2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WOULD BECOME STUCK AND NOT RETURN TO THE IDLE POSITION WHEN THE TEMPERATURE WAS WARMER. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V528000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

WHEN TRYING TO START CAR, OFTEN THE THEFT KILL ENGAGES. I HAVE TO WAIT 10 MINUTES WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION START POSITION BEFORE IT WILL START. CAN THIS BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE CARS THAT TURN OFF WHILE DRIVING? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT DURING WARMER TEMPERATURES, THE THROTTLE BECAME STUCK AND THERE WAS A SUDDEN INCREASE OF UP TO 150 ENGINE RPMS. THE CONTACT HAD TO IMMEDIATELY ENGAGE THE BRAKES AND SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFERED ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V528000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000.

THERE ARE MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS VEHICLE. SO MUCH SO THAT THE FACT THAT GM HAS NOT INSTITUTED A RECALL IS BEYOND MY BELIEF. IT MUST BE BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY ISSUES TO RECTIFY, IT IS NOT COST EFFECTIVE FOR THEM TO DO SO. SO PUT EVERYDAY LIVES AT RISK INSTEAD.THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN INTERMITTENTLY ONGOING JUST BEFORE THE CAR HIT 50,000 MILES OR SO. IT STARTED WITH THE ANTI THEFT SYSTEM. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I'VE HAD TO RESET THE CAR ALARM IN ORDER FOR IT TO START, DURING THE WARM SUMMER WEATHER IT'S AN ABOMINATION. SOMETIMES I MUST RESET IT 2-3 TIMES A DAY. NEXT IS THE HAZARD LIGHT IT INTERMITTENTLY CLICKS INCESSANTLY. DURING THIS TIME IT'S A CRAPSHOOT IF YOUR TURN SIGNALS WORK. I'VE HAD TO REMOVE THE HAZARD LIGHT FROM ITS HOUSING IN ORDER TO MANIPULATE IT TO GET TURN SIGNALS TO WORK WHEN IT'S CLICKING. ALSO THE VEHICLE CHIMES AT TIMES WHEN I'M DRIVING. IT'S THE TYPE OF CHIME YOU HEAR WHEN YOU LEAVE THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND HAVE THE DOOR OPEN.THIS IS LESS FREQUENT THEN THE HAZARD LIGHT CLICKING BUT AN ANNOYANCE JUST THE SAME. I'VE ALSO HAVE HAD A SITUATION ON WAY TO EMPLOYMENT AND THE CAR LOST POWER. LUCKILY NO ACCIDENT RESULTED. WHETHER THIS WAS DUE TO SIMILAR ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH RECENT THE GM RECALLS PRESENTLY OR ASSOCIATED WITH MY CURRENT ISSUES, I DO NOT KNOW. I DO NOT LET ANYONE ELSE USE CAR AND MINIMIZE MY USE OF IT AS WELL. LUCKILY MY JOB IS LOCAL BUT I DO WONDER IF MY SAFETY'S COMPROMISED EVERY TIME I GET INTO THIS VEHICLE. *TR

CAR VEERED OFF THE ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH. CRASHED INTO A STRAWBERRY FIELD AND ROLLED MULTIPLE TIME EJECTING DRIVER FROM THE CAR. CAR SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE. AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. PASSENGER MAY HAVE GRABBED AT STEERING WHEEL CAUSING THE CAR TO VEER OFF THE ROAD. *TR

6-10-14 NO CRANK START ,HAD TO RESET SECURITY SYSTEMS CODE B2960 AND P1626C FIRESTONE 312-787-8828 STORE#026514 CHICAGO,IL 60610 6-19-14 WAS DIVING ON LAKE SHORE DR GOT ON OFF RAMP AND THE CAR JUST CUT OFF NO POWER IT DID START BACK UP BUT LUCKY IT DIDN'T HAPPEN WENT I WAS GOING FAST. *TR

SUBJECT VEHICLE HIT A LARGE POTHOLE ON US INTERSTATE; THEFT DETERRENT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. STOPPED VEHICLE, TURNED OFF CAR. RESTARTED CAR, THEFT LIGHT OFF, RESUMED COURSE/SPEED TO FINAL DESTINATION. APPROXIMATELY 5 DAYS LATER, AFTER ONLY LOCAL CITY DRIVING DURING THESE 5 DAYS, CAR WOULD NOT START WHILE PARKED IN HOME GARAGE. AFTER ATTEMPT AT JUMP START, HAD CAR TOWED TO LOCAL GARAGE WHERE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED ISSUE AS "CAR WENT INTO THEFT MODE." TECHNICIAN RESET AND CAUTIONED THAT SUBJECT VEHICLE MAY NEED NEW IGNITION CONTROL. THIS IS THIRD OR FOURTH TIME THEFT DETERRENT WARNING LIGHT HAS ENGAGED OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS, BUT ONLY TIME CAR HAS SHUT DOWN AND NOT STARTED. STILL USING ORIGINAL KEY, ALTHOUGH I HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY REMOVED IT FROM KEY CHAIN TO AVOID RECURRENCE. *TR

