2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

NO INJURIES - NO CRASH - UNSAFE CONDITIONS - I OWN A 2001 CHEVY MALIBU - SIX TIMES IN THE PAST 25 MONTHS SINCE I PURCHASED IT, THE CAR HAS FAILED TO START DUE TO A PROBLEM WITH THE ANTI THEFT SYSTEM. CHECKING ON THE INTERNET AND WITH OTHER MALIBU OWNERS THIS SEEMS TO BE A CONSTANT PROBLEM - SAFETY PROBLEM - SINCE MY WIFE DRIVES THIS CAR MY FEAR IS THAT THE CAR MAY STALL AT A BUSY INTERSECTION AND THEN MAY NOT START DUE TO THE ANTI THEFT SYSTEM PROBLEM ON THE 2001 MALIBU - WHICH IS A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION - SINCE IT APPEARS THERE IS MANY, MANY 2001 MALIBU WITH THIS PROBLEM IT'S A SAFETY PROBLEM FOR MANY PEOPLE - I'M SURE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO SEVERAL PEOPLE - I HAVE HAD MY 2001 MALIBU TOWED TO GATES CHEVROLET 6 TIMES IN THE PAST 25 MONTHS FOR THIS PROBLEM COUNTING TODAY I CONSIDER THE 2001 MALIBU TO NOT ONLY BE A UNRELIABLE CAR BUT AN UNSAFE CAR DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. *JB

THREE TIMES CAR WOULDN'T START WHEN KEY WAS PUT IN IGNITION. HAD IT TOWED TO DEALER EACH TIME. WHEN DEALER TRIED TO START CAR EACH OF THE THREE TIMES, IT STARTED EVERY TIME EXCEPT THE LAST TIME. 1ST TIME (OCT 2005) DEALER RAN DIAGNOSTIC TEST REVEALING NOTHING AND REPLACED NO PARTS. 2ND TIME (JAN 2006) DEALER REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH AND SENSOR FOR $450. 3RD TIME (JUNE 2006) DEALER COULDN'T START CAR, BUT WAITED 1-1/2 DAYS TO RUN DIAGNOSTIC TESTS SO WHEN THEY FINALLY GOT TO LOOKING AT THE CAR IT STARTED UP AGAIN. DEALER RAN DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH AGAIN REVEALED NOTHING SINCE THE CAR WAS RUNNING AGAIN. DEALER WANTED TO TALK ABOUT REPLACING MORE PARTS (FUEL PUMP AND THE IGNITION SWITCH AGAIN) BUT I SAID NO AND TOOK MY CAR BACK. DEALER CANNOT EXPLAIN SINCE 1ST TIME WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. THIS IS NOW A VERY UNRELIABLE CAR SINCE WE NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN. *NM

THE AC CONTROL PANEL ON MY 2000 CHEVY MALIBU IS FAILING. IT IS CAUSING THE AC LIGHT AND COMPRESSOR TO TURN OFF. A INTERNET SEARCH SHOWS THIS TO BE A COMMONLY REPORTED PROBLEM AMONGST MALIBU OWNERS. THE PANEL REQUIRES REPLACEMENT AND WILL COST $200 FOR THE PART PLUS LABOR. *NM

AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20-30 MINUTES, CAR WILL SURGE, AND THEN STALL. AFTER WAITING A FEW MINUTES THE CAR WILL START AND GO ANOTHER 15 MIN OR SO. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, AND AFTER MULTIPLE REPAIRS. THE LAST INCIDENT OCCURRED ON A BUSY BRIDGE WITH NO HAZARD LANE; A POLICE OFFICER PUSHED ME OFF THE BRIDGE WITH HIS SQUAD CAR. I HAVE REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR, FUEL FILTER, & FUEL RELAY. AFTER EACH REPAIR I WAS ASSURED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED. AFTER EACH REPAIR THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO TWO MECHANICS AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANY PROBLEMS. *JB

THE ANTI- THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN CAUSED MY ENGINE TO STOP WHILE IN TRAFFIC. THIS HAPPENED TWICE TODAY. I WAS ABLE TO AVOID A TRAFFIC JAM AND POSSIBLE ACCIDENT BY SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL AND STARTING THE ENGINE WHILE STILL MOVING FORWARD. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED ONCE LAST MONTH ALSO. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM ACTIVATES AND CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE VEHICLE RESTARTS AND HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC. *AK

3.11 GM V6 ENGINE HAS A COMMON PROBLEM OF A NOTABLE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAK, WHICH OIL AND COOLANT SYSTEM CONTAMINATES ONE OR THE OTHER OR BOTH. HAD TO GET AN EXTREME ENGINE FLUSH AND FURTHER DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR IS NEEDED. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ENGINE HOT LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE ANTIFREEZE WAS REPLACED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. WHEN ENGINE HOT LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN AND THE ANTIFREEZE WAS REPLACED A SECOND TIME. ON THE THIRD OCCURRENCE, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN WHICH CAUSED THE ANTIFREEZE TO GET INTO THE OIL. THE HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED.

SIX MONTHS INTO DRIVING OUR NEW MALIBU A INTAKE MANIFOLD DEVELOP A SLOW LEAK OF ANTIFREEZE. IN THE WINTER MORE AGGRESSIVE IN THE SUMMER SLOWER. YET IT INCREASED GRADUALLY OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS. I FOUND OUT THIS IS A COMMON MANUFACTURING PROBLEM. THE LEAK GREW SO BAD THAT IT HAD TO BE REPAIRED THIS MONTH. THE LEAKING ANTIFREEZE IS NOT ONLY A DANGER TO THE PARTS IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BUT ALSO THE ENVIRONMENT. THIS IS A POORLY MANUFACTURED PART AND GM SHOULD STAND BEHIND THE REPAIRS. THE TOTAL COST TO PUT A PROPERLY MANUFACTURED GASKET WITH LABOR IS $ 691.25. *JB

2001 MALIBU, AUTO THEFT THAT WAS INSTALLED BY CHEVY KEEPS PREVENTING MY CAR FROM STARTING AND IT HAS TO BE TOWED THIS HAS HAPPEN 5 TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH. THIS CAR HAS HAD THE FUEL PUMP REPLACE, IGNITION REPLACE, IT WEAR MY TIRES DOWN UNEVENLY. 2 DAYS AFTER I GOT THE CAR I RETURNED FOR 2 WEEKS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE REAR END GO OPPOSITE OF FRONT AND NOW IT IS DOING IT AGAIN. THIS CAR HAS COST ME OVER $2000.00 IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS. THE PAINT IS CHIPPING AWAY LIKE MY BARETTA DID. *NM