Chevy Malibu Maxx

meandmymaxx

Sounds like it, and it is a result of running the engine with the coolant level too low.

hhmax

anybody replaced the dex-cool with the green stuff? Will this void any warranty? Looks Dex-cool is the source of problem in many gm cars.

hhmax

I remember there is a TSB for this. I defered to fix it until recently I got the check gas tank cap msg. What's involved in the fix? Was it to replace the fuel tank? The dealer said it's a faulty fuel level sensor.

hhmax

Anybody has this problem? The driver side heated seat will turn on when the car is started. This does not happen every time. Also when the car is shutoff and key removed, and if you stay in the car, is the seat heater suppose to shutoff? Mine doesn't and it has drained the battery in the past.

The dealer is looking at the seat heater turn on problems and they are looking for directions from higher up in gm.

meandmymaxx

My seat will come on low by it's self if it is cold enough. But I have never had it stay on when the key is off. Touch wood!! But then I usually shut mine off manually when driving after about 10 min.

hhmax

When you shut the car off and remove the key but don't open the driver side door, then the radio will remain on for 10 minutes before it shuts off. This is the design intent. I am not sure if the seat heater should be allowed to remain on in that period. If it is by design, I would say it's a bad design as you shoudn't allowed to run high amp stuff when engine is not running.

How about the passenger side seat? would it come on by itself when temp is low?

sgr5516

I have had the same problem with the passenger seat heater on my 06 Maxx. It turns on by itself on occasion. It has happened to me in the summer, winter, when someone is sitting in the seat and when it is empty. My dealer checked it out 2x but could not determine cause. It always works fine when I bring it in. Once I was sitting in the seat and just tapped lightly on the plastic panel on the side of the seat below the switch and it turned on. The dealer replaced the seat switch, but that did not fix the problem. The heated seats are controlled by the body control module. Either the BCM has a physical defect, there is an error in the BCM programming, or something in the car is sending a stray signal, other than the seat switch which is telling the BCM to turn on the heater.

On my car, if the heated seats are on and you turn off the engine, the seats stay on until you open the drivers door. You can confirm this by looking at the led light on the switch. The seats appear to be on the retained accessory power.

hhmax

hmm, looks I am not alone. I have the car in the dealership today and will report back if they found anything

meandmymaxx

What I have noticed over the 3 yrs I have had the car. If when I start the car in the cold, and it is dark enough for the light sensor to turn the lights on, the seat heat does not automatically turn on. If the light sensor does not turn on the lights, then the seat heat seems to come on. My personal mechanic has suggested that some of the newer cars, when the alternator is first started in the cold it is pushing more juice then the car needs. Rather then possibly overcharging the battery or overloading the system the BCM will turn on electrical components such as the rear window defogger, and maybe the seat heat, when cold enough,(sometimes including the passenger seat) to use up the surplus power. Does make some sense,, I guess. And since you mentioned it, yes the seat heat appears to be on the retained ACC. circuit. So they wont shut off until the door is open. NOT a good idea in my book. Something with that much draw should shut off when the key is turned off.

mfletou1

I haven't exactly been active in this forum, but I bought my car around the same time as pao, and in the same area. We've had very different experiences--his a lot better than mine, and he's driven the heck out of it!

Alas, our Maxx is no longer. While, the car is still around, perhaps at a CarMax near you any day now, but we no longer own it. It was a 2004 Maxx LS 1SB. It had 29400 miles. We sold it to CarMax for $9000, which is WAY more than I thought we'd get for it--the highest dealer offer was $7500 and they said that auction numbers dipped into the 6's. Considering we only paid around $16, I'm pretty satisfied.

At first, we had a great deal of affection for our Maxx. I thought the design was great, it was extremely versatile, and to this day I have yet to see a car with better rear seat room. But almost from the onset, it was troubled. The brakes in particular were horrific, and just couldn't handle the daily grind of NoVa traffic. I'll never forget my service advisor at Mike Pallone telling me "look, these brakes weren't built for this kind of driving, you need to use them less." "Uhh...great...thanks for that."

