I went outside to crank up the car and it would not start. It would crank but would not start and the anti-theft light would flash. Researched the internet for possible causes and was advised to put the key in the on position for about 10 minutes to bypass the theft system. It seems as if the theft system kicks in and kills the car so that it will not start. This has happened several times. I am always able to get the car to start after about 10 minutes of it being in the on position, but there is clearly an issue with the wiring as this is a common complaint on the internet about these cars.
2001 Chevrolet Malibu electrical complaints
Page 5 of 11: complaints 101 to 130 of 285, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Anti theft system on this car along with hundreds if not thousands of people have left us stranded. You call the dealer they say nothing of the reset stuff that is in the book. I did not have a book went on line last winter the first time it happened. Dealer said bring it in and get it tested never once offered the fix in book,so if they have a fix in manual don't you think they know its an ongoing issue???? Please make them do the right thing. This is the 6th time for me 3 on my way to work. Call polar chevrolet and tell them your car wont start and anti theft system is on bet ya get the same answer I did. They are ripping the consumer off with bogus fixes for a problem they know about. I drive a school bus for a living I just need to get to work. Google antitheft chevy malibu check it out please! Next site is abc cbs nbc and cnn.
I crank the car and it wants to catch but acts like there is no gas or something? Theft system light is on solid not blinking. My car has been stuck in the parking lot of my job for 2 days.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet malibu. The contact was driving 50 MPH when the vehicle stalled without warning. The anti theft system warning light illuminated after the failure and the vehicle restarted. The failure repeated many times after the initial failure. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 146,000 and the current mileage was 180,766.
When trying to start he car the security light will flash, the car will rev, sound like it is trying to start but won't. Took it to a repair shop and the mechanic said that it was due to the security system not reading the key and shutting the fuel to the car so it will not start. Upon researching this I have found that this is a very common problem with this car.
This car is an absolute lemon,it forces you to use dexcool antifreeze and this eats away the rubber in the lines,have spent thousands fixing head gaskets and redoing the whole cooling system to be able to use the old green antifreeze and after all of the problems(cant afford new car!) I have looked on line and I am not alone,thousands have had same problem,this needs to be recalled. It is common knowledge with chevy about the anti theft system,you have to put key in on pos. And wait ten mins for it to reset. I have lost a job b/c I was late for work too many times,have had ignition replaced twice,it has nothing to do w/ignition. I get stuck in the middle of nowhere car wont start and gotta freeze to death (in michigan!) waiting for it to reset. This is ridiculous. And chevy does nothing!
I went to start the car and it wouldn't start. The theft light came on and wont go off. I only had the car for two days and this happens. I don't have the money to take the car to the dealership or get another car. I lose my job in a week due to the place closing down.
Passcode antitheft system - 2 separate repairs, latest oct, 2011 involving the ignition/theft system. The system malfunctions and the vehicle will not start.
This complaint relates to the poorly designed gm passlock anti-theft system that erroneously enters anti-theft mode and disables the fuel injectors. Gm should be forced to recall this passlock system '' it is simply unacceptable to strand motorists because of an incompetently designed anti-theft system. I have replaced both the in-tank fuel pump and two ignition modules (at an expense of three towing bill plus $1000+ in repair costs), only to find out that the anti-theft system was misreading my ignition key and disabling the injectors. Several internet forums that I found after the expensive repairs describe how to reset this erroneous signal after having to wait 10 minutes for the system to clear. I have personally read hundreds of similar horror stories in online forums, and this is a widely known issue. It is unacceptable that people have to deal with this defective system, and that dealerships and mechanics make huge profits replacing fuel pumps and ignition modules unnecessarily. By the way, after each of the expensive repairs I mentioned were done, the car experienced the same issues within 30 days of the repairs.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet malibu. The contact was driving approximately 35 MPH when the anti-theft security warning indicator illuminated. The failure recurred intermittently with engine stalling sporadically. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing and the anti-theft device was replaced. A few months later, the failure recurred and the vehicle was repaired a second time. Most recently, the anti-theft device was replaced a third time by the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 29,117.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that the alarm system activated and shut off the fuel system without reason. The failure recurred several times and each time, he would have to wait fifteen minutes for the alarm system to deactive in order for the vehicle to start. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 83,000 and the current mileage was 84,200.
Chevy malibu, 2001. The theft system is ridiculous! I'm not trying to steal my own car, and would rather have it stolen than sit in a scary dark parking lot all alone waiting for it to start back up. Also, the anti-lock brake system sucks. Noone around where I live even deals with it.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated occasionally the vehicle will not start and the warning lights are no longer illuminating. The contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic who was unable to duplicate the failure. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not accepted at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was 22,000 and the current mileage was 23,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle would fail to start sporadically, as a result of the anti-theft pass lock system malfunctioning. The contact called the manufacturer regarding the anti-theft pass lock system and was advised by the manufacturer stated that there were no recalls for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 103,000.
Anti-theft system passlock randomly activates and prevents starting of car -- must leave key in car for 10-15 minutes and then it starts. It happened again. Did internet search regarding malibu starting problems and saw lots of people have same problem I have but when the cars are taken in they are told they need ignition switch or some other thing but after replacement still have the problem. Other people on the internet expressed that this is a safety issue and I agree -- having a car that may or may not start at any given time is not safe. For example, what if engines cuts off or is turned off and car needs to be moved for an emergency or safety reason but wont start for 10-15 minutes?! Has happened more than 12 times over the 10 years we have owned it. Lost count. Bought it new.
