Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated while driving various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact mentioned that the failure occurred several times. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 28,000. The current mileage was 33,500.
2003 Chevrolet Malibu engine complaints
Page 3 of 4: complaints 41 to 70 of 88, newest first, as owners wrote them.
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?
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.
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.
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 stated that upon inspection, the engine coolant was found to have mixed with the engine oil when the dip stick was pulled to check the engine oil. The contact also mentioned that the vehicle stalled without warning and had to be towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the engine had to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified. The failure and current mileage was 139,126. Updated 01/28/14*lj the consumer stated the intake manifold was defective. Updated 04/21/14 updated 06/30/14
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.
Over the last year, 2003 chevy malibu has not started on four different occasions. It was started and driven to another location (ie work, shopping, class, etc) and then upon returning to the car, it would not start. This is a major safety concern and especially so if one of the children is using the car. As I have read, others are having similar issues - this is a safety issue and warrants attention by the manufacturer!
After my 2003 chevrolet malibu had been parked in the sun for a while, on a short trip of 4 miles, the car started revving up and taking off on it's on. It also caused my A/C hose to burst (I am convinced it is related). I took it to dealer for repair and they cleaned the throttle and replaced the A/C hose. There is still the same problem. It seems as though it happens when it is very hot weather and I am making short trips running errands which calls for turning engine off and restarting. I drove back home with my foot entirely on the brakes while trying to keep the car from running out of control. I am very reluctant to drive it now, until I can find someone to "really" fix the problem (as I was stuck with a $487 repair bill).
My 2003 malibu(65000 miles) started to idle high (2000-2500rpm). We took it to our regular mechanic shop, they decided it was the idle air control valve, replaced it and it worked fine until early june when it started idling high, intermittently. The rising idle would start with a rough acceleration, then the RPM's would start to rise and not come back down. We took it back and they could not get the problem to recur, so they told us to bring it in when it was acting up, since it was not constant. They assume at this point it was a faulty iac that had been replaced. 2 weeks later, it did and we took it in. The RPM's were close to 4000 and it was starting to overheat while the mechanic was checking it. That was on monday, june 24, 2013. The mechanic reached into the engine and did something to stop the rpms from continuing to increase. Today is wednesday and they do not know what the problem is. If anyone has any information on if this is a problem with this make and model, please let me know. Thank you.
Intake manifold gasket at less then 55,000 miles due to plastic gaskets.. After numerous mechanics say a cheap unreliable part that will cost anyone from 600$ or more depending on how server it could be. I am surprise there are no recalls on this... This should be looked into plus reimbursement to those whom have receipts for this particular procedure.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that in early may 2012 she was unable to start the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who reprogrammed the key. The failure continued. The vehicle was then taken to a private mechanic, who diagnosed no failure. The manufacturer was notified and provided a case number which was not available. The manufacturer advised to take the vehicle back to the dealer. The dealer again diagnosed that there was no failure. No further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 86,000 and the current mileage was 88,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle over heated abnormally. The failure was recurring. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was advised that a module failed. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the contact's personal mechanic who advised that the head gasket was defective. The vehicle was not further repaired. The failure mileage was 100,000. The current mileage was112,000.
Please briefly describe your complaint: I have a 2003 chevy malibu that has been leaking coolant since the day I have bought it. I have taken it numerous maniacs and they have all told me the same thing that my intake manifold gaskets were leaking coolant and that this isn't the first time they have seen this problem. These mechanics told me that the gaskets for this car and the manifold itself were not engineered correctly and that's the reason it is leaking coolant. I was also told gm did however fix this problem by designing new gaskets which they are using to replace the old ones when these people bring there car in for this problem. Okay one problem right there where was the recall on that? That a health and safety hazard right there because or gms engineering. Im not sure if your aware of this but the smell and fumes from this leaking into the engine are disgusting. Also I have done online research about this problem all you need to type in is problems with chevy malibu intake manifold gasket thousand and thousands of complaints whit people all over america have this same exact issue and its not that they pay the $900.00 to get it fixed the first time then again about a year to a year in a half later they also pay this price again because the same thing has happened I am one angry american and I there are thousands of more I will not give up on my case for as well as my fell americas in this country who are experiencing this issue. Please help us!! This is not far this should be a recall on gm and I will do what ever it take to get to that point. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
For years, car stalls while driving and can not be re-started, or more frequently, just won't start. No warning except a fine, dim red anti-theft system light which is unlikely to be noticed at all, and certainly not immediately. Can happen several times per day, or can go two weeks without a problem. Short term remedy is reliable if inconvenient and in some situation, dangerous; with car in "park," turn off all system, turn on ignition switch but do not start, do not disturb for at least en minutes. System will then be reset. There is evidence that this problem had multiple causes. Got partial, temporary improvement (less frequent failure) by replacing defective ds lock switch, which is also used to program that locking system features. Because the users is supposed to initiate locking system programming by holding the switch closed, and the lock was sticking closed and opening unpredictably, it was surely creating inputs not anticipated by the system's programmers. I believe the ignition switch system, including the interface with the transmission selector system, is still causing this problem, and frequency of occurrence increases. Have not found satisfactory solution. Can't afford the $400 dealer says it will cost for (possible) fix, ambiguous explanations make me doubt the dealer really understands the cause. No actual property damage or crash yet, but obviously risk is high when car suddenly stall in traffic.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle would suddenly shut off at least five to six times a day. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership but the dealer could not duplicate the failure. The dealer replaced the fuel pump, fuel modulator and coil springs. The contact called the manufacturer and filed a complaint. The vehicle was at the dealership at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were approximately 47,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet malibu. While traveling at 35 MPH, the battery warning light illuminated on the dashboard. Seconds later, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle has not been diagnosed or repaired by the dealer. The current and failure mileages were 9,000
I have a 2003 chevy malibu and I had to get a gasket replaced due to the possibility of anti-freeze leaking into the oil. I've been told the problem will happen at about 77,000 miles. One person created a website about this problem. If not fixed it would cause massive problems for the car.
