The car was purchased in november of 2012 in washington. On the drive from washington to missouri, the car would not start after the engine was off. After waiting three days for the mechanic in a small south dakota town, he "fixed" it in ten minutes. The "solution" of keeping the engine on for ten minutes, turning to off, and then starting it again is only a temporary fix to a very real problem. This problem is so real and obvious that the ten minute solution is included in the owner's manual (why that instead of fixing it, I'm not really sure...) the problem has persisted intermittently for the last year and a half, anywhere from two to eight times a month- until this last month. I began keeping track on a calendar the number of times the car would fail to work - 26 times in five weeks. This is beyond annoying. The problem would be even worse if it were not for the fact that I am a teacher and the last week of school was the first week in these five weeks. Now that I am out for the summer, many days now I stay at home, thus reducing the chance of the car failing to work as I am not using it. That last week of school, it "stalled" every single day. Two days ago, it quit working four times in one day. I have been late for work, church, and other obligations. I have been stranded in dark parking lots late at night. Alone. This is not a problem anyone should have to worry about. I drive as infrequently as I possibly can now, and was fervently praying that my car would start after filling it up with gas this morning. This is a known problem. I was hoping the most recent recalls would affect this car and when typing "2003 malibu recalls," into a search engine, while no recalls were shown, web site and forums aplenty all came up, with multiple complaints about this singular problem of this singular car. It is a known safety problem. Why is there no recall?
2003 Chevrolet Malibu electrical complaints
Page 6 of 11: complaints 131 to 160 of 289, newest first, as owners wrote them.
My 2003 chevy malibu would shut off if I hit even a small bump. If I hit a bump while driving, everything would go dead. Fortunately I was able to avoid accidents when this happened as it happened on both surface streets and the highway. Had this looked at by my mechanic and they determined that the ignition switch failed, causing the engine to shut off. No recall yet on this vehicle. Paid for out of pocket.
I have had several issues with my car over the years. The first was when the fuel pump failed and my car stalled in traffic in 2006 and repair was $600. The intake manifold gaskets failed about 10 months later that was repaired at the dealer for $1200. I have replaced the engine twice ($600 each time) because of the head gaskets and too much oil inside the engine. Now I have a strong odor of gasoline inside my car when I start it up that lasts for about 15-20 minutes each day. I've replaced the ignition switch twice now and the gear shift does not lock properly. Now anti theft security light comes on often and I have to wait approximately 11 minutes to reset it before I can leave my location. The hood latch recently broke and now the wire must be replaced from the inside to the exterior of the car.
2003 chevrolet malibu. Consumer writes in regards to ignition switch and fuel pump repairs. *smd the consumer stated the passlock sensor had to be replaced, because the vehicle would not start. Also, the fuel pump was replaced, because gas was not going from the tank into the engine, the cruise control occasionally would not work, the service engine light would come on intermittently, and electrical components, such as the radio and windows stopped working.
Started in 2005 when car was bought used, auto theft system light will come on and soon after car will not start did this for 5 years straight off and on then completely stopped for 3 years now has started back up in 2013. This is very annoying afraid car won't start when needed for an emergency. Also when put into park key will not come out until you mess with shifter and you hear the click of it going into park.
Turn signal switch does not work all the time will also make the turn signal sound when not using it and if you let it go to long before getting a new one it starts to smoke I have replaced it two time and it is out again.
The first time this happened I tried to start my car and it would not start and ended up having it towed to a garage hundreds of dollars later to find out it was an theft system part that needed to be replaced. So we did that then the same thing started happening again. I got out the owners manual and was reading about turn the key for 10 minutes. Well this has been a on going problem for some time now. It was not until I starting reading all these thing on the internet to realize this is a major problem and that I am not the only one. My vehicle you never know when its going to start or not so in the morning I have to go out earlier then usual just in case I have to turn the key for 10 minutes or not. The scary part is reading all these people that have been driving and the car just stalls out on them. Gm what is it going to take for other lives to be taken before you realize this is a major problem. My car has been a great car other then this problem and it still is a great car. Just if the this theft system problem would be fixed. Come on gm step up to the plate and do what's right do the recall and get this fixed so we can go on with our lives. Thanks
Previous weeks before car was indicating anti theft after resetting the days to follow car shut of while driving. On may 25th 2014 while driving down road car suddenly pulled hard to the right causing the vehicle to jump the curb and strike a fire hydrant. Some concern about the possibility of it being the ignition switch and was searching for other instance of the same problem. Also shifter appeared to be getting stuck and you had to maneuver the key and the shifter to release the key.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that the key became difficult to remove from the ignition. The key was only able to release from the ignition switch when turning. The contact mentioned that at times the key failed to release from the ignition switch and remained in the vehicle overnight. The failure occurred on five different occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacture was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 63,000 and the current mileage was 63,020.
