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2000-2011 Chevrolet Malibu

1868789919296

Comments

  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    Agreed.
  • jenny82jenny82 Member Posts: 1
    I just bought an 04 malibu sedan. The dvd player wasnt an option in these. Does anyone know if I can use the malibu maxx dvd console in my malibu sedan? Im not sure if there will be enough room... or if my husabnd can wire it correctly for me (hehe. sometimes its nice to have a man around the house :-)

    Also, does anyone know any good aftermarket websites for the malibu???

    Thanks!
  • traveler5traveler5 Member Posts: 2
    Being an unhappy 1998 Malibu LS owner I was interested about your broken spring story. I had the right front spring replaced 6/18/ 04 (42,000 mi), the left front replaced 5/31/05 (47,000 mi) and now have the car in the garage to have the broken left rear spring replaced (49,000 mi). This condition is apparently frequent enough for some parts suppliers to sell packages of 4 springs for Malibus. Having lost brakes due to an abraded brake line at 18,000 mi, an intake manifold gasket replaced at $450.00 at 37,000 mi and now with the 3rd broken spring I am ready to move on and forget Chevrolet. This car was purchased new and has had no hard use.
  • traveler5traveler5 Member Posts: 2
    I haven't used this site, but you might give it a try. www.1motormart.com

    For my experience with my '98 malibu check message # 4586. However the '04 is a completely new car. Good luck with it.
  • aliciadeealiciadee Member Posts: 1
    Hello, I own a 97 Malibu,I saw where you had posted a recall that my dealership has never notified me of....the pinion bearing issue, could you please tell me a little more about that?
  • vanman1vanman1 Member Posts: 1,397
    Anyone seen a 2006 SS yet?
  • ctlmbctlmb Member Posts: 4
    Car was actually a new car purchase. In-laws are on a pension and don't have much money. How many cars have you owned where the two front suspension springs had to be replaced after 100,000 miles? GM can keep producing their crappy cars, but people aren't buying them unless they get the employee discount. Good luck Rick Wagoner! My in-law's next car will be a Toyota. We don't expect anything from GM. We just want to warn others of their junk.
  • chuck1chuck1 Member Posts: 1,405
    No your on a mission all right. I don't care what anybody says - 100,000 miles is a lot of travel, and I don't see how any car maker can be responsible for that long. You went through a lot of time and trouble to set up a web site. If anything, you want revenge.
  • bporter1bporter1 Member Posts: 229
    I agree with the above post, that stated that 100K miles is a lot of traveling. I also agree that GM should not be held responsible for this problem. The car has 100K miles on it, stuff happens when a car gets that old. I hope nobody was hurt when the failure happened, but did your inlaws ever have the front struts looked at? Typically they last around 50 to 75K. Bottom line from me is GM still has a little ways to go, they are getting better though, but to put the blame solely on the build quality of a car that has 100K miles is being unfair.
  • nortsr1nortsr1 Member Posts: 1,060
    I totally agree...You are on a mission. After 100,000 miles and now you are "On a Mission". Totally ridiculous!!!!!!
  • mitzijmitzij Member Posts: 613
    Recall 03062-regarding the separation of the lower pinion bearing on the steering gear. It can cause a loss of power steering during left turns.
    SOME 1997-1998 Malibus are involved in this recall.

    Post the last 8 digits of your VIN (should start VY or V6) and I'll see if your car is involved.

    GM sends notices out, if they have your address. It's not the most accurate system, but it's probably the best they can do. ;)
  • chuck1chuck1 Member Posts: 1,405
    On another note, I have an '01 Mazda 626 that needed a new radiator at 50,000 miles. The old one (made of plastic) was clogged up even though the owners manual said the coolant was good for a 100,000 miles. It was a relatively expensive repair. However, I really didn't think that I had any recourse from the manufacturer after 3 and one-half years and 50K miles!
  • brina3brina3 Member Posts: 1
    I am new to this site, but I have a 98 Malibu and I am having so many problems, 1st off the Ignition switch had it replaced now my key doesnt want to turn, The anti-theft light blinks, the ABS light stays on, I cant have my new tired aligned because the tie rod ends are messed up, now on top of everything, my car keeps running hot. Has new hoses, but water is blowing out of my muffler, any suggestions in whats wrong with it now????? Please reply! Thank you!
  • chuck1chuck1 Member Posts: 1,405
    The anti theft light and the ABS light is telling you something is wrong within the system. Consult your owners manual immediately! As as the tie-rods are concerned, this is a normal wear item with a vehicle of that many years old.

