2000-2011 Chevrolet Malibu

vcjumper · January 2003

I'll post the link I posted in the Vectra topic since those pics are not allowed/won't be here long

pat · January 2003

"those pics are not allowed/won't be here long"

Yup.

Folks, you cannot use the img src tags to display copyrighted pictures unless you or Edmunds.com owns the copyright.

Links are fine. Displaying is not. Unfortunately, I did have to remove some messages.

Email me if there are any questions, thanks.

dindak · January 2003

All I can say is the new Malibu looks like a winner if the quality and value are there. Great improvement on the interior.

bcmalibu99ls · January 2003

It looks nice inside and out, but what's with the antenna on the roof in front of the car??? It looks out of place, anyone concurs?

vcjumper · January 2003

Antenna is part of its Euro heritage since it is heavily based on the current Opel Vectra as the Saturn L Series is based on the previous one.

regfootball · January 2003

more and more cars are going to the antenne on the roof centered towards the front.

dindak · January 2003

Hopefully they will do a window integrated antenna when the car is actually produced like on the current Alero. Antennas are a pain.

dtownfb · January 2003

The Firestone Affinity bashing will stop once Gm decides to put decent tires on their cars. I also have put 20k+ on my tires and while they do ride fine, they could still be better. The car would ride even better if they had more grip. The reasons GM chose these tires are, they are cheap and they ride quietly which is typical for OEM tires in this price range. I'll keep mine on for another 10k miles but I guarantee you willnot replace them with the same tire.

tamu: That's great that your Malibu performed well on your trip. I made my final decision on the Malibu when I rent one to go up to Boston. It's a 300 mile trip each way. And the malibu performed nicely. I love mine but I'm not foolish enough to believe it is as good as the Camry, Accord, passat group. Unfortunately GM hasn't put the advertising dollars into this vehicle. Too many are being sold to fleet and rental companies which further hurts not only resale value but the reputation of the car. It's a shame because it seems likethey have gotten all the bugs out of it. Although my brakes were chattering a little which i understand is the beginning of the dreaded warped rotors. Good luck with your Malibu and give us some updates. So far at 23k miles, all i have had to do is change the oil, rotate the tires and put gas in it. Been averaging 22-24 mpg per tank with mix driving. Higher (28-29) with all highway. Lowest tank was 20 mpg.

credman41 · January 2003

dtownfb.....thanks for the word on the fuel tank....guilty as charged for not reading the owner's manual.... And I berated my wife for not reading her manual on her new car.... silly me.

credman

tamu2002 · January 2003

You're right. I started to fall in love with our Malibu (my wife's anyway) after we bought it. To be honest, I didn't even want to look at it initially. It was purely because of the big rebates advertised. Now If only the Malibu was more exciting to look at...

dtownfb · January 2003

CREDMAN: Don't worry about it. I'm very obsessive about reading my owners' manual. During the first 6 months, I probably read it 3-4 times and that is on top of looking up the recommended maintenance. Most of the manual concentrates on the fundamental operations of the vehicle, like buckling your seat belt, braking, adjusting the seat, etc. So it can be very tedious to read through all 300 pages. And I normally begin to research a car 6 months to a year before I purchase it. You can tell I like new cars.

tamu: I bought it when they just had the $1500 rebate. it helped to lower the amount we were financing. the malibu didn't comeinto sight both literally or figuratively until we were test driving the Olds Alero. We finally decided against the Alero once we sat inthe back seat and then tried to put a car seat back there. Yikes!!!!! Then I looked over and saw the Malibu and asked the salesman about that car and he said it a nice car with a littl emore room then the Alero. Took a test drive, then rented it to goto Boston and then to DC and was sold. The funny thing is the Accord was our first choice but during the test drive, I noticed the steering wheel of the Accord rested on my knees making it difficult to drive on long trips (I'm 6'4" tall) and my wife was afraid that she would get too many tickets with the Accord. (She was doing 85 mph on Route 78 and couldn't tell until myself and the salesman mentioned it to her) So we opted for the malibu. I like the the look of the malibu event though it is sort of bland. It has that look that won't grow old, similar to the camry and accord. One thing i wish I had done is get the spoiler. The malibu is one of the few cars that look good with a spoiler.

larryt22 · January 2003

I went to the Indianapolis Auto Show last week and Chevy had at least one of every model made EXCEPT.....NO Malibu at all!!!! Shame on Chevrolet and the Central Indiana Chevy Dealers.

tamu2002 · January 2003

Hey dtownfb, funny you mentioned the spoiler. Our Malibu does have a spoiler and I agree it adds a lot of charm to the car. I'm glad we looked for one that had it. Our car is redfire which I think is the prettiest color for the Malibu. The Malibu's looks do grow on you (it could be psycological now that we like it a lot) and I like its looks a lot better than I did before.

