There are 50 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2002 Chevrolet Malibuin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The anti-theft/ passlock system fault in this generation of GM vehicles is very widespread and effects a large percentage of vehicles in this generation. I am sure there have been hundreds if not thousands of complaints about same issue and GM refuses to fix the problem. The problem causes the car to randomly shut off due to anti theft fault and can happen on interstate, highway or in town driving. This is a very dangerous fault and very expensive for owners especially when dealerships themselves don't even know what they are dealing with. They will throw parts at the problem with no real knowledge. GM needs to be held accountable. Currently the ignition the BCM have been replaced and now the car will not start at all and I have no lights or gauges on my cluster.
THE TURN SIGNALS WORK SOMETIMES AND SOMETIMES THEY DON'T WORK. I RESEARCHED THIS ON THE INTERNET AND IT SEAMS TO BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR MAKE. IF THERE ARE NO RECALLS ON THIS THERE SHOULD BE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR FOR MY TEENAGE SON.
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROBLEM ARE AS FOLLOWS: THE ENGINE JUST DIES RANDOMLY. WHEN THE ENGINE DIES, I NOTED THE GAUGES ALL INDICATED THE KEY WAS IN THE OFF POSITION, EVEN THOUGH THE KEY HAD NOT BEEN TOUCHED. THEY BY TURNING THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION AND WIGGLING IT ONLY AFTER BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP AND PUTTING THE GEAR SHIFT IN THE PARK POSITION, COULD I GET THE CAR TO START AND BE ON MY WAY. THIS SAME CONDITION HAPPENS AT 65 MPH ON THE FREEWAY; AT 0 MPH; 5 MPH; APPROACHING A STOP SIGN; SLOWING THE VEHICLE, AND OTHER CONDITION WHILE DRIVING THAT YOU CAN THINK OF TYPE DRIVING CONDITIONS . I HAVE HAD THE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACE TWICE AND THAT HAS NOT CURED THE PROBLEM.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE HESITATED WHEN STARTED. ALSO, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING BECAME VERY DIM AND THE DATA ON THE SCREEN WAS NOT VISIBLE. ALSO, THE PASSENGER DOOR WOULD NOT LOCK AND THE WINDOWS FAILED TO ROLL DOWN. ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT JUMPED THE BATTERY AND THE ENGINE RESTARTED. LATER, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM FAILED. THE MECHANIC WAS CURRENTLY PERFORMING A SECOND DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,786.
PASSLOCK CENSOR IN THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER FAILING. SECURITY RELEARN NEEDED. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY.
CAR WOULD NOT START, HAD TO REPLACE ALTERNATOR. ONE WEEK LATER SAME PROBLEM, HAD A MECHANIC CHECK IT NOW SAYING ITS THE BATTERY SO REPLACED THAT. WAS STARTING OK THEN IT WOULDN'T START SO WE WIGGLED KEY AROUND AND IT STARTED. WAS ABLE TO DRIVE SEVERAL DAYS DOING THIS BUT THEN IT WOULD NOT START AT ALL. THE MECHANIC SAYS IT IS THE IGNITION SWITCH. WHEN I LOOKED THIS UP I SEE THAT LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVING PROBLEM WITH IGNITION SWITCH. GM CARS ARE CRAP!!! I CANT AFFORD TO FIX THIS I AM ON VERY LIMITED BUDGET SO MY CAR BEEN SITING FOR OVER MONTH NOW. GM NEEDS TO FIX FOR FREE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AND THE KEY FELT HOT WHILE IN THE IGNITION. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE TURNING THE IGNITION SWITCH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE ANTI-THEFT WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN. UPDATED 09/06/17*LJ
MY CAR DIES RUNNING AND IT SOMETIMES DOESN'T WANTS TO START DUE TO A SWITCH PROBLEM THE SAME I HAD IN OTHER MALIBU THAT I HAD AND THE DEALER FIXED FOR ME
