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2000-2011 Chevrolet Malibu

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  • wilfj1wilfj1 Member Posts: 52
    blgros.... sure seems early for changing trany oil at 15000 miles, unless your pulling a trailer. The other services would be in order, in my book. If you changed the transmission at every 15000, that's 4 times before the warranty runs out, sure seems excessive.
  • bcmalibu99lsbcmalibu99ls Member Posts: 625
    flushing tranny fluid at 15K is way too early. The dealer went too far in wanting to pay his mortgage a bit sooner :-)
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Don't flush.. waste of money. Way to early on that.
  • stevenycestevenyce Member Posts: 4
    Well, everyone says 15K is too soon, but what is the mfg. recommended interval? I thought dexcool coolant was 100K only, nothing less. Then again, last oil change @ 57K mi. they told me I needed to flush it. Please clarify.
  • joe3891joe3891 Member Posts: 759
    I would not run Dex-Cool over 3yrs or 40,000 miles,there has been a sludge problem with some model engines.
    I changed mine with Dex-Cool for under $12,it can be purchased at Walmart
  • bcmalibu99lsbcmalibu99ls Member Posts: 625
    Joe, how did you drain your coolant? How did you dispose of it? Thanks!
  • joe3891joe3891 Member Posts: 759
    Drained the radiator first, already had a drain hose on it,nice of GM.

    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.
  • AMcDanAMcDan Member Posts: 4
    I know for some of you that follow this board closely or who are familiar with the Malibu and/or GM cars and brakes in general this won't be much news to you...

    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.
  • bcmalibu99lsbcmalibu99ls Member Posts: 625
    Hey, Joe, isn't it illegal to flush coolant, oil, etc down the toilet?

    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.
  • AMcDanAMcDan Member Posts: 4
    I had a feeling somebody was going to tell me 33k was pretty good for Malibu brake pads and that I was lucky :-). Like I said, I was completely ignorant to the poor quality of brakes they put on this car since I've never owned one.

    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.
  • skmalibu2skmalibu2 Member Posts: 1
    Just in the process of buying a 2002 Malibu with 30,000 Kms (19,000 miles) on it. Has been in service for 8 months with previous owner. We have almost half the factory warranty left to go. Any suggestions on whether the rust-proof chemical package ($645 Canadian) and the extended warranty (5 yr/80,000kms or 6 yr/100,000 kms) are a good value? My view is that a manufacturing flaw should likely show up in the original manufacturer's warranty period, and normal wear-and-tear problems with major systems probably won't show up until late in the car's life (long after the extended warranty has expired).
  • bcmalibu99lsbcmalibu99ls Member Posts: 625
    skmalibu, if you are from Sask, they salt the roads there, don't they? If that's the case, I think rustproofing is a good idea, as you don't want the salt eating your car. And the resale value would probably be higher
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    AMCDan: Considering you are right at the average miles per year and that the Malibu is a disc/drum set up, it doesn't surprise me that you need brakes at 33k miles (and don't forget 3 years). That's not all that uncommon for any front wheel drive car, Honda or Toyota. I wouldn't have the dealership do the work esp. since you are turning in the car in 2 months. I would chekc the prices at places like Midas, Brake Shop etc. or an independent garage.