Anyway, they were eventually resurfaced many (like, SEVEN) times, all at GM's cost, and eventually replaced completely, at mine since they were down below legal minimums. Unfortunately, that was not the only problem--various trim pieces fell off, the rear audio unit ceased working completely, the taillights for a while kept burning out because the electrical system was sending them too much juice, and finally, at around 27k, we had a new steering system put in because the old one was shot.

Our needs have changed, too...we have a baby now, and God Bless the little fella, but he sure does have a lot of stuff and take up a lot of room for a little munchkin. His strollers barely fit in the back, and if you have them back there, you can't put any luggage or much else.

So it was time to move on. And move on we did. Replacing the Maxx in our driveway is a new 2007 Honda Odyssey EX-L. We're pampered by the high quality leather, heated seats, sunroof and assorted goodies, and I got an unbelieveable deal--our van had a list price just over $32,000, and I paid $25.3 for it.

So we went from an Oldsmobile-Chevrolet family to a Toyota-Honda family. I just can't afford to mess around with GM anymore, I gave them my money and my time for too long and I wasn't rewarded. It sounds like the new Malibu is a nice car, and I hope time will prove that it is, but...I can't afford to wait around. A minivan makes sense for us now, anyway---and obviously our domestic options are limited, and I'm just not going to buy a Chrysler product right now.

Good luck to everybody and their Maxx's. But if you're at CarMax and you see ours...uhh...keep walking.

maxx4me

Best wishes Matt. Congrats on the baby. Your trade in value confirms that my GMPP is now worth its weight in gold. My 2004 Maxx is running much better than it did during its first year. Whatever goes wrong up to 101k, GM will pay. I just got done watching Autoline Detroit, and am crossing my fingers that the next vehicle I buy after the Maxx dies will be a fuel cell vehicle, and that this will be the very last car I have to put gasoline into. See you on the "hill"

mfletou1

I had the GMPP too. I'm happy to report that they very kindly sent me a check for $508 for the unused portion of my extended warranty.

pao

all good...glad you got a good deal on the trade...and a vehicle to suit your needs...and congrats on the new addition......I must admit I have had a better experience with my Maxx than some on here...113K on it now....it hards to get consistent quality on any mass produced vehicle apparently......I will keep the Maxx until it dies on me completely....leaning heavily towards a new Cadillac CTS in the March timeframe......so we will see

mfletou1

The new CTS looks like a great vehicle.
It is hard to get consistent quality on a mass produced vehicle, but I've come to believe that a vehicle is just the sum of its parts, and at least in the case of the "old" GM, those parts were just too cheap. Sure, it might hold up, but its not going to be pretty.

I'll see what kind of luck I have with my new vehicles. Since I moved way out to Loudoun, I'm driving like crazy. I bought my Camry Hybrid in June of 06 and it has over 31k now. Its had two unscheduled stops---one for a little steering vibration that I felt, and one for a foam piece on the speaker unit that had worked itself loose a little bit. The steering vibration ended up being ISS...about 6 months into the new model Camry, Toyota found a flaw in the part and redesigned it, so I got the new one and all is well. Contrast that to my Intrigue which got the same crappy ISS part over and over and over and over. (well, one more over...it had five).

I can live with that so far. I don't expect my cars to be perfect, but I do expect them to have relatively minor problems that are not reoccuring.

hhmax

while, they changed the switch and it didn't fix it. Anybody has any ideas? E2helper, do you know if there is any TSB for this?

Thanks!

maxxmd

I have posted several times over the years under a different name (BillB) but it has been long enough that I changed my email and couldn't remember my old Edmunds password (and sending it to my old email is no good).

Anyhow, I have an '05 Maxx with 77K on it. I took it to the dealer today for an oil change and tire rotation and a new left turn signal bulb as I had double coupons. My independent shop replaced the right bulb 8 weeks ago. I thought another one burning out was just a coincidence.