    At seven years old (almost eight) - some people would make the argument that your car is approaching the end of it's useful life and to think about getting rid of it!
  • joe3891joe3891 Member Posts: 759
    Have the mechanic that replaced the ign switch look at it, is the switch still under warranty? The security light is part of the ign switch problem. ABS light could be a sensor, you can operate without ABS. Tie rods must be loose, you need new ones. If that is coolant out tail pipe you need a head gasket, that leaking gasket is causing the overheating. That’s a lot of problems, came all at once or just added up?
    :(
  • chuck1chuck1 Member Posts: 1,405
    That’s a lot of problems, came all at once or just added up?

    He/she should get rid of that car if they can afford it.
  • wxman4wxman4 Member Posts: 53
    Anyone have a cheat sheet on how to program/match RKE transmitter to vehicle? Wife lost a transmitter, purchased replacement on ebay, now need it matched to vehicle. Owner's manual implies it is dealer only, but sometimes all you need are the directions.

    Thanks for any help
    Wxman
    2005 Malibu LT w/remote start
  • dwstechiedwstechie Member Posts: 4
    After retiring my trusty 2002 Silverado to weekend only duty, I just bought a 2005 Sport Red Metallic Malibu LS with the 1SB package so I could get the side and head-curtain airbags, plus better mileage than the 19 MPG from my truck . The car was manufactured sometime in September 2004 and has been sitting on one (and possibly more) dealer's lot for almost a year, and had 419 miles on it. I found the car using gmbuypower.com, and my dealer (same one who sold me the Silverado) picked up the car for me from the original listing dealer. The car is clean, and I trust my dealer, plus I got 0% 60 month GMAC financing on GM family pricing minus another $1000, which I would not get if the car was considered used. However, I'm curious why this car would have stayed on somebody's lot for a year. Is the Sport Red just not a popular color? Or am I just paranoid?
  • e2helpere2helper Member Posts: 1,002
    Sorry but it is only programmable by dealer using service tool. Since you have remote start as long as fob you purchased has remote start button you likely got correct part.

    If you do take vehicle to dealer to program make sure you take them both fobs because sometimes to reprogram they need to do them all again.
  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    Sport red is a popular color, 4 in my town, only 8K people. If you like it don't worry about it, you have 3 yr-36 K warranty. I have 12 K on my 04 Sport red LS loaded, the gas milage at 70 mph still amazes me, about 35 mpg. :)
  • tarheelmantarheelman Member Posts: 9
    Ten days ago, I bought a new, untitled '05 Malibu LS sedan. Like yours, it had package 1SB, was built in the fall of '04 (October), and had 400+ miles on the odometer (446) when I test drove it. According to the window sticker, it was originally delivered to the dealer I bought it from. Like you, I found it using gmbuypower.com. However, mine is White, not Sport Red.

    Initially, I was concerned about why this car had been on the dealer's lot for almost a year. However, after driving it for over a week and putting almost 600 miles on it (now at 1012), I've decided not to worry about it because the car is performing fine. Likewise, if yours is performing well, I wouldn't worry about why it went unsold for a year---just enjoy it.

    By the way, after a 145 mile round trip to see a football game this weekend plus four days of commuting and errand running, my Malibu averaged 28 MPG. This is great, especially considering the fact that my old car would've averaged about 23 MPG for the same type of driving. At today's gas prices, the savings from getting five extra miles per gallon ain't pocket change!