My wife has a 2003 chevy malibu. We went to take my car to an auto shop because we thought there was a leak somewhere under my car. The mechanic told me it was a gasket on the thermostat. He replaced that and still the car leaked. Then mechanic told me it was antifreeze leaking from the lower intake manifold gasket and that this was a common problem on this type of engine. Imagine how upset we was to know that cars this problem is occurring to a lot of people and that it will cost nearly $500.00 to fix. Since this is happening to alot of car there must be a major problem. I was later told gm uses a glue onto a gasket in this area when they build the car. Gm must do better. This is not right.
Went to take my car to auto shop because I thought had a transmission leak. The mechanic told me the good news ,the tranny wasn't leaking, however it was antifreeze leaking from the lower intake manifold gasket and that this was a common problem on this type of engine. Imagine how upset I was to know that cars this problem is occurring to a lot of people and that it will cost $700 to fix it. The mechanic said that there was a class action suit for this defect. Considering the economic problems and all the help gm has received from americans it seems like they would help their loyal customers by fixing this for nothing. This malibu is the 4th chevy that I have owned since driving. If american companies want us to buy their product they should make with quality material. I also had to have the fuel pump about 3 months after buying the car in 2007. That cost me almost $800. If I had known that these cars were going have such a list of problems I would have listened to my brother and got a foreign vehicle. Gm can earn some goodwill with its vehicles by admitting its mistakes and helping the little guy out, like the little guy has helped them out with the bailout.
Engine cutsoff while driving causing the car to lose power and come to a complete stop.
I have a 2003 chevy malibu with approx 72,000 miles that has been leaking antifreeze (small visible marks on pavement) that require refilling coolant every 3 to 4 weeks. I took the car in for a diagnosis, and it was found to have a leak around the intake manifold. The price estimate is $878 and 7 hours to repair. There was a class action lawsuit against dexcool for this problem, but window for claims ended on oct. 2008. I spoke with gm dealership, and there is no gm recall for this issue, even though there are many cars with this problem (leaky intake manifold gasket). Will have work done, but unhappy with the cost involved.
I own a 2003 chevrolet malibu with 51,000 miles on it. I was checking my oil when the dip stick showed it a quart low. I then checked the engine coolant and discovered the oil had gotten into the coolant. I took it to a mechanic and he confirmed that the coolant had oil in it. He said the manifold gaskets had to be replaced which included flushing the cooling system. I know gm doesn't care about our problems with their sorry built car. The total cost of the repair was over $600. This is the first car that I have ever owned that a manifold or head gasket had to be replaced.
After engine coolant light coming on and reservoir being almost empty service station added coolant. Same thing happened approx 2 months later same action taken. Went to get oil changed and person said don't waste your money because you have oil mixed with your radiator fluid, you have some major engine problems. Took car to my local mechanic and he said this was a common problem on the 2003 malibu and that the manifold gasket was the problem and needed to be replaced. He replaced it at great expense to myself,and he did make the comment that there is a design flaw with this particular part.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet malibu. While driving approximately 5 MPH, the anti-freeze warning indicator illuminated on the instrument control panel. The contact pulled back into the driveway and noticed that the reservoir was empty. He had to refill the vehicle with anti-freeze. Approximately one month later, the reservoir was almost empty again and he had to refill the vehicle with anti-freeze. In january of 2009, the vehicle was driven to a local repair shop for an oil change and the mechanic stated that there was some anti-freeze on the engine due to the manifold gasket being defective. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified. The current mileage was 79,000 and failure mileage was 78,500. Updated 2/5/09 *cn the consumer was informed the gasket was made out of plastic that was the reason for the failure. Updated 02/10/09.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet malibu. The vehicle has been shutting off intermittently for the past eight months. The dealer keeps resetting the computer, but the failure persists. The weather was not a factor. The power steering and brakes fail without warning. The failure occurs while accelerating or cruising. The failure mileage was 132,000. Updated 2/5/09 *cn updated 02/10/09.
2003 chevy malibu with 88k. During routine oil change was advised of oil in coolant. Upon taking to mechanic was told I had bad head/intake gasket and needed replaced , estimate cost $2400. Upon researching farther I found out that this is common on some gm vehicles with the same engine and that in fact a class action lawsuit had been settled in california earlier this year. In any case, I'm stuck with the bill on a repair that was caused by the coolant that the gm used and required as apart of the warranty.
The intake manifold gasket on my 2003 chevy malibu had to be replaced since it was plastic. Has their been a recall on this part? If so, what forms need to be filled out to get proper refunding?
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.
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.
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