I didn't know the Alero has less room than the Malibu. I sort of like the Alero's styling better. Well it cost a couple grands more so we couldn't afford it, anyways. Hey what did you mean when you said you guys didn't feel the Accord's high speed? Was it quieter than the Malibu? Just curious. We didn't test drove the Accord so I have no idea how it compares to the Malibu.

dindak · January 2003

http://www.auto.com/2003show/gm7_20030107.htm

dtownfb · January 2003

RE: Accord. Yes it had an very smooth ride. Smoother then the malibu, believe it or not. And this was the 150 hp, 4 cyl. engine not the V6. Also the engine is quieter at that speed(65+) then the Malibu. And the Malibu is not that loud. I believe this is why people believe the Accord is more refined then the Malibu.

The Alero is the twin of the Grand AM but they are all built on the same platform. The Malibu is a couple of inches longer. Also the Alero shape restrict the interior space. Meaning, it's shape get narrower near the roof of the car. Also the backseat is awful. And it is hard to see out the back because of the roofline of the trunk. The styling is very nice though.

larry456 · January 2003

Recently while driving on highway at 55mph, car went dead. Pulled off road, put car back in park and it started up like nothing was wrong. Anyone have any idea what might be brewing?

dtownfb · January 2003

larry: read post 1280. I had this happen on Thanksgivng night. have not been able to reproduce it..nor do I want to.

deminin · January 2003

We recently bought a new Malibu LS with everything except the engine block heater. We shopped several makes, including the Japanese and German cars. While many of them are slightly better in some ways, none offers anywhere the value of the Malibu for the money. The VW Passat was the only car that really was impressive in this class, but is it really worth $12,000 more with similiar equipment? We have arrived at a comfortable retirement, but we didn't get there by spending money unwisely.
This Malibu will give a couple of old duffers many good miles of enjoyable travel.
It seems that one of the complaints on this car is the tires...Firestone Affinity. However, they have a UTQG of 500 AB which is better than the equivelant Michelan. I suspect with a regular rotation, they will last well past 60,000 miles. Firestone has taken a lot of heat, but if one looks past the media hype, and the ambulance chasing lawyers, there were probably other reasons for the SUV problems other than just the tires.
Our Malibu has excellent fit and finish, runs and drives great, has a great stereo, and the sunroof is a hoot. Add to that the $3,000 rebate, and I doubt that there is another car that can compete, dollar for dollar, with the Malibu. We certainly didn't find any.

tamu2002 · January 2003

Congratulations on your purchase deminin. I was glad to see another sensible person on this board. I totally agree with you. In terms of overall value no one beats the Malibu. As far as the Passat costing $12,000 more, I don't care how much better it is!! Gimme a break!!

I'm also glad to hear you testify the Firestone tires will last over 60,000 miles (hopefully). That's one less thing to spend money on. We have almost 7000 miles on our 2002 Malibu LS and not a single problem. Happy motoring.

yurakm · January 2003

lasted 37k miles on my 98 Malibu. And I ought to replace them earlier, @32k miles or so.

I believe, the OEM, factory-installed Firestone Affinity are somewhat different from aftermarket ones, warranted for 80k miles. I looked at Firestone / Bridgestone dealer - the tread pattern were similar, but not identical.

However, even 30k is decent mileage. Additionally, my driving style and pattern is somewhat hard on tires, especially on edges.

