For 1998, there where only two recalls issued by the NHTSA for the Malibu. This was in the windshield and the steering. In the windshield problem this occurred for Malibu's in the Salt Belt Area. This includes Alaska, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. If snow or ice build-up constraints the motion of the windshield wiper arm, the pivot housing may crack and it might cease to operate, this may consequently result in reduced visibility in inclement weather and result in car crashes.

In the steering recall, Certain passenger vehicles have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs where not crimped properly. These retainers could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape. If this occurs, the pinion shift can be forced upwards during left turns and backed down as the steering wheel is moved back and to the right. If the pinion shaft moves further, the driver will need to exert more effort to turn the steering wheel, similar to a vehicle without power assisted steering.

 

If the pinion shaft moves even further, the driver will require much higher effort to turn and may not be able to turn the wheel as much as intended with the maximum pinion shaft movement, which requires internal gear component damage, the driver can encounter high resistance to turning left, followed by unintended power assist to the right. In any of these conditions, a crash may be imminent. With these, recalls are a necessity in which dealers will remedy the problem.