1998 Chevrolet Malibu Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor Problems

NHTSA component category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR · data through 07/14/2026

133Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor complaints

13.6%Of all 976 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:rotor ranks on this vehicle

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR133 · 13.6%

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP132 · 13.5%

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC81 · 8.3%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE46 · 4.7%

TIRES41 · 4.2%

Share of the 976 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu overview page.

What owners report

“BRAKES ARE WEARING OUT PREMATURLEY . PADS/CALIPERS AND THE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT 35,000 MILES.THERE WAS NO INDICTATION OF A PROBLEM, CAUSING A…”NHTSA complaint 838265 — filed 05/20/1999

“THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WARPED WHICH MAY RESULT IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND CRASH. BEEN TO DLR 4 TIMES. DEALER REPLACED ROTORS ONCE, AND RESURFACED…”NHTSA complaint 837266 — filed 04/29/1999

“FIRST FAILURE RESULTED IN RESURFACING OF ROTORS UNDER WARRANTY. PROBLEM REOCCURRED APPROX. 5,000 MILES LATER. ROTORS TO BE REPLACED UNDER "GOOD WILL POLICY".”NHTSA complaint 705473 — filed 04/09/1999

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu have service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:rotor problems?

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor is the most-reported problem area on the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu: 133 of 976 complaints on file (13.6%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu have in total?

976 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 34 involved a crash, 5 involved a fire, 24 reported injuries, and 3 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:rotor category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.