It was a nice riding car for first 45,000 miles of ownership. My wife and I bought it in 2001 when it had 18,000 miles on it. It now has 208,500 miles on it. We have had to make several repairs over the years but it is still a nice driving car.Apr 20, 2015
by Anonymous
Sep 27, 2012
What's special about the 1998 Chevy Malibu? Nothing really, but that may have been why I held onto this vehicle for 12 years, no matter what stage in my life I was in, this car could fit into it.
I purchased my Malibu used in 1999 when I was 18 years old, this car was great in college, it comfortably fit 5 adults, was easy enough to parallel park for a mid-sized sedan, got decent gas mileage,and I could always surprise people and smoke them at stop lights (as long as they weren't an actual sports car).
This car was also great when I started my career and endured daily hour long commutes in Minnesota winters like a champ, I only ended up in a ditch with this car once and guess what, the 3.1L engine had enough oomph to get me back out. The engine provided enough zip to feel completely safe passing other vehicles on 2-lane highways.
The four door sedan was also perfect as a family vehicle, it was extremely easy to get my daughters in and out of their carseats in this vehicle and the interior cleaned up very nicely.
I gave my Malibu to my SIL in 2011 when I obtained a job closer to home and she needed a reliable vehicle to commute to her job.
The only real con to this vehicle was that the 3.1 engine is notorious with head gasket issues, I had to replace mine twice. In 12 years the only major repairs I had were the gaskets and a broken tie-rod, but the great thing about this vehicle is that so many were made so it is easy to find used parts and to save money. I never had been stranded on the side of the road with this car, sure I blew a tire or two in 12 years, but the donut was so easy to pop on.
All in all, I loved this vehicle as is evident with my review/love letter to the 1998 Chevy Malibu.Sep 27, 2012
by Anonymous
May 01, 2012
The only two things wrong with this car is that it has very few modification options and the abs system is jacked up. Other than those two the car is great! For a family car it still has a sporty look to it (from the right angle), it has good power if needing to pass someone on the highway. I wouldn't try to take someone at a red light!May 01, 2012
User rating:
by Joe P
Apr 20, 2015
It was a nice riding car for first 45,000 miles of ownership. My wife and I bought it in 2001 when it had 18,000 miles on it. It now has 208,500 miles on it. We have had to make several repairs over the years but it is still a nice driving car.Apr 20, 2015
by Anonymous
Sep 27, 2012
What's special about the 1998 Chevy Malibu? Nothing really, but that may have been why I held onto this vehicle for 12 years, no matter what stage in my life I was in, this car could fit into it.
I purchased my Malibu used in 1999 when I was 18 years old, this car was great in college, it comfortably fit 5 adults, was easy enough to parallel park for a mid-sized sedan, got decent gas mileage,and I could always surprise people and smoke them at stop lights (as long as they weren't an actual sports car).
This car was also great when I started my career and endured daily hour long commutes in Minnesota winters like a champ, I only ended up in a ditch with this car once and guess what, the 3.1L engine had enough oomph to get me back out. The engine provided enough zip to feel completely safe passing other vehicles on 2-lane highways.
The four door sedan was also perfect as a family vehicle, it was extremely easy to get my daughters in and out of their carseats in this vehicle and the interior cleaned up very nicely.
I gave my Malibu to my SIL in 2011 when I obtained a job closer to home and she needed a reliable vehicle to commute to her job.
The only real con to this vehicle was that the 3.1 engine is notorious with head gasket issues, I had to replace mine twice. In 12 years the only major repairs I had were the gaskets and a broken tie-rod, but the great thing about this vehicle is that so many were made so it is easy to find used parts and to save money. I never had been stranded on the side of the road with this car, sure I blew a tire or two in 12 years, but the donut was so easy to pop on.