I was called into the shop to inspect my headlights. Both bulbs have burned through the yellow plastic globes and there is a nickel sized hole in the top of both yellow globes. Of course, the dealer has never seen anything like it. They said that replacing the bulb is pointless as it will continue to short out.

They wanted $625 to replace both headlights as you can't just replace the globes. The headlights have always held water and fogged but I never said anything. They said that there were too many miles for GM to do anything and that my dealer extended warranty did not cover trim - which they say headlights are.

Pao and some others with high mileage: please turn on your headlights and see if you notice the same thing on the top of the yellow turn signals. I can't be the only one.

I guess I will have my independent shop look for some used headlights. Maybe I can Gorilla Glue something over top too keep the water out if I can get to the globe.

Any ideas of feedback is welcome.

csandste

http://www.car-part.com/index.htm

Sixteen pages of rh lights (assume the same amount of lh), price as low as $75 per unit.

pao

I have the same problem with the yellow globes as well and have had for some time now.......I attribute them to the heat generated from the DRLS on....I also have fading on the top portion of each headlamp assembly directly above the yellow globes....$625 is a rip off from the dealer...you can get the headlamp assemblies new from many GM parts online dealerships for $150-200 each...be wary of second hand parts however...as most arent tested and are bought as is....(experience factor here) the assembly is plug and play..simply add the bulbs..

I havent had any fogging or water intrusion issues however.....the turn signal blub issue was first noticed early with my Maxx...and the dealership replaced the socket under warranty because it was shorting causing the bulb to burn out, havent had a problem since that..and it was over 3 years ago

pao

also found this TSB:

Subject:Front Park/Turn Signal/DRL or Rear Stop/Turn Signal/Tail Lamp/Light Inoperative (Replace Bulb and Inspect Socket) #06-08-42-004B - (06/19/2006)

Models:2004-2006 Chevrolet Malibu, Malibu Maxx

This bulletin is being revised with updated parts information in the Correction section. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 06-08-42-004A (Section 08 - Body & Accessories).
Condition

Some customers may comment that the front park/turn/DRL or rear stop/turn/tail lamp is inoperative.
Correction

DO NOT REPLACE THE HEADLAMP OR TAIL LAMP ASSEMBLY.
Replace the bulb and inspect the socket. If the socket is discolored, replace the socket following the procedures below.
Front Park/Turn/DRL Lamp
Remove the lamp assembly, then remove the bulb. Refer to Headlamp Assembly or Headlamp Bulb and/or Cornering, Sidemarker, Park, Turn Signal Bulb Replacement in SI. Inspect the socket.
• If the socket is NOT discolored or damaged, replace the bulb only with Osram 3157 LCP bulb, P/N 13502322.
• If the socket is discolored at the bulb interface, replace the socket and bulb.
Important: Use only Duraseal splice sleeves (salmon, P/N 12089189). Other splice sleeves may not protect the splice from moisture or provide a good electrical connection. Refer to Splicing Copper Wire Using Splice Sleeves in SI for splicing procedures.
1. Cut the wires of the park/turn/DRL socket approximately 45 mm (1-¾ in) from the socket and splice in the replacement socket, P/N 15945363. Ensure that the splice is not above the socket when re-installing.
2. Replace the bulb with Osram 3157 LCP bulb, P/N 13502322.
Verify that the front park/turn/DRL lamp is fully functional.
Rear Stop/Turn/Tail Lamp
Remove the lamp assembly, then remove the lower bulb (stop/turn/tail). Refer to Tail Lamp Assembly and/or Backup, Sidemarker, Stop, Turn Signal Bulb Replacement in SI. Inspect the socket.
• If the socket is NOT discolored or damaged, replace the bulb only with Osram 3057 LCP bulb, P/N 15883346.
• If the socket is discolored at the bulb interface, replace the socket and bulb.
Important: Use only Duraseal splice sleeves (salmon, P/N 12089189). Other splice sleeves may not protect the splice from moisture or provide a good electrical connection. Refer to Splicing Copper Wire Using Splice Sleeves in SI for splicing procedures.
1. Cut the wires of the stop/turn/tail socket approximately 45 mm (1-¾ in) from the socket and splice in the replacement socket (P/N 15873724 for Malibu sedans or P/N 15873725 for Malibu Maxx vehicles).
2. Replace the bulb with Osram 3057 LCP bulb, P/N 15883346.
Remove the upper bulb (auxiliary tail lamp), if needed, and inspect the auxiliary tail lamp socket for discoloration. If the auxiliary tail lamp socket has discoloration, install new socket, P/N 15876348.
Verify that the rear stop/turn/tail lamp is fully functional.
Parts Information