THE CAR WAS PURCHASED IN NOVEMBER OF 2012 IN WASHINGTON. ON THE DRIVE FROM WASHINGTON TO MISSOURI, THE CAR WOULD NOT START AFTER THE ENGINE WAS OFF. AFTER WAITING THREE DAYS FOR THE MECHANIC IN A SMALL SOUTH DAKOTA TOWN, HE "FIXED" IT IN TEN MINUTES. THE "SOLUTION" OF KEEPING THE ENGINE ON FOR TEN MINUTES, TURNING TO OFF, AND THEN STARTING IT AGAIN IS ONLY A TEMPORARY FIX TO A VERY REAL PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS SO REAL AND OBVIOUS THAT THE TEN MINUTE SOLUTION IS INCLUDED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL (WHY THAT INSTEAD OF FIXING IT, I'M NOT REALLY SURE...) THE PROBLEM HAS PERSISTED INTERMITTENTLY FOR THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, ANYWHERE FROM TWO TO EIGHT TIMES A MONTH- UNTIL THIS LAST MONTH. I BEGAN KEEPING TRACK ON A CALENDAR THE NUMBER OF TIMES THE CAR WOULD FAIL TO WORK - 26 TIMES IN FIVE WEEKS. THIS IS BEYOND ANNOYING. THE PROBLEM WOULD BE EVEN WORSE IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE FACT THAT I AM A TEACHER AND THE LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL WAS THE FIRST WEEK IN THESE FIVE WEEKS. NOW THAT I AM OUT FOR THE SUMMER, MANY DAYS NOW I STAY AT HOME, THUS REDUCING THE CHANCE OF THE CAR FAILING TO WORK AS I AM NOT USING IT. THAT LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL, IT "STALLED" EVERY SINGLE DAY. TWO DAYS AGO, IT QUIT WORKING FOUR TIMES IN ONE DAY. I HAVE BEEN LATE FOR WORK, CHURCH, AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED IN DARK PARKING LOTS LATE AT NIGHT. ALONE. THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM ANYONE SHOULD HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT. I DRIVE AS INFREQUENTLY AS I POSSIBLY CAN NOW, AND WAS FERVENTLY PRAYING THAT MY CAR WOULD START AFTER FILLING IT UP WITH GAS THIS MORNING. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. I WAS HOPING THE MOST RECENT RECALLS WOULD AFFECT THIS CAR AND WHEN TYPING "2003 MALIBU RECALLS," INTO A SEARCH ENGINE, WHILE NO RECALLS WERE SHOWN, WEB SITE AND FORUMS APLENTY ALL CAME UP, WITH MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SINGULAR PROBLEM OF THIS SINGULAR CAR. IT IS A KNOWN SAFETY PROBLEM. WHY IS THERE NO RECALL? *TR

MY 2003 CHEVY MALIBU WOULD SHUT OFF IF I HIT EVEN A SMALL BUMP. IF I HIT A BUMP WHILE DRIVING, EVERYTHING WOULD GO DEAD. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO AVOID ACCIDENTS WHEN THIS HAPPENED AS IT HAPPENED ON BOTH SURFACE STREETS AND THE HIGHWAY. HAD THIS LOOKED AT BY MY MECHANIC AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SHUT OFF. NO RECALL YET ON THIS VEHICLE. PAID FOR OUT OF POCKET. *TR

I HAVE HAD SEVERAL ISSUES WITH MY CAR OVER THE YEARS. THE FIRST WAS WHEN THE FUEL PUMP FAILED AND MY CAR STALLED IN TRAFFIC IN 2006 AND REPAIR WAS $600. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS FAILED ABOUT 10 MONTHS LATER THAT WAS REPAIRED AT THE DEALER FOR $1200. I HAVE REPLACED THE ENGINE TWICE ($600 EACH TIME) BECAUSE OF THE HEAD GASKETS AND TOO MUCH OIL INSIDE THE ENGINE. NOW I HAVE A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE INSIDE MY CAR WHEN I START IT UP THAT LASTS FOR ABOUT 15-20 MINUTES EACH DAY. I'VE REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH TWICE NOW AND THE GEAR SHIFT DOES NOT LOCK PROPERLY. NOW ANTI THEFT SECURITY LIGHT COMES ON OFTEN AND I HAVE TO WAIT APPROXIMATELY 11 MINUTES TO RESET IT BEFORE I CAN LEAVE MY LOCATION. THE HOOD LATCH RECENTLY BROKE AND NOW THE WIRE MUST BE REPLACED FROM THE INSIDE TO THE EXTERIOR OF THE CAR. *JS