Four problems related to engine and engine cooling have been reported for the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Theft light. Car won’t start it’s happened 20 times in the last 6 months. I was driving and theft light caused everything to shut down. This is a dangerous thing that needs to be fixed.
Theft light keeps coming on, my car will stop when it happens. This has happened while driving. And will not start. I’ve had the recall fixed years ago that was said to be the reason. It didn’t fix the problem.
Car goes into lockdown frequently because of the theft alert system and you have to wait 10 minutes before the car will start. I believe this is a safety concern and potential hazard to anyone is operating this vehicle. I called dealership to discuss this problem and there reply is "well the car is old and you need to see about purchasing another one". I got this reply in 2007. I have also researched it on the internet and found that this is a common problem in chevy Malibu's, which to me constitutes a manufacturing defect as well as a safety concern.
Engine check light and the abs light illuminated while driving. Vehicle been to a repair shop on 3 separate occasions, and the problem had not been resolved. Vehicle had its gas tank cap replaced, and the brake system was overhauled. But problem recurred.