    What kind of mileage are you getting from yours so far?
  • mr_botsmr_bots Member Posts: 236
    Just took the longest trip to date in my 04 Malibu LS, it was about 600 miles, 590.6 to be exact. Filled up when I left town, once coming back, and then again when I got back to check mileage. Going up, which included around Albuquerque, and back to a town about 20 miles this direction, 346.9 miles according to the trip computer, averaging 57mph, got 34.3mpg. Coming back, averaging 66mph for 243.7 miles, I got 37.7! I figured this by dividing miles by gallons (not the trip computer). Almost 38 in a V6 with cruise set at 75 the whole way (when not driving through one of the 5 towns between of course)
  • deminindeminin Member Posts: 214
    We traded our '03 LS in for a new '06 Impala LTZ a few days ago. I am hoping the the Impala is as good as the Malibu was. We had one minor repair in almost 3 years...bad power window switch...and the gas pedal recall. The only real complaint I had with the Malibu was comfort on longer trips. It was about as good a town car as anyone could hope to have. Here's hoping that all you Malibu owners have as good an ownership experience as we had.
  • tarheelmantarheelman Member Posts: 9
    Great mileage! Thanks for posting the report. I can't wait to see what kind of mileage mine gets on a long trip.
  • tarheelmantarheelman Member Posts: 9
    I had an opportunity to sit in and examine an '06 Impala SS in the showroom while waiting on the F&I guy when I bought my Malibu a few weeks ago. I was impressed with the materials quality in the interior, the dashboard layout, the feel of the switches, and the fit/finish of both the interior and the exterior. Bob Lutz' influence at GM is definitely paying off!

    The '06 Impala looks to me like it'll be a great car. Enjoy it!
  • vanman1vanman1 Member Posts: 1,397
    The Malibu has a decent interior. That said I'd like to see more of what I see in the Impala go into the Malibu, it needs more accents to give it a more upscale feeling interior.
  • tamu2002tamu2002 Member Posts: 758
    Hey deminin, I remember you from a few years back when you first got your Malibu. I enjoyed your periodic update. Man how time flies. We bought our Malibu LS shortly before you and like you we had a wonderful ownership experience untill my wife was rear ended by a dump truck (at low speed fortunately). We were real sad to depart from our faithful Malibu. It was going to be my commute car. Now I'm stuck with a 91 Geo. Anyway, good luck with your Impala.
  • dwstechiedwstechie Member Posts: 4
    I've put about 900 miles on mine so far, and the first measured tank fillup was just under 30 MPG. My commute is about 85 miles roundtrip, mostly 2-lane highway with cruise control set at about 61 MPH. So far on the latest fillup, the DIC is showing about 31 MPG. I'm curious about how the onboard computer calculates MPG. Does anyone know the gory details about what sensors measure fuel consumption?

    BTW, since my average speed is considerably less than 150 MPH, I'm glad my LS did NOT have that silly spoiler! But a car with full air bags, enough V6 horses to light the tires, plus great gas mileage if you drive without lighting the tires, plus a pretty decent basic audio system, plus a backseat comfortable enough to take a nap at lunchtime, makes me a happy camper. :)
  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    Very simple with a computer, the computer measures injector pulse width. IPW is how long the computer keeps the injector open and how many time per mile. The computer is set to know high much fuel is used for each IPW. Checking my milage by dividing gallons into miles traveled I have come to the conclusion it's very accurate. :)
  • tarheelmantarheelman Member Posts: 9
    30 MPG is great mileage! A lot better than your Silverado, eh?

    I don't know how the DIC calculates mileage, but I'd like to find out. It seems to be pretty accurate so far.

    My commute is about 40 miles round trip, with a mix of 2-lane highway, interstate highway, and city streets. Speed varies depending on the traffic, so gas mileage varies also. It'll be interesting to see what my next fillup yields since there won't be a 145 mile highway trip this time. According to the DIC, I'm averaging 27.1 MPG so far on this fillup.

