Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
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).
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle accelerated on its own. As a result, the contact crashed into the preceding vehicle. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was taken to an unknown location for diagnostic testing. The mechanic replaced the water pump and the body control module, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 14V400000 (electrical system). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 53,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The contact shifted the vehicle into neutral, turn the switch to the off position then back to the on position and the vehicle started. The contact also stated that while driving 45 or 55 MPH, the vehicle loss motive power and stalled without warning. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would loss power before she could shift out of park into reverse. The contact stated that she had received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14V400000 (electrical system) and had the vehicle taken to west Chevrolet, inc., (3450 airport hwy, alcoa, tn 37701) where the vehicle was repaired under recall. The contact stated that the ignition switch was not repaired under the recall campaign. …
Hello.. My name is [redacted] .. I am writing you about my sisters car.. It is a 2000 Chevy Malibu .... The car keeps having problems starting.... It runs good then without warning she will be somewhere and cut the car off and it won't start back... It turns over but won't start.. After awhile it will start.... This has happen several times... We have sent it to the shop and spent several hundred dollars on it and it is still happening.. I looked online for answers and found that this is a very common recurring problem on these cars... My sister is disabled and it is very unsafe for this to be happening with her car.... Everyone on the forums say it should be a recall and fixed by chev. You already have the VIN number for the car listed above... My sisters name is [redacted] ..... Hopefully someone here can help her get this issue fixed.... Please let us know... Thank you
I can not remove the key from the ignition after putting the car in park. The above happened randomly at first, but got worse, and now happens every single time. I now have to leave the key in the car, in the accessory position, and carry a second key just to lock and unlock the car. If I don't restart the car within a few hour hours, the battery would be drained, and I would have to get a jump start - this had happened to me a few times. I searched this issue on the internet and found an article from autonews.com dated December 11 2014 saying that GM is aware of this problem, and would fix it if asked (not a recall). I contacted two local Chevrolet dealerships: community Chevrolet (16 jan 2015) and rydell Chevrolet (19 jan 2015), but was told they are not aware of any authorization from GM to fix the above stated issue. Please help me resolve this problem with GM.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the key was getting stuck in the acc and on positions. The contact indicated that the key could also be removed and the engine remained running. The contact also applied the brake pedal and it went to the floorboard causing the contact to have to apply force numerous times to get the vehicle to come to a complete stop. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V400000 (electrical system) but was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was unable to be driven. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start without several attempts to turn the ignition key. The vehicle would also stall at various speeds without warning. The contact took the vehicle to the ganley Chevrolet dealer where the ignition switch was replaced in September of 2016; however, the failure recurred. The dealer stated that the ignition switch was replaced an additional four times in the past six years. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened case number: 8/3107401633. The manufacturer advised the contact to return the vehicle to the dealer for further diagnostic testing. The approximate failure mileage was 81,000.
There are three safety problems that have occurred. The first is that the turn signals sometimes work and sometimes don't. The second is that the engine will at time accelerate on it's own while driving and while idle. The third is that the engine sometimes completely shuts off while driving when it rains. A car repair shop has identified problems with the throttle position sensor and the idle air control motor. Searching on the internet reveals that this particular car has problems with the emergency light control that causes turn signal problems. I performed a recall search and the only recall I found was for an ignition switch modification which doesn't seem to relate to my problems.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Chevrolet Malibu. While driving 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart it after some time. Multiple warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. In addition, the contact noticed coolant leaking and had to continuously refill the vehicle with coolant. After turning off the vehicle, the key failed to eject and remained in the accessory position. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired the manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 157,323. Updated 05/16/17 updated 7/9/18
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the anti theft system failed. The anti theft warning light illuminated when the ignition switch was turned to the on position causing the engine not to start. The contact had to wait several minutes for the anti theft light to disengage to be able to start the engine. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed that the vehicle computer system needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 138,000. Ma 10/14
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Chevrolet Malibu. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact also stated that the vehicle would sometimes not start after being utilized and turned off. The contact stated that the vehicle would eventually turn on after approximately ten minutes. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the theft system failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 190,000.
Related recalls
Electrical system › Ignition
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.
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.
Electrical complaints in other Malibu years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2000 Chevrolet Malibu?
NHTSA has 199 complaints about the electrical system of the 2000 Chevrolet Malibu, 22% of the model year's 922 complaints. The component named most often is ignition › anti-theft › control module (22 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Chevrolet Malibu electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 14V-400 (ignition, Jul 3, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2000 Chevrolet Malibu electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 2 fires and 1 injury to electrical system 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.