2000-2011 Chevrolet Malibu

L8_Apex

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Malibu II topic. Those of you joining us from that
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L8_Apex
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2000cavalier

I was checking out the specs for the 2001 Malibu and saw that the Gold Package now includes a gold bar grille. Chevrolet updated their web site for 2001 and had some pictures with the Gold Package. Looks sharp.

malibu99

I like the new looks. The wheels are really nice. Finally they changed the plain ones from 2000. I'm going to test drive one just to see what teh suspension changes feel like but I'm holding on to my reliable 99 until the new epsilon platform Malibu is released ( I suppose late 2003 as a 2004 model).Good lUck!

carguy34

We purchased our new 2000 Malibu Ls in July , car was manufactured in May 2000.Right from start the car pulled to left slightly not bad just enough to notice it. 2 Days after we got home we noticed little dings on the top of the hood and the tops of the doors , we
picked up the car in a rain storm drove it home and put it the garage Im sure if it hadnt been pouring when we picked up the car we would have noticed these at the dealship.We contacted the dealership , they had NO Comment on the dings! So we figured we were stuck, then a a month ago we started to notice little rust marks in the paint 1/4 the size of a dime, if you get a wet paper towel and rub they come off almost. Were taking the car in in 2 weeks for the 3,000 oil change be interesting to see if they say NO comment on the rust spots I had read earlier posts in spring about paint problems but figured they were just isolated incidences but now I wonder? Today we took the car on a little trip 200 miles We live in Wisconsin its very flat were we live the place we went to had some small hills, now these are hills NOT MOUNTAINS!We were traveling 65Mph as we climbed up the hills we lost power FAST I gave it more gas but it just kept slowing down cars and trucks passed us as I tried to accelerate. By the top of the hill the car was floored and were going only going 50mph!! As soon as we came over the top of the hill the car climbed back to 65 in a few seconds. Has anyone else noticed this LOSS of POWER problem on hills , I have a 93 chevy 4 cyl that takes these Same hills at 65 with NO loss of power!
The car is very nice other then the paint problems and Now the loss of Power. Oh by the way I got out the booklet that came with the firestone tires wanted to see what the recommend for tire pressure
THE 800 numbers DISCONNECTED with no further information! The booklet was printed 12/99 so its should be a current number! The tires are Ok except on wet pavement were they sometimes slip for a second , we'll see how they are in winter if they are bad we'll replace them.We'd appreciate hearing from anyone else with paint or power problems. We've read this board since last April but this is our first post!
Thanks For Reading

njdevilsrn

It's funny someone should type about loss of power in their 2000 Malibu just before I was about to praise ours. I'm no mechanic, but that loss of power sounds like a problem. As for the dents, sounds like chains from the truck or train. My family purchased a Mercury product a few years ago, and the thing had about 4 dents above the windshield and rear window, all were directly in line with each other. Turned out to be the chains.

As for our 2000 Malibu, 4600 miles since March, only problem was two trips in for a creaking in the rear end. Was fixed each time, temporarily, made an appointment for a third trip and the noise went away. I guess the service guy who said "it just needs to wear in" was right. Anyhow, made a trip to Atlantic City yesterday, 120 miles each way down the Parkway. 5 adults, AC running, made 70-75mph the whole way, still had power to pass. 28mpg for the trip!

GO MALIBU!!!

malibu99

Check for any patterns in the dings. It could be the chains for the truck as njdevilsrn said. Chavy covers paint defects and body defects for 12,000 miles or a year so it should be covered. As for the power loss there is a sensor that detects when the car should downshift when going uphill. If this sensor is bad the car will never downshift. When going uphill your RPM should go up and the tranny should downshift at which point you feel the power increase. Have the dealership look for this, it states it in your manual. Enjoy your car sounds like minor stuff that can be taken care of. Good luck!

napanee

Can someone summarize the important features of the epsilon platform that make it worth waiting for? Thanks

malibu99

The new platform will feature the new ( I believe I got this correct) 3.4 V6 engine that GM has beendeveloping with Fiat. It will be a wider car also and it should gain interior space. Those are the important things I am waiting for and the fact that I want to see what it looks like, hopefuly they will bring back some queues from the 1964 Malibu. If anyone has any more info on the new platform please post. Good luck! :-)

napanee

The idea of a Fiat motor doesn't fill me with happiness.

