2003 Chevrolet Malibu

I OWN A 2003 CHEVY MAILBU. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE ANITFREEZE DRAINING OUT. I HAVE HAD IT IN THE SHOP A COUPLE TIMES AND HAVE HAD THE MANIFOLD INTAKE GASKET REPLACED. THIS WAS VERY EXPENSIVE FOR A SINGLE MOM ON A BUDGET. THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. I HAVE ALSO STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT COMING ON AND PREVENTING THE CAR FROM STARTING. I CAN TURN IT TO "ON" AND GET IT STARTED AFTER 10 MINUTES, BUT THIS IS BOTHERSOME WHEN I AM IN A HURRY. I THINK THAT GM SHOULD HAVE THESE PROBLEMS UNDER RECALL AND PAY TO HAVE THEM FIXED. *TR

2003 MAILBU 6 CY. I JUST HAD $1,300.00 CAR REPAIR THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF GMC WOULD HAVE RECALLED ALL CARS THAT HAVE THE ANTIFREEZE WITH ACID IN IT. THIS IS A REPAIR THAT THEY ARE FIGHTING IN A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT BLAMING THE DRIVERS WHEN OUR BOOKS STATE NO CHANGING ANTIFREEZE FOR 150,000 MILES. IN STEAD THEY ARE PUTTING PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT AMERICAN MADE CARS HAVE THIS UNNECESSARY EXPENSE. THIS IS MONEY THAT I HAD TO BORROW AND NOW FIND SOME WAY TO PAY BACK SO THAT I MAY CONTINUE TO WORK. THIS SHOULDN'T EVEN BE A LAW SUIT. THEY SHOULD OWN TO THEIR MISTAKE AND MAKE GOOD THE ERROR THAT THEY MADE. *TR

YOU CAN ADD MY NAME TO THE LIST OF INDIVIDUALS SHELLING OUT AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO REPLACE WHAT APPEAR TO BE DEFECTIVE PARTS AND/OR MANUFACTURING DESIGNS IN THE 2003 CHEVY MALIBU. WE PURCHASED THE CAR NEW IN FEB 2003 AND REPAIR COSTS TO DATE ARE IN EXCESS OF $2,000 AND THE CAR ONLY HAS 52,000 MILES ON IT. FIRST, THE BRAKES AND ROTORS NEEDED PLACED AFTER ABOUT 40,000 MILES (MOST OF WHICH WERE INTERSTATE DRIVING)...COST WAS OVER $300. NEXT, WE WERE GETTING THE CAR REPAIRED AFTER AN INCIDENT WITH A DEER AND THE MECHANIC INFORMED US THAT COOLANT WAS STARTING TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE BECAUSE OF A FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET...REPAIR COST ALMOST $1,000. FINALLY, MY WIFE WAS RECENTLY STRANDED BECAUSE THE FUEL PUMP FAILED...REPAIR COST $1,000. ALL OF THESE INCIDENTS OCCURRED WITHIN THE PAST 6 MONTHS. BY FAR THE MOST FRUSTRATION THING IS THAT ALL THESE ITEMS APPEAR TO BE VERY COMMON FAILURES WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL MADE BY CHEVROLET AND THERE HAS YET TO BE ANY RECALLS...VERY DISAPPOINTING. MY ENTIRE EXPERIENCE HAS CONTINUED TO SNOWBALL EVER SINCE WE HAD ISSUES WITH GETTING THE DEALERSHIP TO FIX ITEMS THAT WERE STILL UNDER WARRANTY. GENERAL MOTORS SEEMS TO BE MORE FOCUSED ON EARNING PROFITS THAT COMPETE WITH THE FOREIGN PRODUCERS RATHER THAN TAKING CARE OF THEIR CURRENT CUSTOMERS. IF THINGS DON'T CHANGE, THE COMPANY WILL HAVE VERY LIMITED REPEAT CUSTOMERS. *TR

I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT I NEED A NEW INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. I WAS TOLD THAT GM WENT TO A CHEAP CAM SHAFT AND INTAKE GASKET ON MOST OF THE 3.1 TO 3.8 LITRE V6 ENGINES ABOUT 7 YEARS AGO AND THAT OVER 90% OF THESE ENGINES HAVE A LEAKING INTAKE GASKET WHICH CAUSES THE CHEAP CAM SHAFT TO RUST AND THEN BREAK DESTROYING THE ENGINE. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS HAPPENS BETWEEN 50,000 AND 90,000 MILES ON THESE ENGINES, THAT THERE ARE NO REPLACEMENT ENGINES AVAILABLE IN THE SALVAGE YARDS AND THAT GM CONTINUES TO PRODUCE THIS DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. NOW IM LOOKING AT APPROX. $600.00 TO REPLACE JUST THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. I DON'T THINK THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO FOOT THIS BILL TO REPLACE A PROBLEM THAT GM HAS KNOWN ABOUT FOR A LONG TIME AND REFUSES TO CORRECT. *TR

THE CAR HAS DIED AT NIGHT IN NOT A VERY GOOD SIDE OF TOWN AND WOULD NOT START ON 10/07. HAD IT TOWED AND THEY FOUND THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET DAMAGED $1,000.00. FEB 08 CAR WOULD NOT START AFTER WORK. 10 MILES AWAY FROM HOME. HAD THE CAR TOWED BACK TO FIRESTONE THINKING IT WAS THE SAME THING INSTEAD THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM HAD CAUSED THE CAR NOT TO START. 4/08 CAR AGAIN WOULD NOT START AFTER WORK. PLEASE FORCE GM TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR VEHICLES MALFUNCTIONS BEFORE SOME ONE GETS HURT BECAUSE OF THE ANTI THEFT SYSTEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH FOR APPROXIMATELY TEN MINUTES, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE DISPLAYED HOT. THE COOLANT LIGHT ILLUMINATED, WHICH INDICATED THAT THE COOLANT LEVEL WAS LOW. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND CHECKED THE LEVEL. HE THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO CARMAX AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE WAS REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 45,000. UPDATED 12/12/07 *BF