2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

THE CAR IS A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED USED AND THEREFORE THE EVENTS LEADING UP THE FAILURE ARE NOT KNOWN. THE PROBLEM THAT THE CAR HAS IS THAT THE RPMS INCREASE DRAMATICALLY WHILE DRIVING. THIS MAKES THE CAR DIFFICULT TO STOP AND EXTREME PRESSURE MUST BE APPLIED TO THE BRAKES TO STOP AND KEEP THE CAR STOPPED. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED AND THE PROBLEM IS OCCURRING, THE ENGINE CAN BE HEARD MAKING LOUDER THAN USUAL NOISES. WHEN THE RPMS INCREASE, THE SPEED OF THE CAR INCREASES WITHOUT THE GAS PEDAL BEING PRESSED. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE CAR MOVING AT A REASONABLE SPEED BECAUSE OF THIS. AT THE PRESENT TIME, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON, BUT THE ACTIVATION OF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DOES NOT USUALLY OCCUR AT THE SAME TIME AS THE PROBLEM DESCRIBED ABOVE. THE PROBLEM OCCURS AT AN OF FOUR TIMES A WEEK AND OCCURS MORE OFTEN WHEN THE CAR IS DRIVEN ON BACK ROADS INSTEAD OF HIGHWAYS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ON FREEWAY IT JUST STALLED. I COASTED TO BERM. IT THEN RESTARTED. I'VE HAD ALL KINDS OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR, BUT THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. I'VE READ THAT THIS ENGINE CUTTING OUT IS PROBABLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM. I'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THAT SYSTEM EVER SINCE I'VE HAD THE CAR. *TR

THE PASSLOCK ANTI THEFT SYSTEM IS A VERY DANGEROUS SYSTEM. THERE HAVE BEEN THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SYSTEM. THOUSANDS OF ANGRY, FRUSTRATED PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING LEFT WITH NO RECOURSE. THE PROBLEM DATES FROM THE 1990S.THROUGH 2010. THE PROBLEM SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED BEFORE NOW. I JUST SPENT OVER $5000. FOR A CAR THAT CANNOT BE MOVED OUT OF MY DRIVE WAY I DON'T THINK CONGRESS HEARD THE SCREAMS I'VE HEARD AND READ ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ('I'LL NEVER BUY ANOTHER GM CAR AGAIN', OR 'IF THERE IS EVER A CLASS ACTION SUITE, COUNT ME IN') WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HURT BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN LEFT STRANDED, OR THEIR CARS CAUSED WRECKS BECAUSE THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM KICKED IN AND CUT OFF THE FUEL WHILE THEY WERE GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MILES AN HOUR. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO READ ABOUT SO MANY UNHAPPY PEOPLE. I CAME FROM A GENERATION OF PEOPLE THAT WORKED FOR FIFTY YEARS. WE DID ALL THE THINGS WE WERE SUPPOSED TO. WE WORKED HARD, PAID OUR BILLS AND TRUSTED THAT WE WOULD BE TREATED FAIRLY. TO REALLY FIND OUT ABOUT PASSLOCK, JUST GOOGLE PASSLOCK COMPLAINTS. THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE LINKS TO COMPLAINTS. HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/SEARCH.HTML?CX=PARTNER-PUB-0200629403145096%3AQT7MBBQYBBG&COF=FORID%3A10&IE=ISO-8859-1&Q=PASSLOCK&SA=SEARCH&SITEURL=WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM%2F&SITEURL=WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM%2FAUTOMOTIVE%2FGM_CHEV_MALIBU_P2.HTML#906 HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/2003/CHEVROLET/MALIBU/ELECTRICAL+SYSTEM HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/CHEVROLET/MALIBU/2002/ELECTRICAL/PASSLOCK_PROBLEM_WONT_START_ANTI-THEFT_LIGHT_IS_ON.SHTML HTTP://WWW.CAR-FORUMS.COM/TALK/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=2349 HTTP://WWW.CHEVROLETPROBLEMS.COM/SEARCH/RESULTS.SHTML?CX=PARTNER-PUB-6745124734283845%3A635TFYW220Y&COF=FORID%3A10&IE=ISO-8859-1&Q=PASSLOCK&SA=SEARCH&SITEURL=WWW.CHEVROLETPROBLEMS.COM%252FINVESTIGATIONS%252FMALIBU%252F#931 IS THERE NO HOPE'..EVER? *TR

2003 CHEVY MALIBU, 1 OUT OF 3 STARTS FORCED TO WAIT 10 MINUTES BEFORE TRYING A RESTART, USUALLY TWICE BEFORE SUCCEEDING. FORCES WAITING IN THE DARK OR IN UNSAFE PLACES AT NIGHT, SUCH AS FINISHING WORK. EXTREMELY UNSAFE FOR ANY FEMALE. $300 QUOTE AT STEALERSHIP TO REPAIR. FITTED 20CENT RESISTOR TO FEED CORRECT RESISTANCE VALUE TO ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM, WHICH IS ALSO GUARANTEED TO FAIL EVENTUALLY. WILL HAVE TO BUILD A CIRCUIT TO BYPASS THIS ALSO TO REMOVE THE PROBLEM COMPLETELY. SHAME ON THE STEALERSHIPS FOR NOT CORRECTING THIS PROBLEM AS A RECALL. THE POTENTIAL FOR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY PERSONAL INJURY/DEATH ARE HIGH AND THE HIGH COST OF REPAIR IS A DISGUSTING TACTIC FOR ANY COMPANY TO USE TO COERCE CUSTOMERS TO LINE THEIR COFFERS REPLACING DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT. *TR