malibu99

No it's not a Fiat motor it is being designed by some sort of engineer who helps Fiat with engine designed but it is a team of GM engineers working with them. I'm trying to think where I found this, I'll find the link for you, I know it was at autonews.com but I think they archived the article. Will come back with the article.

malibu99

Scratch what I said. Fiat is working on something else with someone else i got both articles screwed up. Here is the correct article:

www.autonews.com/html/main/stories/gmfutureproductsb2814.htm

Go to www.autonews.com and click on FUTURE PRODUCTS ( or outlook can't remeber since I'm going back and forth between sites) and scrooll down to GM, all the goodies for the new platform are there. What do you think? I think it's worth waiting for. I'm holding on to my 99 until the 2004 comes out so I'm extending my lease until late 2003. By then my fiance will have the re designed Cavalier and I will wait to see if I should keep my 99 until it dies or trade for the new one. So far the 99 is flawless and unless the new one is radically redesigned I'm keeping it. Let' s see....

anonymous

I don't know if I want the first production year of a new GM motor but there is time to get the current 3.1 or wait. If the rotors are actually fixed I think I would go with the current version.

Thanks

malibu99

Yes the rotors are corrected for the 2001 model. Significantly refined suspension and tires. They are payiong close attention to this car since it's really Chevy's bread and butter car. Good luck!

nomorechevys

I have owned many Chevrolets in the past but this one will be my last. I own a "98" Malibu LS. This car has been trouble since day one. The car experiences LOSS OF POWER at any speed at any time. The dealerships plays dumb and nothing shows up on the cars' computer when they check it out. No resolution in sight about the loss of power problem that I know about. Pulling out into traffic and having no power isn't a good feeling. It takes about 30 seconds to recover from a power loss. This car can most definitely hurt you or get you in some serious traffic trouble if your not careful. The car also has bad brakes and front end noise problems mentioned in most of all the previous articles. The 2nd most annoying trouble with the Malibu was a loud ear piercing noise coming from the front dash at speeds of 55MPH and better. I understand this has been rectified in the later models. I would NOT recommend a "98" Malibu to anyone!!! This car is trouble!!!

teo

If you have lost your faith in Chevy, I suggest for you to try the new 2000/01 Impala LS. A different breed of car.

huck69

njdevilsm,

You mentioned something about a "creaking" in the back end...did you (or the dealer) ever figure out what it was? My 2000 model is doing the exact same thing, but only does it when I make a turn. Other than that, it's doing great.

chevyinfo1

Some time ago someone was asking about chugging.

It may be due to drive link assemblies with excessive lnk to link variation. This causes a non-uniform rotation of the output sprocket which then produces a vibration, chugging throuout the vehicle driveline. A Chevrolet dealer should be able to get you on line.

vtmalibu

I have a 2000 Malibu with 5000 miles that has been towed into the dealer 3 times in the past 10 days.

My problem is that the car will start up in the morning without any problems and then the engine will just quit within the first 3 miles. There has not been any hesitation problems as referenced in earlier postings. Once the engine stalls and I try to restart the engine it will only turn over but will not start. The dealer did not find anything on the first visit, on the second visit they replaced the fuel pump. They said the fuel pump was working but was not pumping an fuel. Now six days later the car was towed back to the dealer because it died again 3 miles from my house this morning for exactly the same problem.

Has anybody experienced similar problems and do you know of a potential fix?

At least on one of the trips back to the dealer they replaced my rotors and pads to stop the vibration.

gvalley

Just wanted to let you and all know that I just purchased the Malibu LS, only have had it two days and so far really like it, after months of research and lots of talking, chose this vehicle that best fitted in with what I wanted and liked. will have to let time decide if my choice was correct, I thought the deal was good, the only thing added was the spoiler which really makes the car look sharp.......talk at you later

njdevilsrn

According to the dealer who made the repairs, it was the "bushings" on the rear suspension. The symptom we had was a loud click or clunk when the vehicle was turned and the body rolled. Going straight, or even bouncing the rear end while the car was sitting was no problem.

They replaced the things twice, and like I said I was gonna take it in a third time and the noise has been gone since (June).

