2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

I BOUGHT MY MALIBU NEW IN SEPTEMBER 2003. IN JANUARY 2005, I BEGAN TO NOTICE THE CAR SHUDDERING WHILE BRAKING, I TOOK THE CAR IN AND THEY MACHINED BOTH ROTORS, I TOOK IT IN AGAIN ON FEBRUARY 8TH BECAUSE THE BRAKES WERE MAKING A CHATTER AND CLANK SOUND, THEY TOLD ME THE CALIPERS NEEDED TO BE LUBRICATED, I BROUGHT IT BACK ON FEBRUARY 18 FOR THE LUBRICATION. NEXT I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR A OIL CHANGE ON MARCH 29TH AND ASKED THE TECHNICIAN TO CHECK THE BRAKES AND WAS TOLD THEY WERE FINE. ON JULY 1ST 05 I TOOK THE CAR IN AGAIN BECAUSE OF A BRAKE SQUEAL AND FOUND THE RETAINING BOLT /PIN ON THE LEFT FRONT CALIPER WAS MISSING. IT WAS REPLACED AS WELL AS THE BOLT/PIN ON THE UPPER BOLT/PIN DUE TO THE INTEGRITY OF THE ORIGINAL BOLT/PIN. ON SEPTEMBER 30TH 05 I TOOK THE CAR IN AGAIN FOR BRAKE NOISE, AND WAS TOLD THAT BOTH ROTORS WERE RUSTED, BOTH ROTORS WERE TURNED AND CLEANED AT THAT TIME. ON OCTOBER 12TH 05 WHICH WAS ONLY 8 DAYS LATER I TOOK THE CAR BACK AGAIN BECAUSE THE CAR WAS STILL MAKING A GRINDING NOISE. WHEN INSPECTED THE FRONT ROTORS WERE AGAIN FOUND TO BE RUSTY, PITTED AND WORN, THIS TIME THEY REPLACED BOTH THE ROTORS AND THE BRAKE PADS. I TOOK THE CAR IN ON NOVEMBER 23RD 05 FOR RECOMMENDED 15 MAX SERVICE WHICH INCLUDED A REAR BRAKE ADJUSTMENT, I ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE FRONT BRAKES AGAIN, BECAUSE THEY WERE STILL SQUEAKING AND THEY SAID THEY WERE FINE. MAY 25TH,06 I TOOK THE CAR IN AGAIN FOR BRAKE NOISE, THEY FIRST TOLD ME THE CALIPERS AGAIN NEEDED TO BE LUBRICATED , BUT THEN CAME BACK AND SAID THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NOW IT IS JULY OF 06 AND I AM STILL HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES. ALSO ON JULY 5TH, 06 I HAD TO TAKE THE CAR IN BECAUSE THE A/C AND THE RECIRCULATION MODE STOPPED WORKING, THEY REPLACED A BAD HVAC CONTROL MODULE. *NM

I HAVE A 2003 CHEVY MALIBU. IT WON'T START DUE TO A FLAW IN THE THEFT DETECTION SYSTEM. THIS HAS CAUSED ME MANY PROBLEMS!! AS I UNDERSTAND, THIS IS PRETTY COSTLY TO REPAIR. DUE TO FINANCES, I HAVE NOT HAD THE PROBLEM REPAIRED. A MECHANIC GAVE ME AN ALTERNATIVE WAY TO START THE CAR WHICH INVOLVES GETTING UNDER THE CAR AND BYPASSING THE IGNITION. CHEVY IS FULLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND IT SHOULD BE RECALLED!!!!*JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE FUEL GAUGE READ EMPTY WHEN THE FUEL TANK WAS FULL. ALTHOUGH THE DEALERSHIP WAS ALERTED, NO INSPECTION WAS MADE.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE STARTS INTERMITTENTLY. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, UPON INSPECTION THE IGNITION NEEDED TO REPLACED DUE TO THE ANTI THEFT DEVICE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN ALERTED.