Part Number
Description
15883346
Osram 3057 LCP Bulb
13502322
Osram 3157 LCP Bulb
15945363
Socket Asm - Front Park & T/Sig Lp
15873724
Socket Asm - Stop & T/Lp (Malibu Sedan)
15873725
Socket Asm - Stop & T/Lp (Malibu Maxx)
15876348
Socket Asm - T/Lp
Important: A full rear harness with both new sockets is available for collision repair. Refer to the Parts Catalog for new part number usage and availability.
Warranty Information

For vehicles repaired under warranty, use:
Labor Operation
Description
Labor Time
N0680
Bulbs, Park And Turn Signal Lamp (Right) - Replace
Use Published Labor Operation Time
N0681
Bulbs, Park And Turn Signal Lamp (Left) - Replace
N0760
Bulbs, Stop, Tail, And Turn Lamp (Right) - Replace
N0761
Bulbs, Stop, Tail, And Turn Lamp (Left) - Replace
N9537*
Socket, Lamp - Exterior (Front) - Replace
0.2 hr
Add:
To Splice Turn Signal Socket
0.1 hr
N9538*
Socket, Lamp - Exterior (Rear) - Replace
0.2 hr
Add:
To Splice Turn Signal/Stop Lamp and Auxiliary Tail Lamp

also found a pair of the assemblies for $200 shipped....here:

http://www.1aauto.com/1A/HeadLights/Chevrolet/MalibuMaxx

I'll probably do this to replace my old discolored ones....

pao

found them even cheaper at rockauto.com....about $153 shipped for the pair

maxxmd

Wow, great information! I did look at the auto parts place briefly. Both of my assemblys are fogged and actually have burn marks on them too.

On the TSB, any idea what the dealer will cover for free on a 2 1/2 year old Maxx with 77K?

If nothing, I may try to replace them myself. You say "plug and play" but is that a matter of a couple screws or is it more involved?

pao

unless yuo have an GMPP extended warranty, probably nothing will be covered free....there are two screws that hold the headlamp assembly in place, easily accessible once you open the hood...undo them both and the assembly slides right out...one electrical connection clip and you remove the entire assembly....simply replace the bulbs and reverse the procedures....probably a 5-10 minute job a headlight....

if you are replacing the entire assembly, no need to worry about the TSB as the assembly comes with the sockets and harness already....

maxxmd

Thank you again.

csandste

Just received notice today that they're reimbursing for repairs. I had said that the repairs totaled $1000 but in fact it was a bit over $700. Glad to see they're making good on this troubling part.

maddmaxx

I have had both headlights burn as well. The dealer replaced one under GMPP, but the other they did the wiring change even though the damage was done. The new headlight still had the old bulb #. I also filed a report with NHTSA as I think this could be a fire hazard. My suggestion is to check ebay for an undamaged one, then change the bulb out to the updated one. I haven't had problems since with the new bulb. But kind of crummy GMPP would fix the damage.

pao

careful on the ebay headlight assemblies....good deals..but faulty products...most sold as is....took a chance on one....the assembly looked new..but the circuit for the turn signal was bad....and the seller wouldnt take it back....his ad showed....sold as is.......so caution here ...with the price of a new one for some autoparts stores on line at $75 for them......I would recommend that route instead...cost me $50 for a piece that is defective...

truc77

I'm having problems with the heated seats too and a friend of mine at chevrolet checked for bulletins and found that they put the wrong module in the controls for the heated seats in a lot of 05-06 models and they dont have a recall order for them yet, but are replacing them as they come in for service. If more people complain to chevy about them there is sure to be a recall.

