The Lemon IndexP1101 is a manufacturer-specific code, so its exact meaning depends on the make. Full P1101 page
19 owner complaints · the #3 code Chevrolet Malibu owners name · 7% of Chevrolet Malibu complaints that name a code (every car: 0.2%)
2016–2022 Chevrolet Malibu · most: 2019 (4), 2018 (4), 2021 (3)
Chevrolet Malibu owners named P1101 in 19 complaints to the U.S. government (NHTSA), most often on the 2019, 2018 and 2021 model years. The part they name most is the mass airflow (MAF) sensor (4 complaints). Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.
Chevrolet Malibu model years that report P1101
Owner complaints naming P1101, by model year. Raw counts: years that sold more get more complaints, so this is each model year's record, not a failure rate.
What owners say caused it or fixed it
The most-named part is the mass airflow (MAF) sensor, in 4 of the 19 complaints (21%). 1 of those mention it being replaced or repaired. Next: throttle body (4), timing chain, tensioner or cam phaser (2) and engine computer (ECM / PCM) (2).
- Mass airflow (MAF) sensor4 complaints1 mentions a repair or replacement · what owners paid
- Throttle body4 complaints1 mentions a repair or replacement, 1 of them says the problem came back · what Chevrolet Malibu owners paid
- Timing chain, tensioner or cam phaser2 complaints2 mention a repair or replacement · what owners paid
- Engine computer (ECM / PCM)2 complaintsnamed as the cause, no repair mentioned · what owners paid
8 complaints mention a recall.
Counted from the owners' own words: a part counts when a sentence names it with a cause or repair word. What owners wrote, not a diagnosis. A shop should confirm the cause before replacing parts.
Symptoms owners describe with P1101
58% of these complaints say the check engine light came on.
- Loses power or goes into limp mode47%9 of 19 complaints
- Brakes or ABS act up21%4 of 19 complaints
- Stalls or shuts off11%2 of 19 complaints
Share of the complaints naming P1101 whose text also describes each problem. A complaint can describe more than one.
Codes owners report with it
Other codes named in the same Chevrolet Malibu complaints, and in how many.
Repair costs
Chevrolet Malibu throttle body replacement cost
Keep going
- P1101: meaning, causes and every car that reports it
- Chevrolet Malibu reliability by year
- 2019 Chevrolet Malibu problems and recalls
Other codes Chevrolet Malibu owners report
The details
How we count
We read every owner complaint in the NHTSA file whose text names this trouble code, and count the ones filed about this model (matched by the make, model and model year on the complaint). Mileage is what the owner entered on the form.
Parts: a complaint counts for a part when one of the owner's own sentences names that part together with a cause word (failed, bad, diagnosed, caused by, leaking ...) or a repair word (replaced, repaired, new, reprogrammed ...). "Came back" means the same complaint also says the problem returned or the repair didn't fix it. These are counts of what owners wrote, not a diagnosis, and one complaint can name several parts.
Complaints are reports, not proof of a defect, and most owners never file one. Popular models get more complaints, so the counts are not a failure rate. The code meaning is the standard SAE J2012 definition in our own words, or the carmaker's meaning where we verified it for that make.
What P1101 means
P1101 is a manufacturer-specific code: each carmaker decides what it means, so the same code can point to different problems on different brands. We haven't verified its meaning for Chevrolet yet. A dealer or a scanner with the maker's software can tell you exactly.
Check the complaints yourself
NHTSA complaint numbers (search them at nhtsa.gov): 11768885, 11750044, 11730366, 11725206, 11721239, 11715185, 11702122, 11701612, 11689865, 11683945, 11673295, 11668551 and 7 more.
Quick answers
Which Chevrolet Malibu years have the most P1101 complaints?
In complaints to NHTSA, owners of the 2019 (4), 2018 (4), 2021 (3) Chevrolet Malibu named P1101 most (19 complaints in all, 2016–2022). Raw counts, not a failure rate.
What fixes P1101 on a Chevrolet Malibu?
Owners most often name the mass airflow (MAF) sensor (4 of 19 complaints), then throttle body and timing chain, tensioner or cam phaser. That's what owners wrote, not a diagnosis: have a shop confirm the cause with a scan and tests before replacing parts.
Sources: NHTSA owner complaints that name P1101 on the Chevrolet Malibu, counted by The Lemon Index; NHTSA recalls; repair bills owners named. Meanings: SAE J2012 in our own words. Owner reports, not a diagnosis or repair advice for your car.