Car powered off multiple times without warning while driving, triggering the doors to lock and unlock on their own. Luckily I was able to maneuver the car to the safe location quickly out of traffic, before the steering power was lost. There were many close calls! After powering off, had to pray it would start again because sometimes it would not. Took to firestone, they could not diagnose it. So I took to the chevy dealer. It was originally diagnosed as the fuel pump, which I paid to have replaced. A week later I still had the same problem. I went online to several blogs/websites and realized there were many people with the same issue with the malibu. Some people online recommended replacing the ignition switch, based on the symptoms. I took the car to dealer and asked them to check my ignition switch, as it appeared online to be long standing issue which was never recalled. The dealer acknowledged that it was the ignition switch, a known issue for chevy and at that time I had my car repaired. Quite expensive and dangerous for driving. However, I noticed the 2003 malibu is not listed on the current recalls. Many owners would agree that it should be.
Ignition switch and gear shift lock up and cannot shut engine off or get key out. Cannot put gear shift into park only reverse. Wrecker had to be called the last time it happened and tow to dealer. Dealer had just worked on the car and replaced the AC control panel for the second time since new. You could hit the dash and get the AC on and sometimes the key out of the ignition switch. This all cost me $ 1,118.00 this last time. Ignition switch was always trouble to work with. Wife was stranded several times at shopping centers in the past two years with these problems of key switch and AC off. Hit the dash and hope to get AC on or key out. I have the old ignition switch and the last replaced AC panel.
There are paoblem with the chevy malibus having faulty ignition switches also. Why have these not been recall yet.mine is a 2003.
After driving from our house to a family members house, we had parked our car to visit for a while. When we returned not even 30 mins later, we went to start the car and it wouldn't start. After many past issues with this, we sent it in to a shop to have them take a look at it. They stated that the theft-alert system was malfunctioning. I wish chevy would finally recall this issue.
I would like to commend your company for making a durable product. However, I purchase a 2003 chevy-malibu in 2004 from carmax-raleigh, n.c. According to the carfax, there was only one previous owner. I purchased the extended warranty for only three years and had the vehicle serviced by rick hendrix chevrolet in durham, n.c. After the warranty expired, I would take my vehicle to a certified mechanic in norfolk, va that I have dealt for the past 20 years. Consequently, I would have repairs done and he kept the car running as required. However, about year 2010, during regular maintenance - the check engine light came on, followed by the service engine light - then the vehicle would start but no display on the dash and no electrical functions worked? About 5-10 minutes later with car still running - the dash would light up and electrical functions operable. My mechanic was able to eliminate to check engine/service engine displays with required maintenance. However, the dash display and power loss continued? He decided to replace the ignition switch and shortly afterwards the same problems reappeared? Now I have two separate keys, one for door/trunk locks and one for the ignition. Presently, even after maintenance, the vehicle has started missing/putting or possibly losing power? I contacted gm (800)222-1020 and (800)630-2438 and was told that my vehicle was not on the gm recall list? Can you confirm that information and the reason why it is not on the list? Do I really need to wait until my family is injured or worst before a defect is acknowledge?
The car will not start due to antitheft light being on. It started happening occasionally, now it happens all the time. Some days every time you try to start it will not start. Have to turn key to on position wait 10 plus minutes until antitheft light stops flashing then turn off and restart. This is getting very frustrating and I have read millions of complaints from others online about this. Gm is well aware of the issue and will do nothing to fix this. This car is for my 17 year old daughter and I feel uncomfortable with her driving this vehicle as I am now reading where this also happens while driving in traffic the car will just shut off. This is a major risk and gm needs to do something to repair this constantly happening problem. If they will not recall then they need to publicly issue the correct remedy for this not just the 10 minute restart quick, but temporary fix which causes many problems. My daughter has been stranded in places until her car will start. This happened once while my husband was driving on highway in june 2013 we thought it was the fuel pump and had that replaced approximately 4-5 months later the antitheft issue started. Obviously the fuel pump was not the issue rather than the beginning of this never ending problem. Thankfully my daughter was not driving at that time as the car just died going down the highway. I feel that gm needs to do something to address this problem as it does affect millions and with this vehicle I seen a lot of young, new drivers, in this type of vehicle. There has been a lot of complaints regarding this issue and gm refuses to do anything about it. Hopefully they will address this before they begin being sued for serious accidents or deaths due to their lack of action and regard for the safety of consumers.
