2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

I BOUGHT A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU ON AUGUST 10, 2004. THE MILEAGE WAS 45,281. SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE HAD 2 PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE. 1.GM DEX-COOL/INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. 2.ANTI-THEFT LIGHT COMES ON. AFTER CAR HAS BEEN STOPPED, THE CAR WILL NOT RESTART AGAIN. WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 1 ABOVE, I UNDERSTAND THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT PENDING. WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 2 ABOVE, THESE ARE THE CIRCUMSTANCES CONCERNING MY PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ANTI THEFT SYSTEM. FROM AUGUST TO OCTOBER 2006 I HAD TO TOW MY VEHICLE TO THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF MY CAR NOT STARTING. IT WAS TOWED 4 TIMES, THE FIRST 3 TIMES AND ALL THE DEALERSHIP SAID WAS THAT THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE CHARGED. ON THE LAST TIME, OCTOBER 13, 2006 THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEIR ?EDUCATED GUESS? WAS THE NEED TO CHANGE THE STARTER SWITCH AND IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER FOR WHICH THEY CHARGED ME FOR A STARTER SWITCH - $96.15, AN IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER - $154.79, RECODE THE LOCK CYLINDER - $15.00, AND $46.00 TO CORRECT THE PASS LOCK SENSOR DATA, PLUS A $10.00 ENVIRONMENTAL DISPOSAL FEE. MY SON LOOKED ON THE INTERNET TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAS HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR SAME MODEL CAR. IT APPEARS QUITE A FEW OWNERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THE ANTI-THEFT PROBLEM FIX WAS TO ALLOW THE CAR TO SIT FOR 10 MINUTES, AND THEN TRY TO START THE VEHICLE AGAIN, AND IT WORKED, SOMETIMES AFTER 2-3 ATTEMPTS. THE DEALERSHIP HAD ALSO SAID TO TRY THE SAME FIX PROCEDURE, IT MIGHT WORK. IT APPEARS THAT GENERAL MOTORS KNOWS ABOUT THIS TWO PROBLEM, AND IS ONLY ADDRESSING THE GM DEX COOL INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. GENERAL MOTORS SHOULD RECALL TO FIX BOTH PROBLEMS AT NO CHARGE TO THE OWNER. IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE EITHER OF THESE TWO ITEMS BECOMES A SAFETY ISSUE AND CAUSES A LOSS OF LIFE OR LIMB. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 55,340. *TR

THE SITUATION ARISES WITH NO PRIOR WARNINGS, I INSERT MY ORIGINAL GM KEY IN THE IGNITION SWITCH TO START MY 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU AND THE ELECTRONIC ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM GOES INTO THEFT MODE (AS IF I AM STEALING MY OWN CAR). THE THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT ON THE DASH STARTS FLASHING AND THE CAR WILL NOT START. THE ENGINE TURNS OVER BUT WILL NOT START. I HAVE TO LEAVE THE CAR SWITCHED ON FOR 10 MINUTES (WHILE DRAINING THE BATTERY) UNTIL THE THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT QUITS FLASHING AND STAYS ON STEADY. AT THAT POINT I MUST TURN THE IGNITION SWITCH TO OFF AND THEN TRY STARTING THE CAR AGAIN. TO DATE IT ALWAYS STARTS AFTER THE 10-MINUTE DELAY AND RETRY. THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE RANDOM IN NATURE AND HAS HAPPENED TO ME AS OFTEN AS THREE (3) TIMES IN ONE DAY. IT HAS MADE ME LATE FOR WORK, APPOINTMENTS AND STRANDED AT THE GAS PUMP (INCONVENIENCING OTHERS). I AM FORTUNATE THAT I HAVEN'T HAD ANY DIRE EMERGENCIES (YET) IN WHICH THE CAR HAS LEFT ME STALLED. I HAVE NOT TRIED TO HAVE IT REPAIRED AS I CANNOT AFFORD THE COST AND IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING FROM OTHERS' EXPERIENCES THAT IT WILL EVENTUALLY HAPPEN WITH THE NEW PARTS. THIS IS A GENERAL MOTORS DEFECTIVE SYSTEM AND A POOR DESIGN THAT HAS BEEN UNLEASHED ON THE BUYING PUBLIC. APPARENTLY GENERAL MOTORS HAS REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR FAULTY ENGINEERING. MEANWHILE MANY, MANY PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF HAVE UNKNOWINGLY PURCHASED GENERAL MOTORS VEHICLES WITH THESE SYSTEMS AND CONTINUE TO HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE INCONVENIENCE AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS RESULTS OF THEIR POOR ENGINEERING. *TR

THE SEAL ON THE BACK LIGHTS GETS BAD AND ALLOWS MOISTURE TO GET IN AND SHORT OUT THE BRAKE, TURN SIGNAL AND BACK UP LIGHTS. REPAIRS ARE OVER $200 AND THEY CANNOT GUARANTEE IT WILL NOT HAPPEN WHEN THE LIGHTING HOUSING IS REPLACED. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL, BECAUSE LIVING NEAR ATLANTA, BRAKE LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS ARE VERY IMPORTANT. I NEVER KNOW WHEN THEY ARE WORKING. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. COME ON GM, MAKE DRIVERS OF YOUR VEHICLES SAFE!!!!! *TR

ANTI THEFT KEEPS SHUTTING OFF MY CAR. MY CAR SITS OUTSIDE ALL THE TIME. IT WAS -4 THIS MORNING, WENT TO START CAR AND ANTI THEFT KEEPS SHUTTING DOWN ENGINE. I HAVE NOT ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM SINCE BUYING USED IN SEPT 06. *TR

PASSLOCK SENSOR ACTIVATES FOR NO APPARENT REASON WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND PREVENTS THE CAR FROM BEING STARTED FOR 10 MINUTES. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND COULD PUT SOMEONE'S LIFE AT RISK. *TR

CAR REFUSED TO START. LEFT ME STRANDED IN A PARKING LOT IN NASHVILLE AND HAD TO BE TOWED, TWICE. IT TOOK 2 TRIPS TO THE MECHANIC BEFORE THEY REALIZED IT WAS A DEFECT WITH THE ANTI THEFT SYSTEM,. IT LOCKED UP THE IGNITION FOR THIRTY MINUTES. THEY SAID THERE WAS NO FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM EXCEPT TO WAIT UNTIL THE CAR DECIDED TO LET ME START IT. *TR

MY 2002 CHEVY MALIBU'S THEFT SYSTEM SPORADICALLY, BUT FREQUENTLY WILL START FLASHING AND MY CAR WON'T START. I HAVE TO TURN THE KEY ON FOR 10 MINUTES AND WAIT FOR THE THEFT LIGHT TO TURN OFF. I TURN THE KEY OFF FOR 5 SECONDS AND THE CAR STARTS. VERY DANGEROUS FOR MY WIFE AND KIDS BEING STRANDED FOR 10 MINUTES - ANYWHERE. *TR

CAR WILL NOT START DO TO ANTI THEFT SYSTEM. YOU MUST WAIT TEN MIN FOR THE LIGHT TO TURN OFF THEN RESTART THE CAR. *TR

TURN SIGNALS AND HEADLIGHTS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. HAS BEEN AN ON-GOING PROBLEM FOR THE LAST 6 MONTHS. HAVE HAD CAR THE DEALER - THEY SAY THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. I FIND LOTS OF INFORMATION THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM IN MANY OF THESE CARS. *TR

VEHICLE PREVENTED FROM STARTING DUE TO DEFECTIVE "THEFT DETERRENT" SYSTEM KNOWN AS PASS LOCK. *TR