2002 chevrolet monte carlo. Only has 59,000 miles. Car stalled in traffic. No crash/accident resulted. Intake gasket leaked anti-freeze into engine and oil lubrication system. The anti-freeze got into the ball bearings (as well as rest of engine) and caused corrosion damage and misfires. The engine threw a rod. The nearest chevrolet dealership says that the engine must be replaced, and will cost $5,000 dollars. Warranty is no longer active despite low mileage due to number of years that have passed, nor will they offer a discount. However, this problem is a notorious problem with the 3.4l v6 engine offered by chevrolet/hm. However, they refuse to acknowledge the problem despite the fact that thousands of complaints are listed all across the internet on this specific issue. This issue can also cause manifold explosions and collapses and related engine failures.
Chevrolet Monte Carlo misfire problems
10 of the 2,120 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Monte Carlo describe misfire or rough idle, most of them for the 1996 model year.
- owner complaints
- 10
- worst model year
- 1996
- typical mileage
- 47,000
By model year
- 20062
- 20041
- 20021
- 20001
- 19971
- 19964
Often reported together
Check engine light 3Stalling 2Engine failure 2Power steering loss 1Loss of power 1Fuel pump 1Fuel leak 1Fuel gauge 1
What owners say
For the course of a 3 month period my vehicle kept giving off codes. After several codes of misfiring it took my mechanic quite some time to figure out the problem. He just couldn't put a finger on it and could only find that one spark plug was gunky. He cleaned it and replaced it to see if that would help the issue. It did for about one month then my vehicle began giving off lots of different codes. After it coded for the 5th or 6th time it was finally realized that my car was coding due to the gas and oil not doing what they were suppose to be doing and it was causing gunky buildup under the engine. What ended up happening is that I had to do a major tune up because all the spark plugs were gunky and burned up as well as the wiring and also had to clean the fuel lines. For a car that only had about 39,000 this should not normally be required at this point! In addition I only use 93 octane gas which is required of my car and I take my car in every 3 months for a checkup and oil change. I also use only the best oil in my vehicle: mobil 1 fully synethic oil (no blend). I was told that this would not be covered under my extended warranty because it's considered a complete tune-up. However, it is obvious something was not running right in converting the gas 'n oil under the engine to effectively do their job. A vehicle kept this well should not have to have a full tune-up requiring all wiring harnesses to be replaced with a vehicle of such low mileage. This was a repair that cost me $660. There was some obvious mechanical issues here that are normally seen in a vehicle this new. This is something you find in a vehicle closer to the 75 - 100,000 mile mark and also with one perhaps that doesn't use the best of gas, oil and maybe doesn't keep up so well with maintenance. I'm meticulous in my maintenance and care and I feel there was some defective issues going on that caused my problem. I have all mechanic documentation to assist in my complaint.
Car stalls while driving without notice. The engine just cuts out, the power steering is lost and most times you don't notice until you are pressing the gas pedal and the car is decelerating... Once I'm able to stop car safely, most times it starts back up, but it takes 3-5 times of flooring the gas and cracking the key to get it to catch, then it runs rough for a minute and seems fine. No warning lights when this happens. On a different occasion, the check engine light came on, but the car did not stall. Took it to chevy dealer who diagnosed an ignition module ($600!). Drove the car home the next day and it stalled again!!! Brought it right back up to chevy...and, after much persistence and threatening to stop payment on the $600 spent for nothing, a crankshaft sensor was installed n/c. It has been a week, with no problems yet and hoping this fixed it. However, sometimes it would be up to 3 weeks between the incidents of stalling, so on a wait and see basis right now...with fingers crossed. Very frightening to drive the car and not know if you are going to get where you are trying to go, let alone the though of this happening in the middle of an intersection or on the expressway...the car is in mint condition, garaged kept and regularly maintained by dealer only and has less than 50,000 on it. As a side note, I also have crunching noise recently presented in the steering wheel when turning or braking. After the last go round with chevy over spending $600 on a car that still stalled, was hesitant to have more work done at the moment...
I have infrequent lifter noise. I have been told that this is piston slap. It's not piston slap. This problem has been reported twice. I got the same response. Piston noise. Symptoms: cold start..winter-fall or summer...lifter noise..valves clatter...engine runs rough..no codes..after idling for a few minutes the valves pump up and the roughness and noise go's away... I also have the odor of burt transmission fluid (hair burning) when accelerating.. I also oil 1qt a month.
