Faults:

Water pump went out under warranty at 29,000 miles.

Alternator and battery went at 35,000 miles.

Went through 2 blower motor resister cards in the 5 years I've owned it.

Been through 3 sets of rotors and four sets of pads in 60,000 miles.

Radiator and drivers side tie rod went out at 49000 miles.

Intake manifold gasket went at 86,000 miles.

General Comments:

It's hard to be objective reviewing a car like this when you just flat out don't trust it at all. The brakes and front end components don't seem to stay together longer than 15,000 to 20,000 miles at a time making driving the car at higher freeway speeds a near religious experience at times.

I've owned beater cars that are far more reliable than this and far less expensive for repairs. The last issue mentioned (intake manifold gasket) cost me just under $1000 to get fixed. The radiator and tie rod cost over $1500. Add in all the brake parts along with labor and I've already put $3000+ into a car with less than 100,000 miles and 90% has not been for maintenance items.

Overall I'm very disappointed with this car and wouldn't wish such a poor vehicle on anyone.

Faults:

So far I have had to replace the fuel filter and fuel pump.

I have recently started to notice the engine surging that everyone was mentioning in their reviews. Still haven't been able to figure out exactly what causes it.

There is also a strange sound on front right side when going over bumps or dips. Sounds like it is the suspension. It has done this the whole time I have owned it as well as when my grandfather owned the car. I have had it checked and been told there is nothing wrong.

General Comments:

Spacious and comfortable interior with more than enough trunk space.

Speaker system pretty good for stock.

Gas mileage is pretty good as well for highway driving, but not too good in the city.

Very good acceleration and handling, but loses a lot of power when you need to accelerate quickly and the a/c is on.

Faults:

Intake manifold gasket went out at 70000 miles due to dex-cool problems, must flush the system same as green coolant about every 2 to 3 years.

Brake pulsation, OE pads and rotors at 30000 miles, solution.. do not go cheap on a brake job, spend the extra money for Wagner thermo-quiet pads, and premium Wagner rotors, 30000 to 80000 miles, not another problem with brakes.

Transmission pulsation at 25000 miles until present, car will be going into shop soon. I too believe the problem lies in the transmission, as O2 sensors have been replaced, along with tune ups, fuel injector cleanings and the like. Next will probably be throttle position sensor.

General Comments:

As cars go, the Malibu is simply put, basic transportation. My wife and I have enjoyed driving this car, even with some of the problems listed above. I would recommend this car's new design to anybody, 2004 and up, Chevrolet has made significant changes only to make this model better...

Faults:

A/C compressor went the same month I purchased the car. -Fixed FREE under GM Warranty.

Intake Gasket about to go at 74,000 miles. -Fixed FREE under GM Warranty. GM also gave me a rental car while mine was being fixed.

Right Hub Assembly at 77,000 miles. -$150 US.

General Comments:

I love my car. It looks awesome, drives great, and is cheap to fix. Nothing that bad has gone wrong with it and I got a great deal. GM has one of the best warranty's out there. They cover almost anything when you buy the 'Major Guard' one. Mine was for 5 years or 75,000 miles and it saved me probably more than $3000 US.

I feel bad for all of the people having so many problems with their cars. Maybe a little more scheduled maintenance would help out. I mean you have to take care of your car and it will be good to you.