Antitheft ignition problem car cuts out while driving.
When I am driving the key will just fall out of the ignition while running for no reason,especially while going over bumps. The car recently has also started to continue running while the key is turned into. The off position!
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning more than one time. The check engine light illuminated intermittently. The key made a clicking noise when attempting to start the vehicle. The vehicle continued to make a ticking noise at random once the vehicle was driven. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who was unable to replicate nor diagnose the failure. The vehicle continued to shake violently while traveling at any speed above 60 MPH . The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who was unable to diagnose the failure on more than one occasion. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
We own a 2003 chev malibu, sold and serviced in canada, but manufactured at gm's lansing, michigan assembly plant. Chev malibus are not yet included on the gm ignition switch recall list, but in oct/11 we had exactly the same problems reported by those vehicles currently on the recall list: for perhaps 5 seconds, a total loss of all power (engine, lights, power steering, power brakes, etc.,) while driving on a highway at 60 MPH, at night. After that 5 second delay, all power resumed, (lights, engine, etc) and the car operated perfectly for the rest of the drive home. A day later, we again had a total loss of all power, this time while turning a corner at slow speed. The loss of power steering and braking made it very difficult to avoid an accident then. A couple of days later, on 25 oct/11, I had my ignition switch replaced at my local gm chev dealership, at a cost of $416.51. At no time did the dealer mention any known problems with these ignition switches. In light of the recent recall, I contacted my gm dealership, who stated they could not comment on whether the replacement switch is potentially faulty or not - and how would dealers know, if gm replaced the original switches without changing the part number? Were dealers told to get rid of the "old stock", or to return it to gm? The dealer stated that, if and when my vehicle is added to the current recall list, they would "replace the replacement". In other words, I could be driving with a faulty switch - a potential danger to myself and to others....and, to date, gm apparently doesn't plan to do anything about it. I'm out $416 and may still have a defective ignition switch. I recognize that your department's authority doesn't extend to canada. However, although my vehicle was sold and serviced in canada, it was manufactured in lansing, michigan - like hundreds of thousands of other chev malibus.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle would sporadically stall without warning. The contact was usually able to restart the vehicle however, there were instances when the vehicle would not immediately restart. The failure was recurring and the ignition switch was replaced three times by an authorized dealer however, the failure continuously recurred. The contact also stated that the power steering assist would intermittently fail. The contact referenced the federal safety agency campaign id number: 14v153000 (steering) but the vehicle was not included in the recall campaign. The manufacturer was notified of the failure multiple times and provided no remedy. The approximate failure mileage was 53728.
The car would randomly stop running. This could happen while on the highway or when the car was in motion. Daughter was caught a couple of time in the situation. No power steering of brakes. Could have had a fatal accident. If you look at this car and other gm cars, there have been a lot of complaints, the problem lies with the pass lock system (anti theft). The car thinks that its the wrong key and kills the ignition. I found a work around online. Which involves wiring a resistor into the ignition system....the car has been fine since.
The car has cut off while I was driving on at least 10 occasions since 2012. Usually, if driving at normal speed it would happen as I slowed down to turn a corner, although it has also happened once or twice while I was driving on the highway. Each time, I was fortunate enough to either drift over onto the shoulder or complete the turn without getting hit. When the car cuts off I lose the ability to steer. During that period I also experienced significant electrical problems: sometimes the turn signals would not come on, the auto locks would come on and off by themselves while driving and the air conditioner would not stay on. On 5/3/12 my key would not turn the ignition. I had the car towed to a mechanic who advised that I probably had too many keys on my ring and it wore down the ignition. Shortly after having the ignition replaced, I noticed the anti-theft system light stayed on and it affected my ability to start the car. For the past 2 years, in order to start my car, I have to put the key in the ignition, then turn it to the "accessory" position for about 15 seconds, then to the "on" position and wait for the gas gauge and dash to light up (perhaps another 15-40 seconds) in order to start the car. I researched online and found similar problems for my make and model. This is how I learned how to start the car under these conditions. I have my repair receipts and internet searches for this problem from 2012 as well as every oil change and service ticket from 2003. I think that the 2003 malibu should be investigated for inclusion in the ignition switch recall.
