32 complaints reported

1997 Chevrolet Malibu Visibility

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
32
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Dec 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH IN INCLEMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE PIVOT HOUSING FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE WIPERS TO FAIL. AS A CONSEQUENCE, THE CONTACT'S VISIBILITY WAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED AND THE RISK OF A CRASH WAS INCREASED. THE DEALER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 01V068000 (VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:LINKAGES). THE CONTACT PAID $380.68 TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD WIPER PIVOT HOUSING. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 93,986. UPDATED 1/26/09 *CN UPDATED 01/26/09. *JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Dec 2008
Jan 2007

I AM THE OWNER OF A 1997 CHEVY MALIBU. ONE DAY WHILE I WAS DRIVING AROUND TOWN, IT WAS RAINING, AND MY WINDSHIELD WIPER ARM FLEW OFF OF THE CAR. I LOOKED UP RECALLS ON YOUR SITE AND FOUND THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE PROBLEM I HAVE. I CONTACTED CHEVROLET AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NO SUCH RECALL FOR MY CAR. I DON'T FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR REPLACEMENT PARTS IF THERE IS A RECALL ON DEFECTIVE PARTS. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID # IS 01V068000

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Oct 2006
Mar 2005

THERE IS A RECALL ON MY 1997 CHEVY MALIBU FOR THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND I HAVE HAD THEM BREAK DO TO THE RECALL BUT THE DEALER IN MY TOWN WILL NOT COVER THE RECALL BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE THE VIN NUMBER THAT IS LISTED IN THE RECALLS AND I LIVE IN THE STATE OF MISSOURI. JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE HAS NOT REPORTED IT FROM MISSOURI ABOUT THIS HAPPENING DOES NOT MEAN IT SHOULD NOT BE COVERED. THE EXACT THING THAT IS SAID TO HAPPEN TO THE WIPERS ON THE RECALL HAS HAPPENED TO MINE AND IT WILL COST ME 150.00 TO REPLACE THE WHOLE SYSTEM THAT BROKE. I WANT THIS PROBLEM FIXED SO I CAN GET MY CAR FIXED. PLEASE AD MISSOURI TO THE LIST AND ALSO ALL CHEVY MALIBUS IN 1997 SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THIS RECALL AS IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME.!!!*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Nov 2004
Mar 2005

RECALL 01V068000 CONCERNING WINDSHIELD WIPER ARM. FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED OPERATING DURING INCLEMENT CONDITIONS. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK *NM

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: May 2005
Nov 2004

1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU WIPERS THE PART BROKE FROM THE ARM CALLED CHEVROLET PLACE IN BOAZ ALABAMA TO CHECK IF THEY HAD A RECALL HE CHECKED AND SAID NO. *NM

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Nov 2004
Apr 2004

WHILE DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING ON THEIR OWN. THE CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION,AND THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. *AK THE WIPERS ARE INOPERATIVE. *SC *JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Mar 2004
Mar 2004

WHILE TRAVELING ON A BUSY INTERSTATE IN VERY HEAVY RAINS AND RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, I HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THEN MY WIPERS WERE STOPPED & CRISS-CROSSED IN FRONT OF ME. I FELT EXTREMELY LUCKY TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY, WITHOUT CAUSING A WRECK. LATER, I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A KNOW DEFECT ON THE WIPER PIVOTS FOR MY MODEL CAR. BUT REGARDLESS, THE RECALL WASN'T ANY GOOD FOR MY STATE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE LOGIC BEHIND THIS... IF A PART IS DEFECTIVE- IT IS DEFECTIVE. THE RECALL WAS ONLY EFFECTIVE FOR CERTAIN 'SALT-BELT' STATES, OF WHICH MY STATE ISN'T INCLUDED. I DID HOWEVER LIVE IN ONE OF THESE SALT-BELT STATES FOR SEVERAL YEARS (WITH THIS CAR). BUT WHETHER YOUR CAR IS REGISTERED IN ONE OF THOSE STATES OR NOT YOU COULD HAVE A LOT OF USE OF THE WIPERS. BETWEEN HURRICANE SEASON AND THE RAINY SEASON IN FLORIDA, WIPERS GET A WHOLE LOT OF USE DOWN HERE TOO. *NM

