2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

MY 2001 CHEVY MALIBU HAS STARTED LEAKING COOLANT. THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT HAS COME ON, GONE OFF, COME ON AND GONE OFF. WHEN I CHECK THE RESERVE, THE LEVEL IS SO LOW IT'S EMPTY. AFTER PURCHASING, SO FAR 6 GALLONS, OF DEXCOOL AND MIXING IT ACCORDING TO THE DIRECTIONS EACH TIME, THE COOLANT LASTED A SHORTER AND SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME. THE TEMP. WARNING LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING AND RINGING, THEN WENT OFF AND THE TEMP WENT DOWN. I TOOK IT TO FIRESTONE, WHERE I JUST HAD THE CAR INSPECTED. NOW I'M BEING TOLD THAT THE MANIFOLD INTAKE GASKET IS BAD AND THE REPAIRS WILL COST ME $1023.00 AFTER DOING RESEARCH ON THE PROBLEM, IT SEEMS THAT GM HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THE PLASTIC GASKETS FOR SOME TIME. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE DUE TO AN OVERHEATED ENGINE, A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE BEFORE GM WILL RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM? OR IS THIS HOW MR. GOODWRENCH CAN MAKE SO MANY REPAIRS AND ADVERTISE ABOUT HOW MANY CARS THEY FIX AND MAN HOURS THEY WORK? I LOVED THIS CAR! I BOUGHT IT WITH 5 MILES ON IT(4 OF WHICH I PUT ON DURING THE TEST DRIVE.) A 2001 WITH ONLY 45K MILES? AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO SEES THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURING ISSUE AND THAT GM SHOULD STOP ISSUING "PRIVATE" NOTICES AND RECALL THE CARS FOR PROPER PARTS & SERVICING?*JB

OUR 2001 MALIBU DEVELOPED A COOLANT LEAK AND IN MAY OF 05. THE DEALER REPLACED THE UPPER INTAKE GASKET AND SAID IT WAS FIXED. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT MAINTAIN COMPRESSION AND KEPT STALLING. I AM DISABLED AND I FELT THERE WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. AFTER 3 OR 4 TRIPS TO THE DEALER WITHOUT RESULTS I TOOK THE CAR TO ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS THE HEAD GASKET THAT WAS LEAKING. I AM OUT A LOT OF MONEY FOR A CAR THAT'S NOT VERY OLD. AFTER READING THE OTHER COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER MALIBU OWNERS I AM CONVINCED THERE MUST BE A DEFECT WITH THESE GASKETS. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE AIR CONDITIONER COMPLETELY REPLACED AS WELL. I DON'T KNOW IF ONE HAS ANY THING TO DO WITH THE OTHER BUT IT WAS AT THE SAME TIME. NOW MY HEATER WON'T TURN OFF SO IT'S OVER RIDING THE AIR CONDITIONER. BECAUSE OF ALL OF THESE REPAIRS I HAVE OVER $1000 IN RENTAL CAR EXPENSES. THIS IS A MATTER OF SAFETY AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED. *NM

FAX FROM CONSUMER (OH) RE THE PROBLEM HE AND HIS WIFE HAD WITH THE HEAD GASKETS IN THEIR 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU AND 2001 CHEVROLET VENTURE. *NM THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING COOLANT INTO THE OIL SYSTEM. *JB

I NEED TO KNOW WHO CAN I SPEAK WITH IN REGARDS TO GM HAVING A RECALL ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FOR ALL 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU'S. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THE MANAGER AT ADVANCED AUTO PARTS THAT SEVERAL 2001 MALIBU OWNERS COME IN TO PURCHASE COOLANT, AS WELL AS MYSELF, AS OUR GASKET IS LEAKING, WHICH CAUSES US TO HAVE TO REFILL AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH OR SOONER. I HAVE ALSO CHECKED ONLINE AND THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, TO THE POINT THAT I FELL A RECALL SHOULD BE DONE. SOME INDIVIDUALS NOTED THAT THEY CONTACTED THEIR CAR DEALER AND THE GASKET WAS CHANGED TO A NEWER ONE THAT THEY ARE USING IN THE NEWER CARS. HOWEVER, I CONTACTED MY DEALERSHIP AN WAS TOLD THAT THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO, AS THERE ARE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. I NEED SOMEONE TO CONTACT ME ASAP REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. IT'S NOT FAIR TO MYSELF, THE CONSUMER, TO HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO GET THIS MANUFACTURER DEFAULT CORRECTED. TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM FOR IT NOT BE RECALLED. PLEASE, PLEASE CONTACT ME AT 410/917-7327. THANK YOU FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION TO MY CONCERN. *JB