kiltman

I own a 05 Maxx LT which I bought in May of '06 and luckily have had no problems with it at all. Yesterday I received in the mail from GM a letter stating that there have been problems with the power steering assist and are extending the warranty on this item to 7/70. This also includes reimbursement for those who have had it fixed already. Looks like they finally came through on something.

hhmax

Is there a TSB for this? What are the correct control module parts number? Please post here if anything new develops. Thanks!

comem47

Can someone tell me how the rear wiper arm removes on the Maxx?

I was blowing out the driveway this morning and my wife came over and showed me she broke the blade on the rear wiper on her car and I couldn't quickly figure out how to remove the arm. (I ended up taping a glove over the assembly so she doesn't accidentally turn it on today and gouge the glass). From a quick look it appears the whole arm needs replacement anyway. I've removed many other types over the years, but this seems a lot different.

Thanks for any pointers

meandmymaxx

You have to pop the plastic cover off the pivot of the arm while pressing down on the tab that stops the arm from coming up. There are no replacement wiper blade for this car, you have to get the whole arm. Another GM brain fart. Assuming anyone there has a brain.

williams8888

Actually I just got a new wiper blade from the dealer. I was able to take off the old blade and replace it with a new blade. Although it wasn't cheap, I ended up paying $13 for the blade but now that I know I can do it. I might just buy a blade next time that is available at an auto parts store and cut it to fit. Good luck!

comem47

Upon getting a new wiper arm I see the arm is a tapered hole to fit to the shaft of the motor.I got the plastic cover off OK but I've been trying to get the arm off and it wont budge despite WD-40 and lots of rocking motion. I guess a gear puller of the perfect size would do nicely (but then again I don't think you could bear against the plastic thing in the center of the shaft) Next thought is something like a ball joint fork separator (but smaller). I'm paranoid about using too much force since the motor is suspended in the rear glass. How hard was it to remove the tapered arm for you?

lne216

How did you do this? When I went to the dealer they said I had to replace the entire arm and there was no way to just replace the wiper. At the tune of $50 I said no thanks.

What was GM thinking? Not to have a replacement blade?? Never thought that was something I had to consider when buying this car.

pao

remember the entire reason for the rear wiper is because they did a design change and added the rear spoiler after the 04 MY because folks wanted it for appearance apparently.....the window stays perfectly clear at highway speeds in the 04 MY but the addition of the spoiler disrupts the downward air flow, thus the need for the wiper in the first place.......and yes..a poor design feature on later MY Maxxs

williams8888

I was a sured by the parts department that is was easy to replace myself if not the service dept could do it for me -- for a fee .

I just kind of played around with it by pulling it away from window and grabing the blade their is a little give way and presto at one end I was able to slide off one holder and I could then slide it off and revised the process to put it back on. I save the old blade for future replacement size comparison.

Good luck!

meandmymaxx

I tried that, and yes it is easy to get the blade off, but I couldn't find a replacement to fit the wiper arm. If you do, can you let me know the make. Thanks

comem47

Per my posting, swapping the blade isn't my problem. I have to replace the whole arm (broke). I'm hoping whomever has done this can comment.

missbelle

I am in the process of buying a Maxx, now I wonder if I am making a mistake after coming across this board, I thought I HAD DONE MY RESEARCH but now I read all the problems people are having so hummmm am I making the right decisoion?
Single older female here, Home owner, was looking for a car that I would be able to haul things for the house if need be, with out it looking like a truck.
Also have two dogs, and the back would work great for dog crates.
Any advise would be helpful, I want to buy within the next few days.

pao

are you buying used or new 07 MY?....I have an 04 LT Maxx....and have had no problems with it...114K on it now.......the forums will always list those that have had problems with any car...regardless of make or model.....vice those of us who have been quite happy with the car.....most of the problems were with the 04 and 05MYs......the 07 should be a good value at the point.....