PS.///Anybody experience air flow through their speakers when the window is open? Noticed it while driving last week on the highway (65 mph). I'm only in the thing about twice a month, and never on the highway, never noticed it before.

aniazi

Hi Guys,
Anybody knows what to use to effectively remove spots left by damn sprinkler on the body and windows? One more thing anybody has extended warranty through 1source or warranty gold? if yes then howz the experience with them? or any other suggestion on extended warranty company would be appreciated...

malibu99

Wax the car with Mguire's wax. it's soo good it will not leave water spots from the sprinkler. In the winter during light snow my car is never covered in snow it just slides off. Great stuff.

dragracer98

The service bulletins you are looking for are located at www.alldata.com. On the homepage look under services- recalls and service bulletin titles. They are listing bulletins up to and including 2001 models. Hope this helps.

tmaster1

I'm strongly considering buying a 2000 or 2001 Malibu because of the cost vs. Accord or Camry. Can anyone help me with a few questions:

(1) Is there any hope that the 2001 will have any better side-impact crash safety than the abysmal 2-star rating of the 2000 model? Has the safety cage been redesigned in any substantial way for 2001?

(2) Has the suspension "retuning" for 2001 significanly improved the handling or road noise of the 2001 vs. the 2000 model?

(3) I'm drawn to black as an exterior color, but have been warned that black tends to show dirt and scratches much more prominently than the lighter colors. Can anyone comment whether they regret having chosen black or any of the other "dark" colors?

(4) I'm considering buying an extended warranty because of the Malibu's checkered reliability history. Are there sources other than the GM Buyer's protection plan (cost = $750 for 5yr/75K mi.) that provide better value coverage?

TIA.

eneth

You can bet there will be no major structural changes to this generation of Malibu - those will have to wait for the next redesign. Major structural changes are extremely expensive in what amounts to the middle of a model run.

mschevy1

To the individual wanting to know about a Black or dark vehicle. I own a 1997 Black Cavalier, bought new. I like the color and have just a few small scratches, the paint still looks great. So, go for it and buy Black.

tesh3333

I have a 2000 malibu, dark cherry red. Like the car a lot, but hate the paint. Just look at the car wrong and the paint will scratch. I laid a cardboard box once on the trunk (light weight) and it was enough to scratch all the way through to the lighter colored undercoating.
I am worried now that with autumn approaching that the falling leaves will scratch it all up! I'm afraid to even wash the car cause of the scratches that result. Take my advice and avoid the dark colors. Is there any wax that will protect against this?

malibu99

Maguires wax. I have a Navy Blue Malibu and I wax it every weekend and it doesn't have scratches on it. Just don't put anythging on the bumper ( when loading the trunk) or you will regret it. I had a nasty scratch but it got fixed when I backed up into a car and had to have teh bumper re painted. Good luck!

:-)

aniazi

Well, I bought 2001 in Light driftwood metallic (seems little golden to me)and I like this color as it hides spots if got any like due to sprinkler and stuff otherwise it will be prominent on darker colors. Anyway everybody has likes and dislikes and different opinions. I like 2001 better although no exprience with 2000. 2001 has some good new features plus redesign brake rotors, suspension and improved tires. Auto headlamp off is also a cool feature and RDS stereo. I gotta good deal too with the dealer on 2001. Almost at the price of 2000.
I am also considering about extended warranty and I am looking at warrantygold and 1source. 1Source seems to be better with $0 deductible but if you talk to those people both say words against each other's companies. They have like 7yr or 84K or 100K miles waranty $0 deductible $799 and $879 respectively(1source)plus some other benefits too.Thats for the diamond coverage means close to bumper to bumper.
If anybody has any experience with these guys let me know too. But why should I buy now I mean I have 3 yr warranty anyway.

aniazi

I hit a web site that has many companies that offer extended warranty.
http://www.autopedia.com/html/Warr4.html

hunt0694

I got a quote from Heritage TPA for an extended warranty. Anyone have experience with them, or any other extended warranty company?

ghtrap

Does anyone know if I can get my 2000 Malibu retro fitted with the auto headlight override feature that seems to be included in the 2001?

It doesn't always turn them on when I want them and at other times, I wish I could shut them off. I think I can handle turning the lights on all by myself.

I've had my Malibu since last December and haven't had to go back to the dealer for any warranty work yet! Great car. I get 28 mpg going to work and 32 on the road. I broke the brakes in slowly and have no problems associated with the earlier models.

I did dump the cheap Firestone Affinity's and put on good Michelins. Much better 'feel' on the road. I have the old tires in storage and can put them on later when I resale.

