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Chevrolet Malibu Maintenance and Repair
Hello. I am having no other issues with the key fob except the remote start. It has stopped working. I tried the other fob we have, where no buttons except the remote start work, and swapped the battery from that one. Still nothing. Is it a FOB issue or Remote Start issue?
thanks,
joe
thanks,
joe
0
Comments
Good luck, let me know how it goes
It will accelerate fine about one in every 20 times, but will have a noticable shake/vibration in the engine (or transaxle?) at about 15 mph.
I've taken the car to two Chevy dealers and the first one noticed it but had no fix ("no engine light comes on") and the second dealer said their mechanics could not find a problem.
My friends have driven the car and can notice the shake. I heard another owner say this could be loose torque converter bolts , or similar transaxle issue. What can I do? Have a third-party shop drive it and give their opinion?
Will GM then try a fix? Have owners been repaid for a third-party shop's diagnosis?
Thanks for the assistance.
Sneakyuser.
thanks
I was told to call the dealership and ask for the GM or Chevrolet "Zone Service Representitive." When I did, the dealership's service manager said customers cannot contact them and that to give him a chance to work on this issue.
Since then the vibration, or wiggle problem, has gone down about 50% and is sometimes not noticeable. I will go in for an appointment next week and let you know what happens.
In the meantime, if there is a solution, post it here.
Regards,
Cy
The dealer noticed the problem, although it had settled down and is sometimes difficult to feel. You must accelerate slowly and right at 15 mph it will vibrate like clockwork.
The dealer felt it, had other mechanics drive with him, they eventually noticed it. He even found some 2005 and 2006 Malibu models on the car lot that DID NOT exhibit this problem.
They did not have a 2007 to test so he went down the street to the Enterprise rent-a-car dealer that they work with and found one. (Like I said, he was thorough.) And, presto, it vibrates too!
He called GM and talked it over, etc., and in the end there is no fix. He says that certain vehicles have certain "issues" like this. He was nice but I explained that if and when I try to sell the car, a potential dealer or buyer will notice the problem and I wouldn't get full value and this is not fair.
Since the 2007 model is the only one where GM changed the motor mounts (for some reason) I asked him to replace them to see the results but he felt that it would not fix it. I pressed him but he declined.
Still, there is nothing he can do until GM comes up with a fix (or an interest in finding one) and he said that they may never issue one.
This is the third time I've taken the car to a Chevy dealer about this. At this point we (2007 Malibu owners) need to pursue a legal solution or a "Lemon Law" reimbursement or ?
Any help will be appreciated. We need to see what we can do about this. any suggestions?
Let me know thanks.
I reside in the state of California.
Let me know the procedure to contact the attorney generals of our states and how this works.
Any research about previously successful cases like this against automakers will be greatly appreciated.
Maybe we should also get together, via email, with others on this thread (and elsewhere) about the issue.
Thanks,
Sneakyuser
Last week, I took the car to a sympathetic Chevy dealer. The service manager even gave me a rental car for a day since I was there last spring and there was no fix. My car was OK until it hit 2500 miles and now at about 8000 it still has the problem.
The dealer noticed the problem, although it had settled down and is sometimes difficult to feel. You must accelerate slowly and right at 15 mph it will vibrate like clockwork.
The dealer felt it, had other mechanics drive with him, they eventually noticed it. He even found some 2005 and 2006 Malibu models on the car lot that DID NOT exhibit this problem.
They did not have a 2007 to test so he went down the street to the Enterprise rent-a-car dealer that they work with and found one. (Like I said, he was thorough.) And, presto, it vibrates too!
He called GM and talked it over, etc., and in the end there is no fix. He says that certain vehicles have certain "issues" like this. He was nice but I explained that if and when I try to sell the car, a potential dealer or buyer will notice the problem and I wouldn't get full value and this is not fair.
Since the 2007 model is the only one where GM changed the motor mounts (for some reason) I asked him to replace them to see the results but he felt that it would not fix it. I pressed him but he declined.
Still, there is nothing he can do until GM comes up with a fix (or an interest in finding one) and he said that they may never issue one.
This is the third time I've taken the car to a Chevy dealer about this. At this point we (2007 Malibu owners) need to pursue a legal solution or a "Lemon Law" reimbursement or ?
Any help will be appreciated. We need to see what we can do about this. Any suggestions?