:TAKATA RECALL" PURCHASED AND NEXT DAY WENT BY DEALERSHIP AS THE TAILLIGHTS WERE INOPERATABLE. HE SAID BRING IT WHEN IT WASN'T RAINING OR WIFE WAS THERE. I WENT TO CRANK IT TO GO TO DR. AND IT WOULDN'T CRANK. I THOUGHT IT WAS FUEL PUMP. AFTER A WEEK OF NOT CRANKING I CALLED A MECHANIC AND HE SAID HE WOULD CHECK IT OUT. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED. IT WAS THE IGNITION SWITCH. DROVE THE DAY WAS FIXED AND DROVE AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. WE DIDN'T TURN OFF BUT DROVE BACK TO WHERE WE GOT IT RUNNING. HE PUT THE LIGHT TO IT AGAIN AND STILL SHOWED IGINITION SWITCH. HE TOLD US TO BE CAREFUL UNTIL YOU GET IT FIXED. I CALLED CHEV DEALER AND SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE IN STOCK WOULD HAVE TO ORDER FOR RECALL. I FOUND OUT THEN THE RECALL WAS FOR 2 KEYS. I STOPPED BY GRO STORE ON WAY HOME FROM CHURCH AND WENT GOT IN CAR AND ALL THE LIGHTS CAME ON. BRAKE LIGHT, FUEL LIGHT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS FULL, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, BATTERY, AND THEY ALL STAYED ON UNTIL I GOT HOME ABOUT 2 MILES.THIS IS NOT JUST A COMPLAINT, IT IS FOR MY SAFETY AND FOR EVERYONE ELSE'S. WHAT IF WE ENDED UP WRECKING BECAUSE OF THIS IGINATION SWITCH. ALL THESE PROBLEMS AND ONLY HAD IT LESS THAN 3 MONTHS AND ONLY 100,000. I AM NOT ABLE TO WALK ANY DISTANCE BCAUSE OF BREATHING. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE ONE OF THESE CARS ENDS UP KILLING SOMEONE. THE FIRST TIME THIS OCCURRED, I WAS IN MOTION BUT 2ND IT WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY. WHEN I TURNED THE IGNITION SWITCH OFF, IT ALSO MADE A METAL SCRUBBING SOUND AND WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL I GOT IT COMPLETELY OFF. .
HEADLIGHTS DIM WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED SUCH AS COMING TO A STOP OR SLOWING DOWN TO NEGOTIATE TURNS. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE VISIBILITY IS COMPROMISED DURING NIGHT DRIVING. IT IS VERY EASY TO MISS TURNS, EXIT RAMPS, AND ROAD SIGNS. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO GM SERVICE CENTER, AND WAS TOLD THIS OPERATION IS NORMAL. BATTERY, AND CHARGING SYSTEM NO PROBLEMS FOUND. NEW HEADLIGHT BULBS INSTALLED NO DIFFERENCE. VEHICLE IS LIKE NEW CONDITION; ALWAYS GARAGED. NO DAMAGE, RUST, OR MODIFICATIONS. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THERE IS A TSB #02-06-03-008A CONCERNING THE ISSUE.
INTERMITTEN ON RIGHT AND LEFT HAND TURNS THE CAR WILL STALL AND STOP. REPLACED MODULE ASMELEK/IGNITION CONTROL AND MY SAME PROBLEM PERSISTED. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY FIXED THEY REPLACED THE MODULE AND SWTICH AND MY PROBLEM STILL CONTINUES. MY CAR IS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP NOW AS OF JAN. 26, 2017.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHERVOLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V400000(ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE IN PARK, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AND THE KEY FAILED TO TURN FROM THE OFF POSITION. ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V400000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 168,000.
I TURNED ON MY AC AND THE TEMP AND FUEL GUAGE FUSE BLOWED WHILE HAVING THE AIR ON STILL CHANGING OUT FUSES AND THE AUTOMATIC CAR LOCKS ON IT OWN WHEN YOU CLOSES THE DOORS GETTING OUT OR IT WILL LOCK WHEN SOME ONE GETS OUT OF THE CAR ALL BY ITSELF WITHOUT HITTING THE DOOR LOCK ON THE KEYLESS ENTRY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE SECURITY THEFT LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SECURITY SYSTEM PREVENTED THE VEHICLE FROM STARTING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SYSTEM WAS RESET BY THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V400000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM), BUT THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 159,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
CAR WILL NOT START
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND FAILED TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V400000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V400000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILE WAS 78,400.
GM HAS A RECALL ON IGNITION SWITCH (GM#14350). WE HAD THE WORK DONE AT A GM DEALER FOR THE RECALL. (DEALER PROVIDES 2 KEY RINGS AND A KEY COVER AND CALLS IT FIXED.) APPARENTLY IT DIDN'T WORK. CAR CURRENTLY IN MY LOCAL MECHANIC SHOP FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. DURING INSPECTION, MECHANIC FOUND THE VEHICLE NEEDS A NEW IGNITION SWITCH ASSEMBLY TO SOLVE THE SAME PROBLEM. MECHANIC SAYS CAR EXTREMELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE UNLESS REPLACED. HE TOOK A VIDEO OF MY IGNITION SHOWING THAT JUST TOUCHING THE KEY WHILE IN IGNITION CAUSES CAR TO TURN OFF. (HAVE 20 YR RELATIONSHIP WITH MECHANIC - VERY RELIABLE.) PLEASE INVESTIGATE IF GM IS REALLY DOING THE PROPER WORK FOR THE RECALL OR JUST SUGAR COATING A DANGEROUS DEFECT.
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026