I HAVE A 2003 CHEVY MALIBU. ONE DAY AFTER WORK, I COULD NOT GET MY CAR TO START. IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WANTED TO CRANK, BUT WOULD NOT. MYSELF AND A FEW OF MY COWORKERS CONTINUED TO PLAY WITH IT AND FINALLY, ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER, IT STARTED. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC NEAR MY WORK PLACE. I WAS INFORMED BY THE MECHANIC THAT HE HAD A CHEVY THAT DID THE SAME THING. HE INFORMED ME THAT CHEVY IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT DOES NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSES IT. HE SHOWED ME THAT IF I TURN THE IGNITION ON WITHOUT STARTING THE CAR AND ALL THE DASH LIGHTS APPEAR, IT WILL START. IF I TURN THE IGNITION ON AND ONLY THE THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT APPEARS, IT WILL NOT START AND I WOULD HAVE TO CONTINUE TO PLAY WITH IT UNTIL ALL THE DASH LIGHTS APPEAR. IT DID OKAY FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS BUT STARTING AGAIN AND DOES IT FREQUENTLY NOW. A LITTLE OVER A WEEK AGO, I WAS DRIVING HOME AND WAS APPROACHING A RAILROAD TRACK. AS I NEARED THAT TRACK I HEARD MY DOORS UNLOCK (WHICH DOES NOT HAPPEN UNLESS I MANUALLY UNLOCK THEM OR THE IGNITION IS TURNED OFF). I REALIZED THAT MY CAR HAD CUT OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THANKFULLY, IT HAD ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO CRUISE ACROSS THE RAILROAD TRACK AND I WAS ABLE TO STEER IT OFF THE MAIN ROAD UNTIL I COULD START IT AGAIN. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE DRIVER SIDE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR. SIX MONTHS LATER, THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN, THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. UPDATE 2/24/2006 - THE CONSUMER PREVIOUS VEHICLE, A 2000 CHEVROLET MALIBU, ALSO HAD THE SAME BRAKE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR FAILURE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AT 75 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND AFTER A HALF AN HOUR, IT RESTARTED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THERE ARE NO CODES ON THE COMPUTER.

2003 CHEVY MALIBU HAS HAD RECURRING BRAKE PROBLEMS FOR THE LAST 10,000 MILES IT HAS 33,000 MILES . BRAKES WOULD GRAB AND VIBRATE THE FRONT END. FINALLY WAS TOLD THAT IT NEEDED NEW ROTORS AND PADS, IT IS DRIVEN ON A REGULAR BASIS AND FROM ALL THE OTHER BRAKE COMPLAINTS I READ ABOUT THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. *JB

I HAVE A 2003 CHEVY MAILIBU AND LEARNED THAT MY ANIT-THEFT SYSTEM WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO START MY CAR EVEN WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. FROM WHAT I HAVE LEARN IS THAT I HAVE TO WAIT 10 MINUTES WHEN I AM "LOCKED OUT" FROM DRIVING MY CAR BEFORE THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT GOES OUT THEN I CAN START THE CAR AND DRIVE. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY OWNER OF A CHEVY MAILBU WHO EXPERIENCE THIS ISSUE. I LEARNED THAT OTHER OWNERS HAD TO PAY LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY TO GET THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER REPLACED, BUT THIS DID NOT ALWAYS SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE SAME OWNERS HAD TO GO BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND PAY EVEN MORE MONEY TO GET OTHER PARTS REPLACE. THE REPLACEMENT OF ALL THE PARTS DID NOT ALWAYS FIX THE ISSUE COMPLETELY. ALSO, FOUND OUT THAT GM DOES KNOW ABOUT THE ISSUE BUT WON'T RECALL THE CARS BECAUSE IT IS NOT CONSIDER A SAFETY ISSUE. BUT I WILL LIKE TO DISAGREE WITH THAT, BECAUSE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE TO ME. I MAY HAVE AN EMERGENCY AND BE IN A NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL BUT MY CAR MAY NOT START AND I WOULD HAVE TO CALL 911 FOR HELP ALL THE TIME. SOME PEOPLE CAN'T NOT ALWAYS AFFORD THE AMBULANCE RIDE TO THE HOSPITAL. ALSO, I MAY BE TRAVELING THROUGH SOME UNFAMILIAR PLACES AND I DON'T THINK THAT I CAN SIT IN MY CAR FOR 10 MINUTES WHILE SOMEONE MAY WANT TO DO HARM TO ME. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE TO ME. I ALSO FEAR THAT ONE DAY MY CAR MAY CUT OFF ON ME WHILE I AM DRIVING DUE TO MY ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM AND I MAY GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. FROM RESEARCHING THE ISSUE, I READ ABOUT SOME OWNERS WHO ARE PARENTS AND THEY FEAR THAT THE CAR WILL ONE DAY NOT WORK DUE TO THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM AND THEY MAY NEED TO GET MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR THEIR CHILD, BUT ARE UNABLE TO DO SO DUE TO THEIR CAR NOT WORKING. I KNOW THAT OTHER CAR OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINT ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT GM SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THIS ISSUE SINCE IT IS A "KNOWN" ISSUE. AND ARE THE NEW 2006 CHEVY MAILBU " CURED" OF THIS ISSUE? *JB

06/17/05 CAR STOPPED WITH NO WARNING ON A HOT DAY WITH 4 KIDS NOT GOOD! CYLINDER 2.188/ BCM 2.560 08/01/05 CAR STOPPED WITH NO WARNING HOT DAY 3 KIDS HEADING OUT OF TOWN! MODULE3.107/FUEL FILTER 3.890 JUST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE 01/28/05. *NM