2001 Chevrolet Malibu LS from North America - Comments

I have a 2001 Chevy Malibu LS and unlike all of the other comments here, I have to beg to differ.. This is the second Malibu LS I have owned, the first being a 2000 Malibu LS and I was rear ended in it at a 60mph impact and walked away out of the accident.. It also had 79,000 trouble free miles.. After the accident, I bought a 2001 Chevy Malibu LS and it now has 90,000 miles on it and hasn't had to go to the dealer one time for anything. (besides regular maintenence) I think a lot of the problems here are with the drivers and not the car. My father is a Chevrolet technician and he agrees with me 100%. So I strongly reccommend the Malibu if you are looking for an attractive, realiable, fast paced family sedan. That's my 2 cents..

John.

I would just like to say that you were lucky to get a Malibu with no problems. I have had mine for a little over a year now, just had it in for maintenance, and now I am starting to notice there are several other problems such as: noises coming from the front end, gas gage not registering the gas in the car (especially after I just filled it up), engine running hotter than usual and of course, the front rotors.What's next? The paint falling off or the doors falling off. What a mistake to think this would be a good car for the family. (it has left us stranded on more than one occasion) Take my advice and buy an import such as a Camry or an Altima.

Congratulations,

You must have the only Malibu without brake problems. I have a 2000 LS and I can assure you THIS OWNER is not the problem! The problem lies with the brakes I've had worked on 3 times, not to mention a few other minor problems, i.e. power window motor had to be replaced, AC Sensor burned out (twice!), electrical short - replacement of hazard switch, etc. and most of all, every 10,000 miles or so it's the rotors, calipers or something major pertaining to the brakes that I've had to shell out for as most certainly this is not covered under warranty -- "normal wear & tear" they say (yeah, right!)

Maybe if you had the frustration of multiple brake problems with no end in sight, as I am about to deal with the brakes for the 4th time, you wouldn't think it's the owners, but General Motors who indeed are the problem and won't fess up to their shabby brakes on every Chevy Malibu, but yours.

Jennifer.

I have a 1998 Chevy Malibu, and other that the A/C sensor burning out, I have no complaints. It has been a very reliable and dependable vehicle for my family. We are planning on buying another one, and have recommended them to friends without any reserve. Two co-workers of mine have also purchased newer models and have had no complaints either.

I am the angry owner of a 2001 Malibu. I had to machine rotors and replace pads at 53000 km. The dealer tells me that I did really well to get that far. 15000 km later and I'm back in the shop with an $800 bill to replace the ABS sensor in the hub. Apparently, this is normal wear and tear for GM products. The service manager assured me that this was quite normal. The car has been on the road for less than 2 years.

We bought a used 2001 Malibu last September, and aside from the front rotors, I disagree with everyone about its problems. We have had absolutely NO problems except brakes. The pads have been changed twice since we purchased the car (I had to change the second set because I mounted the pads the wrong way - the is a distinct inner and outer pad for each side). I'm definitely planning to get some Power Slot or Brembo rotors for it, since the factory or cheap aftermarket units warp when wet while hot or after heavy usage. I also discovered that the way the wheel nuts are torqued is very critical for this car (the is a TSB from GM for this). We got it with about 41000 miles and have since put 30000 miles on it. Additionally, it is a former rental unit from Enterprise. Based on my experience with a 300K mile '94 Lumina and 4 other GM cars, I suspect that I should only have to deal with what I consider to typical GM fare (such as alternators every 75-100K miles) if I get a good set of pads & rotors on this car. Regards...

My 2000 Malibu has almost 80000 miles on. The only repair was to replace a blown power steering hose last summer. I replaced the original water pump myself yesterday because it was noisy and starting to leak. The original brakes went 77k before I replaced the pads myself with premium ceramics, which are much quieter. I certainly consider this normal wear and tear. The only current problem is a faulty hazard switch. The car has been perfect as to starting and running. It has never failed to start or to get me where I'm going.

Russ

EVERY automaker can produce a lemon. Just wait until American workers bring the reputations of the Japanese monikers down a notch. :-) The Malibu is a very affordable alternative to the competitors models. Personally, I think the handling is subpar, but it's nothing urethane swaybar endlinks can't correct (if that's not enough, a bigger bar). As for American cars always being described as having cheap plastic interiors, what do imports use? If you want wood get off our a**, buy a Rolls.

