2003 Chevrolet Malibu

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65-70 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. THE CONTACT WAS FORCED TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND TURN OFF THE VEHICLE. HE COASTED SAFELY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD UNTIL THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS OFF, HE APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND IT RELEASED. AFTER RESEARCHING RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT REALIZED THAT HIS FAILURE WAS IDENTICAL TO THAT DESCRIBED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V528000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL). THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND, SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. AS OF JUNE 10, 2008, THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 130,000. UPDATED 07/08/08. *BF UPDATED

ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO WHEN IT STARTED GETTING HUMID, I WOULD BE DRIVING AT A CONSTANT SPEED, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I WOULD BEGIN TO SPEED UP. I WOULD LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR, AND THE CAR WOULD CONTINUE TO GAIN SPEED. WHEN I TRIED TO COME TO A STOP, THE CAR STILL WANTED TO GO FORWARD, AND THE RPM WAS STUCK AT 1.5. I NEED TO STICK MY FOOT UNDER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO LIFT IT UP, AS IF IT GETS STUCK. IT TYPICALLY DOESN'T DO IT IN THE WINTER MONTHS, BUT DOES IT ALL SUMMER LONG, ESPECIALLY ON HOT, HUMID DAYS. I'VE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH BLINKER NOISE: I WILL BE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, AND FOR NO PARTICULAR REASON, I WILL HEAR THE NOISE IT MAKES WHEN SIGNALING. MY TURNING LIGHTS DON'T COME ON, BUT IT DOES MAKE THE NOISE AND HAS CONTINUED TO DO IT EXCESSIVELY FOR PERIODS OF 10 MINUTES OR LONGER. MY CAR HAS ALSO STARTED TO MAKE A DINGING NOISE, AS IF A DOOR WERE OPEN, AS I'M DRIVING ALONG....EXTREMELY ANNOYING!! *TR

I HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES ON THIS CAR AT 6,000 MILES. SINCE THEN, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THEM ON A YEARLY OCCURRENCE, AS WELL AS ROTORS AND WHEEL BEARINGS. THE BREAKS ALWAYS SOUND LIKE THEY ARE GRINDING AND VIBRATING. I HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE ABS LIGHT COMING ON. IT HAS BEEN 7 MONTHS SINCE I HAD THE ROTORS REPLACED, AND I NEED NEW BREAKS AGAIN. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU AND THE THEFT DETERRENT SYSTEM KEEPS ACTIVATING FOR NO REASON. THE VEHICLE USE TO HAVE A PROBLEM STARTING AND NOW HAS STARTED DYING ON ME IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM BUT CHEVROLET REFUSES TO DO A RECALL. IT IS GOING TO CAUSE SOMEONE TO CRASH. IT COSTS ANYWHERE FROM $700.00 - $1,300.00 TO DO THE REPAIRS AND MOST PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD IT. CHEVROLET IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *TR

INTERMITTENTLY THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START BECAUSE THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM KEPT LOCKING THE VEHICLE. IT TAKES SEVERAL MINUTES (TEN MIN OR SO) FOR THE SYSTEM TO RE-SET AND ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO START. DEALERSHIPS ARE NOT ABLE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. COM- PLAINTS REGISTERED ON WWW.MYSTATS.COM/SAFETY STATION ARE NUMEROUS (AT LEAST 40) CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM. SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THAT THE VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY STOP RUNNING WHILE DRIVING IN MOTION. GM SHOULD RECALL AND CORRECT THIS IMMEDIATELY. *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

STUCK ACCELERATOR: ON 4/22/08, TOOK FOOT OFF GAS PEDAL -- CAR DID NOT DECELERATE AND MAINTAINED 47 MILES PER HOUR FOR 0.86 MILES. MADE SURE CRUISE CONTROL WAS TURNED OFF. RPM'S STILL STUCK AT 1.5. PROCEEDED THROUGH A GREEN LIGHT AND CAR CONTINUED AT 1.5 RPM'S FOR THE NEXT 2 MILES. APPROACHING A 2ND INTERSECTION, I DECIDED TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO BE ABLE TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE, BUT THERE WASN'T A SHOULDER; SO APPLIED BRAKES TO TURN ON TO QUIETER SIDE ROAD. BARELY MADE TURN. HAD BRAKES DOWN HARD AND CAR STILL TRAVELED AT 20 MILES PER HOUR. HIT EMERGENCY BRAKE AND CAR SLOWED TO 5 MPH. I THEN PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. TOOK IT TO SPUR CHEVY FOR REPAIR. THEY FOUND THE PRIOR OWNER HAD WORK DONE PER RECALL CAMPAIGN # 04V528000. NOTHING CAME UP ON THEIR SCAN TEST, NO FAULT CODES. CRUISE CONTROL CHECKED OUT OK. THEY DIAGNOSED IT AS THE TOP OF THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDING CLEANING. THIS IS THE 4TH TIME THE THROTTLE HAS BEEN CLEANED IN THE 1 1/2 YEARS I'VE OWNED THIS VEHICLE. PRIOR 3 SERVICES PERFORMED BY THE SELLER (BARRY DODGE) ON 8/7/07, 6/5/07 AND 4/5/07 WERE REQUESTED AS THE ENGINE ROUTINELY IDLED AT 1500 RPMS. THE 4/22/08 INCIDENT WAS THE FIRST TIME THE BRAKES WEREN'T ABLE TO STOP THE CAR. THE ENGINE WAS ACTING SLUGGISH IN THE WEEKS PRIOR TO 4/22. THE OIL CHANGE WASN'T DUE FOR ANOTHER 1000 MILES (BARRY DODGE OR VALVOLINE). I DON'T USE SYNTHETIC OIL. I ALWAYS ADD FUEL INJECTOR CLEANER AFTER AN OIL CHANGE. I PREFER SUNOCO GAS AND USE THEIR LEAST EXPENSIVE GRADE. *TR

LUCKILY I WAS NOT ON THE HIGHWAY ON MY WAY TO WORK WHEN THIS OCCURRED OR A CRASH WOULD HAVE BEEN UNAVOIDABLE. ENGINE SHUTS OFF WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND THEN DOES NOT RESTART FOR 10 TO 15 MINUTES. DASHBOARD LIGHTS DO NOT COME ON DURING THIS TIME. YOU CAN TELL WHEN IT WILL RESTART AS THE LIGHTS FINALLY COME BACK ON. GM DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM BUT IS UNABLE TO FIX - THEY KEEP REPLACING PARTS AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. (CARCOMPLAINT.COM HAS SEVERAL COMPLAINTS OF THIS EXACT NATURE LISTED ONLINE.) *TR