2000 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED IF THE GAS TANK IS NOT KEPT ABOVE HALF FULL, THE VEHICLE SHUTS OFF COMPLETELY, AND WILL NOT START AGAIN UNTIL AT LEAST 5 MORE GALLONS OF GAS IS PUT IN THE TANK. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO CHANGED THE AIR AND FUEL FILTERS. THEY CAN NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM UNLESS THE VEHICLE IS BROUGHT TO THE REPAIR SHOP AT THE TIME THE INCIDENT OCCURS. THIS HAS OCCURRED MORE THAN 10 TIMES WHILE DRIVING, AND USUALLY AT SPEEDS OF 60 MPH.

1. LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS LEAKING COOLANT. 2. HORN IS INOPERATIVE (2ND TIME). 3.HVAC KICKS OFF AND RECIRC. WILL NOT HOLD ITS SETTING. (ON-GOING FOR THE LAST 2 YEARS). *JB

THE INCIDENT IS THE FAILURE OF THE WATER PUMP, A SLAPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE, AT ONE POINT THE LEAKAGE OF COOLANT, AND ALSO THE OXYGEN SENSOR. ALL OF WHICH WERE TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER TO BE FIXED BY THEIR MECHANIC EXCEPT THE OXYGEN SENSOR. HOWEVER, THE CAR STILL HAD A PROBLEM WITH IDLING AS THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN AWAY FROM THE MECHANIC. MY HUSBAND HAD TO JUMP OUT OF THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE ISSUES, ON HIS WAY TO WORK AND THE CAR WAS STOPPED BY A POLE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE FIXED HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THAT THE FIRST TIME THAT IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER THE PROBLEM WERE JUST MASKED ONLY FOR US TO BE BROUGHT BACK TO THEM FOR THEM TO GET MORE MONEY OUT OF US. *NM

GM PASSLOCK (ANTI-THEFT) FEATURE MALFUNCTIONS WHILE STARTING A WARM ENGINE. ENGINE ALMOST NEVER FAILS TO START WHEN EITHER THE ENGINE IS HOT OR THE ENGINE IS COLD. RECENTLY, I HAVE HAD TO ABANDON A 2000 MALIBU ON TWO OCCASIONS FOR FAILURE TO START AFTER MULTIPLE "10 MINUTE WAITS" AND COME BACK THE NEXT DAY TO START THE CAR. FAILURE OF THE ENGINE TO START COULD RESULT IN INJURIES OR DEATH DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION AND LOCATION. CONSIDER AN ELDERLY PERSON THAT HAS TO ABANDON THEIR VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF A RURAL ROAD AT NIGHT AND HAVE TO WALK A LONG DISTANCE IN EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER. *JB

INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAK..LOSS OF COOLANT..OVERHEATING ENGINE..HEATER MALFUNCTION SPORADICALLY. THIS PROBLEM CONTINUES BUT ABATED SOMEWHAT AFTER SERVICE AT A RADIATOR REPAIR FACILITY RODDED THE RADIATOR TWICE ,FLUSHED AND REFILLED THE SYSTEM WITH NEW COOLANT AND INSTALLED NEW THERMOSTAT. MILEAGE WAS 39,500. *NM

MY 2000 MALIBU RECENTLY DEPLOYED THE AIRBAGS WHILE CAR WAS PARKED AND ENGINE OFF. I CONTACTED POLICE THINKING THE CAR HAD BEEN HIT, ALTHOUGH NO DAMAGE WAS VISIBLE. THE POLICE SAID THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE AT ALL THAT THE CAR HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY. I THEN CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TO REMOVE BLACK BOX AND THAT I WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED THE USE OF THE CAR FOR SEVERAL DAYS. I WAS TREATED VERY RUDELY WHEN I COMPLAINED TO THE GM NATIONAL OFFICE REGARDING THE EXPENSE I WOULD INCUR FOR RENTAL CAR BECAUSE LOCAL DEALER WOULD NOT PROVIDE LOANER. BASICALLY, THEY SAID THAT IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. I THEN WAS TALKING TO A MECHANIC AT A DIFFERENT SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH MALIBU'S AIR BAGS DEPLOYING WITHOUT IMPACT OF ANY KIND. HE TOLD ME ABOUT A RECENT CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IN OKLAHOMA OVER THIS ISSUE. BEFORE I SPEND THE $100'S OF DOLLARS TO FIX THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. *JB