The recommended tire pressure (29 psi front, 26 psi rear) is on low side. Currently I am inflating tires about 4psi more than recommended.

tamu2002 · January 2003

I inflate my tires more than the recommended as well. Does anyone know why they recommend such low pressure?

deminin · January 2003

Some car makers recommend a lower pressure because it makes the care ride "nicer". If you check with the tire company, they usually recommend 2 to 5 pounds higher than the car maker. I always run my tires at 31 or 32 pounds and try to check them monthy. This usually results is excellent tire wear. I just changed the tires on my Dakota pickup..at 64,000 miles, I still had decent tread left, and its a 4WD. Keep the pressure up, rotate the tires every 12 to 15K, drive sensibly, and nearly any tire will give good results.

tamu2002 · January 2003

Aren't the tires supposed to be rotated every 6000 miles? But I guess you can almost always stretch the manufacture's recommendations.

c_worc · January 2003

Coming off a lease of Honda Accord LX V6; nice but too cramped for over six feet. Malibu LS with
1SB package looks(black with gold pkg.)attractive. I owned a 94 lumina with 3.1 engine found it to be great. Lasted 178,000 before it was totaled in accident. Any input as to what BU
described above should be going for? Actually, it is supposedly a salesmen"s demo with 2,000 milles. I was caluclating sticker plus
dest charges @ about 23,000.00 less 3,000.00rebate, less 10% off siticker, less 1,000.00 for demo (2,000miles @.05/mile)===16,700.00 offer/sale ??? . Those of you with experience in this market, please advise your opinion. Thanks in advance for you input.

tamu2002 · January 2003

Hi deminin, I thought the main purpose of the car maker's recommendation was to give the tires proper wear (and a good ride)as stated in the manual. I always thought going above the recommendation would shorten the tires' life. But from your experience maybe not.

c_worc:

Our Malibu is a 2002 LS with a spoiler. We paid $16300 after the $2500 rebate. I'm sure what your option costs but seems like you should be able to get a much better deal than $16,700, especially for a demo with that many miles on. Good luck!

tamu2002 · January 2003

Hi c_worc, I'm just curious. How did the Accord hold up? And how does it compare to the Malibu? Could you give a little "long term review"?

dtownfb · January 2003

I think he probably had the same problem I had in the 2001 Accord. The steering wheel does not tilt. Only the steering column moves up and down and does not give taller folks the necessary leg room, up and down. Fore and aft are fine but the steering wheel rests on your thigh area.

The new Accord offer a tilt and telescoping steering wheel which solves that problem.

RE OEM tires: The objective of the OEM tires is to give you a quiet, nice ride at the cheapest price they can negotiate. they could care less how long they last as long as they last 12,000 miles (warranty). Unfortuantely, with the exception of a few auto makers, the OEM tires are generally subpar.

spkirk · January 2003

I just have a quick question for ya'll. My mom had a malibu a few years ago and she had lots of brake problems with it and she traded it in. She really liked the car but could not handle having to fix the brakes every couple of months. She is looking again at the malibu but she is not sure if the brake problem has been resolved. Has Chevrolet corrected the brake problem. She had here rotors replaced and several pad changes in less than 25,000 miles. She is one of the easiest people on cars that I have ever met. Could any of ya'll that own the malibu comment on the brakes on your cars! That would be greatly appreciated.

c_worc · January 2003

DEMININ;
Extras include LS Preferred Equipment Group
Includes vehicle with standard equipment and front leather appointed bucket seats with reclining seatbacks and adjustable head restraints, rear spoiler and electric power tilt-sliding sunroof with mirror map light. In addition this beauty has the gold package as well
as an AM/FM Stereo (ETR) w/CD and Cassette. I've got these guy's down to 17,700.00 However they are now talking about additional fees including 95.00 for title preparation, registration and 198.00 government fee (which I have never heard of). If your deal included above extras; then my tentative deal is not so good. Option Packages total $1477.00 at invoice cost.

TAMU2002
My daughter (19years young) did most of the driving on this one after I decided that it was too cramped for me. I don't want to be too critical because I have been accustomed to full size cars like my 1994 Caddy Concours. We have put about 48,000 miles so far and have had absolutely no problems whatsoever. Ride and handles beautifully and is what I consider a "LOOKER" It is a LX Model with all the extras including the V-6 engine. I think a car should have enough "get up and go" to get out of it's own way in a tight situation; and the Accord certainly does. With exception noted I would highly recommend it.

