1981 CHEVROLET MALIBU — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
3
Owner Complaints
3
Recalls
0
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 1981 CHEVROLET MALIBU
The 1981 CHEVROLET MALIBU has received a total of 3 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 3 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with EQUIPMENT, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES, SUSPENSION:REAR. The most commonly reported problems involve the Fuel System Gasolinestoragetank Assembly (1 complaint), Service Brakes Hydraulicfoundation Components (1 complaint), and Service Brakes Hydraulicfoundation Componentsdrum (1 complaint).
Recalls for the 1981 CHEVROLET MALIBU
NHTSA has recorded 3 recalls for the 1981 CHEVROLET MALIBU, potentially affecting up to 5,961,948 vehicles.
Recall 07E088000 — EQUIPMENT
| 121,680 vehicles affected
Defect: CERTAIN HONEYWELL FRAM RACING BRAND HP4 AND HP8 OIL FILTERS THAT WERE MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 25, 2006, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 14, 2007, AND SOLD FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR VEHICLES LIST ABOVE. THE AFFECTED FILTERS ARE MARKED WITH A DATE CODE A61451 THROUGH A72571 SEQUENTIALLY. THE DATE CODE AND PART NUMBER APPEAR ON THE FILTER HOUSING. FRAM RACING HP4 AND...
Consequence: THIS CONDITION MAY CAUSE INADEQUATE SEALING AND LOSS OF ENGINE OIL, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A FIRE.
Remedy: HONEYWELL WILL REPLACE THE AFFECTED OIL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN DURING NOVEMBER 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-890-2075.
View full details →Recall 83V077000 — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES
| 19,108 vehicles affected
Defect: ACCELERATOR PUMP LEVER RETAINING PIN MAY LOOSEN AFTER REPEATED HEAVY ACCELERATOR PEDAL APPLICATIONS. THIS COULD CAUSE THE THROTTLE TO BECOME STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION.
Remedy: DEALER WILL INSTALL A SPECIAL COTTER PIN, TO RETAIN THE ACCELERATOR PUMP PIN, AND A SPRING CLIP THRUST WASHER ON THE ACCELERATOR PUMP LINK.
View full details →Recall 81V025000 — SUSPENSION:REAR
| 5,821,160 vehicles affected
Defect: THE BOLTS THAT ATTACH THE LOWER REAR CONTROL ARM TO THE FRAME MAY FRACTURE. THE REAR CONTROL ARM SUPPORTS AND POSITIONS THE REAR AXLE. FRACTURE OF THE BOLTS WOULD ALLOW THE CONTROL ARM TO DROP FREE.
Remedy: BOTH REAR CONTROL ARM ATTACHMENT BOLTS WILL BE REPLACED WITHOUT CHARGE.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 1981 CHEVROLET MALIBU
3 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 1981 CHEVROLET MALIBU. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel System Gasolinestoragetank Assembly | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes Hydraulicfoundation Components | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes Hydraulicfoundation Componentsdrum | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
MAJOR REAR BRAKE FAILURE DUE TO BACKING PLATE CORROSION. DUE TO AGE OF CAR REPAIRS WERE NOT COMPLETED AT A DEALERSHIP. I HAVE SINCE FOUND GM SERVICE CAMPAIGNS 5A09, 6A16A,6A16 THAT STATE THIS IS A COVERED REPAIR REGARDLESS OF VECHICLE AGE OR MILEAGE. I CONTACTED GM CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE (CASE C06066881) AND THEY CLAIMED THAT NO CAMPAIGN EXISTS FOR THIS VECHICLE. I HAVE ACCESS TO GM SERVICE OPERATIONS CAMPAIGNS AND COPIES OF THE CAMPAIGNS. I FEEL I SHOULD BE COMPENSATED FOR THIS REPAIR SINCE IT WAS RATHER EXPENSIVE. I ALSO HAVE A RECEIPT FOR REPAIRS COMPLETED.
FUEL TANK IS LOCATED NEAR THE REAR BUMPER. IF INVOLVED IN A CRASH, THE IMPACT COULD CAUSE FUEL TANK TO EXPLODE, AND CAUSE INJURIES. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, APPLIED BRAKES, PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR; PUMPED PEDAL, PEDAL WOULD NOT COME UP; TURNED OFF IGNITION; COASTED TO A STOP. TT
Safety Rating for the 1981 CHEVROLET MALIBU
NHTSA has not yet tested the 1981 CHEVROLET MALIBU in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 1981 CHEVROLET MALIBU
No technical service bulletins have been reported for this vehicle.
NHTSA Investigations for the 1981 CHEVROLET MALIBU
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the CHEVROLET MALIBU
- 1977 CHEVROLET MALIBU — 0 complaints
- 1978 CHEVROLET MALIBU — 2 complaints
- 1979 CHEVROLET MALIBU — 4 complaints
- 1980 CHEVROLET MALIBU — 6 complaints
- 1981 CHEVROLET MALIBU (current)
- 1982 CHEVROLET MALIBU — 3 complaints
- 1983 CHEVROLET MALIBU — 1 complaint
- 1986 CHEVROLET MALIBU — 1 complaint
Other CHEVROLET Models
- CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 — 22,175 total complaints
- CHEVROLET IMPALA — 15,197 total complaints
- CHEVROLET TAHOE — 12,511 total complaints
- CHEVROLET EQUINOX — 12,135 total complaints
- CHEVROLET BLAZER — 11,032 total complaints
- CHEVROLET SILVERADO — 10,928 total complaints
- CHEVROLET SUBURBAN — 10,375 total complaints
- CHEVROLET COBALT — 10,106 total complaints