2003 CHEVY MALIBU PASSLOCK PASSIVE SECURITY SYSTEM FAILURE. THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM ENGAGES ON MY CAR FREQUENTLY. IT COSTS OVER $245 TO RESET AND $800 TO FIX. I DID AN INTERNET SEARCH AND THOUSANDS OF OTHER GM CAR OWNERS WITH PASSLOCK SYSTEMS ARE HAVING THE PROBLEM. MY CAR WILL SUDDENLY STOP WHILE DRIVING AND I'VE NARROWLY AVOIDED SERIOUS ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF IT. OTHER TIMES IT WILL SIMPLY NOT START. *TR

OWN 2003 CHEVY MALIBU THAT WILL JUST SHUT OFF. THE ANTI THEFT SYSTEM BUILT IN THE VEHICLE WILL DO THIS. HAVE TO WAIT 10 MIN BEFORE IT RESETS ITSELF THEN IT WILL START. CHEVY DEALERSHIP THAT I WENT TO IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM IN THIS MODEL AND OFFERED TO FIX IT FOR $400. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS FAIRLY COMMON. SOUNDS LIKE A DEFECT TO ME AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED FOR FREE BY GM. BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW. THIS STARTED IN 2006 AND HAS CONTINUED TO DO THIS 1 OR 2 TIMES A MONTH SINCE THEN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START INTERMITTENTLY. IN ORDER TO START THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO TURN THE KEY TO THE ON POSITION AND ALLOW IT TO SIT IN THE IGNITION FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES WHILE THE VEHICLE WOULD RESET ITSELF. IN ADDITION, THE REAR TAIL LIGHTS WOULD BECOME FILLED WITH WATER WHENEVER IT WOULD RAIN, CAUSING THE BULBS TO BLOW. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THE IGNITION LOCK HOUSING ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START BECAUSE THE COMPUTER ASSUMED THE VEHICLE WAS BEING STOLEN DUE TO THE IGNITION SECURITY SWITCH FEATURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION LOCK HOUSING ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED JUST RECENTLY PRIOR TO THE MOST CURRENT FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,760. STATUS UPDATE 11/15/11

FOR YEARS, CAR STALLS WHILE DRIVING AND CAN NOT BE RE-STARTED, OR MORE FREQUENTLY, JUST WON'T START. NO WARNING EXCEPT A FINE, DIM RED ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT WHICH IS UNLIKELY TO BE NOTICED AT ALL, AND CERTAINLY NOT IMMEDIATELY. CAN HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES PER DAY, OR CAN GO TWO WEEKS WITHOUT A PROBLEM. SHORT TERM REMEDY IS RELIABLE IF INCONVENIENT AND IN SOME SITUATION, DANGEROUS; WITH CAR IN "PARK," TURN OFF ALL SYSTEM, TURN ON IGNITION SWITCH BUT DO NOT START, DO NOT DISTURB FOR AT LEAST EN MINUTES. SYSTEM WILL THEN BE RESET. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT THIS PROBLEM HAD MULTIPLE CAUSES. GOT PARTIAL, TEMPORARY IMPROVEMENT (LESS FREQUENT FAILURE) BY REPLACING DEFECTIVE DS LOCK SWITCH, WHICH IS ALSO USED TO PROGRAM THAT LOCKING SYSTEM FEATURES. BECAUSE THE USERS IS SUPPOSED TO INITIATE LOCKING SYSTEM PROGRAMMING BY HOLDING THE SWITCH CLOSED, AND THE LOCK WAS STICKING CLOSED AND OPENING UNPREDICTABLY, IT WAS SURELY CREATING INPUTS NOT ANTICIPATED BY THE SYSTEM'S PROGRAMMERS. I BELIEVE THE IGNITION SWITCH SYSTEM, INCLUDING THE INTERFACE WITH THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR SYSTEM, IS STILL CAUSING THIS PROBLEM, AND FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE INCREASES. HAVE NOT FOUND SATISFACTORY SOLUTION. CAN'T AFFORD THE $400 DEALER SAYS IT WILL COST FOR (POSSIBLE) FIX, AMBIGUOUS EXPLANATIONS MAKE ME DOUBT THE DEALER REALLY UNDERSTANDS THE CAUSE. NO ACTUAL PROPERTY DAMAGE OR CRASH YET, BUT OBVIOUSLY RISK IS HIGH WHEN CAR SUDDENLY STALL IN TRAFFIC. *TR

MY TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD LIGHTS DO NOT ALWAYS WORK. SOMETIMES THEY DON'T WORK AT ALL AND OTHER TIMES THEY BLINK A FEW TIMES AND THEN STOP. I DRIVE ON MAJOR INTERSTATES AND I'M ALWAYS AFRAID THAT THIS WILL CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I CANNOT PREDICT IF OR WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN. WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN, IF I TAP OR LIGHTLY PRESS THE FLASHER BUTTON ON THE DASH IT SEEMS TO HELP. I'VE SEEN OTHER REPORTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY FLAW. *TR