Regards,

c_worc

buguy · January 2003

The brake pads seem a little small for the size of the Malibu and the rotors a little thin as well, but the reason for their seemingly short life is the transmission gearing (tall) and the fact the car freewheels, so all the stopping is being done by the brakes. 70% being on the front pads/rotors. I was able to make my initial pads last 42,000 and at 73,000 still have the same rotors with no pedal bounce. No magic, just use drive "3" instead of D when in town or hilly sections. Lots more brakeing power from the engine that saves the brakes. The little more gas you use in insignificant. Having great luck with my 99' with the 2.4 engine. Not one problem in all the miles so far. Plenty of power, a little noisy but smooth as butter. Sad to see it go in the bu. Would recommend this car to one and all....especially for the price. Lucky to have an LS model without the LS tag on the trunk. All the options on the 4 cylinder. Have not seen another like it. Paid $17,800 in 99. been worth it

deminin · January 2003

It sounds like you are looking at the same car we have...every option except engine block heater. The Sticker price was $23,335. If you have no trade-in, subtracting the $3,000 rebate, and another $1000 or so for mark-up, anything in the $19.5K range would be a fair price. Then, if you subtract some for its being a demo, I would think that $18k would be a good buying price. If you have the dealer talking in that range, you probably have a good deal. Although the holdback is 3%, that quickly gets eaten up with dealer advertising charges, and overhead, so If your dealer is at or under $18K, he is probably giving you his best/honest deal..go for it.

tamu2002 · January 2003

I had some trouble shutting the hood yesterday after checking the oil level. There was a big block of off-white grease stuck in the hinges. I couldn't remember if the grease had always been there or not, but I took it out anyway. That seemed to help just a little bit. I still ended up having to push the hood real hard to get it to shut.

My question is:
is the grease supposed to be there? (I don't remember seeing it before). If not, how did it get in there?? And why would the hood not shut? I doubt the soft grease could be the culprit. The weather has been very cold lately with temp in the teens though.

Thanks guys.

deminin · January 2003

tamu2002,
Lets try this again..see if I can keep my finger off the enter key. First, the white grease on the hinges is probably ok. Its common practice to use white grease on door/hood hinges..stays put better, and isn't quite as messy. Try to determine if its the hood hinges or the front latch causing the problem. If the hood moves up and down freely, but you have to slam it to latch it, its probably the front latch sticking, or dirty or rusting, etc. A good penetrating oil..WD 40, etc., will clean it out..wipe up any that gets on the paint. Then, put some white grease on a q-tip and coat all moving surfaces. If the hood is binding as it goes up/down, don't force it too much..the sheet metal is rather flimsy on most hoods, and you could wind up with a badly warped/bent hood. Again, flush the hinge area with penetrating oil, and apply grease afterwards. BTW, WD40, and white grease are common items at any auto parts store, or Walmart.

tamu2002 · January 2003

Thanks deminin! The hood moved up and down freely but when I tried slamming it to latch it, it didn't work. You're right about the hood metal being flimsy, when I tried to force it I could feel the metal give in so I let go immediately and fortunately didn't bend it. In the end I ended up pushing the edge of the hood.

I'm thinking it was probably the cold temperature that somehow caused the front latch not to latch. I haven't openned the hood again yet since last time. I guess I'll wait till the weather gets a little warmer and see what happens. Weird thing is I don't remember ever seeing that big chunk of white grease in the hinge. Well, it must've been there all aong. I might replace it somewhere down the road.

buguy · January 2003

If you live in the colder climates it is best not to slam the hood for any reason. It will break the filiments in the headlight bulbs. I cringe when I hear it because in a short while that car will have a headlight out. Just put the hood down easily and put your weight on it to hear it latch. Also, a good idea to pull up just to be sure it is latched. You should not have to replace a light in the life of the car unless you keep it 10 or more years. Eventually they just wear out. Good to keep the latching assembly lubed with WD-40 as advised. Great stuff and puts less strain on the cable used to release the hood. Just some more useless advise from a guy in the cold new england climate.

tamu2002 · January 2003

Thanks buguy. I think I won't slam the hood anymore. I didn't really "slam" it, just lifted it and let it drop. Well, I guess that's still slamming. I lived in Texas for the past 5 years so I'm just getting used to the cold weather up here. I can already begin to see the level of stress cold weather puts on a car. My other car (Geo storm) never warms up, even on long trips! I just changed the oil in it and it looked terrible, all black and had chunks which according to the mechanic was frozen water (hopefully). Granted I waited almost 6 months for the oil change. More winter car care advise is welcome! Thanks!

