2003 Chevrolet Malibu engine problems

84 complaints about engine have been filed for the 2003 Chevrolet Malibu, which is 11% of all its NHTSA complaints. It is the 3rd most reported problem area for this model year.

Complaints: 84 11% of this year's complaints
Typical mileage: 76,000 miles 67 complaints with mileage
Crashes and fires: 3 and 0
Injuries and deaths: 1 and 0

Source: NHTSA owner complaints

When engine problems show up

Based on 67 complaints that include mileage. 33% were reported before 60,000 miles. The amber marker shows the median: half of these complaints happened before that mileage.

View the numbers

Mileage	Complaints
0k to 20k miles	7
20k to 40k miles	1
40k to 60k miles	14
60k to 80k miles	16
80k to 100k miles	8
100k to 120k miles	10
120k to 140k miles	7
140k to 160k miles	2
160k to 180k miles	1
180k to 200k miles	0
200k+ miles	1

What the data shows

Of the 67 engine complaints that report mileage, the median is about 76,000 miles, and 33% were reported before 60,000 miles.

These complaints mention 3 crashes, 1 injury.

What owners wrote

I was traveling with the right of way at the posted speed limit when someone pulled into my path causing me to hit them. My air bags did not deploy and I took the full force of the collision into my chest.

Reported at 145,000 miles, June 2013 CrashInjury

I have been informed that I need a new intake manifold gasket. I was told that GM went to a cheap cam shaft and intake gasket on most of the 3.1 to 3.8 litre v6 engines about 7 years ago and that over 90% of these engines have a leaking intake gasket which causes the cheap cam shaft to rust and then break destroying the engine.

Reported at 50,000 miles, August 2005

Engine problems in other years

Engine problems across all Chevrolet models