Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
2000-2011 Chevrolet Malibu
This discussion has been closed.
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Can get 1997 Honda Accord w/36,000 warranty for $10,500. 77,728 miles Power windows, locks, back seat folds down. 4cyl. Champagne-type color.
Which would you go with & why?
email me at pauletk@g2a.net
1) less miles on the Malibu and better warranty.
2) You will be hit with a huge bill for the Accord in exactly 12,272 miles. The timing belt of your Accord needs to be replaced at 90,000 miles. That will run oyu at least $300, $500 if you replace the water pump (which you should).
3) 1997 is the last model year of the preceidng design of the Accord. Still an attractive vehicle but it has significantly less space then the 2000 Malibu.
The Accord does have better features that make it more attractive but it also has twice the miles. The real decision is whether oyu can live without power windows, locks, etc. I can't but each person has his/her different needs.
Good luck.
Just a note, the low fuel light still works and so does the fuel gage now!
'98 LS, 13,000 miles for $12,995
'99 LS, 29,000 miles for $9,950
Both are in really nice shape, run well, and essentially have all the same amenities. Carfax reports on both came back clean. Not too concerned about any resale value, as I plan on driving it till it drops or gets totaled, whichever comes first. I'm leaning one way for sure, won't say which though. Don't want to influence the jury. Any opinions are appreciated. Just like to hear different perspective. If you were me, what would you buy?
The late 99 Malibu already had improved 170-hp engine vs. 150-155hp with 98 and early 99. It is possible to tell exactly by VIN: the different engine are coded by different letter in VIN, but I do not remember what letter.
The early 98, produced in 97, are practically the first year model. Have the same problems with reliability as 97. My Malibu was built in July 97: a nice car to drive, but a lot of small repairs was needed, plus two more expensive ones.
However, if the two cars you are comparing were built a month or two apart, the only serious difference is in mileage.
First, the good news. I got a very good deal on a car that is substantial in size and room, with a large trunk and a reasonably good stereo system and heating and cooling unit. I also went for the LS, which gave me an engine that can really move the car. You can accelerate quick enough to safely pass slow-pokes and not feel the car straining to get up to speed. The windshield gives you a lot of viewing space, but unfortunately the car's design also makes it a target for more road spray than any other car or truck I have driven.
Here in western New York, winter salt spray is particularly a nuisance, so I find the need to use the windshield wiper fluid quite a bit. It makes me hate those darn SUV's and other ridiculous "I had to buy this because all my neighbors have them" high profile vehicles, because you can never see around them and whatever they spray ends up dead on the windshield.
Those positive points are tempered by the negatives I have also experienced.
Like many other owners, I too have nothing positive to say about the brakes on the Malibu. They've been serviced at least annually, with complete factory replacements last year to the tune of $400 dollars. Despite that, less than a year later, it still requires pushing that pedal to the floor to comfortably stop, particularly when the road is wet. It's probably time to deal with them again, but I think I'll go aftermarket this time. Brake dust tends to foul the wheels as well, and its easier to deal with early, so don't let it accumulate or you will be spending a lot of time getting rid of it.
I have also experienced the low coolant problem. When it happened this past winter, the dealer supposedly checked the system and found no leaks and topped it off, perhaps replacing the cap. The problem has just returned once again, and I am personally dreading the manifold leak problem reported by many others. This car just came off of warranty this year and if it is a leak, I intend to raise a fuss with the dealer who told me this past spring that it wasn't a leak. The car was in warranty at the time. For the time being, because there is always a wait to get in with the dealer, I'll top it off with some Prestone Dexcool I bought. I am assuming it is okay to top it off for the moment.
Other problems:
The factory CD/cassette combo unit has been replaced for the third time. Radio reception has been fine, but who wants to listen to that. My problem has been with the CD player. After so many bumps and jolts, the laser head ends up out of alignment and they simply replace the whole unit. I likely won't waste my time with another factory radio now that I am out of warranty.
Water leaks are also a problem with the 1998 Malibu, but not in the compartment but rather in the lens assembly. The brake and headlights needed far more attention than they should have. As others have experienced, bulb burnouts are a bit too common, but I discovered a major reason for this is water in the assembly.
Condensation in the headlight assembly is extremely common on my Malibu, and when attempting to replace a rear blown tail light myself, I discovered a pool of dirty water had collected at the bottom of the plastic assembly and the moisture level corroded the contacts of the assembly itself. Once the corrosion also spreads to the bulb contact, your lights begin to dim and then eventually they fail. The standard bulbs should go opaque when they blow. If they are transparent, it may be the contact points. If they are rusted, you may need a new lens assembly.
Guess what? That plastic box which holds the lights is NOT CHEAP. It's $260, but the dealer installed it for free, claiming he shared my outrage at the price. I replaced the driver side. I fear what I'll find if I need to get into the passenger side.
I suspect this problem originated at the local car wash. The Malibu is not watertight in another place as well - the front driver and passenger doors. After the car wash, when opening the door, the bottom of the door jam tends to always be sudsy.