My opinion is the mounts or the wheel bearings are faulty. I hate to look into the lemon law in NY.
Please keep me posted of what you are going to do. Thanks
You?
Anh Le
Let me know, thanx
Did you or the listmate find a solution to the 2007 Malibu shake issue yet?
Here's an update:
I bought my 2007 Malibu 4 cyl new in December 2007. At about 2400 miles I noticed a vibration or shake in the front end when I accelerate.. It happens at 15 mph regardless of shifting, usually after warmup.
This problem was not seen to occur on 2005 or 2006 models. They changed the motor mounts on the 2007 Malibu (although they may have done this on same late-model 2006 models). There is a GM Bulletin about this: 060601025 November 06 - (NHTSA Item Number - 10020726). In February 08 I visited a dealer who went through the "lower motor mount tightening procedure" and this had no affect and the issue is still there.
In June 08, I went to a second dealer, dropped off the car for service. They said that they drove it with the head mechanic and they swore they never felt anything (!?)
On my third visit (back to the first dealer) in October 08, the head of service noticed it, drove some 2005 and 2006 versions and they did not shake. He found another 2007 model (from their Enterprise Car Rental affiliate) and it vibrated too. He called GM and they are aware of it but there is no official recall and they won't approve the dealer to replace anything. They gave the the stock answer of "This is how this powertrain will likely operate." I left disgusted. No one wants a new car that shakes. I can drive cars with 150,00 miles on them that don't vibrate!
I contacted the national Chevy customer service center and they pushed the issue up to another level. After 5 days (!) they called me back, (because of a weekend and they called an incorrect number) to keep repeating that this may be a "characteristic" of the vehicle. I said no, it's a DEFECT. He wanted me to go to a dealer for the FOURTH TIME. I said for what? He kept insisting and I requested a loaner which he balked at. After contacting the local delaer to arrange it he came back and said that the service manager said another visit will be a waste of everyone's time if GM doesn't approve of replacing any parts.
The customer service rep said a final decision will be made next week by the local GM rep. When I asked for a summary of my calls and visits, he refused.
What are the chances that they will offer a buy back? Have any of you, or your friends, had to deal with the automaker via the Better Business Bureau or with a Lemon Law attorney? I've heard bad things about both but If they don't repair the car or offer a buy back what is my next step? How do I prepare?
Any help is appreciated and Happy New Year everyone!
Regards,
Sneakyuser
Did the GM rep get back to you yet. If so what was the final decision?
PS- I did contact a no fee lemon law attorney, he also refused it. Not a slam dunk for him to get his money.
I also let my salesman and the sales manager know what I was doing and wasnt satisfied.....
I also let my salesman and the sales manager know what I was doing and wasnt satisfied..... "
Pao,
What results did you get after filing with the BBB? How did the dealer respond and what fix did you receive?
Did the GM rep get back to you yet. If so what was the final decision? "
Winz,
I contacted the Customer Service number on 12/26/08 and would you believe they still have not resolved the issue! After calling me back on the wrong number, and trying to get me to go back to the dealer for the 4th time (even the dealer said this is a waste of everyone's time) and saying he has to speak with the Zone Rep, he was supposed to call me on Friday but didn't (although I did receive a voice mail but no one left a message). The only progress is he confirmed with the Zone Rep that no repair will be performed and the vehicle shake is a "Characteristic."
So, my only hope (with GM) is for a buy-back or trade. If not I will have to go the BBB route. But first, I am going to visit AAMCO and two more local shops to get written evaluations of the condition and their repair opinions/ cost estimates.
If I must I'll take them to small claims court, altough the maximum awarded is $7500.00. I was thinking on filing a claim for the devaluation of the vehicle and the unnecessary costs I will have to absorb to get another car - $600.00 delivery charge, local taxes, transfer fees, licensing, etc.
There is no way I will sit still for this. This is grand larceny by GM. If we purchased an HD TV with bad pixels or a washer/ dryer with a flaw, the manufacturers would stand by the warranty. But car makers can be the judge of what THEY consider to be normal? No, no, no.
If all of the methods to get renumeration fail, I plan on doing some sort of publicity stunt. We can locate (online) disgrunted GM/Chevrolet owners to get together and tape segments on how they were mistreated and why they used to buy American cars but will never do so again. Reporters are always looking for news stories and the public is aware of automakers asking us to bail them out. This is the perfect follow-up to why they caused their own problem. In the 1970s, US car makers had 90% of the market. Now, it's about 40%.