The car will turn off by itself. We will be driving along and then for what seems like no reason the car shuts off - the ps/pb don't work, nothing. The car starts right back up but this is very dangerous. We took the car back to the dealer and they said that there were too many keys on our key ring and that is why it was turning off - well it doesn't happen with the same key ring on any of the other cars we own so why just on this car? I believe this relates back to tsb 052203, but it is still very dangerous and gm isn't doing anything about it. This has been an ongoing problem and hasn't gone away.
Car stalled while driving. Everything quit, even power steering and power brakes. This has happened twice. Both times, I took the vehicle to the chevy dealership and they said the ignition was faulty. I've replaced the ignition both times. I'm afraid this will happen when we are driving it and we will get into an accident because the power steering and power brakes quit when all the electrical components quit.
Car failed to start. A local mechanic was aware of the problem that gm was having with the malibu's. He showed me how to turn the key to on for 10 minutes and then the theft light would stop blinking and you could then start the car. This past year it has been happening about daily or every 5 to 6 times that you go to start the car. Mostly on short trips of less than 2 miles. I contacted 2 local chevy dealers and they claim to know nothing about the problem! I have been told to bring it in and they would check it out - at a charge. What if this happened in an area that was not safe for my family or me - we could not start the car and would have to just sit there for 10 minutes!
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet malibu. The contact was driving approximately 75 MPH when the steering wheel shook violently. The failure also occurred when the brakes were applied. Additionally, the door chimes would sound sporadically and the turn signals would engage independently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 49,882.
Vehicle would not start after I came out from grocery store. Could see anti theft system light on dashboard but I had no idea what that meant this has never happened before. I would laugh when you lock the car using the lock on the door when you get out to lock all the doors then you hear a beep like other peoples vehicles who have alarm systems which this car doesn't have. I mean I don't have a key lock for my vehicle. One repair person told me it was the fuel pump estimated $800, I had the car towed to a shop and found out on sunday that it was the anti theft system, they had to reprogram my keys and I had more than one ignition key on my ring was told not to do that anymore and cost me hundred dollars, this is a problem though and it needs to be addressed. I have gone on line and found many complaints and people have spent a lot more money than I had to.
The anti-theft system kicked in approximately after 35 minutes of driving while at 65 miles an hour. It cut power to the fuel pump which turned off the car and we had to coast to the side of a highway. We were very nearly in an accident due to this device malfunctioning and could have killed me, my husband, and our unborn child. This problem is well documented all over the web and current fixes are not working. This car has never known another owner and I have tried to reset the device with the key fobs that were issued with the vehicle back in 2003. I performed the reset procedure properly and it did not work. These security devices need to be recalled and fixed before someone gets hurt or worse killed.
I parked the car in the driveway which is sloped downwards, and thought I put the car in park and turned the ignition off and took out the keys. After I got out of the car, it started rolling forward into the garage door. I quickly jumped into the seat and slammed on the brake. Thank g-d, no real damage was done, but I am pregnant and got really shocked. I realized the extent of this safety issue which I previously disregarded. The issue is that the keys can come out of the ignition while it is in the on position. Therefore if I forget to put the car in park and take the keys out they come out. Most cars have a safety feature which prevents removing the keys until the ignition is off, which cannot be done unless the car is in park. In my car however this is not the case as the keys come out in the on position and I am therefore lacking the feature to remind me to put the car in park. This can g-d forbid cause a terrible accident. I subsequently checked my brother in law's car which is also an 03 malibu and it has the same problem.
Started having problems starting my car, theft light would come on and I would have to sit and wait to get the car started, very annoying problem having to play a waiting came to start your car. Then one day I was driving and the car just shut off in the middle of the high way, I had no idea the car was even off until I tried to acclerate or turn because the radio remains on. Have to stop and put my hazzards on and start the car again, some days it does repeat stalls which causes me to almost get hit by cars behind me (very very dangerous), some days it drives fine. Then one day while shutting my car off and returning home the horn started honking and would not turn off for about a 1/2 hour, and after that it hasnt worked again. Took the car in to the shop because im fed up and they said it is all linked to a faulty pass key/anti theft system that causes these electrical problems. Did some research and noticed this is and has been a reaccuring problem in the malibu's.
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