I bought a 2001Chevrolet Malibu in May 2001, it went in the body shop with 700 miles on it to be repainted for "factory defects" in the paint, it all went downhill from there. It has been in the shop 15 times for the theft system being activated, I think they have finally figured out what has been causing that problem, after everything from replacing the computer to finally putting a simple little wire harness (which fixed it for now) I hope! I am now having trouble with overheating and with the hazard switch which I am told they are having a recall on, however, my car's serial number is not in the recall, it just really seems funny that they are having a recall for something that is going wrong with almost every Malibu yet they are only recalling a certain series of serial numbers? My low coolant light comes on all the time and I have to add Dex-Cool about every other day. The power steering went out at 40,000 miles. The ignition switch has went out 3 times. It seems that a lot of similar things are happening to everyone and GM needs to take a look at this overheating problem as well as several other problems, I think they have some serious issues on their hands!

I own a 2001 Chevy Malibu. I bought it used 2 years ago and have had no serious problems with it. I had to replace the Radiator overflow tank at about 97,000 miles. Now at 93,000 miles my brake light has come on. The acceleration and handling is good, got better when I replace the tires with premium Goodyears. I easily out accelerate some of those Hondas & Toyotas. Going up steep hill... move outta my way-her I come!No complaints with the car so far.

I'm glad to see others enjoying this car. When I first saw this website and read all the negative reviews on this make, I quickly became afraid of my car. I guess you should never judge a book by it's cover, or what other people say. This car has been very reliable and yes I'd reccommend it. Each car has it's quirks and mine isn't excluded. My temperature gauge is having to be corrected for the first time in about 7 months so this is irking me a little. Secondly my dashboard (which I find extremely ugly, but you get used to it), will flicker ever so slightly when adjusting the brightness of the board. Other than that car has been a real pleasure of having. City driving mpg could be better, but highway mileage will put a smile on your face. The engine is sound. Acceleration is "peppy" in the city though lacks on the highway, and when floored it will rise to the occassion even though the 3.1 V6 is very gutless and throaty.

I have a 2001 Malibu and have had it for 4 years in those four years I have had to put around 2000 dollars worth of work into it I have had nothing, but problems I take good care of the car and am very disappointed in it I have had problems with the shift solenoid the wiring the brakes the intake manifold the fuel pump the locks the power mirrors just to name a few I come from a gm family three generation work for gm I have no problem with gm just the Malibu.

I purchased a 2001 Malibu in 2004 with 33k miles. Now at 2008 I only have 65K miles.

The theft system has failed 3 times, resulting in replacing the lock cylinder 2 times.

The intake manifold had to be replaced and transmission rebuilt.

The BC, BM body control module went out 2 times leaving me stranded.

The ac pulley started to make noise so they had to replace the whole compressor.

Just yesterday the belt tensioner had to be replaced along with harmonic balancer $659 since my extended warranty now has expired.

Not to mention the roof leaks in heavy rain.

When I found this car on Edmund's, it had a good rating and I have always purchased American. At 50 years old, I am about to buy my first Japanese car.

I have a 2002. HUGE list of problems.

After one month (at 30,000 miles), I replaced an alternator, next was the ignition switch 2 months later, then the blinkers quit working all together. (I got a notice from GM this was a recall) then an ignition switch again, then a whole new brake system. Last month a new motor. (the old one was at 90,000 miles), and now I am having ignition switch problems again.

I have paid twice as much on the car than I paid for it. I always do regular maintenance, so that isn't the problem.

Chevy Malibu = Piece of crap.

I purchased a 2001 Chevy Malibu. The first four years were pretty good, However one day it just would not start. I took it to the mechanic and he told me that I needed a tuneup. Once I got the tune up it purred like a kitten.

Then the it started skipping and now it won't start again. My car has a mind of its own. It is not key-less and there is no remote. However when I turn the ignition off and get out of the car, it beeps the lights blink and the doors lock. Crazy huh.

I spoke with my mechanic today, and he told me that I may need to reset the Anti-lock system. I went on line at allexperts.com and they talked about the ignition does not recognize the chip in my car anymore. I am going to try that, but what about the skipping in the transmission?

My car only has 41,000 miles on it, and these problems should not be happening. This is my last GM car. I don't understand why they would put in a system that will cause such an inconvenience.

It is a death trap on wheels, the Chevy Malibu.