If enough of us did this, contacted the media and put up a great-looking, 10-minute Youtube video, it would get spread around and cause others to notice and reconsider buying from GM in the future. Locally, a dozen or more current, disatisfied owners could form a car parade, with service records and and attract all sorts of negative media attention for GM. This could continue city-by-city until it was just too embarrassing for them.
Even if we did not receive direct renumeration from GM, it would be satisfying to know that they didn't get away with this crap this time. I want your ideas on this plan.
I'll post my results from their final decision next week.
got a nice response back from him stating he would make things right....and within 72 hours they took the vehicle back and replaced it with another one of the same level, with a few more options on it than the original model, since it was the end of the model year......at no cost to me....
my problem was they couldnt get a check engine light to ever go out and stay off...after 5 attempts.....now this was a brand new vehicle with lest than 200 miles on it.....it took me three months to get to this point....but I drove away satisfied....and still own the vehicle today...5 years later..and 115K on it
A friend of mine that has been successful in Small Claims Court suggested us to do this:
Have documentation of all of GM service center trips and phone calls to the national customer service line (with their final say that they will not repair the car for you.
Also have a copy of the GM Bulletin Number: 060601025 about the 2007 Malibu shake (available inline).
Then, get several local repair outlets, like AAMCO, Pep Boys, etc. to give you a written evaluation that the car does have a shaking drivetrain defect (it is not a "CHARACTERISTIC") and an estimate (on the high side, like the entire transaxle needs replacing).
File a claim against the local Chevy dealer with the Small Claims Court, GM should be served and they will likely lose.
Sound like a plan?
I'm going to do it.
-The door locks lock and unlock erratically by themselves. After this occurs, a single beep sounds under the dash.
-The power door lock buttons don't work. The keyfob only works to lock the doors occasionally, but never to unlock.
-The alarm sets itself, and goes off unexpectedly when unlocking the doors with the key.
-The trunk unlock button doesn't work.
-The auto start doesn't work.
All of these symptoms started at the same time and have gotten progressively worse over time.
I would appreciate anyone's diagnosis.
If your problem isn't the alarm system itself, it may be some other sensor linked to it. Good luck.
I suppose I should figure out how to inspect the BCM. I think its located in the dashboard fusebox.
Thanks for the response.
Thanks
Does the key fob still work to unlock/lock the vehicle? If it does then it is possible the key fob works fine. I do recommend taking it to a service tech to have them look at the problem. Thank you,
Mariah GM Customer Service
1. The locks randomly lock and unlock (either while driving, or after parking and locking the door with the key or the fob).
2. The inside door lock button on the passenger side uit working altogether, and the driver's side doesn't work reliably.
3. Remote start doesn't work.
4. When exiting the vehicle and NOT locking the door (running into the store real quick), the alarm goes off when returning and getting in, unless I "unlock" (even if it's already unlocked) the door.
I've had the following problems and shutting the car off and back on has cleared it.
1. The power steering quits once in awhile displaying the warning.
2. The air conditioning sometimes quits cooling (the light won't stay on).
3. The seat warmer on the passenger side got stuck "on" once.
I found a used BCM for $50. Might try it.
1. First off, the alarm does crazy things. If I close a door and then open it up a few second later without locking it and then unlocking it first, the alarm will go off. I also had the alarm go off the other day while the car was RUNNING. It also went off when I removed the gas cap to pump gas.
2. As soon as I crank the car, all of the gauges start going up and down like crazy and do not stop the whole time I am driving. The same thing applies to the electronic lights on the car, such as the airbag light, battery light, oil light, seat belt light, and all of the lights on the radio and console flash on and off too. The whole time this is happening, the security emblem light on the dash stays on, except to flash along with the other lights. Also, the radio will just display three long rows of dashes and says "locked."
Hopefully someone will be able to help me out. If you need anymore information on the situation just let me know. Thanks.
