2003 Chevrolet Malibu LS review from North America

Shortly after purchase, I was driving down the highway and lost all power. The car just shut off. I took it to the dealer and they were unable to duplicate the problem. It has happened numerous times over the last 2 years.

I have had to replace the EGR valve twice, once at 23K and again at 41K.

Around 27,000 miles, the transmission started to jerk real badly when cold. Within weeks it became a constant issue. I had to replace the transmission at 35K and still does not shift normal.

My sunroof was stuck open twice, requiring dealer repair. I don't even bother opening it anymore, plus it leaks when it rains.

The windshield wipers were stuck in the upright position numerous times.

Tons of electrical failures. Stereo, gages, power features (windows, locks, mirrors) have all failed and have resulted in numerous trips to the dealers. There are times when all the gages Gas/Speed/Tach will all just stop working. Then, like it never happened, they will all start up again.

51,000 - engine starts making VERY loud knocking noise and has no power. I had it towed to the dealer and was told that the heads started to leak water into the engine, and that I needed a new engine costing about $3000.

This was my first GM car and it will be my last.

I purchased this car for my growing family, as my Dodge Neon was no longer big enough. From Day 1 this car has been nothing but a nightmare. My Neon, at 175000 miles required little other than routine maintenance, while this car was well cared for and barely made it to 51000.

I am very disappointed in this vehicle. The only good things that I can say about it is that the seats are very comfortable and it would make a decent family hauler if it ran better. Also, when running right, it would return very good gas mileage, about 30mpg on the highway.

For the price, it would be a good car for the money, but unfortunately, it's not. When looking at this site, I found that there are many people experiencing issues with the 3.1 motor. The engine supplies enough power for this car, but otherwise seems disposable. GM clearly does not care about their customers and the dealers are horrible. When I had the car there this morning, I asked if there was anything they were doing to prevent this from happening to future customers. The mechanic just looked at me and said "Most people are smart enough to buy the Extended Warranty." What a joke. I walked right across the street to the Chrysler dealer and purchased a new 2008 Sebring. They Chrysler guys were even nice enough to give me what I still owe on the in-operable Malibu towards my new vehicle. Plus I got a lifetime warranty. I could not afford to put the safety of my family at risk in the Malibu.

With a poorly made car plus an unwilling dealer/manufacturer, it can only lead to a headache. Please, do yourself a favor and stay away from this car.