Anti-theft system passlock randomly activates and prevents starting of car -- must leave key in car for 10-15 minutes and then it starts. Figured out it was not the battery because had just gotten a new one when it happened again. Did internet search regarding malibu starting problems and saw lots of people have same problem I have but when the cars are taken in they are told they need ignition switch or some other thing but after replacement still have the problem. Other people on the internet expressed that this is a safety issue and I agree -- having a car that may or may not start at any given time is not safe. For example, what if engines cuts off or is turned off and car needs to be moved for an emergency or safety reason but won't start for 10-15 minutes?!
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet malibu. While driving approximately 25 MPH the anti theft light illuminated on the dashboard. When the vehicle stalled he coasted to the side of the road because the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic. The local mechanic advised him that only the dealer could provide him with the error code. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer who reset the code. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for the failure. The failure occurred twice. The failure mileage was 114,000 and the current mileage was 125,000. Updated 03/29/11 *bf updated 04/28/11
Failing starter.
Our chevy 2001 malibu has a defective anti theft system that many other complain about also. It disables the car at the most in opportune times that can be life threatening in some instances. Gm should recall this and they have not.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that when attempting to start her vehicle the auto theft system locked her out and would not allow entry for at least 10 minutes. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer had not been contacted. The vehicle was repaired by an independent mechanic. The VIN was not available. The current mileage was approximately 120,000. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.
[note that I lived in ontario, canada] I stopped my car in a parking lot, but then could not get started. I called the gm dealership and was told to wait for 20 min while leaving the key in the on position. It worked. But when I checked the internet (http://www.car-forums.com/s9/t1545.html) and found this problem is very common. For example, 1) I have found thousands of complaints about the passlock anti theft system defects. Please take 5 minutes to file a complaint to the nhts about this matter. Http://www-odi.the federal safety agency.dot.gov/ivoq/ gm does not care about this problem. Do not give them anymore of your money. They will not recall this problem. With enough complaints to the nhts the government will recall this product and make gm fix at their expense 2) I am the not to proud owner of a 2002 chevy malibu. My lastest repair is the passlock sensor..........a whole whoppin $500 plus the cost of my rental car and tow bill. This lovely gm product has been the worst car I have ever owned!! I think by the time it is paid off in another year almost everything under the hood will have been replaced. I will never again own a gm hunk of junk.......there is definately something to be said about owning a foreign car.....I guess you get what you pay for!!! The american car makers should be ashamed of the quality of product that is being built!! I am proud to be american but will never again be the owner of an american made vehicle 3) ..hi there, I'm a canadian university student with a 1997 chev malibu that has that :cussing: passlock system. That thing drives me insane and there is many a time that I am stuck sitting in my car for 10 minutes in a dark parking lot away from my school while it does its thing. I personally find that more dangerous than my car being stolen
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet malibu. While attempting to start the vehicle, the anti-theft light illuminated and the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The current and failure mileages were approximately 65,000.
When I go to start my car-2001 chevy malibu the anti theft light comes on and the car will not start. This has been ongoing for amonth and chevy will not fix. I have researched the internet to find this is a common problem and chevy will not fix or recall. Please help. I am a sr citizen with a severely disabled husband. This happens daily. I had it towed and the garage said a battery needed to be replaced. So it was and it still does it.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet malibu. While the contact was driving approximately 35 MPH, the anti-theft security indicator illuminated and the engine completely stalled. After waiting for one hour, the passlock system was reset and allowed the vehicle to resume proper operation. The failure occurred four times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 70,000.
Several times my 2001 chevy malibu theft system light comes on,and when I turn my car off then try to crank it back up it want crank had to get it reset twice. I'm still having the same problem.
Recall on emergency flasher done under recall. Contacted chevrolet c.s. And they confirmed recall done,part replaced. Within the last year the flasher will start clicking without being engaged. Neither the emergency flasher or turn signal flash on and off,but the turn signal indicator makes the clicking noise. This intermittent sound has no pattern,and lasts for various lengths of time,again with no input from the turn signal stalk or emergency button being pushed. It can be silenced by pushing in on the emergency button partially until the clicking noise stops.
2001 chevy malibu theft prevention passlock system is defective. Every 5-7 starts it activates and you have to wait 10 minutes for it to reset before attempting to start again.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle would not start. The contact was unable to remove the key from the ignition and the auto theft warning light was illuminated for ten minutes. After ten minutes, the contact was able to start the vehicle. The contact stated the failure would occur intermittently. The vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was 140,000 and the current mileage was 160,000.
I have a 2001 malibu I bought brand new. It went to the point where it just wont start. What's happening is the theft system light starts flashing. So I have to set 10 minutes with the ignition lights on and then it will start. But it keeps happening, I was told the only way to fix it is by taking it to the dealer to have expensive work done on it, why would chevrolet put a system in that is that faulty. I seen on line its about the theft pass over system. There's alot of people having problems with it, is this what I get trusting chevrolet.
2001 chevy malibu - passlock system engages at random times causing vehicle to not start. Leaving ignition key in "on" position for ten minutes will allow the vehicle to start, but incident occurs repeatedly. Dealer cannot determine cause, says this is rather common.
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