2002 Chevrolet Malibu

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU WITH A CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE OF 142,000. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT 60 MPH ON A DRY NIGHT WHEN THE INTERIOR LIGHTS TURNED OFF COMPLETELY. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND CHECKED EXTERIOR LIGHTS. THE ONLY LIGHTS THAT WOULD WORK WERE THE TURN SIGNAL AND HEADLIGHTS. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE FUSE, BUT THE FUSE BLEW INSTANTLY. THE CONTACT WILL TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. *AK

I OWN A CAR RENTAL COMPANY AND THE PRIMARY VEHICLE IN MY FLEET IS THE 01-03 CHEVY MALIBU. OVER THE PAST 14 MONTHS THE IGNITION ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM HAS LEFT MY CUSTOMERS STRANDED AND FRUSTRATED. ONE CUSTOMER WAS STRANDED AT NIGHT IN A WAL-MART PARKING LOT WITH HER SMALL KID WHILE SITTING THROUGH A HEAVY RAIN STORM. ALL OF OUR KEYS/SPARES ARE ORIGINAL AND PURCHASED FROM GM DEALERS BUT THE PROBLEMS REMAINS. *JB

DRIVING CAR AND IT WOULD DIE. FIRST OCCURANCE WAS UNDER WARRANTY. CAR TAKEN TO DEALER. DEALER SAID FUEL PUMP WAS BAD AND REPLACED PUMP. SAME PROBLEM OCURRED OUT OF WARRANTY. NOTICED THAT SOME OF THE GAGES AND LIGHTS ON DASH ALSO QUIT WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I COULD HIT THE KEY AND THEY WOULD COME BACK ON, AND THE CAR WOULD RESTART. DEALT WITH THIS FOR ABOUT 2 YRS BECAUSE THE COST OF A NEW SWITCH WAS MORE THAN I COULD AFFORD AT THE TIME.FINNALLY DISSASSEMBLED THE IGNITION SWITCH WHEN PROBLEM GOT TOO BAD. DISCOVERED THAT GM HAD NOT USED THE NORMAL HEAVY WIPER STYLE CONTACTS THAT MOST IGNITION SWITCHES HAVE. THEY USED A PLASTIC CAM THAT PUSHES PINS THAT OPERATE VERY LIGHT SPRING STYLE CONTACTS. I FOUND THAT THE CONTACTS HAD ARCED AND WERE NOT MAKING GOOD CONTACT. USED VERY FINE EMERY CLOTH TO CLEAN CONTACTS, REASSEMBLED SWITCH, AND PROBLEM WAS SOLVED.CAR STARTS AND RUNS FINE FOR NOW, BUT AS SOON AS CONTACTS ARC ENOUGH, PROBLEM WILL RETURN. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THERE ARE MANY MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND THE DEALERSHIP IS TELLING THEM THAT THE PROBLEM IS IN THE SECURITY SYSTEM. WELL ITS NOT. ANYONE WHO HAS A MINOR AMOUNT OF MECHANICAL ABILITY CAN FIX THE PROBLEM IN ABOUT AN HOUR. BE SURE AND CONSULT A REPAIR MANUAL ON THE PROPER REMOVAL OF THE IGNITION SWITCH FROM THE DASH. ITS NOT HARD, BUT THERE IS A TRCK TO IT.*AK

ANTI THEFT SYSTEM IS DEFECTIVE. BOUGHT THE CAR 1 YEAR AGO. FIRST HAPPENED IN AUGUST 06. HAPPENED AGAIN IN JANUARY. NOW IN FEBRUARY IT HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES IN THE PAST WEEK. CAR WILL NOT START, HAVE TO RESET THE KEY AND I HAVE FOUND NO ONE WHO HAS TAKEN THIS PROBLEM TO THE DEALER HAVE IT COMPLETELY FIXED. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ON MALIBU'S STARTING WITH 99-04 MODELS. NOW LIGHT WILL COME ON WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. HAVE READ SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE CAR SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING. AFRAID FOR MY SAFETY, MY CHILDREN'S SAFETY, AND THE SAFETY OF OTHERS. GM WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM EVEN EXISTS, BUT THOUSANDS OF OTHER MALIBU OWNERS HAVE. "QUICK FIX" SOLUTIONS ARE NOW GOING AROUND THE INTERNET TELLING PEOPLE TO CUT WIRES IN THEIR DASH TO "FIX" THE PROBLEM. GM NEEDS TO FIX THIS BEFORE SOMEONE CUTS THE WRONG WIRE AND KILLS SOMEONE IN RESULT TO FIXING GM SCREW UP. *JB