comem47

My wife loves her '06 Maxx. Great value with all the goodies we got with the discount at the time. The broken rear wiper is the only thing so far with about 25K on the car.
Can't beat getting over 30mpg in summer for a 6 cyl. with all the features. No regrets on our part. An '07 is even better with the warranty.

meandmymaxx

I have the 05 LT and have been quite happy with it. I have not had the problems that some here have, most of mine were cosmetic minor things like the seat breaking and the rear shades. I have had the steering gear changed, a thermostat and ABS module all under warranty. The car has never let me down, drives smooth and will still surprise me with it's pep after 3 years and 90,000km (50,000 mi) Gas mileage is good. I would agree to get one as new as possible. My only semi serious complaint is I find it hard to get comfortable in the drivers seat. All cars have bugs, new, old they all have them. The Maxx is the most versatile car I have owned since my full blown station waggon days gone by. If you can get the extended warranty. If you get a good one you will be very happy with it.

comem47

I finally got the old wiper arm off by using a valve spring compressor tool I forgot I had,despite the offset jaws, as a gear puller. Believe me you need something like this as the hole in the arm is tapered and the shaft of the wiper motor is splined (usually I've found wiper arms and shafts splined only, and not tapered, making it easy to pull off) The tapered insert in the arm is aluminum and it was really on there! Careful clearing snow around the arm as it's plastic and broke mid way when my wife was scraping off some ice on the rear window.

csandste

50,000+ miles on my 05 LS. Had a HVAC damper door fixed under warranty. Have no idea what that would have cost but I haven't seen any other reporting so will consider that a fluke.

Had steering column replaced last winter. GM will reimburse and is extending warranty. Have heard fewer problems with newer cars than with the 04-05 models on this one so maybe they've got it figured out.

Other than that I'm a happy camper. My last two other cars were an 01 Hyundai and an 07 Optima. Both ran without incident (although the Optima doesn't have many miles), but I think the Maxx is the best car I've ever had, especially considering the flexibility of the hatch. That's the reason I bought the car and I'm disappointed the new 'Bu doesn't have the Maxx--- they never knew how to market the car.

You get more negatives because the car is out of production. Fewer enthused customers waxing about their buying experiences with the car. The curve of what seems to be more negative responses is typical for a discontinued models. Fewer new buyers, more people with mechanical problem comments.

To sum up. The best car I've owned and I've owned 30+ cars.

csandste

As the previous comment stated. The rear wiper is necessitated by the spoiler. If Chevy had just left well enough alone, both would have been unnecessary. Some marketing guy must have bamboozled the engineers.

maddmaxx

Has anyone added a block heater to their 04 Maxx? My dealer wants over 200 for it. I hear it will only turn on below 0 so it will not throw a code. I haven't been able to locate an aftermarket one.

derberg

We have an '05 Maxx LS and really like it. The only problem I've noticed at 25K miles is juddering (vibrating) brakes above 50 mph. I'll get that fixed under warranty (I hope). We do wish the seats were more cushy, but otherwise it is a great car -- economical, useful, roomy, quick and quiet. It's too bad the "experts" at GM don't have a hatchback version of the '08 Malibu, or more hatches in general. They are a terrific style of car, IMO.

pao

you have the infamous rotor warping problem...dealer may turn them for you.....make sure they hand torque the wheels back on and not use an impact wrench......that should help with the problem long term...

jasondragon

I have a 2005 Chevy Malibu LT that also has the problem where the heated seats often come on by themselves. It seems to only happen on the first start after the car has been off for several hours with the temperature below freezing. It first started happening last spring at 35,000 miles. I took it to the dealer before the warranty was up, but they couldn't find anything. The problem went away with the warm weather, but now it is back more frequently this winter. I can turn the driver's seat off easy enough, but it is kind of a pain to turn off the passenger seat - with the switch on the outside edge of the seat.

hhmax

well I took the car in yesterday to have the battery checked as it was dead in a -20 C day. They found out that the car was drawing 158 mA when the car is OFF. They replaced the BCM and it fixed the seat heater auto turn on problem too.