I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR OVERHEATING. I HAVE BROUGHT MY CAR TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT PLACES AND EVERYONE TELLS ME THAT THIS IS COMMON IN MALIBUS,AND SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT IT. I HAVE HAD MY RADIATOR REPLACED,MY THERMOSTAT CHANGED, MY COOLANT SYSTEM FLUSHED. NOW CHEVROLET IS SAYING IT MIGHT BE MY WATER PUMP THAT'S CAUSING THE PROBLEM. THAT WILL COST 586 AND IF THAT'S NOT THE PROBLEM THEY WILL CHECK OTHER THINGS WHILE IM GOING TO BE THE ONE TAKING THE LOST. *JB

I NOTICED ON MY 2001 CHEVY MALIBU THAT THE COOLANT LIGHT WAS COMING ON SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT. HE RAISED THE HOOD AND SAID I WAS LOW ON COOLANT WITHOUT EVEN TAKING THE LID OFF. HE SAID HE WOULD HAVE IT CHECKED OUT AND IT WOULD BE AN HOUR OR MORE SO I STAYED SINCE I HAD NO WAY OF GETTING HOME. TWO HOURS LATER HE CAME OUT AND SAID I HAD A INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAK, A WATER PUMP THAT LEAKED AT ONE TIME BUT WASN'T LEAKING NOW BUT NEEDED REPLACED AND HANDED ME A BILL FOR 1200.00. MIND YOU THIS CAR ONLY HAS 39,000 MILES ON IT AND WHEN PURCHASED IT ALREADY HAD 25,000 ON IT AND I HAVE ONLY PUT A LITTLE OVER 14,000 ON IT MYSELF AND IT IS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD. I HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED MY CAR OVERHEATING AND ALWAYS HAD THE OIL CHANGE WHEN REQUIRED. I FELT THAT THIS MAJOR OF A PROBLEM SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING SO I CALLED GM MOTORS AND THEY CALLED BACK AND SAID IT WASN'T UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE IT FIXED. I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AS MY ENGINE WILL BLOW UP IF I DRIVE IT. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT IT IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM, THAT CHEVY MALUBU'S FROM 1997 HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND GM HAS IGNORED IT. I FEEL THAT GM MOTORS SHOULD PAY TO FIX MY CAR AS I CAN NOT DRIVE IT FOR SAFETY REASONS AT ALL. IF I DRIVE IT I COULD BLOW MY ENGINE AND CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT AS THE CAR WILL STOP. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 45 MPH, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT ABOVE THE NORMAL RANGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE FUEL REGULATOR WAS SPEWING FUEL ONTO THE ENGINE. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD SEALS WERE NO LONGER THERE, CAUSING FUEL TO GET INTO THE OIL. THE REPAIR SHOP REPLACED THE INTAKE GASKET, THERMOSTAT, TIMING BELT, COOLING FAN, FUEL REGULATOR, AND RADIATOR CAP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

2001 MALIBU HAS HAD FRONT BRAKE DISC AND BATTERY REPLACED, 16804 MILES ON VEHICLE.. MECHANIC HAS NOW INFORMED CONSUMER THAT IGNITION SWITCH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *TS *JB

FAX FM (OH) RE THE PROBLEM HE AND HIS WIFE HAD W/THE HEAD GASKETS IN THEIR 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU & 2001 CHEVROLET VENTURE. *TS THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING COOLANT INTO THE OIL SYSTEM. *JB

INTERMITTENTLY ALL DASH LIGHTS STAY ON WHEN STARTING THE CAR. ALSO THE RADIO/ CLOCK DOES NOT COME ON FOR APPROX. 60 SEC'S. DEALER WANTS TO REPLACE IGNITION SWITCH AND PASSLOCK SENSOR. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIRS. *NM