    I agree...the level of equipment you get on this car for the money is outstanding. Mine doesn't have the spoiler, either, which is fine with me. I've never understood why car manufacturers think that 4-door sedans need spoilers. :confuse:

    So far, I'm very pleased with this car's ride, handling, performance, and fuel economy. I'd encourage anyone shopping the Camry and Accord to take a serious look at the Malibu. It just might surprise them.
  • dwstechiedwstechie Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for the explanation, gonogo. As an old technogeek computer guy that still remembers engines that you could tune by ear, I'm always interested in how computers have been applied to cars. Do you happen to know any online references with more detailed explanations for IPW and other acronyms?
  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    Sorry no, I used to have the GM online service manual twice, but GM catches up with me and blocks me out. I have got a lot of information on the 04 Malibu and 99 Sonoma which I own. When I was on the online manual I downloaded for hours knowing I would lose it some day. Google will usually come up with something. :)
  • e2helpere2helper Member Posts: 1,002
    You could always buy one ;)

    But it isn't going to describe the details of how the fuel economy display is calculated. That would only be found in the specifications for the electronic module's software
  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    Buy, you mean buy, LOL, already downloaded 2 on my computer.I have found out in my short time online if you look long enough and hard enough you can find most anything. The thing is most of the information I have I will never use, but it's nice to have just in case, just takes a little HD space. :)
  • scott1256scott1256 Member Posts: 531
    on the 2006 Malibu w/4 cylinder has changed from 2005.

    2005 was 24/35
    2006 now 24/32

    Is there a new final drive ratio, transmission change or engine modification?

    Or did EPA change their test?
  • ronbo10ronbo10 Member Posts: 45
    Been a while since I've posted...busy with allot of stuff, including a newborn (it's been 4 months and I've still got 5 cigars in my mouth!). I've been wondering the same thing. The EPA has just put out their new 2006 Fuel Economy Guide (found at www.fueleconomy.gov), and here's how I understand the EPA process works: The manufacturer submits their estimates of what the EPA will find were the EPA to verify using their own tests. Reading the EPA's FAQ's, it turns out that the EPA verifies the manufacturers' submitted numbers (e.g.24/32) in only 10% of the cases, i.e. they test only 10% of all cars for which they publish results. I didn't know that. So with that in mind, I would suggest that GM has decided to take the hit marketing-wise by estimating the Malibu 4 cylinder down to 24/32 from the prior year's higher number. Perhaps GM doesn't want the Malibu 4 Cylinder to outperform the smaller Cobalt, which has the same power train (LS/LT models, anyway). I recall when the Cobalt was introduced that GM made a decision to accept lower mileage on the Cobalt due to the higher performance but "dragier" tires they fitted to the car. I doubt that the tires account for a 2 mpg difference, and I think a lot of folks were surprised that the Cobalt didn't do better with its EPA mileage rating. I'd venture to say that the 05 Malibu 4 Cylinder EPA numbers were valid, and one could expect similar results with the '06. Real world I've seen a few owners report close to 40 mpg highway with their 4 cylinder Malibu’s.

    Of note, found in the description of testing in the 2006 Fuel Economy Guide, is that the EPA takes their lab results (they apparently use dynamometers vice actual road tests) and then apply a 15% reduction factor "to better reflect real world driving conditions for the average motorist" (their words). I don't know if this was the case with their 2005 Fuel Economy Guide, but I do recall last year the complaints from drivers claiming that the EPA published numbers were overly optimistic.

    On the other hand, I would hazard a guess that the numbers that manufacturers submit might themselves be slightly conservative- the PR nightmare of manufacturers' submitted numbers not being repeatable in EPA tests is probably not something they wish to have to contemplate. For example, the Chevrolet Impala 3.9 is rated at 19/27, though I've already seen one owner write he's gotten 27.6 with a mix of 25/75 city/highway, this on a motor that's still being broken in. Hardly a scientific survey, I know. Still, I'll bet the real world numbers of the Impala 3.9 might turn out to be a bit better than the 19/27 published number would suggest.

