2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

TL* - THE CONTACT IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS. WHEN THE CONTACT TURNS ON THE LIGHTS, THEY WON'T WORK. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD HIM THAT IT COULD BE SOME TYPE OF WIRING PROBLEM IN THE STEERING COLUMN.

I OWN A 2001 CHEVY MALIBU VIN 1G1NE52J516159XXX. I ALWAYS DRIVE WITH MY SEAT BELT ON. I'VE NOTICED THAT FREQUENTLY THE SEAT BELT COMPLETELY LOCKS UP SO TIGHTLY AGAINST MY CHEST THAT I AM UNABLE TO LEAN FORWARD IN MY SEAT. THIS HAS CAUSED ME SOME NEAR ACCIDENTS SINCE I WAS UNABLE TO EASILY TURN AROUND AND LOOK BEHIND ME AS I AM MERGING ONTO HIGHWAYS. AT TIMES, I WAS FORCED TO UNLATCH THE SEAT BELT WHILE DRIVING BECAUSE IT BECOMES SO TIGHT ACROSS MY CHEST AND SHOULDER. THIS HAPPENS DURING ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, NORMAL DRIVING, AT ANY TIME, SO I NEVER KNOW WHEN THIS IS GOING TO LOCK UP. PLEASE ADVISE IF THERE IS ANY SIMILAR COMPLAINT/CONCERN FROM ANOTHER OWNER. I AM GOING TO PUT TODAY'S DATE IN THE INCIDENT DATE SINCE THIS OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING AND HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES ALREADY. I AM NOT REALLY AT ALL PLEASED WITH THIS CAR'S PERFORMANCE. MY LAST CAR WAS A CHEVY LUMINA AND IT WAS AN EXCELLENT CAR. I AM SO SORRY I TRADED IT IN AGAINST THIS PIECE OF CRAP I HAVE NOW. THE MALIBU IS HORRENDOUS IN RAIN/AND SNOW AS IT SKIDS AT THE SLIGHTEST HINT OF MOISTURE. *NM

AFTER HAVING TO REFILL MY ENGINE COOLANT ON A REGULAR BASIS I FINALLY TOOK MY 2001 CHEVY MALIBU INTO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. I EXPECTED A LEAKY HOSE BUT FOUND OUT THE PROBLEM WAS A FAILED INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET CAUSING THE COOLANT TO DRAIN INTO THE ENGINE. THE DEALER GUARANTEED ME THAT IF I DIDN'T PERFORM THE $900 REPAIR THAT THE ENGINE WAS SHOT, AND THAT THE ODDS OF SAVING THE ENGINE EVEN AFTER THE REPAIR WERE ONLY 50/50. THE OTHER OPTIONS I WAS GIVEN WERE TO COMPLETELY REBUILD THE ENGINE ($3000+) OR "CUT MY LOSES AND TRADE IT IN NOW." AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM, RESULTING FROM DEFECTIVE GASKETS, THAT CHEVROLET HAS DONE NOTHING TO REMEDY.*JB

THE LIGHTWEIGHT LOCKING LATCH PLATE OF AN OUTBOARD REAR SEAT BELT BROKE, DURING OR FOLLOWING THE PROPER INSTALLATION OF A CHILD SAFETY SEAT. (I AM A NHTSA CERTIFIED CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY TECHNICIAN, SO I CAN SAY WITH ALL CERTAINTY THAT THE INSTALLATION WAS CORRECT, BASED ON THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS AND THE CAR SEAT MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS.) THE CONSEQUENCES ARE THAT THE LOCKING MECHANISM OF THE LATCH PLATE BROKE, AND THE CAR SEAT WOULD NOT BE PROPERLY SECURED IF THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS WERE FOLLOWED. ALSO, THE VEHICLE IS NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LOCK ABILITY PROVISION OF FMVSS 208 (TITLE 49 CFR, SECTION 571.208), WHEN THE SEAT BELT LOSES ITS LOCKABILITY THOUGH REGULAR USE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE TURN SIGNAL INTERMITTENTLY SHUT OFF WHEN IN USE AND, WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, TURNED ON WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 03V327000, REGARDING THE HAZARD WARNING LIGHT SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WHEN AN OIL CHANGE WAS PERFORMED BY AN INDEPENDENT SERVICE DEALER, A COOLANT LEAK WAS FOUND ON THE ENGINE NEXT TO THE INTAKE GASKET. A SECOND OPINION WAS SOUGHT AT ANOTHER INDEPENDENT SERVICE DEALERS AND WHEN THE LEAK WAS CONFIRMED, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO ADD COOLANT TO THE VEHICLE. THE INTERIOR OF THE WINDOWS WERE COATED BY THE COOLANT VAPOR, ENTERING THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE VENTILATION SYSTEM.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED A PUDDLE WAS NOTICED UNDER THE ENGINE. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THERE WAS A FAULTY INTAKE GASKET. A NEW GASKET NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED.

5 MOS AFTER PURCHASING CAR, THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. A FEW MONTHS LATER THE ENGINE WOULD SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD. THE FOLLOWING PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED: IGNITION MODULE, SPARK PLUGS, FAN BELT, WATER PUMP, KNOCK SENSOR, CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR, CRANKSHAFT SENSOR, IGNITION SWITCH. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE GETTING AN INSPECTION, THE REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS WERE LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO REPLACED THE REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS. THE FRONT BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED. UPDATED 11/03/06*JB

MY TURN SIGNALS WORK WHEN THEY WANT. I CALL CHEVROLET AND I WAS TOLD THIS PART HAD BEEN CHANGED JULY OF 2001. THIS WAS A RECALLED PART AND I'M NOT SURE IF THE ONE PUT IN IN JULY 2001 WAS A NEW PART OR STILL ONE THAT WAS ON RECALL. BUT I WAS TOLD BY CHEVROLET THAT THEY WOULD NOT PAY TO FIX IT. *NM