2003 Chevrolet Malibu electrical system problems

289 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the electrical system on the 2003 Chevrolet Malibu — 51% of all complaints for this model year.

289

Electrical System complaints

51%

share of all complaints

80,000 mi

median reported incident mileage

6 / 1

crash / fire reports

What owners report

“The contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact discovered that while driving at various speeds, the key could be removed from the ignition while the engine was still running. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V400000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The vehicle was…”
filed Jun 15, 2026
“Multiple times, the vehicle, while driving, electrically shuts down. security light comes on, sometimes, many attempts to restart will work. These shutdowns cause me to revet to manual bakes and steering.”
filed Sep 15, 2023
“The contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the ignition switch was inoperable and had been replaced three times by the dealer; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with ignition switch failure. The contact was informed that the…”
filed Aug 14, 2023

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.

This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 25, 2024
Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles. It provides the ability via a single selection within Techline Connect to first identify which modules need updating and then proceed to…
General Communication · Service Campaign · issued Aug 26, 2024