buguy · January 2003

Tamu, you probably are not getting the 0 degree days we get here in New England so there should not be the need for extreme caution when starting but if you have really cold days in succession, a way to save your battery on the bu is turn on the headlights for 10 seconds before starting. Turn the lights off and immediately start the car. This wakes up the battery with a softer jold than hitting that 6 cylinder with the cold battery/starter. Works wonders here. I also use synthetic oil and dont worry about having thick oil in the crank case. One last thing, it is much better to drive a car shortly after a cold start than letting it sit and idle for 10 or 20 mins. It warms up muck quicker and gets off the cold start enricher sooner. Keeps from cleaning the cylinder walls with raw gas. Anxious to see the new Malibu with the Epsilon platform. Great car for the money.

tamu2002 · January 2003

Thanks for the tips! I had never heard of that battery trick before, pretty slick. Will tell the wife that. Man you made me wonder what extreme caution will be like

All of that sounds pretty cautious to me. By the way, I assume you have a new Malibu too, isn't it a little too early to use synthetic oil? Well, I guess you can't really start protecting your car too early...

spratt1 · January 2003

I am new to the Malibu "Family". Seems like a very nice car for the $. Great ride, handling, etc., and at thousands below the competition. "Fit and finish" may be a little behind the Passats, Camrys, and Accords, but the price difference doesn't seem worth it. Can anyone fill me in on the main problems I may encounter. Go ahead, burst my bubble.

dtownfb · January 2003

Congratulations!

The recent years for the Malibu have been much better then the early years. Chevy seems tohave gotten rid of most of the bugs. I have a 2001 Malibu LS with 23.7k miles. So far so good. All I have done is oil and filter change, rotate tires and changer the air filter.

Others who have had their 'BU longer may be able to give you a better perspective then me.

chevymalibu19 · January 2003

Hey, you should consider the malibu. I think it is worth the money. I'm a college student in Oklahoma City, and thus for it has proven to be very dependable. The main headache about this car is the brakes. Seems like the rotors warp very easily and far to often. I have 112000 miles on a 98. I did have one fairly big problem, one winter my power stering pumb burst. It was expensive to repair, but it was under warranty. Other then that, just brakes and brakes. So far, I've been lucky with my interior, I don't know if it is because i don't have kids or what not, but nothing is falling apart...yet or rattling.

Test drive one, and drive it hard, slam the door. I've even jumped a couple of ditches and curbs, of course not on purpose, and yes i did have to get an alignment. Anyway, good luck.

spratt1 · January 2003

Thanks to "dtownfb" and "chevymalibu19." We actually have already purchased the car. Bought it 1/20/03, and was just asking what I could expect. I drove four of them before the one I purchased. Tried all kinds of conditions and was very pleased with the overall performance. I have owned a Passat in the past, and our other car is a '99 Volvo V70. While the Malibu does not have the handling or acceleration of those other turbo equipped cars, it is pretty good anyway. The ride on the Malibu may actually be better for most everyday driving, more like (and no less than) a Camry. As for rattles,and related, I encountered none in any of the ones I test drove, and the one we purchased is completely rattleless. Can't say the same with the past Passat or our current Volvo. Also, the 'BU is very quiet inside. All in all we are very pleased with the initial quality.

We purchased a sage 2003 LS with the CD/Cassette upgrade. The stereo sound is very good also.

deminin · January 2003

Good choice! We've had our new loaded LS for a few weeks now, and no problems. The brake rotors seem to be the weakest link (according to notes in this discussion), but brake problems can usually be traced to break-in techniques, or driving habits. If you are in a situation where you have to contend with hectic rush-hour traffic every day, you may have to take it easy the first few days/weeks to allow the pads to seat properly. Luckily, we are retired, and live in the country, where the pace is a bit slower, so just normal driving here in the boonies should be ok.
I did make one addition to our LS..since we live about 1/2 mile down a gravel road. I bought a set of factory mud flaps, and installed them. The tires are fairly wide, and will throw rocks onto the lower mouldings/paint. These factory flaps fit perfectly, and offer good protection without looking obnoxious. They are easy to install if you follow the instructions carefully. There is enough clearance to drill behind the front tires--by turning the wheels, but it is better to remove the rear tires before drilling, unless you have a right angle drill. I left them the flat black/unpainted, and they look good against the gold color of the car. And, I concur with your opinion of the upgraded stereo. I can boom-box with the teenagers, or put in an ENYA CD, open the sunroof shade, and cruise in total enjoyment. Good luck with your new Malibu

tamu2002 · January 2003

Hi deminin, the dealership did the installation for us when we bought our Malibu, so I didn't realize you have to drill holes on the car to install the mud guards. I thought you just screw them on. Or, maybe your Malibu didn't come with the mud guards and you special ordered them?

