2002 Chevrolet Malibu

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE. HE ALSO STATED THAT EVEN WHEN THE SYSTEM IS REPAIRED, THE UNIT WILL FAIL AGAIN AT SOME POINT. THE MANUFACTURER MADE THE CONTACT AN OFFER TO PARTICIPATE IN A STUDY AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR HER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS REMAINED AT THE SHOP SINCE THE DATE OF THE FAILURE. THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 74,000.

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU WITH JUST OVER 50,000 MILES USE. OVER THE PAST 6 MONTHS THE CAR HAS EXHIBITED A FAILURE TO START. A LITTLE RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS IS THE RESULT OF A COMMON FAILURE OF THE GM PASSLOCK SYSTEM. THE TEMPORARY FIX IS TO RESET THE SYSTEM BY TURNING THE IGNITION KEY TO THE ON POSITION AND WAITING 10-15 MINUTES. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS IS VERY ANNOYING AND INCONVENIENT. AT THIS POINT IT DOESN'T REPRESENT AN IMMEDIATE SAFETY ISSUE, IN THAT THE IGNITION SYSTEM ISN'T SHUTTING DOWN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. HOWEVER, I AM CONCERNED THAT THE INABILITY TO MOVE THE VEHICLE DOES REPRESENT A SAFETY ISSUE. MY STEPSON USES THIS CAR TO TRAVEL TO WORK AND TO COLLEGE. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT HIS SAFETY IF HE CAN'T START THE CAR IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, E.G., TO AVOID CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. IF THIS WERE A SMALL THING TO HAVE REPAIRED, I WOULDN'T COMPLAIN SO MUCH, BUT MY MECHANIC TELLS ME IT WILL COST NEARLY $500. AS I SAID ABOVE, THIS PROBLEM IS QUITE COMMON--OR SO MY INTERNET RESEARCH TELLS ME. GM SHOULD RECALL THIS POORLY DESIGNED MECHANISM. THANK YOU. --TED KRINER *TR

MY WIFE WAS OUT DOING DAILY ERRANDS AND WHEN SHE WENT TO START THE CAR IT WOULD TURN OVER BUT NOT START. THEN, AFTER TRYING SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS IT STILL WOULDN'T START. CAR WAS THEN TOWED TO A AUTOMOBILE MECHANIC, AND THE NEXT DAY BEFORE ANY WORK WAS DONE THE CAR STARTED, AND THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THEN, A FEW WEEKS LATER MY WIFE AND SON WERE OUT DOING ERRANDS AGAIN AND SAME THING HAPPENED, BUT LUCKILY AFTER A HALF HOUR OF TRYING TO START THE CAR IT DID START. THE BATTERY WAS JUST OVER A YEAR OLD ,AND NO OTHER NOTICEABLE PROBLEMS. I WAS AFRAID THAT MY WIFE AND 1 YEAR OLD CHILD WERE GOING TO END UP STRANDED. THE ONLY THING I WAS TOLD BWAS THAT IT COULD BE LINKED TO THE FACTORY SECURITY CODE USED IN THE CAR, BUT NO ONE STATED THAT THEY COULD TEST FOR THAT, THEY JUST ASSUMED THATS WHAT HAPPENED. HAS ANY ONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM. *AK

I HAVE OWN MY 2002 MALIBU SINCE DECEMBER 2001 HAVE CHANGED THE A/C CONTROL SWITCH 3 TIMES. IT IS AT THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN TODAY FOR THE SAME REASON. AFTER ONLY TWO MONTHS SINCE THE LAST NEW SWITCH WAS INSTALLED, THE A/C WILL CHANGE FROM BLOWING OUT AIR CONDITIONING TO JUST BLOWING AIR. MY HUSBAND TELLS ME THAT THIS LAST TIME THE AIR CIRCULATION CHANGED FROM INSIDE AIR TO OUTSIDE AIR. THIS WAS A GREAT VEHICLE, BUT AN EXTREMELY ANNOYING PROBLEM. IS THERE SOME KIND OF DEFECT THAT WE ARE NOT AWARE OFF? *AK

FOUND CORROSION ON THE BRAKE LINES AND MASTER CYLINDER, AND OTHER LINES THAT ARE LOCATED UNDER THE BATTERY CORROSION PLATE. THE BATTERY CORROSION PLATE WAS A GOOD IDEA. HOWEVER, PUTTING BRAKE LINES & OTHER COMPONENTS UNDER WERE ARE NOT A GOOD DESIGN. IT'S FLAWED, FOR IF THE BATTERY PLATE BECOMES CORRODED, THEN IT LEAKS ONTO THE LINES BELOW AND CAUSES DAMAGE AS IN MY VEHICLE. *AK