2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

NEITHER OF THE LAP/SHOULDER BELTS HOLD TIGHT. THE PLASTIC THAT SURROUNDS THE METAL BUCKLE HAS CRACKED AND THE BELTS WILL NO LONGER KEEP A TIGHT FIT. CHILD SAFETY SEATS CANNOT BE INSTALLED BECAUSE THE BELTS WILL NOT HOLD THEM IN PLACE. I CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE SEAT BELTS ARE NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

2003 CHEVY MALIBU: THE THEFT LIGHT COMES ON AND THE CAR WILL NOT START FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. THIS HAPPENS JUST ABOUT EVERY DAY, AND WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE CAR TO START. THE CAR ALSO DIES ON US WHILE WE ARE DRIVING, PUTTING US IN A VERY SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS SITUATION. WITHOUT WARNING IT JUST SHUTS OFF. *TR

THE GAS PEDAL IS STICK. IT ACCELERATES THE CAR BY ITSELF. I HAVE TO USE MY FOOT TO GET IT OUT TO AVOID ACCELERATION. I CALLED GM AND THEY TOLD ME THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY TOYOTA'S STICKY PEDAL IS A BIG DEAL, WHILE GM DOES NOTHING FOR IT. I SAW POSTINGS OF THE SAME PROBLEM FOR A LONG TIME. I HOPE GM TAKE ACTION BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. *TR

IN FEB 2009 I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AND MY CAR ACCELERATED BUT I WAS ABLE TO STOP BEFORE HITTING THE CAR NEXT TO ME. THE SAME THING HAPPENED A FEW DAYS LATER. THEN AGAIN, ON FEBRUARY 17, 2009, PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE THE CAR ACCELERATED AND I COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO STOP. I JUMPED A CURB AND WENT INTO A GRASSY AREA AND FINALLY GOT THE CAR STOPPED. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE MECHANICS COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS PROBABLY THE FLOOR MAT UNDER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. HOWEVER, ON JULY 7, 2010, PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE THE CAR ACCELERATED AND I JUMPED A CURB. AFTER JUMPING THE CURB, I NARROWLY MISSED AN ELECTRICAL BOX AND UTILITY POLE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER AGAIN. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A WORN CABLE WHICH THEY TOLD ME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM SINCE OTHER MALIBU OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM YET THERE IS NO RECALL FOR OUR PARTICULAR MODEL NUMBER REGARDING THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL ACCELERATOR PEDAL. I CALLED THE CHEVROLET CONSUMER NUMBER, BUT WAS TOLD THAT UNTIL THERE ARE ENOUGH COMPLAINTS TO WARRANT A RECALL FOR MY MODEL "THEY" ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY REPAIRS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, SHE NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO STOP. THE RPMS INCREASED EXCESSIVELY TO 2000 WHEN SHE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL. WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, AS SHE DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, SHE NOTICED AN ODOR IN THE BRAKES WHICH WAS HEAT ACCUMULATED AFTER SHE TRIED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. SHE ALSO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE FLOOR MAT WAS NOT UNDER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND WAS NOT THE CAUSE OF THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR ASSEMBLY SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. WHEN THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 04V528000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL ACCELERATOR PEDAL) AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 101,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH AND APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT, , THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MANUALLY RELEASED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WITH HIS FOOT AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE FAILURE OCCURRED DURING EXTREMELY HOT WEATHER TEMPERATURES AND WHEN THE CONTACT COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE CONTACT REVIEWED NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V528000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: ACCELERATOR PEDAL). AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL ON JANUARY 14, 2005. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAD NO PRIOR RECALL REMEDY REPAIR PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,627.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE ANTI THEFT SYSTEM HAS FAILED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE CONTACT STATED IN ORDER TO START THE VEHICLE HE HAD TO TURN THE IGNITION ON AND WAIT AT LEAST TEN MINUTES BEFORE IT WOULD START. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. WHEN HE CALLED THE DEALER, THEY WOULD ADVISE HIM TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY THE COST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

PASSLOCK SYSTEM IS DEFECTIVE DUE TO NICKEL PLATING ON STARTER TUMBLER CAUSING OXIDATION. DEALERS ARE ABLE TO MAKE A KILLING ON THIS DEFECTIVE CONNECTOR BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO TROUBLESHOOT A FULL FUEL PUMP SYSTEM AND WIRING HARNESS BEFORE THEY WILL REPLACE THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM. OCCURS ONCE EVERY FEW MONTHS INTERMITTENTLY AND BECOMES MORE SERIOUS AS THE OXIDATION WORSENS. POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS OCCUR WHEN VEHICLE WOULD STALL IN AN UNSAFE LOCATION (IE: RAILROAD TRACKS OR HIGHWAY) AND VEHICLE WILL NOT RESTART. COUPLED WITH THE RECALL THESE VEHICLES HAD WITH THE ACCELERATOR STICKING (WHICH MINE DID ON A HIGHWAY) THIS COULD BE A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ONLINE (ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GOOGLE "PASSLOCK PROBLEM" AND YOU WILL GET THOUSANDS OF RESULTS AND CONSUMER FIXES COMPLAINING ABOUT HOW GM IGNORES EVERY SERVICE REQUEST FOR A SOLUTION THAT DOESN'T GOUGE CUSTOMERS. THERE IS PRACTICALLY AN UNDERGROUND CLUB DESIGNED TO HANDLE THIS PROBLEM.) ACCORDING TO THE SHOP FOREMAN AT COLONIAL CHEVROLET IN NORFOLK, VA, AFTER HIS 14 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH SERVICE THIS IS A PROBLEM HE IS INTIMATELY ACQUAINTED WITH AND RECOMMENDS REPLACING THE KEY TUMBLER (PASSLOCK CHIP INTEGRATED INSIDE) AND THE CONNECTOR THAT LEADS TO THE BODY CONTROL MODULE. *TR

ACCELERATOR DOES NOT RESPOND WHEN YOU REMOVE YOUR FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL. THIS SITUATION OCCURS AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN SETTING IN THE SUN. IT HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES DURING THE PAST WEEK. THE CAR WAS REPAIRED FOR THIS CONDITION IN 2005 AS PART OF THE RECALL PROGRAM. IT EVIDENTLY DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU. SHE STATED SHE DEPRESSED THE BRAKES AND WHEN SHE REMOVED HER FOOT FROM THE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ABNORMALLY ACCELERATE. SHE PUT THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL AND DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR. THE VEHICLE STOPPED REVVING AND SHE USED EXTREME FORCE TO DEPRESS THE BRAKES UNTIL THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECREASE IN SPEED. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THERE WERE NO REPAIRS MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 71,739.