Great car!

angiekay

a few months ago, when my 1998 malibu was still under warranty, my ABS light was coming on intermittently. I took it in to have it checked out, and they told me that the relay needed to be replaced. They did that, and the $10 was covered by the warranty. Now, a few months later, when my car is past the warranty period, the same thing is happening again. I again took it in, and this time, for some reason, the speed sensor is shorting out. IT will cost over $300 just for the part, and an additional $200 or so for the labor. $500+ for a problem that was supposed to be fixed before? Quite a coincidence i must say. It makes no sense to me. With that sensor not working, my anti lock brakes will not work. What good are they to have if you cant use them? WInter is coming and i live in WIsconsin, so they are much needed here. I am a single mom and cant afford that kind of money for a car that was bought thinking it would be reliable since it was so new. I have lost all faith in Chevrolet products and want no part in them anymore. I plan to sell the pile of crap and never buy chevy again.

malibu99

Did you ask them if they would cover it under warranty? Sometimes they will. Either way don't blame Chevy for the dealer's mistake. When the relay goes they need to replace the sensor also or it will short out because of the new part. So to beggin with it was the dealerships mistake. My Berreta once blew the relay and they had to replace almost $300 in electronics because everything else needed to be replaced. Even though it wasn't bad the new relay would have caused a voltage change and would have ruined the sensor. All covered under warranty. Give them a try, they might just do it . Good luck. :-)

aniazi

I have a question about engine heat needle. Wondering if anybody has that experience. After driving for a while if you stuck badly in a traffic and A/C on (like very slow moving traffic)I see the engine heat needle (that usually stays at the middle) moves slightly higher than middle. It comes back very quick if you go above 30 MPH. DOes anybody has also notice that and does it just go little higher from middle and stays there or reaches to red spot???

crazymaler

What exactly is so cool about the "RDS" radio in the new Malibu's? It seems everyone is very excited about this feature.

malibu99

RDS is kinda like those cool radar detectors that tell you there is an accident ahead or that there is a specific icy road condition in certain areas. You can basically customize your car to set readio stations, keep the light son for aa ceratin period of time aftre the car is off, set certain prefferences for different key fobs. Nice feature. I really liked that feature when I test drove the Impala but unfortunaltely not an option for 99 or 2000.

katie42308

i have a 98 malibu ls... the car will sporadically lose power when making turns, going up or down hills and now its starting to do it on speeds over 60 while on the highway.. ive had it to the dealer 4 times and the factory tech had it for two days and drove it 250 miles and nothing happened of course...i picked it up from the dealer and it happened 2 miles after i picked it up...chevy usa has said since the dealer cannot diagnose the problem cause it doesnt happen to them there is no problem so go away..what happens is the car will start to decelerate slightly and will not accelerate, doesnt matter how far youve gone, whether the engine is hot or cold, sometimes it happens after driving 10 miles, sometimes 200 miles,u put your foot on the gas and nothing happens, even if u floor it..if u release the gas pedal and touch it lightly the car will then pick up speed after a few hundred yards...very annoying and scary especially when theres a car behind you...anybody have this problem...im desperate...

aniazi

Besides whatever features mentioned by malibu99 there are some other great features too like it shows you the name of the song being played by a radio station, it can search for radio station by category like pop, rock, rap, country, weather, traffic etc. If you set it to weather alert and if there is weather alert it will stop the CD or tape and let you hear the weather alert! etc

chevymalibu98

Does anyone know if there is a way I could wire it so that when the "Lock Out" button is engaged it not only disables the window switches on the other three doors but the power lock switch on the passanger's door as well? I am tired of some immatural friends of mine who act like they have never seen power locks before and play with my power lock switch whenever they get a chance......

lacrusier

Bought a '00 Malibu LS two weeks ago, so far have 550 miles on it. We both liked it very much and hope to keep the car for many years if it cooperates with us.
Have following questions and would appreciate your inputs.
1. In Owner's Manual, it states "Don't drive at any one speed -- fast or slow -- for the first 500 miles." Does anyone know the technical reasons for this?
2. The car comes with standard 3-yr/36,000-mile warranty. The dealer also offers 6-yr/60,000-mile extended warranty from GM, which costs considerably higher than others available from credit union or the Internet. Does anyone have any recommendations on this?

malibu99

The reason they say not to drive at a set speed for the first 500 miles is because your engine is breaking in during that period. Basically if you go at one set speed during that time the engine will wear uneven and it could result in harsh performance in the future. Keep the speeds below 60MPH and just do some city driving or so. This will allow the metal parts to start wearing evenly and it will help your engine "get used" to your driving habits. After that have fun!