    Finally, I see some revisions in the other direction for '06. For example, Buick's Lacrosse (3800) had an EPA rating of 20/29 for 2005, but for 2006 they show 20/30. Has the car changed year over year? Probably not. But 30 mpg is a psychologically important number that is nice to be able to show on the window sticker. Perhaps there is a certain amount of politicking that goes on between manufacturer and the EPA, though they'd both probably bristle at the suggestion.

    Sorry for the long post!
  • scott1256scott1256 Member Posts: 531
    You explained the EPA testing and manufacturer fuel economy estimates quite clearly. A lot of these details I never heard before.

    I looked closely at the specs of the 2006 and 2005 Malibus and could find no changes. It makes sense Chev would not want the Malibu to be more economical than the Cobalt.

    The EPA estimates for hybrid vehicles have been shown by CU to be completely invalid - as much as 40% too high.
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    You said:

    on the 2006 Malibu w/4 cylinder has changed from 2005.

    2005 was 24/35
    2006 now 24/32

    Is there a new final drive ratio, transmission change or engine modification?

    Or did EPA change their test?


    Chevy cleaned up the appalling emissions on the '05 Malibu and the "highway" mileage took a slight hit as a result. I have long been considering a Malibu 4-banger but did not like the "minimum legal standard" emissions on the engine in that car - it got a "3" out of 10 rating on the EPA pollution score. The version of this year is up to a "6" so it is much cleaner, and matches the pollution from the Cobalt and Pontiac G6 versions of this engine.

    BTW, the Pontiac G6 gets the 2.4 version, which loses 1 mpg on the city rating but picks up 2 mpg on the highway end of things - despite being bigger. I supect they use a lower final overall gear ratio to drop the rpm a bit, the 2.4 has more torque. Although I would prefer a Chevy, I will look at the Pontiac to see what it's like - it's a bargain at $18k, and may - may - have sportier handling since it is from the Pontiac line.

    Overall mileage on the 4 banger still beats the base 6 cylinder, and handling should still be better - Consumer Reports liked the handling on the 4 cylinder version slightly better than on the 6 cylinder version. In the near future GM will probably phase in the variable valve timing version of the 6, which might further narrow the mileage gap.

    BTW, I find Consumer Reports a better guide to actual mileage. Since their driving is heavily biased towards city cycles, it is overall much lower than the EPA scores, but their 150 mile trip and pure highway cycle readings are more in line with what I see on my freeway commute.

    Finally, the 2.4 used in the Pontiac G6 runs on regular, vs. the premium recommended for this version of the engine in the HHR and Cobalt SS (non-supercharged edition). It would be interesting if the HP and torque figures given for the G6 version are based on using regular, the HHR based on using premium, and otherwise there are no differences - in otherwords, change your gas and you'll change your performance.
  • ronbo10ronbo10 Member Posts: 45
    Very interesting- I hadn't even considered that the state of tune of the 2005 Malibu was significantly dirtier than the 2006. It's unfortunate that cleaner exhaust can be less efficient- sort of contrary to intuition: You might think that cleaner exhaust would mean that more energy is being generated by the combustion, with fewer pollutants as a result. Wishful thinking, I guess.

    With respect to the 2.4 liter's better mileage, I wonder if the the variable nature of it's cam timing allows it to run more efficiently at cruise (and for that matter, is the cam phasing sophisticated enough that it takes into account more variables than simply RPM- e.g. it's ideal phasing at cruise, 2500 rpm might be different than 2500 rpm under acceleration).

    I hope you're right about the Malibu getting the V6 with VVT in the near future. It sounds like a superior engine, good as the current Malibu's V6 is. Interestingly, the Malibu's V6 has almost nothing in common with the new generation VVT V-6's (think I read it shared only valve guides!).