FRONT BRAKES ARE CONTINUOUSLY WEARING BEFORE THEY SHOULD. FRONT BRAKE LINE COLLAPSED. FRONT LEFT BRAKE PADS REPLACED WITHIN A MONTH BECAUSE OF WEARING TOO QUICKLY. REPLACED BRAKES AND ROTOR. *JB

THE INITIAL PROBLEM WAS THAT THE CAR HAD DIFFICULTY STARTING AFTER THE CAR WAS WARM. WOULD USUALLY HAVE TO GIVE THE CAR GAS TO GET THE ENGINE TO TURN OVER. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT WAS THE LEAST OF MY PROBLEMS SINCE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS LEAKING COOLANT INTO THE OIL. THE COST OF REPAIRS FOR THE LEAKING GASKET WAS OVER $650 AND TOLD WAS QUITE COMMON IN 2000 MALIBUS AND IF THE PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE OR DESTROY THE ENGINE. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 60,000 MILES. ALSO HAD TO REPLACE WIRES, PLUGS, IGNITION COIL AND FUEL FILTER WHICH WAS AN ADDITIONAL $475. I CAN UNDERSTAND THE WIRES, PLUGS, COIL AND FUEL FILTER AS USUAL MAINTENANCE COSTS, HOWEVER, THE LEAKING INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WHICH IS QUITE COMMON FROM BOTH YOUR WEBSITE AND CHEVY WEBSITE SHOULD BE ADDRESSED A POTENTIAL RECALL. OR INVESTIGATE THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME FUNDING BY CHEVY TO OFFSET THE HIGH REPAIR COSTS TO MANY OWNERS OF THE MALIBU WHO HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET REPAIRED. *JB

HAZARD FLASHER BEGAN WORKING INTERMITTENTLY, THEN THE TURN SIGNALS BEGAN WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. NO PATTERN, THEY WOULD BE ON THEN GO OFF. I WAS IN HEAVY FREEWAY TRAFFIC WITH NO TURN SIGNAL OR HAZARD FLASHER. I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE FREEWAY AND DRIVE HOME USING ARM SIGNALS AND SLOWING TO ALLOW FASTER TRAFFIC TO PASS ME. *NM THE CONSUMER WISHES TO WITHDRAWAL THE COMPLAINT HE FILED WITH NHTSA. THE MANUFACTURER HAS AGREED TO REMEDY THE VEHICLE'S PROBLEM AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. *NM THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE RECALL DID NO APPLY TO HIS VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER. THE WASHER PUMP WAS REPLACED DUE TO A LEAK.*JB

A FAULTY HAZARD SWITCH CAUSES THE TURN SIGNALS TO INTERMITTENTLY STOP WORKING AT THE MOST IN OPPORTUNE TIME. ON ONE OCCASION IT ALMOST RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE SWITCH WAS REPLACED FOR THE SAME REASON BY THE DEALERSHIP ON APRIL 15, 2002. IT IS NOW MALFUNCTIONING AGAIN ONLY MUCH MORE FREQUENTLY THAN BEFORE. I SEE THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE ON 2000/2001 MALIBU OWNERS(ID NUMBER 03V327000) BUT THE DEALERSHIP STATES THAT MY VIN NUMBER DOES NOT SHOW UP IN THE RECALL. HE ALSO CLAIMS THAT SINCE THE PART WAS ALREADY REPLACED ONCE IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED AGAIN. I SEARCHED THE WEB AND NOTICED THAT OWNERS OF 2002 MALIBUS ARE ALSO COMPLAINING OF THE SAME PROBLEM. SO, IT IS NOT JUST AN ISOLATED ISSUE. SINCE I NEVER USE THE HAZARD SWITCH IT CAN'T POSSIBLY HAVE GONE BAD BECAUSE OF WEAR AND TEAR. NOR IS IT A PART THAT WOULD BE USED FREQUENTLY ENOUGH TO WEAR OUT. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT WITH THE PART. *JB