All in all, I loved this vehicle as is evident with my review/love letter to the 1998 Chevy Malibu.Sep 27, 2012
by Anonymous
May 01, 2012
The only two things wrong with this car is that it has very few modification options and the abs system is jacked up. Other than those two the car is great! For a family car it still has a sporty look to it (from the right angle), it has good power if needing to pass someone on the highway. I wouldn't try to take someone at a red light!May 01, 2012
by Anonymous
Feb 21, 2012
spacious car good for family , dashing looks , excelent running car , ABS system , Power steering , power mirrors , power side locks , no remote access , cassette player am fm , brakes are excelents even if you are above 80`90 miles it stop you with short spam of time.Feb 21, 2012
by Michael A
Dec 23, 2010
The Malibu performed adequately in every way, and wasn't exactly a poor-looking car, but the build quality was terrible and five years into ownership, the undercarriage had completely turned to rust. All in all, not a great car, but a decent enough way to get from A to B.Dec 23, 2010
by Lynn L
Dec 07, 2010
Good running little car that is good on gas
mileage. A/C needs a little work. Clean and is
very easy to maintain. This car is fun to drive
and handles really well. Takes turns on a dime.
Fun car to drive.Dec 07, 2010
by Juhair K
Jul 30, 2010
Strong V6...Good reliable car. After 3 accidents car was still driving good. Tail lights
kept on going out. Good accelerations and braking..Gas mileage wasn't that great
tho. But decent for a V6...the 2008 model looks so much bettter!!Jul 30, 2010
by Shane M
Jan 12, 2010
paid 250$ for the car and lasted me over a year it was a good car great shape had 18" rims on it nice stereo system it had tinted windows , the car had lots of power too it was a strong car but i sold it not to long ago i got my money out of it i got 700$ for it Jan 12, 2010
by Ashley S
Dec 15, 2009
Awesome on gas for sure! not too bad on the snow and ice but not too many cars are amazing right?! its a great family car with lost of room for any size household. drives nice and is a good car for almost anything!Dec 15, 2009
by Brandie P
Sep 04, 2009
Its a good little car that is great on gas. We have had it for about a year now. Nothing major has broke on it. Just normal maintance. It is fun to drive. Doesnt have alot of power. Some small problemsSep 04, 2009
by Andrew D
Jun 27, 2009
it depends what kind of gas you put into it, if you have premmium it will be fast but if its 85 octaine it will lage in proformance. over all its a great car to own if all you want is to go from point a to point b with no problems.Jun 27, 2009
by Lucas C
Jun 08, 2009
I like the overall quality of the car and it gas mileage, the main reason I have this car is because it is free for college. It performs well but has times when the oil light comes on when the oil level is fine. Also the radio dial has fallen off for some reason. Jun 08, 2009
by Heather P
Apr 07, 2009
I loved the way this car drove on highways and through town. It was great on gas but the breaks always gave me a little trouble. The callipers kept sticking so it would really mess up the rotors. Besides that I loved it and I really miss it. It was an amazing car until it got a blown head gasket. RIPApr 07, 2009
by Stephy Love D
Oct 15, 2008
Build Quality - has a default and rust all the time in the same place.
Performance - Very good because it's a little car and have a 6 cyl. SO ! Yeah :P Very good handling !
Fun Factor - It's a fun car to drive, it's very comfortable...Yodelahihou..Do you want to take a drive ? :P
Oct 15, 2008
by Tyler W
Jul 17, 2008
Performance - Nice acceleration, 115mph chip limit?, haven't hit anything yet so i like the handling.
Build Quality - Had to replace the master control switch, thats pretty much it.
Appearance - Bland kinda granny car style outside, alright interior appearance.
Cost of Ownership - Nice gas millage, same old same old maintenance.
Fun Factor - I drive it like sports car and it feels like it too.Jul 17, 2008
by James M
Jun 25, 2008
There really isn't anything that I DON'T like about it, ...........................................................
