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2000 Chevrolet Malibu

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2000 Malibu.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 2000 Chevrolet Malibu is a passenger car that, for its model year, called for 4.5 quarts of 5W-30 API oil, a specification that aligns with its era’s engineering. With 979 total owner complaints and five recalls, this year sits below the 2004 peak of 1,697 complaints but above the minimal 7 recorded for 2025, placing it in the middle of the model’s long complaint history; its most frequently reported issue—exterior lighting—highlights a common trouble spot for this generation.

Model year2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2000

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 75 · 600 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731175. Note the factory fuel filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 75 · 600 CCAOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731175 alt 25322835
Engine air filter	25161977
Fuel filter	25121293 discontinued
Spark plug	19301813
Front wiper blades	22700263 alt 19120758
Serpentine belt	12588408
Thermostat	24507563 alt 10226107

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	190.6 in
Overall width	69.3 in
Overall height	57.1 in
Wheelbase	107.1 in
Curb weight	3051 lb
Track (front / rear)	59.1 / 59.4 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	64/36

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Malibu of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

8.2–9.0 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 8.20 sec — 1997 LS V6

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
1997	LS V6 3.1L V6	8.20 sec	16.20 sec	155 hp	FWD
1997	LS V6 3.1L V6	8.30 sec	16.40 sec	155 hp	FWD
1997	LS V6 3.1L V6	9.00 sec	16.60 sec	155 hp	FWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.5 qt

Engine torques

Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	12 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts	7.4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	100 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	159 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-2-3-4-5-6
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance	5000-7000 ohms
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Type	AC 41-940
Spark Plug Gap	0.060 in
Spark Plug Torque	11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.75 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	150
Oil Capacity	9.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	75
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	600 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	15, Pressure should not exceed 20 psi.
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	185-205 °F
Fuel Pump Pressure Minimum	59.0 psi
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	52-59
RPM	42-56 @ Idle rpm
Injector Primary Resistance	11.4-12.6 @ 50-95 degreesF ohms
Engine Compression	100

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	85 ft-lbs / 23 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	100 ft-lbs / 85 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.001 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.0015 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	1.031 in / 0.433 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	1.031 in / 0.433 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	0.98 in / 0.388 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

1	44 ft. lbs.	44 ft. lbs
2	95

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 60,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 mi	Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 mi	Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

For the 2000 Chevrolet Malibu, federal records show 979 complaints, five recalls, and seven investigations, exceeding the 1999 model’s 848 complaints, three recalls, and five investigations, as well as the 2001 model’s 749 complaints, four recalls, and four investigations. Across the 1997–2003 generation, complaints crested at 1,084 in 1998, fell to 848 in 1999, rebounded to 979 in 2000, then declined steadily to 597 by 2002, placing the 2000 model year at a secondary peak before the downward trend. Technical Service Bulletins also surged to 347 in 2000, more than double the 148 recorded for 1999 and sharply higher than the 136–153 range seen in 1997–1998. The leading complaint areas for 2000 were Exterior Lighting with 181 complaints, Service Brakes, Hydraulic with 173, Electrical System with 133, and Engine & Engine Cooling with 110, plus 47 crash-related and 7 fire-related complaints, though the data does not specify root causes. Given that the 2000 model carries greater complaint volume, tied-high investigations, and a notable TSB spike compared with the years immediately surrounding it, it is not the strongest year to buy within this generation.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

347

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

979

Owner complaints

47 involved a crash · 7 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’97 ’98 ’99’00’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’22 ’23 ’24 ’25

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 979 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Exterior Lighting181

Service Brakes, Hydraulic173

Electrical System133

Engine & Engine Cooling110

Fuel System, Gasoline28

Tires25

Air Bags21

Electrical System,Exterior Lighting18

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 5 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

14V400000Electrical System:IgnitionReported 03/07/2014

This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on…

09E012000Exterior LightingReported 07/04/2009

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE… Remedy: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 347 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIP4723J	2024-10-25	Electrical System	This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
PIT5099H	2024-09-12	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5099H	2024-09-12	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
General Communication	2024-08-26	Electrical System	Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles. It…
24-NA-141	2024-07-24	Power Train	GM is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Malibu. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 75 battery Vehicles taking 4.5 qt Engine oil filter 12731175 Engine air filter 25161977 Fuel filter 25121293 Spark plug 19301813

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2000 Malibu take?

4.5 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2000 Malibu have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.