QUESTION: Is your alarm an "aftermarket unit installed by the selling dealer," or is it part of the vehicle as it came from the factory? ----- If it is an "after market alarm," disconnect the unit, and see if you still have the symptoms. ----- This vehicle needs to visit the dealer! ------- Best Regards. ------ Dwayne :shades:
Unfortunately, the alarm that is installed in the vehicle is factory installed. I was thinking the very same thing - I very well may be taking the car to the dealer where I bought it either today or tomorrow. I just hope they don't come up with a fix that will cost well into the hundreds of dollars. We all know that dealer service repair people are really good at that type thing. :P
I just had a thought, ----- How old is the battery in the vehicle? ------ I have two vehicles, (a 2010 Malibu and a 2007 Camry.) ---- When the Camry was four years old, I notice that my push button electric exterior front door locks were operating in a "lazy manner." ------- I had my battery / starting / charging system checked since I have a Toyota extended warranty. ----- The results of the test was that the battery was on it's way out! ---- The dealer replaced the battery at my coast and the problem went away! ----- You might want to have this test performed on your vehicle.
Best regards. --------- Dwayne :shades:
I apologize for the problems you are experiencing with your vehicle. You stated you may be taking the vehicle into the dealer where you purchased from to be looked at. Please keep me posted of any information.
Thank you,
Caron, GM Customer Service
I apologize for your frustrations. Please let me know how things go at the dealer.
Christina
GM Customer Service
The more I read about your problem, the more I think it is "battery related!" I would check the condition of the battery. I would checked the battery cable connections. ----- (They should be CLEAN and TIGHT!). ----- Have the charging system checked out! (Alternator output!) --- I would also check the electrical connections at the starter. Do you have a lot of extra keys on your key ring with your ignition key? (See if the problem exists with only the ignition key in the ignition switch?) Are your ignition keys the original keys for the vehicle? Consider replacing the ignition switch with new keys!
Best regards. ---------- Dwayne :shades:
NOTE:
My E-mail is on my "profile" if you would like to E-mail me directly!
Have you solved the problem with your vehicle? ---- If you have solved the problem, kindly share the solution!
Best regards.
Dwayne :shades:
I bought this car in late October last year so I could store my new Miata for the winter. The car ran and drove great all winter. As the weather starting getting better this Spring I decided to keep driving it daily to work and save the mileage on the Miata. One morning a few months back when I tried to start the car the engine would crank over but never started. I was in a hurry to get to work, and decided to drive the Miata. Besides, it was a beautiful day and the temperature outside was already above 80 degrees. The next day I jumped into the Classic and it started right up. I was really glad because the weather had turned cold and rainy over the night (the outside temperature was around 53 degrees) and I really didn't want to drive the Miata. A month ago I drove into work early in the morning. When I was leaving at lunch the Classic would not start. The engine would crank over, but it was either missing a spark or fuel. I tried to start the Classic again to go home at the end of the day, but it would still just crank over and not start. The next morning I caught a ride to work and decided to see if the car would start. It fired right up, so I decided since it was running I was going to take it to my mechanic a couple of miles from where I was. I told my mechanic what it was doing, and that it just occured to me that it won't start when it gets hot outside. I told him if the temperature is under 75 degrees outside it will start whether the engine is hot of cold. But when it gets above 80 degrees- it won't start. My mechanic called later in the day and said that he thought he had it fixed. He said that he changed out the Fuel Pump Relay and it fired right up. He put the old relay back in and it would not start. He tried this several times and felt this was the problem. Two days ago I got in the car and it would not start again. It was hot outside, so I thought here we go again. The next morning it was cool outside and it started. Not sure why the weather is playing such a huge part in this. I know I bought the car to drive in the winter, but it would be nice if it did run in the summer.
I tried to start the car this morning- no go. I pulled the Fuel Pump Relay and put a 12 volt charge over the input prongs and checked for 0 ohms on the switch side of the relay. The switch did not close, so I assume that it wasn't sending current to the fuel pump. I am going to run by the auto store this afternoon and buy another relay to see if this fixes the problem. However, I don't want to buy a dozen of these so I can keep the car running.
Another thing that is happening- sometimes the cruise control stops working. I got it to work once be tapping the brake hard, but am not sure if this will work all of the time.
If I turn the ignition to the on position and flip the turn signal either way the flasher control buzzes, but the turn signals don't work.
Sometimes when I am going down the Interstate and switching lanes the turn signals stop working. Then in a little while they start working again.
If anyone has some thoughts on this or have had this fixed- please let me know.