    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.
  • wilfj1wilfj1 Member Posts: 52
    dtownfb.. I thought the malibu had 4 wheel disc brakes, at least in 02. I could be wrong. Could someone please clarify, thanks. wilfj
  • bcmalibu99lsbcmalibu99ls Member Posts: 625
    As far as I know the Bu has never had 4 disc brakes, it has always been front disc, rear drum
  • johnwngjohnwng Member Posts: 24
    My '99 Malibu, which has just run out of warranty but has only logged about 22k miles, has a coolant low warning. The light goes out once fresh coolant is added, but this only lasts for a week or so, as the coolant is low again. I could not find any leakage underneath. My GM dealer took a look and wanted $1200 to fix "an engine pump." Has anyone on this board experienced similar problems? And if so, how did you get it fixed? Is it really a $1200 job? Thanks.
  • jbk5jbk5 Member Posts: 26
    Could be the water pump leaking but I would think you would see coolant on the ground. $1200 is way too much to replace a water pump, but then again it was a dealer... Take it for a second opinion.
  • wilfj1wilfj1 Member Posts: 52
    I would suggest that you have this leakage located sap,could be a head gasket. This could really cause some major problems. The anti freeze is going some place and a good shop should be able to locate it with their test/pressure equipment in short notice. Let us know how you make out. Wilfj1
  • joe3891joe3891 Member Posts: 759
    If its a 2.4 4 cylinder the dealer pump changes are about $800 so $1200 not sure what they are repairing.
  • kofficerkofficer Member Posts: 1
    I don't agree that the Malibu is not a quality vehicle. Everything that has been wrong, and the only thing was the a/c going off and on, was easily and pleasantly fixed by the dealership under warranty. (I didn't feel as nicely about the security system however. What a nightmare when the key doesn't work). They removed it for us at no charge, however. The new one is supposed to be better. I own a 1998 Malibu and as of yesterday at new 2002 Malibu was purchased for my husband. It's a lot of car and ride for the money. I always buy extended warranties, by the way.
  • wilfj1wilfj1 Member Posts: 52
    to kofficer... nice to hear of some faith in the new Malibu's, I likewise just purchased a 02, after considering a Honda Accord. The price difference was just to great for the same size car. I also purchased the full extended warranty. I've just turned 3000km and it's just fine. I have the v6 and it does the job on the highway. Enjoy!! Wilf1
  • bcmalibu99lsbcmalibu99ls Member Posts: 625
    Kofficer, please tell us if 2002 Bu is better than 1998. Does it have better soundproofing, handling, stuff like that. Thanks!
  • wilfj1wilfj1 Member Posts: 52
    to bcmalibu... I'll just add some pointer on sound proofing. First after undercoating road noise,I would say reduced by 20 to 30%. Also, I always put a piece of rug down in the trunk of my cars just in case of a spill. On the Bu I had a piece of foam carpet underlay around so I cut it to fit the trunk floor. I also noticed a gap opening on the rear seat.I could actually see through to the instrument panel from the trunk. Will, again with a piece of foam underlay I closed off the opening. It seemed to me right from the start road noise was coming from the rear of the car, with adding some sound proofing in the trunk what an improvement! It's just to bad GM would'nt spend about $4.00 and do the same. I noticed on the Ford Touras the trunk lid has a sound proofing panel. wilfj1
  • bcmalibu99lsbcmalibu99ls Member Posts: 625
    Will, multiply $4 by about a million Bu's made so far, quite a chunk of cash. If I am not mistaken, GM or Ford was hit with a huge civil judgment several years ago (around a hundred million, I think), because they decided to save a 2-dollar part on each car which would've made the gas tank much less likely to explode during the collision. As a result of the "saving," a woman was badly burned when her car was rear-ended and the gas tank exploded
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    If the coolant is not on the ground, it sounds like the infamous intake gasket leak that plagues roughly 10% of the GM small block V6. (not unless there are other symptoms we don't know about) I would take it to an idependent garage and have them take a look at it. Cost for this job as posted by other members seem to run anywhere from $500-$800 to fix the gasket.

    wilfj1 is correct. A simple pressure test should determine the cause of the leak.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    The Malibu is a great value as long as you are not plague with a ton of problems. I have 2001 Malibu with 19,700 miles and love it. Maintenance on the car couldn't be easier, change the oil every 3-5k miles and rotate the tires every other oil change. That's it!!!!

    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.
  • bcmalibu99lsbcmalibu99ls Member Posts: 625
    dtownfb, would you be so kind and tell us in what areas are Passat, Camry and Accord better than Malibu?
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    Let's not get into a comparison conversation. But the 3 fore-mention cars do have a higher quality materials inside and out. But test drive them all as I did and come up with your own opinion. That was simply my opinion based on personal experience. Nothing more.

