Faults:

My serpentine belt + pulley snapped @ 90,000 miles.

General Comments:

My Chevy Malibu is a decent car at a reasonable price.

This car is very reliable, as I've put 40,000 miles on it in 1 1/2 years.

The car gets decent gas mileage for a V6; I get an average of 24-26 mpg.

The car does great in the snow with good snow tires.

Gets me back and forth from school and work comfortably and reliably.

Would be a nice car for a family.

Faults:

Manifold gasket went out at about 90,000 miles.

Have had to replace brake pads once.

Mainly generalized problems that can occur with any car with high mileage.

Also had to have the alternator replaced at about 95,000.

Now having trouble with A/C fan not working on level 1-2.

General Comments:

Car handles well, rides smooth, and has been great car overall. I really enjoy this car.

The car also has had an excellent original paint job on it. The paint is very hard to chip.

Ihave been really satisfied.

Faults:

The problems started the minute I got the car. The first set of problems were with the brakes. I had to have the calipers replaced and have twice replaced the rotors, plus the normal disc maintenance.

In the first year, I was also plagued with electrical problems galore. I've had electrical panels fully replaced, my back headlights kept burning themselves out, and I'm currently driving without lights on my inner dashboard.

The rear defrost has never fully worked, although I've had it replaced, and the fan has broken twice, so it only runs on the top two fan speeds.

I've had my rack and pinion replaced (they were too tight and couldn't handle spinning off the road).

I've also had my radiator intake valve replaced. Apparently that's a common problem. I just replaced my water pump as well, and I've been told that I'm in line for needing a new a/c clutch.

The speakers have gone bad several times. They're scratchy, the wires get loose, and it's impossible to use the bass in the car.

The ABS sensor is dirty, so the light comes on frequently.

I had to have the motor of my driver's side window replaced, and it's still not functioning properly. When I got the car, the passenger lock also wasn't working correctly. The dealer installed another one - backwards.

A few months ago, the tensioner pulley also broke, which was fortunately a relatively easy fix.

Last weekend, I was driving the car, and it sounded like my windshield was coming off. The moulding around the windshield had come loose and was making quite a racket.

Now it looks like my transmission's going bad, even though I've replaced the fluid frequently after hearing that this is a common problem in the Malibu.

General Comments:

This car is disappointing in every possible way. I loved how it looked and handled, but I've never been able to trust it. I bought it used, and the first year I owned it, it was in the shop more often than it was not. Never has an extended warranty been more appreciated than it was with this car.

Faults:

Intake gaskets at 40,000.

Complete front struts at 50,000.

Brakes every 30,000 miles.

Alternator at 55,000.

Tie rods at 65,000.

CV axles at 65,000.

Lots of electrical problems.

Serpentine belt every 30,000.

General Comments:

I've been through all the usual nonsense with this pile. I've owned 30 cars over the years, many of them real beaters, but I've never had such trouble with a car. The CV axles were bad at 65,000, I started to work on them when I noticed a loose tie rod end. A slight twist and it came apart. What if this had happened to my wife at 65 MPH?

The car is very uncomfortable for anyone over about 5'10", even with power seats. The back seat is almost useless, any adults will find their heads jammed against the roof and rear window.

My mother gave me this car with only 33,000 miles on it at 4 years old. The dealer she bought it from, and wanted to trade in into, basically wouldn't take it. They offered 1750 for a car she paid over 18,000 for new. Even for free, I overpaid.