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Mar 2004
Feb 2004

THE WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGE FAILED. A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED.*AK *SC *JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 2004
Oct 2003

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS MENTIONED IN RECALL #01 V 068 000 CONCERNING WINDSHIELD WIPERS. HOWEVER THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Oct 2003
Sep 2003

VEHICLE'S WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING. *MR THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER THE PROBLEM WAS THE PIVOT HOUSING. PLEASE REFER TO RECALL #01V068000 *SCC *JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: May 2003
Jul 2003

SEP.6 2001 &JULY 22, 2003 RECALL WINDSHIELD WIPER PIVOT HOUSING---DEALER SAID I DIDN,T NEED THE RECALL REPLACED AND MERCY FROM G.M. SAID TAKE THE CAR IN ON THAT RECALL STILL NO WORK ON WIPER PIVOT HOUSING----LOTS OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS LOW MILELAGE CAR---32610.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jul 2003
Apr 2003

WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME DEFECT AS STATED IN RECALL # 01 V 068 000, BUT THIS VEHICLE NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK INCIDENT DATED TO BE CORRECTED WHEN THE EVOQ IS RETURNED. PER AAJ. 7/7/04.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Apr 1900
Dec 2002

GMC REPLACES DEFECTIVE PART IN "SALT BELT" AREA ONLY (RECALL 01V068000); SHOULD REPLACE IN ALL AREAS. *AK CONSUMER COMPLAINS THAT THE DEFECT APPEARS IN ALL LOCALES AND WHEN THE HOUSING SNAPS THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF AN IMMEDIATE SAFETY ISSUE SHOULD THIS OCCUR IN INCLEMENT WEATHER. ALSO, CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED FOR MONIES CHARGED TO HER BY GENERAL MOTORS. *JG

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Aug 2002
Sep 2002

DURING RAINSTORM AT NIGHT TRAVELING ON LIGHT ROAD WITH LIGHTS OUT ON POLES DUE TO LIGHTNING STRIKE, CARS WINDSHIELD WIPERS SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING AT HIGH RATE OF SPEED WITH A DOWN POUR OF RAIN THAT WAS HARD TO SEE IN ANYWAY. THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPE TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY BROKE CAUSING THE DRIVERS SIDE WIPER TO NOT WORK EITHER SINCE THE PASSENGER SIDE IS DESIGNED TO RUN BOTH. THE PART WAS MADE OF PLASTIC AND SEEM TO BE DESIGNED FOR FAILURE AS ANYONE KNOWS PLASTIC ONCE HEATE4D AND COOLED THRU SEASONS WILL BREAK. THE POTENTIAL HAZARD COULD HAVE BEEN MANY DEATHS AS THE DRIVING WAS IN A LARGE CITY WITH HIGH TRAFFIC HAD NOT I BEEN ABLE TO GRADUALLY SLOW DOWN DUE TO A CURB BEING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THAT ALLOWED ME TO FEEL MY WAY DRIVING.. NLM

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Sep 2002
Jul 2002

THE VIN NUMBER OF CAR FELL INTO RECALL BUT SINCE CAR IS IN MISSOURI GM SAYS IT DOESNT QUALIFY FOR RECALL. THE CAR WAS FROM ST. LOUIS MISSOURI WHICH BORDERS ILLINOIS . ILLINOIS BY THE WAY IS IN RECALL. WE FEEL GM KNOWS ABOUT DEFECT AND IS AVOIDING FIXING IT. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Apr 2002
Jan 2002

THE CONSUMER RECIEVED RECALL NOTICE 01V-068 FOR THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, THE RECALL LISTED STATES WHICH WERE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL BUT THE CONSUMERS STATE WAS NOT LISTED THEREFORE THE CONSUMER TOOK NO IMMEDIATE ACTION, HOWEVER WHILE DRIVING IN A HEAVY SNOWSTORM THE VEHICLES WIPERS SUDDENLY CEASED TO FUNCTION, THE CONSUMER FEELS THIS RECALL SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED THE STATE IN WHICH HE LIVES. NLM

