2nd Oct 2007, 20:03
Posting is great and anyone with a problem should...there are loop holes I think evryone I mean EVERYONE who has had a problem with the same thing take GM TO SMALL CLAIMS COURT print out all of the posts.. there will be a judge who pulls strings I don't know what judge maybe one who ones a chevy and get something done... JUST DO IT!!!
18th Dec 2007, 12:56
Today my mechanic told me that lower intake manifold gasket on my Malibu 2001 (56000 mls) went bad; $950 TOTAL. I HAVE NO WORDS TO EXPRESS MY FRUSTRATION.
21st Jan 2008, 20:27
I own a 2000 Malibu I have put over 322,000 km (200,000 miles)on it, mostly city driving. I had almost everything go wrong that the other comments mention. Besides the gasket/coolant issue, everything else is relatively minor and easy to fix. The brakes: use ceramic aftermarket pads. The A/C problem is solved by a $40.00 circuit board under the dash next to the fan, (replaced by myself in less than 3 minutes). The leaky water pump, solved by some radiator stop leak. The engine light comes on mostly in cool and damp weather, it resets itself after a bit, I basically ignore it now. Oh, I replaced the fuel pump because I forgot to replace the fuel filter, must be done once a year, replaced all the struts, cost $400, did them myself, any car with that mileage needs them. It gets the same fuel economy as always, burns no oil, I have had no problems with it for over two years. Simply the best car I have ever owned.
19th Jun 2010, 09:18
I have had a 2000 Chevy Malibu (160,000 miles) for about 3 years now, and have seen most of the problems listed in this forum. I was able to correct some and live with the others. Below is the list of big problems I have run into.
The brakes: Buy ceramic pads. I found that out the hard way after going through two sets of rotors and pads in less than a year. It's all about the heat from the rotors/brake pads.
A/C and/or heater fan: You can replace the part for about $30 or $40, and mine is the resister block that has failed. I still have speed 5 on mine and have not replaced it yet. Plus it's in a hard place to replace.
Intake manifold gasket, lower and upper: I have been leaking from both gaskets at some point or another for about 3 years. I have not replaced them yet, but I think this is the year. I have been using stop leak in the cooling system each year, but now that has stopped working. I have stated to leak oil now too.
Check engine light: It has been on solid now for about two years and has black tape over it. It is on due to a vacuum leak in the gas tank, which is not worth replacing right now. But it makes starting the car tricky after putting gas in. It will stall if you do not start it and hold your foot on the gas lightly until the tank builds up pressure (takes less than 2 minutes). Normally I just start it and start driving.
Overall my 2000 Malibu (Mally as I call her) has never let me down. I am not going to say that it does not have a fair amount of problems, but it is a good used paid off car, and I am going to keep for as long as I can.
20th Jun 2010, 13:28
"Check engine light: It has been on solid now for about two years and has black tape over it."
GOOD FOR YOU!! I get tired of reading about people who get hysterical over a silly "check engine" light. If you drive the car two weeks with the light on and nothing happens, it isn't worth messing with. As a mechanic I fully endorse taping over these silly lights if they are constantly coming on.
My wife has nearly 90,000 miles on her GM SUV and I seldom drive it. The other day she asked if I could make her "check engine" light and "change oil" light go off. I asked how long they had been on. "Oh, I think about 6 months" she replied. I'm changing her oil tomorrow, but since she uses full synthetic it can easily go 25,000 miles between changes with no harm. If I can't get the "check engine" light off, I'll get out the black tape!!
29th May 2007, 17:56
When you buy a car that is a few years old, you don't expect major things to go wrong. GM has been cutting corners for decades, and it is really is coming back to haunt them. Changing the oil is one thing, replacing major drive train components is another entirely, I don't think anybody in their right mind considers it normal maintenance.
GM apologetics need to own one, then own an older Toyota. Despite being older, you'll probably put less money into it, and have a better car ownership experience. Now, of course, the American corporate mentality has done the same thing to Toyota in terms of cutting corners and making shoddy vehicles, but that really doesn't excuse GM from making crappy vehicles as well.