At 2700 miles it blew the engine. Replaced engine and drove home, whole front started on fire. *bf the consumer was informed that the fire was from a gas leak in the pipe. The consumer felt that the fault was due to green chevy mechanics. Per invoice: the engine light had come on, found codes for engine misfire, cylinder #3, knock sensor melted, performed compression test, cylinder #3 showed zero compression, removed #3 spark plugs, electrode was gone, removed the engine, disassembled the engine down to the pistons, holes were present in the piston, cylinder walls were severely gouged and the engine assembly needed to be replaced.
Rough idle, random misfires, strong odor when misfire occurs, fluctuating gas gauge.
Problem has always been rough idle or not starting.in the case of the fuel pump engine check light was not on and we were told there could not be anything wrong.broke down on way home.had spark plug wires/ altenator and.fuelpump replaced.sparkplugs have only been cleaned.
Bought car july 12, 1996, july 29, 1996 broke down due to #6 injector staying open. Replaced.sept 9, 1996, found improper leak down rate on fuel injectors.installed fuel injectors.34,610 miles check engine light on, found #3&5 cylinders misfiring. They put injector cleaner in.40,323 miles #1,#3 & #5 cylinders spark plugs & wires burned.43,000 miles #2 cylinder spark plugs & wires burned.they want me to pay for this problem, but why do they keep burning out. Have 2 more to burn. Called chevy, they said the same wires have to burn twice.I saw many complaints about this on the federal safety agency website. What does it take for a recall. People shouldn't have to pay for same problem.why didn't they change all spark plugs and wires to all cylinders. Have to keep going back. $108.05 for each cylinder.never heard of this problem on any other car. From day 1, car has started hard, nobody can figure out why.this car is not yet 3 years old, I would like to keep it longer, but not with this happening.
Spark plugs and wires replaced numerous times. Engine check light stays on /rough idle at start/alot hard to start, and brakes won't hold in wet conditons.
Engine check light comes on, car runs rough, engine speed varies with fast idle, engine stops while car is moving - loss of power steering and brakes, hard to start - takes several tries, random engine surging - 3 near misses - engine will speed up to 3000 RPM without warning.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V‑118, 09V‑116, and 15V‑201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold.
- Risk
- Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire.
- Remedy
- The remedy applied under recalls 08V‑118, 09V‑116, and 15V‑201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engines front valve cover and gasket. Vehicles that are covered by recalls 08V‑118, 09V‑116, or 15V‑201 that have not yet received the original remedy will instead receive the improved remedy under the original recall number. The recall began on February 19, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, Buick customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300, Oldsmobile customer service at 1‑800‑442‑6537 and Pontiac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006. GM's number for this recall is 15757. Note: Until the improved remedy has been applied, owners are advised to park their vehicle outside since the fire risk exists even when the vehicle is unattended.
Recall number 15V701000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on April 2, 2015, that they are is recalling certain model year 2004 Buick Regal vehicles manufactured April 9, 2003, to June 1, 2003, 2004 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured April 8, 2003, to June 23, 2003, and 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles manufactured April 7, 2003, to June 23, 2003. On May 18, 2015, GM expanded the recall to cover an additional 49,751 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles manufactured January 6, 2003, to June 25, 2004. In the affected vehicles, the valve cover gasket may leak.
- Risk
- The leaking engine oil can drip onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will remove the plastic cover and plastic oil fill tube extension and replace the front valve cover and gasket. These repairs will be done free of charge. The recall began on April 24, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300, Pontiac customer service at 1‑800‑762‑2737 or Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is 14574.
Recall number 15V201000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- General motors is recalling 1,497,516 my 1997-2003 buick regal, my 1998-2003 chevrolet lumina, monte carlo and impala, my 1998-1999 oldsmobile intrigue, my 1997-2003 pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l v6 naturally aspirated engine. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which drops of engine oil may be deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking.
- Risk
- If the manifold is hot enough and the oil runs below the heat shield, it may ignite into a small flame and may spread to the plastic spark plug wire channel and beyond increasing the risk of an engine compartment fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the engines front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engines plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, oldsmobile at 1‑800‑630‑6537, and pontiac at 1‑800‑620‑7668 or http://www.pontiac.com or http:www.gmownercenter.com.
Recall number 09V116000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Monte Carlo misfire
Which Chevrolet Monte Carlo years have misfire or rough idle problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1996 (4 complaints), 2006 (2 complaints) and 1997 (1 complaints).
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Chevrolet Monte Carlo?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history