FIRST INCIDENT OF LEAKING HAPPENED AFTER DEALERSHIP WORKED ON CAR. ARRIVED HOME COOLANT POURED OUT ON GROUND TOWED BACK. DEALERSHIP SAID RESERVOIR CAP SEAL. 10/2006 OR 11/2006, PICKING UP AT SCHOOL AND SMELLED NOT ENGINE. PARKED SAW COOLANT ON GROUND. NO ENGINE LIGHT ON BUT NEEDLE WAS PAST MIDDLE. FAMILY BROUGHT COOLANT FILLED IT UP AND WENT 5 BLOCKS TO DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. YESTERDAY, 1/9/2007 CAR OVERHEATED IN THE SCHOOL LINE. ADDED COOLANT. I BROUGHT IT TO A NON DEALERSHIP RADIATOR SHOP OWNER THINKS INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKING. CAR AT DEALERSHIP. I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE REAL PROBLEM IS BUT BECAUSE MY WARRANTY EXPIRED FEEL DEALERSHIP WILL TELL ME IT IS A NEW PROBLEM FROM THE FIRST EVENT SO I WILL BE RESPONSIBLE. AT LEAST TWO ROTORS REPLACED ON THE FRONT DRIVER'S WHEEL & 5 SETS OF PADS. REPORTED TO GM THEY CLAIM IT IS THE WAY I DRIVE! A NON DEALERSHIP TIRE COMPANY HAD THE PADS REPLACED WITH A GOOD BRAND. 1 1/2 YEARS SINCE I HAD TO HAVE PADS. PROBLEM WITH THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER DOOR LOCKS. CAR IS RUNNING AND THE DRIVER GETS OUT LEAVING CAR ON AND THEN THE PASSENGER TURNS OFF THE CAR AND GETS OUT, LOCKS CAR, THE RADIO STAYS ON. I WENT INSIDE THE STORE AND CAME OUT AND THE RADIO WAS STILL PLAYING. WHEN YOU UNLOCK THE CAR BUT ENTER ONLY THE PASSENGER FRONT DOOR AND THEN CLOSE IT AND WALK AWAY, THE CAR LOCKS ITSELF. HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. I HAD NOT PLACED THE KEYS ON THE SEAT OF THE CAR AND SHUT THE DOOR OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN LOCKED OUT. I REPORTED THIS BUT NO ONE SEEMED TO CARE. RADIO WAS REPLACED FOR LEFT BUTTON PAINT (NOT SURE IF IT IS PAINT OR COVER ON BUTTON) RUBS OFF. IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED. FUEL PUMP REPLACED.. I TRANSPORT GRANDCHILDREN AND I NEED A SAFE CAR. *JB

THE ANTI-THEFT DEVICE WAS TRIGGERED FOR NO APPARENT REASON, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO TURN OVER BUT NOT START. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS. LAST TIME I WAS CHARGED ABOUT $65 TO RE-SET THE IMMOBILIZER. THIS TIME (A DIFFERENT MECHANIC) I WAS CHARGED $570 TO REPLACE THE KEY AND IGNITION CYLINDER, AFTER HE WAS UNABLE TO RE-SET THE IMMOBILIZER. I SEE THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE. WHEN WILL A RECALL BE IMPOSED? THE CAR HAS ONLY ABOUT 55,000 MILES ON IT. *NM

MY CAR IS A 2002 CHEVY MALIBU. I AM EXPERIENCING TURN SIGNAL FAILURE AND HAZARDOUS EMERGENCY LIGHT FAILURE THE TURN SIGNAL WORKS ON OCCASION ONLY. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IT DOES NOT WORK AT ALL ( MANY OCCASIONS ). AN AVERAGE % OF HOW OFTEN IT WORKS IS ABOUT 5 %, THE OTHER 95 % OF THE TIME IT DOESN'T WORK AT ALL. MY EMERGENCY LIGHTS WON'T COME ON SOMETIMES. THERE IS A CLICKING NOISE BEING HEARD WITHIN THE CAR ALMOST ALL OF THE TIME. THE SOUND APPEARS TO BE COMING FROM THE HAZARD EMERGENCY LIGHT SWITCH. ALSO, MY REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY IS NOT WORKING. IT WON'T UNLOCK THE CAR DOORS OR THE TRUNK. I HAVE TO PRESS IT AT CLOSE RANGE AT LEAST ABOUT 10 TIMES MAYBE MORE BEFORE IT WILL UNLOCK THE CAR DOORS OR OPEN THE TRUNK. *NM