    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).
  • wilfj1wilfj1 Member Posts: 52
    I certainly agree with the last post by dtown...
    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.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    The good news is the 04 Malibu will likely be as good as Accord in terms of quality,ride and refinement. I suspect the prices will be higher though, especially for the V6 models.
  • bcmalibu99lsbcmalibu99ls Member Posts: 625
    I dunno, fellas, I like everything about the Bu except short-lived rattles in the dash in the morning, when the engine is cold, and the brake pads. I drove an Impala for a week, and it's a lousy car because the steering and the gas pedal are designed for 95-year-olds, it is THAT badly overboosted, you simply can't feel the road. I drove a Cavalier for several days, and the car simply flies off the road if you try to push it half as hard as I push the Bu. I also drove a 1995 Mercedes for a couple of hours, and it's quieter and a bit smoother, but also costs three times more. So I am wondering, what could all those Japanese cars offer, except higher average reliability and a bit more refinement. But no one is talking :-)
  • wilfj1wilfj1 Member Posts: 52
    The Bu value drops like a rock after the 1st year. For example my son has a 99 Honda, well maintained with 65000km and he will get just about what he paid for it 3 years ago.his depreciation will be around $ 1500 to 2000. The point is while the import may be higher in price at time of purchase, on the turnaround you may actually come out better and have a superior car over the time frame. His Logic may right, buying another Honda. Wilfj1
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    $1500-2000 in three years?? Ya right!
  • tamu2002tamu2002 Member Posts: 758
    Hey bcmalibu99ls, that's exactly what went through my mind after testdriving the Malibu: how much better can the japanese cars be than this? I mean the malibu accelerates, rides, turns and stops, all without making me uncomfortable, plus having a $16300 price tag for an LS... no way I can justify paying thousands more for a Honda. Sure it's a little less refined and dull to look at (subjective of course), but is this a sacrifice worth 6 grand? It's a no brainer to me. All the auto journalists complain about the "trivial" stuff about cars (not being able to carve a sharp turn at 60 mph, seat comfortness, low tech engine, etc), I wonder how many everyday folks can honestly tell the difference (for today's modern cars) or ever push their cars that hard for that matter, and yet they get taken and buy what the experts say are better cars for thousands more with their hard-earned dollars.
    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.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    I wouldn't be confident about Malibu being as good as the Accord or Camry (Passat is out its's class price wise). The 2004 Malibu will use the 1998-2002 Accord and the 1996-2001 Camry as its bench mark and both of these cars are better for the 2003 model year. I could be wrong.

    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.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Given how the Camry (and to some extent the Accord) have grown in size, I'm thinking the 04 Malibu will be quite a bit smaller though I am unsure of the exact dimensions. The car is getting decent reviews in Europe so unless they screw it up completely, the 04 Malibu should be a solid performer.

    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.
  • wilfj1wilfj1 Member Posts: 52
    reply to Dindak... agreed sounds far to low, however the prices on the honda has risen over the past three years, where in fact the GM low end have not increased substantial. This is a plan Jean honda Stick shift, only AC and basic tape deck. Therefore, at say $ 14500 this car will sell privately to someone looking for a Honda, excellent condition, low km . His purchase price was low, no toys and dealer offerred a discount for year end. we'll see when sale is made but from the local paper he should get his price.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    What people ask and what people get are 2 different things. There is no way a regular car only depreciates $1500-2000 in three years, even if it was never driven.
  • tamu2002tamu2002 Member Posts: 758
    I just think domestic cars deserve more credit than people give them. A few months ago I wasn't a fan at all of american cars but owning a Malibu changed my perspective a lot after paying more attention to the domestic brands and some research, rather than just taking some pretentious automotive writers' word for it. They have much better styling and a character which the Japanese cars lack, and when you read various long term tests of domestic cars, they ARE reliable, maybe a couple of minor glitches here and there but who cares for the money you paid. And the current rebates just added so much more Wow factor. Personally I tend to cheer for the underdogs and refuse to follow the crowd. And I've seen many people blindly following the "buy japanese" advice and paying way too much for bare-bone pathetic cars that are NOT free of problems. But American cars gotta be worse right?
  • wilfj1wilfj1 Member Posts: 52
    reply to dindak.. your point is well taken, and the final results will tell. I don't won't to prolong the subject, but the new Civic sells for over $20,000. Plus two taxes and higher insurance. My other son had a 98 Corolla, advertised it in the local Buy and Sell, within 3 hours after the issue came out the car was gone. In our town there is a very strong market for quality imports in the $12000-14000 range a saving of some $10000. over a new car. I have never owned a import and have always driven GM"S with good service. So it be...
  • logic1logic1 Member Posts: 2,433
    but probably not of the Sedan.

