messed up my knee,still recovering and in awheel chair for now.
While parking I heard a noise in the front end and upon turning the wheel harder the power steering went out. I could barely turn the wheel. Later in the day put in more power steering fluid thinking that was the problem but had the same issue. I thought the power steering was going out as I was hearing a grinding type noise in the front end. The next day I could feel something under the driver floor board and louder noises when turning hard. Took it to my mechanic and was told sub-frame is rusted and needs replaced as well as the rack and pinion; this will start out as a $2000.00 repair and could go up to $4000.00 depending on what else they find when they work on it. This is a safety hazard and should be fixed by GM as they used shoddy materials building this vehicle. My mechanic said I shouldn't drive it as I May loose control of the vehicle. …
Bought this car as a project car with low mileage. Got bought at a used car dealership. Piston slap!!! Especially cold. Front sub frame rotted out and rack and pinion destroyed needed immediate replacement. Later was told rocker panels are destroyed with huge holes I was clearly upset another Malibu with another problem. Common problem with Malibu's from '98-'02. Was unable to safety because of panels missing a layer in spots (holes). Rear quarter panels severe rotting around wheel wells and gas cap area requiring bondo to fill in holes a horrible problem with Malibu's. Air conditioning clutch grinding constantly and half the time A/C bottom works. Sadly GM will not recall these issues now have to invest $7000 to make into a show car. GM should be ashamed of body problems and constant piston slaps and lifter knocking. I have to do an overhaul of $600-800 on engine. …
After parking the car I was notified by a neighbor that my vehicle was on fire. The fire dept. Was call and extinguished the fire.the arson squad was called and determined the vehicles fire was due to a mechanical problem. After I researched the vehicle safety recalls and found out there had been a recall for this vehicle and I was unaware of it. I purchased it used. I did not receive any notice on the recall. I found there were many other fires associated with this failure. The vehicle was totally burned up vehicle was non repairable and towed to the junk yard after arson investigation was complete.
Tl contact owns a 2000 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that she was at a traffic light turning left and noticed something wrong with the steering as if something had slipped out of place. The following day she called a local mechanic who stated that the subframe had corroded and was covered with rust on the steering gear (rack and pinion). He told the contact that the vehicle was unsafe to drive and the repair cost would be over $1,000. General motors was contacted and report number 71-858074874 was filed. The failure and current mileages were approximately 123,000.
Tl contact owns a 2000 Chevrolet Malibu. While driving at various speeds there was a noise present in the front of the vehicle. A local mechanic determined that the frame and bolts had rust on them which caused the rack and pinion to fail. The contact was given a quote of $2,000 to repair the vehicle; however, he refused to make the repairs because the vehicle is not worth the repair cost. The manufacturer informed the contact that the vehicle was no longer under warranty and no compensation would be offered. The failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage 80,010.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the front passenger side door exhibited excessive rust. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer or a local mechanic for inspection or repairs. The contact stated the failure was a safety issue because the rust was building around the filler pipe for the fuel system. The failure mileage was 124,000. Updated 6/8/11 the consumer stated the fuel door was hanging off the vehicle because the hinges were welded to the body and it rusted through. Updated 06/23/11
While making final turn when arriving from a 30 mile commute a noise was heard when turning the steering wheel. I removed the tire on my lunch brake to realize the rack an pinion assembly was floating/hanging there. A closer look revealed the actual mounting bracket and part of the frame cross member were rusted and gone! With numerous issues to fix and 2 engine replacements later, this Malibu is being scrapped. Other rust areas caused or causing problems are around the gas fill opening, suspension coil, and rotors fused to hub.
Body complaints in other Malibu years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2000 Chevrolet Malibu?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the body & structure of the 2000 Chevrolet Malibu, 3% of the model year's 922 complaints. The component named most often is body (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Chevrolet Malibu body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2000 Chevrolet Malibu, though it has 3 recalls 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 2000 Chevrolet Malibu body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 108,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 1 fire and 3 injuries to body & structure 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.