tamu2002 · January 2003

Our Malibu's brakes feel a little tight. I mean you have to put a lot of pressure on the pedal to make a stop, compared to another Malibu we testdrove. They also make a barely audible friction noise when braking at low speed. Are these signs of future problem?

deminin · January 2003

Yup, the factory flaps both look good and serve a good purpose. You definitly have to drill. The instructions call for a 1/8" bit, but I went down to a .120" size to get a better bite. The front screws have a sealer on the threads, so if you drill carefully, and install properly, you get a good seal that won't rust (metal fenders). Thats why I did it myself..the old rule of "if you want something done right, etc."
As for brakes, some minor noise on disk brakes is normal..depending on the type of pad being used..just a slight sound if you listen closely. With the aluminum wheels, its easy to monitor the disks. When washing the car, etc., always inspect the rotors. They should be smooth, with no evidence of grooving etc. You can reach thru the wheel, and feel the inner surface with your finger to test for grooves. Don't do this unless the car has sat awhile..they get hot. If I start seeing any wear as the car gets some miles on it, I will probably change over to Sintered Iron pads. They are a softer material, and grip better. Plus, the iron compound has a tendency to melt slightly as the pads heat up, and help fill any microscopic pits that form in the rotors..thus helping to keep them in good shape. I used these iron pads..Raybestos brand from O'reily auto parts..on a '90 Z28 I drove for my last 10 years of working, and they did real good. I could haul the Z car down from 90 to zip real fast, and no chatter or grabbing. I got 60,000 miles out of the first set, and had most of the pads left after 30,000 on the second set when I sold my toy car. I never touched the rotors on the Z. In my opinion, if you have to turn the rotors, its better to replace them.

chevymalibu19 · January 2003

Congradulations with you bu, Spratt, sounds like a nice one. I'll think you'll enjoy it, keep the maintenaice up, and its good deal. I use the maintenence schedule in the manual that came with the car. I've come to realize, i guess these people actually know what their talking about

Tamu, i bet the noise that you hear sounds kinda like a slow whining noise just before you stop huh? Well, for my car usually does that right after i have my brake pads replaced. Now, about you pedal being tight, i'd like to know what you find out about that i have no idea.

tamu2002 · January 2003

Deminin,
Thanks for the brake pad recommendation. I'll definately keep that brand in mind when the time comes to replace them.

Malibu19,
Your description of our braking noise sounds about right. Does your car still do that now that the pads have been broken in?

Anybody have any idea about the brakes being tight? My feeling is it is better than being too soft. But it's some getting used to the extra pressure required for a full stop. But again, it's not like you have stand on it or anything.

buguy · January 2003

It is very nice to read comment after comment on this site about the brakes. If that is the main gripe about our car, I am glad to be part of the mailbu ownership clan. Easy fix, many different brands and types of pads to choose from, quite inexpensive and not difficult to do ourselves if we don't mind getting a little dirty and bruising a knuckle. Seeing all good advise. I have had excellent luck with Wagner pads. $34 for both fronts and long lasting without leaving brake dust embedded in my front mag wheels. Chevy builds the car we knew they could build and it comes close to competing with the Japanese cars. Price wise it beats them!

chevymalibu19 · January 2003

Buguy
Thanks for the advice about the brake brand. I'm writing that down for the next time i need a brake job, and I'm going to try them.

tamu
Usually a few days or sometimes a week, just depends on how much i drive it after the pad replacement, they usually stop making the noise. If you have some type of labor warrenty, consider talking with the place about it, if you are still uncomfortable. Never hurts to ask questions, and sometimes they do make and fix their mistakes.

2000-2011 Chevrolet Malibu

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