    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?
  • wilfj1wilfj1 Member Posts: 52
    reply to Tamu...well said! As you may have noticed in my previous posts my sons are sold on imports and are paying premium prices while the old man has always stayed with GM. My wife has had 3 Mustang's since 1966,1980 and 1992. The 1980 is still on the road(city only) without any motor or trany work.this is not a beater. we have maintained the body, working on the rust every year. I wonder how many imports from 1980 are still running around. The Japanese did a real job in taking Detriot engineering and produced a good product, better then domestic, I'm not convinced?. In my view the purchaser of an import has to justify, to them self that they made the right decision and paying a premium price. Hay, we all know that Detriot built some real bummers over the years but they also built millions of great auto's , mechanically and in design. Amen
  • bcmalibu99lsbcmalibu99ls Member Posts: 625
    By flooding the N.American market with high-quality cars they made "the big 3" move their behinds. The fact that domestic cars are having less and less major problems with each new model year is the result of enormous competition from the Japanese, imho. You can be a patriot for only so long, after a while you realize that paying huge repair bills is simply not worth it. Besides, is it not UNpatriotic to sell crap to your own people? Every dollar spend on fixing a lemon is a dollar not spend on your family. So, thank you, Japan, for all the good things your brought! Competition - the true nature of capitalism :-)
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    No doubt, Honda and Toyota have pushed the big three quality bar up, especially GM. We have Malibu's sister car the Alero and it has been flawless for our first 5 months aside from a foggy headlight (from car washing) which will be fixed easily. While I think GM still has a way to go, the quality gap is not really significant any more and it's not like Honda's and Toyota's are trouble free. In fact Toyota just announced two major recalls in the past week.

    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.
  • tamu2002tamu2002 Member Posts: 758
    wilfj1, you're so right. With the current domestic rebates and small quality gap, it's awfully hard to justify paying thousands more for an import, especially for folks like us who literlly have to be careful spending every dollar. And bcmalibu99ls, we do need to thank the Japanese auto makers for improved quality of the domestics. I used to be a big fan of the Korean cars, cheap and long warranty, now I just find the domestics that much more attractive with the rebates. Honestly without the rebates they're out of our reach. By the way I don't quite understand why Bob Luts wanted to get rid of Oldsmobile. To me all the Olds models are handsome and decent cars especially the new Aurora which is just gorgeous. It's a shame they won't be there by the time we can afford one.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Oldsmobile was killed before Lutz came on board at GM. It is a shame, but it was obvious one division had to go and Olds was the choice made.

    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.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    I agree the domestics have gotten much better but I do see a disturbing sign by GM and that is decontenting. ABS is now an option on many GM cars while Honda announce that ABS is now standard. Not sure this is a sign of the economy or what. Also remember that the Big 3 can afford to discount their cars since they make so much money on their trucks and SUV. And people forget that Honda is not a big automaker. In terms of international sales they are not even in the top 10.

    Either way we are all benefitting from better quality cars.
  • bcmalibu99lsbcmalibu99ls Member Posts: 625
    A little story to illustrate the quality of Japanese cars. About 2 years ago I saw something which I won't forget for a while, because before I saw it, I thought it never happens, and I don't think I'll see something like that ever again. On the side of a highway near Washington DC, I saw a well-dressed man with a very sour expression on his face talking on a cell phone. The man was standing next to a car with a raised hood and flashing emergency lights.

    It was a Lexus

    :-)
  • bcmalibu99lsbcmalibu99ls Member Posts: 625
    Guys, check this pic out. I am probably mistaken, but it looks like 2003 Bu has way too much clearance


    http://carpoint.msn.com/vip/gallery.aspx?modelid=10414&pictureid=0&src=vip

  • jbk5jbk5 Member Posts: 26
    That's the new Outback model.

    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.
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