I haven't had experiences with other warranties but I did have experience with GMPP. It was ok since I only had to use it twice ( hood cable, solenoid) for my Beretta.

Good luck!

ghtrap

The extended warranty from the dealer is loaded with profit for the dealer. They will negotiate if pressed on the price.

If they refuse to negotiate, consider one of the other options. Read the fine print carefully. Your credit union's deal may be more credible than some of the internet deals. Stay with known companies.

Good luck!

martini6

I bought '97 malibu in July with only 30,000 miles on it. I was able to get a one year warranty with the purchase to cover any unexpected problems. I like this car. The only thing is, I have this uneasy feeling about it. I notice that the car seems to vibrate and throb when I'm at idle or at low speeds. I don't know if it contines when I'm on the freeway because I can't sense it. Also, when I'm on the freeway, the acceleraton seems sluggish sometimes, especially going up-hill. Other than that the car runs great and is in pristine condition. My dad, who knows about cars, says that there is nothing wrong with it, but I still feel uncomfortable. Any ideas to my mind at rest?

malibu99

Just sit back and enjoy the drive without focusing on problems. The mind is tricky and since the 97 model s was kinda iffy it can create unnecessary worries, Not all 97 and 98 models were bad. enjoy the car :-)

sauer4

I am new to this but somehow stumbled onto this site, in my search for reviews. My husband and I have recently been offered a deal on a 1998 Malibu LS. I was just wondering what this car is all about. Any out there with Pros? Cons?
We currently own a 1991 Honda Accord with 199,860 miles on it!! AND I still love it!! I have heard that this Malibu is comparable to the Accord. Is this true? I still have alot of miles left on my Accord, but need something newer, with less miles.
Anyone with any info, please pass it on...
Thanks

malibu99

The Malibu is comparable to the Accord but I would look into a late 99 model. While not ALL 97-98 models were bad some issues were present. However keep in mind that most 98 owners haven't had major issues, mosty issue were the 97 models built in 1996. That's all the info I can offer right now. I have a late production 99 and I love this car more everyday. Great car! Good luck!

yurakm

I have a 98 Malibu, build in July 97. We bought it used (and probably somewhat abused) in September 98, when it was one year old, with 15k miles on odometer. Not LS one, but close thing: 3.1l v-6 engine, power everything, and very decent cassette radio with 6 speakers in 4 places. We had put additional 21k miles, mostly city traffic, and have 2 years experience with this car now.

Our friends have an 4-cylinders Accord of about the same age, so I probably can compare.

The Malibu is more powerful, have better acceleration. Especially at slower speed, as in city. Not bad at highways too: passing and takes hills better than any 4 bangers, and than most of older v-6 cars, but not competitive with v-6 Accords or Camry of the same age.

The Malibu is larger, especially inside. Have a huge trunk, were we load all our beach stuff at spring and are carrying it till late fall. A lot of legroom at rear - very important with teenager kids and, again, can easy load and carry a lot of belonging.

The Accord is substantially quieter. At least comparing with the base Malibu: I have read somewhere than the LS Malibu have more noise-suppressing materials.

I'd said that the Accord's dash is a bit more convenient. Mostly it is just matter of time to became accustomed, but the Malibu dash has one substantial drawback: the air condition ducts cannot be adjusted to aim high enough, away from both driver and the front passenger.

There was only one substantial design problem with Malibu: the front brake rotors were prone to warp. Currently GM changed the design or material, and the problem is all but disappear. But the replacement at Chevrolet dealership may cost $300 to $500. There are some aftermarket brakes with even better reputation, and they are also cheaper. But be prepared to spend this money, if you are buying the Malibu.

Concerning the build quality: our friends had no problems with their Accord. With we could to say the same about our car. Nothing major, but we had smaller problems to solve every time when we visited our dealer to change oil. Some sticky sensor at the door (simply need lube), failed speaker, noise from the strut (again, simply lube), the plastic cord holding the fuel tank plug was broken at 34k, a fun resistor need to be replaced...

Summary: Malibu have better powertrain and the general design, Accord have better attention to detail both in design and build quality. Probably Accord will be more reliable and serve longer, but it is much more expensive, especially with used cars.

iusecad

I didn't see that one in the brochure!

I guess you can have too much fun in a Malibu?

yurakm

Or yes, many typos. The spellchecker does not read my mind well :-(

iusecad

be careful. Ralph Nader will be calling you to find out how they work and then will require them in all cars for 2002!

ok last time, I promise. :~)