    I wonder if much advantage is gained (with respect to variable valve timing design) with having separate camshafts for intake and exhaust, as is the case with DOHC engines. With OHV engines having a common camshaft for both intake and exhaust, by design they must vary together rather than independently. I've seen several journalists describe the VVT system in the new generation GM OHV V-6's as "rudimentary". Not sure why they should describe it in these terms. Also of note is that Ford's Duratec 2.3 liter 4 cylinder, as well as their Duratec 3.0 V-6 have only variable intake valve timing. Perhaps little is to be gained by varying the exhaust valve timing. Or perhaps it is only a question of cost, and/or cost/benefit ratio.
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    Whether to vary intake only, or both intake and exhaust valves is a topic I don't know a lot about...but I have heard that most of the benefit of variable valve timing is being able to vary the intake valves, and the next major benefit is being able to vary the shift continuously instead of in "bumps" as in the original Honda system. Finally there is the issue of varying valve overlap, which you wouldn't get with a system that shifts intake and exhaust valves at the same time by the same amount.

    I think you have to look at the results. The 2.4 with vvt on the HHR is rated at the same mpg as the 2.2 on the HHR without vvt; the 2.4 on the G6 vs the 2.2 on the 'bu; the extras horsepower with similar mileage on the Mazda3's vs. the Focus. This stuff seems to work, if you can get past the extra cost of the engine design (which is why the Focus, an "ordinary" economy car, doesn't get it, but the "premium" Mazda3 does).
  • scott1256scott1256 Member Posts: 531
    Thanks to you both for your research.

    Maybe the hiway mileage change is a combination of these two factors. Chevy engineers might think "Hey, if we lose 1 mpg on the Malibu hiway rating due to emissions changes let's take 2 more off so the hiway mpg is below the Cobalt."
  • kduongkduong Member Posts: 4
    Hi, can anyone please tell me how to remove the rear drum on my 98 Malibu 2.4L?
    Thanks in advance.
  • dwstechiedwstechie Member Posts: 4
    My new Malibu ran fine for the first 1672 miles until yesterday. After driving about 40 miles from home to my daughter's house and parking for about 20 minutes, I restarted the car, drove a block to the first stop sign, and felt my brake pedal slowly go all the way to the floor as I (fortunately) managed to stop. I drove my son-in-law about a mile to his work, and decided to park the car after the brakes got more mushy. There were no error lights of any kind on the dash. I called Chevy Roadside Assistance, and got the car towed to the nearest Chevy dealer a couple of miles away (not the dealer where I bought the car), then caught a ride to work on the local dealer shuttle. Much to my surprise, they found nothing wrong with car! After a road test and check for computer error codes, they could not reproduce the problem. I told them I would not drive the car until they found the cause of the soft brake pedal, and my wife drove over to give me a ride home.

    This morning I drove to work in my trusty Silverado, and decided to call AAA to tow the car from the local (huge) dealer to the (very small, owner knows me by my first name) dealer where I bought the car. I retrieved my keys from the local dealer service advisor, and while I was calling AAA, started up the car, and slowly pressed the brake pedal all the way to the floor! :mad: While I was waiting for the tow truck, the service manager came by and told me that he had driven the car yesterday for 2 miles and had not noticed any brake problems. When I told him that I had just felt the brake pedal go down to the floorboard, he told me that if you press the brake pedal hard enough, it will always do that! :confuse:
    Since I had already determined that I was NEVER getting any vehicle more advanced that a skateboard serviced by this dealer, I decided to just walk away before I broke something.

    Anyway, my Malibu has been towed to the original dealer, and since I'll be in Las Vegas for a conference all next week, they'll have plenty of time to fix it.

    BTW, I haven't even made the first payment yet, and I really love this car!.

    Oh well, :lemon: down, and :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: to go....

    Thank you, I feel better know.
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    I had a similar problem with a Honda CR-V; it occured at about 3 mph when I mashed the brake pedal to stop for a pedestrian who suddenly entered the crosswalk. The pedal just went to the floor, while the car barely stopped.