..................................Jun 25, 2008
by Renee D
Jun 04, 2008
I love how it handles and I drove long distances with this thing. Only problem I have that most 3.1L 1998 cars is their Gaskets. I had to replace my lower. So if you get one, check the gaskets. Other than that I think it's great.Jun 04, 2008
by Alex C
May 22, 2008
This car has aged well. I have a tape deck and a CD player. V6 Engine that is still fairly strong. Still looks nice after its washed you know? Sound system was always pretty good, even stock!May 22, 2008
by Anonymous
May 21, 2008
see one linerMay 21, 2008
by Shawn F
May 17, 2008
Car was older but was leather and sunroof and spoiler. sat outside and often got covered with Bird droppings so i and wife decided to call it the malipoo.May 17, 2008
by Bruni C
May 16, 2008
Had it for 10 yrs, great performance, will be for sale soon.May 16, 2008
by Anonymous
Apr 10, 2008
Great riding car with plenty of interior room, large trunk, good highway MPG, city MPG so, so.Apr 10, 2008
by Russell J
Mar 17, 2008
wasn't a wimpy car - fun to drive. towards the end it started costing a lot, and the engine recently died. so it lasted less than 10 years. i guess i should have taken better care of it. i didn't change the oil as often as i should have. there you go.....Mar 17, 2008
by Joshua L
Mar 02, 2008
The car is very reliable and for a v6, has more than average power. Its quick for what it is.Mar 02, 2008
by Anonymous
Feb 23, 2008
drives great doesn't have the same play in steering as my 02 impala great compact car not that good on gas thoughFeb 23, 2008
by Anonymous
Jan 25, 2008
I bought my car new and have had the normal maintenance problems, the auto is old but still gets good gas mileage. I have a minor problem now and just trying to find out how to resolve it.Jan 25, 2008
by Tyler P
Jan 04, 2008
Looks can be decieving when it comes to this granny carJan 04, 2008
by Anonymous
Dec 24, 2007
Very big trunk and backseat... enough space. Air conditioner sucks. The lights don't go off when i put the car park at night. Electric locks and windows.Dec 24, 2007
by Anonymous
Nov 06, 2007
It takes a beating and keeps on ticking with well over 110,000 milesNov 06, 2007
by Anonymous
Aug 11, 2007
Bought my 1998 Malibu LS in 2006, one owner, 85000 miles. Now have 107,000 miles. Problems? A/C switch intermittent, traced problem to bad blower speed switch. New one was $175. Took out old switch assembly,(easy) took switch apart, replaced contact spring (ballpoint pen spring works well) problem solved, saved $175! Engine stalled or ran rough when turning or parking. Local dealer found broken and shorted wire in fuel injector harness behind alternator. Also replaced O2 sensor, serpentine belt, cleaned injectors and throttle body, for $1035. Ouch! Need to replace heater blower resistors, lost fan speeds 1&2.Now the oil light comes on at idle. Still runs fine, however. Overall, I love this car. Handles well, good acceleration with 3.1 V6, smooth, responsive transmission, very good handling, braking. Great stereo. I haVE AM/FM CD with remote cassette. My car is loaded, lacking only a sunroof, leather, and a rear spoiler. All of which I don't need. This car was a one owner, driven 15,000 miles/year. Came with owners manual and original window sticker. Paid $5000 for it in Lebanon, IN, where I was living at the time. I travel 22 miles each way to work, on the highway at 65 mph. A nice, quiet highway car. Good power for merging or passing. I need to either find a replacement set of alloy wheels or a way to clean the ones on the car. They are dull and corroded. My advice? If you find a clean '98 Malibu that you can afford, buy it! It is the poor man's Accord/Camry.Aug 11, 2007
i HAVE A 1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU 3.1 V6 AND I KEEP SMELLING ANTIFREEZE BUT I AM NOT LOSING ANY, MY TEMP DOESN'T RUN HOT, AND I HAVE NO FLUID IN FLOORBOARD OR LEAKING, AND MY FANS ARE COMING ON. CAN YOU HELP WITH WHAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE PROBLEMS? THE SMELL IS STRONG INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF CAR. MY COOLANT LEVEL LIGHT DOES FLICKER ON AND OFF AT TIMES BUT LEVEL IS GOOD.
I have a 1998 Chevrolet Malibu with a 3.1L motor. A friend has a 2003 Chevy Malibu with a 3.1L OHV motor. Any idea if I can swap my motor out for the 3.1 OHV? Mine needs a lot of work done, essentially a rebuild and the other is in really good running condition.
98 Chevy Malibu will start run for a second then shut down with the theft system light turning on. The door chime does not chime when the key is inserted, like it doesn't recognize the key is in. Installed a new cylinder with new key, but theft system light does not go out after 10 minutes to program it, and door chime still does not sound.
