2001 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr sedan review from North America
"Poor quality for the money"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Air conditioning failed on the first attempted use -- vehicle was purchased in Feb. of 2001. The front seal on the compressor had failed.
The car was in the shop 2 days later for air conditioning repair for a replacement of the evaporator coil inside the car.
At 4000 miles, the engine had developed a miss when driving 70mph at 2000 rpm's. After 5 visits to the dealer, I'm told that it is because of the transmission design relating to the converter lockup. The problem is worse when it rains.
The front brake rotors were warped after only 11,000 miles.
At 39,000 mile and only 17 months of use the door stand-off (holds the door open) failed and makes a loud cracking noise when the door is opened or closed.
At 41000 miles and 19 months of use the ignition switch anti-theft failed and caused a No-Start condition making the car in-operable.
This repair cost $390.00. I was informed by several mechanics that this is a constant problem with this vehicle.
General comments?
The car has adequate room and power, but lacks quality for the money. I wish I had purchased the Toyota Camry V6 for about $1700- $2000 more.
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| Great car if you have a mechanic riding shotgun |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 2001 |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.1 V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 3 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 36 miles |
| Most recent distance | 41000 miles |
| Previous car | Chevrolet Beretta |
| Date of Entry | 7th October, 2002 |