    The dealer hasn't been able to replicate the problem, and it hasn't recurred, but a friend told me that the ABS systems can cause brakes to act in unexpected ways, particularly at lower speeds. Anyway, I doubt it means the car is a lemon, but keep pressing until you get a proper explanation. The Honda dealer told me the same thing, that the pedal is supposed to go to the floor if you keep pushing it, but it only happened that one time and hasn't happened to me on other ABS equipped cars. I don't think the service techs have gotten a hand on this little problem, which is apparently not unique to Chevy.
  • ronbo10ronbo10 Member Posts: 45
    I read today a reviewer's road test of an '06 Malibu with the ecotec (epinions- not technically a forum), and the reviewer gave it lots of kudos. In spite of the EPA mileage rating of 24/32, he stated that he was getting between 36 to 41 on the highway (probably according to the Driver Information Center, though reviewer didn't specify), and 31 to 32.5 on twisty roads. Overall he was very impressed, with the only real criticism being with the stock Bridgestone tires.

    BTW, I noticed that the Ecotec Malibu comes stock with disc/drums front/rear, but ordering it with ABS gives it 4 wheel disc brakes, which is a $440 option, if I recall.
  • wxman4wxman4 Member Posts: 53
    Hello all. I have an '05 LT.
    The switches for the rear door windows do not illuminate at night.
    The mirror switch used to select the left or the right mirror for adjusting does not illuminate either. The actual 4-way adjustment button does illuminate.

    Is this the same as everyone elses, or do I have a problem?

    Thanks
    Wxman
  • e2helpere2helper Member Posts: 1,002
    The way you describe your vehicle's operation is the way it is supposed to work
  • vanman1vanman1 Member Posts: 1,397
    The base Malibu is a heck of a deal. It MSRPs in Canada now for $19,995 (about $16K US).
  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    e2helper had the software upgrade today for starting and idle improvements, only time will tell it cures the problem. My neighbor with a build date 5-04 has no hot starting problems, will let you know if it helps.
  • sean3sean3 Member Posts: 158
    Recently Returned a 2005 Malibu V6,
    I must say I was suprised..I am a foreign car fan..I put about 900 miles on it...got it with 8,000miles..The first thing I noticed was How smooth and quiet it was, thought this is a GM prouct?, It got excellent MPG. the steering did not bog the engine, or make the PS pump whine at all. all in all very quiet..although I can't imajine having the smaller engine in this car, the V6 was very adequate, but nothing special.. but seems perfect for this car..the readout was interesting on MPG and stuff, but It was poorly organized..the sterio was awesome for a rental unit...but again the readout and functions were not...the interior seemed solid, despite a rattle under the steering colum, the seat design was a little weird, but the seat sructure seemed great, along with a power height ajuster...both visors had problems, one wouldn't stay in any given position, and the others mirror flap had no tension...the center armrest was not centered when closing it (probably due to heavy use) the car itself seemed perfectly weighted, the doors had a quality sound, the engine was quiet, No glove box light? the styling at first was a turnoff, but it grew on me, this car was dark Navy Blue w/tan interior...side mirrors were akwardly shaped, and not body colored....this car had traction control which I do not know if it ever activated...I did use the button _+ shift a few times, but It really adds nothing to making this car fun to drive...

    I I thought the side windows were a bit akwardly framed, with to much thick rubber, and was not a smooth look..seems it may not age well...I thought the front end was kind of bold looking, with the chrome bars...not bad though...the back end is a little different...maybe they should eliminate the rear chrome a bit...My biggest suprise with this Malibu was Its smooth Engine-Tranny-Ride. No drivetrain vibration...seems like a good platform, if they only made it a bit more edgy looking, I really didn't like the styling of the sides of the exerior, it jsut didn't have that finished look..to a lesser degree the rear end also...Hopefully GM keeps up on the Quality, because this is sure not the GM of the 80's 90's, But it's nothing special because imports have been doing it for over a Decade..but this car actually got me to question the Media baby's...Accord and Camry...But GM cars also seem to be Just adequate..I would love to by a GM car, this one was sure a step in the right direction...hopefully not to late for GM.......2week rental experience...Sean
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