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Sep 2001

PASSENGER SIDE PIVOT HOLDER WINDSHIELD WIPER WAS BROKE SO WE TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP-THEY SAID THE TRANMISSION WAS BROKE ON BOTH WIPERS-THERE SEEMS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS BUT ONLY IN CERTAIN STATES NOT IN MISSOURI. UNFAIR!*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Mar 2001
Aug 2001

WHEN DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER WHEN WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE NEEDED, WINDSHIELD WIPER ON PASSENGER'S SIDE STOPPED WORKING. THERE IS A RECALL LISTED REGARDING PASSENGER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ONLY. *AK *TT

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 2001
Aug 2001

FOR MONTHS THE AIRBAG MADE NOISES WHEN DRIVING AS AIR WAS SEEPING THROUGH THE RUBBER BORDER. THEN TODAY THE SUNROOF JUST FLEW OFF THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY SO THERE WAS NO WAY OF SALVAGING IT. IT BROKE OFF THE HINGES AND THE SUNROOF WAS NOT OPEN ANYWAY AT ALL. IT WAS THE TYPE THAT YOU COULD EITHER VENT OR SLIDE BACK.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Aug 2001
Jul 2001

THE WINDSHILED WIPER FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL (01V-068) DURING A RAINSTORM WHICH RESULTED IN POOR VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING. NLM

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 2000
Apr 2001

CONSUMER EXPERIENCED RECALL(01V-068) FAILURE CAUSING VISIBILITY PROBLEMS DURING SNOW STORM, CHEVROLET CLAIMS NO RECALL EXISTS. *JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Apr 2001

WINDSHIELD WIPER ARM BROKE. THERE IS A RECALL, BUT ONLY FOR VEHICLES IN SALT BELT STATES. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 2001
Apr 2001

WINDSHIELD WIPERS GOT OUT OF SYNC/ CAUGHT AND STOPPED AND STUCK AND STUCK TOGEHTER IN MIDDLE DURING OPERATION. THIS PROBLEM CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY. *AK WIPER TRANSMISSION BROKE, SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN AT 23350 MILES, HOWEVER TRANSMISSION DID NOT BURN OUT THIS TIME. *SLC

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Dec 2000
Oct 2000

DATE OF INCIDENT- HEAVY RAINS, DRIVING ON 1-95 NORTH IN STRATFORD, CT- THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER SYSTEM FAIL- BREAKS OFF ITS MOUNTING BRACKET- LEADS TO FAILURE OF DRIVERS SIDE WIPER IN A POURING RAIN ON HIGHWAY- VISIBILTY BECOMES ZERO- WAS LUCKY TO GET OFF THE ROAD FROM MIDDLE LANE WITHOUT INCIDENT. FOUND A GARAGE WHO HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE- PUT RIN-X ON MY WINDSHIELD WAS ABLE TO GET HOME. SHOWED DEALER- NEXT DAY THEY HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS. MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO HAVE REPAIRED, DONE AND CONTACTED CHEVROLET AND DESCRIBED THIS AS AMANUFACTURER DEFECT. CAR OUT OF WARRANTEE AND THEY WOULD NOT COVER. HOW MANY DEMOLISHED VEHICLES AND FATALITIES HAVE HAPPENED ON A RAINSLICK ROAD AND THE CULPRIT HAS BEEN THE WEATHER WHEN ACTUALLY THE WINDSHIELD WIPER SYSTEM WAS AT FAULT, BUT THE DEAD PERSON WAS UNABLE TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED JUST PRIOR TO THE COLLISION. THE CAR WOULD HAVE SEVERE DAMAGE AND THIS DEFECT WOULD HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED. I THOROUGHLY BELIEVE BY MY EXPERIENCE, AND LUCKY TO BE ALIVE, THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURERING DEFECT AND CAUSE FOR SEVERAL DEATHS. I HAVE THE DEFECTIVE PARTS, OR THOSE THAT WHERE GIVEN ME BY THE DEALER AFTER THE REPAIR. I WOULD LIKE A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION INTO THIS DEFECT AS I BELIEVE I AM ONE ONF THE LUCKY FEW WHO SURVIVED.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Aug 2000
Oct 2000

WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECAME INOPERABLE IN A RAIN STORM, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC

Trend Over Time

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Quick Summary

The 1997 Chevrolet Malibu has 32 Visibility complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.