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2000-2011 Chevrolet Malibu
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Comments
I changed mine with Dex-Cool for under $12,it can be purchased at Walmart
Next drained the block,inline 4 cyl so 1 drain plug,a V will have 2 one on each side,drained into a pan.
Flushed system twice with only water.I have never got the right mix the first time,50/50 but no big deal I just adjust it.
The old coolant went down the sewer drain.
I guess call me blissfully ignorant. Mostly, my wife and I have owned and driven Accords and Civics. But 3 years ago, I was enticed by the low payments and went with a 2000 Malibu on a 36-month lease.
My problem - the brakes. With about 33k miles and just under 2 months left on my lease, the front brakes need replaced. Now - here's the blissfully ignorant part - I've never heard of brakes going out that quickly. My '97 Civic has 72k miles and never so much as a squeek or rattle from the brakes - ever.
The Malibu has not been driven hard and my wife, who drives the car daily, is your "typical" female driver who never drives fast or stops aggressively.
My main frustration is the triple-screw GM puts on you here. One, basically worthless brake pads installed at the factory. Two, they call this "normal wear" so it's not covered under warranty. Three, they want $220 for new pads - on just the front!
I brought up the Honda comparison to the service tech. His reply? "Oh, I know. I have a Honda and a Nissan and it's basically the same way"
I hate piling on American cars, but this is exactly the type of thing that leaves such a bad taste. Needless to say, this added to a few other annoyances with the car has ensured that I won't be re-leasing or purchasing a GM auto.
AMC, consider yourself lucky, 33K miles for Malibu's front brake pads is not bad at all! I had mine replaced at 22K, and I am sure many people would consider ME lucky :-) Too bad, but that's how GM keeps the original price so low - by installing cheap pads.
Still doesn't make it any easier to get over the $220 they quoted me. I'm gonna end up taking it to some brake shop. Should be able to get it done for under $100. Especially since I'm turning the car over in a couple of months, I sure don't want to put any $ into it.
Re: tranny fluid: I'm almost positive the manula says it can go 100k miles (except for severe duty which is 60k miles). Just follow the manual.
wilfj1 is correct. A simple pressure test should determine the cause of the leak.
Is it better then the Accord or Camry or Passat? No. I have test driven all 3. They are all better cars if you don't consider price. But the Malibu is still a lot of car for the money. And exactly what we were looking for when we purchased the car last summer: a very good car with low monthly payments that can carry 2 car seats and gets good gas mileage. I'm just sorry I couldn't take advantage of the 0% financing.
One indtersting thing I found when reading the Consumer Reports Car issue. The Malibu was the highest rated American mid-size car with a V-6 in the family sedan category. Not bad for the Malibu.
Mypoint is the Malibu is a very good car but it is a half step below the top cars in the segment. At $3000-$5000 less, it offers a tremendous value and makes it very attractive to those shopping in this segment. Esp. since it seems that GM has finally (knock on wood) ironed out some of the earlier problems with the Malibu (rotors, A/C switch, leaking problems, etc).
I went down the road and come to the same results.
but would add if you are going to exceed the basic warranty, put some money down for the extended time. At the price of major repairs today it's good insurance. The other option which is done by a lot of folks ,is to trade in the Malibu in the 32 month, allowing 4 months of warranty for the buyer. A good selling point and a faster sale privately.
I heard on the news with the current rebates the US auto maker only makes a couple hundred dollars on each sale. That really makes me feel bad for them. And let's face it, buying domestic does help the economy, not to mention save yourself a big chunck of change.
I also found it funny that a 3 year old Honda only depreciates $2000. They are good cars but not that good.
Of course, I knew about the depreciation of the Malibu but quite honestly I didn't care. I plan on keeping it for at least 5 years, not unless I hit the lottery. Then it's a BMW 540.
As for depreciation, it more a function of price paid (after rebates ect), not list. Using that benchmark, the Malibu is not that much worse than anything else.
Put more hp and a more sporty suspension in the Malibu Sedan and you have a G6.
Possibly, if the G6 uses a version of the new 3.6 litre OHC engine, GM could make a Malibu SS using a classic powerful version of the 3.8. I wonder if the current Vette engine would fit?
I admit I like the new Accord, but the money they are asking for a V6 blows my mind, especially since there is little or no discounting.
You are right though, Our Alero after rebates plus taxes and freight was less than an Accord list prices before adding freight and taxes. Literally thousands of dollars difference.
Either way we are all benefitting from better quality cars.
It was a Lexus
:-)
http://carpoint.msn.com/vip/gallery.aspx?modelid=10414&pictureid=0&src=vip
Actually to me it looks like the picture was taken from the ground that's why you can see straight through under it. I think it is just the perspective.