vehicle signal
U.S. public vehicle records

1981 Chevrolet MALIBU problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

2 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

Not available median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1981 model year. Data snapshot: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage.

This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 2 complaints (50.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Braking behavior2100.0%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components
1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Drum
1
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Drum1

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components: 1; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Drum: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
0
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,0000
25,000 to 49,9990
50,000 to 74,9990
75,000 to 99,9990
100,000 to 149,9990
150,000 and above0

Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

No usable failure mileage is recorded. 2 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

1995
1
2001
1
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
19951
20011

1995: 1; 2001: 1

Pattern summary

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 2 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 755981 · 2001-12-23 (December 23, 2001)

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 REPAI…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 755981 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 976959 · 1995-12-26 (December 26, 1995)

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

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 976959 at NHTSA ↗