The climate control switch has a relay which often fails when you don't pay careful attention to put the switch precisely at the click stop. I managed to get slightly off and between settings one and two and that totalled the relay. You'll notice this when you get no fan blower movement on settings one and two. It was under warranty so that was fixed for free, but I've seen this is a common problem in reviewing other messages.
Condensation in the rear window, especially in winter, is common for me also. I solve it by keeping the heater out of the recirculate compartment air mode. Use the air from outside setting.
The factory standard Firestone tires wore prematurely on my Malibu and required replacement at 30,000 miles. I went with Firestone SH (or SB, I can't remember) 30 tires, which are louder than the Affinity's but handle the road better.
Winter driving with the Malibu is fine when you are cautious, but this car is not designed for driving through Rochester, NY style snowstorms. It's low profile will "plow" the road if there is significant accumulation, and the underbody scrapes when you hit one of those snow "cookies" is unsettling. If you drive cautiously, the SH/SB 30 tires will keep you safe, much better than the Affinity's did for me.
The seatbelts sometimes lose their springiness after a lot of use. Mine became a nuisance because they wouldn't retract properly. Under warranty, the dealer replaced them. The new ones are roomier and a bit easier to cope with.
Those are the experiences I have had. I like the styling and general performance of the Malibu, but I am honestly disappointed that GM seems to have been sloppy in several respects with this vehicle and I am concerned about how well it will age. I am now considering an extended warranty fearing what else may be forthcoming, as I would like to actually pay it off next June and still have a working automobile until at least 100,000 miles without having to drag it to the dealer every few months for this or that.
Under warranty, "this or that" was just time consuming. But now it may become expensive and time consuming.
I do warn those in the market for a used 98 to pay careful attention to the brake issue and the coolant level problem, which are by far the most common problems I've seen reported in my research.
I made an appointment with the dealer this morning to bring it in Monday for a test to determine if I am the latest victim of the leaking intake manifold problem. It is a $700 minimum repair at the dealer. Yikes.
They are well aware of the problem - they see it quite a bit. I checked my service records and found that when I had this problem back in March of this year, they didn't bother to test for leaks - they just filled it. Of course, that was when it was under warranty. I intend to blow my own gasket if it turns out to be the $700 problem and ask why they didn't test for that back in March and potentially deal with it as a warranty issue back then. Maybe I'll find a way to get some sort of discount. I can be very polite, but also persistant and hopefully persuasive.
I was told it may also be a hose leak or a bad cap, which has also spawned a service bulletin from GM, but my luck sucks.
BTW, I also rummaged through my papers and discovered I had more problems than I could recall initially.
Here is the total breadown: (NC=No charge/warranty)
25 JUN 98 Car delivered
13 JUL 98 CD deck replaced NC
02 JUL 99 Passenger side tail light replaced NC
02 JUL 99 Bulging weather stripping - lens assembly NC
02 JUL 99 Insulator, rear stabilizer shaft replaced* NC
02 JUL 99 Rear sway bar bushings cracked/dry, replaced NC
29 JUN 00 Driver's rear tail light replaced NC
29 JUN 00 CD deck replaced NC
29 JUN 00 Brake pads changed, rotors turned ($215-23k miles)
18 JUL 00 CD deck replaced NC
25 SEP 00 Replaced warped rotors NC** (28k miles)
27 MAR 01 Bad blower motor resistor replaced NC
27 MAR 01 Low coolant level warning light - topped off NC
27 MAR 01 Seat belt driver's side replaced NC
15 SEP 01 Serpentine belt replaced + New lens assembly ($400)
* - This problem is identified if you hear a lot of creaking when getting in or out of the car. It sort of groans and makes a sound somewhat similar to a bed with noisy springs.
** - The rotors were replaced free because I had paid for brake service just a few months earlier. Keep your service records. Pointing out you've had an identical problem "fixed" earlier can give you leverage with cost to refix.
The Malibu has better reliability for the past 3 model years. Check Consumers. BTW, Consumers is the only magazine that gives the Mailbu a bad review. Every other magazine, web site, etc. gives the Malibu very favorable reivew Brakes, leaks and manifold leak (Common in all the GM V6 engines. There's a separate board dedicated to just that) were inherent problems with the first 2 model years. I have a 2001 Malibu with 3500 miles. So far so good. I average about 24 mpg in mix driving and 29-30 mpg on the highway. So far I haven't regretted the purchase. BTW, I had my first service performed to day, gratis. It was an oil change and grease the suspension fittings. The total on the sheet was $24.35. Not too bad. Next service is oil change and rotate the tires. may get that done at an independent garage. i'll follow the 5,000 mile service. We drive highway majority of the time.
I bought mine end of July for about $17,200 (LS) This includes the $1500 rebate. The finance rate they offered was 7%. Ended up financing thru credit union for 6.4%. When we bought ours, ther e may have been 5 2001 LS in the entire area (according to the GM site on Edmunds). So there was slim pickins. Plus I wanted to purchase locally. Now they have great rates, 0.0%.
They offered a extended warranty for 5 yrs/75,000 miles (which is actually 2 yrs/39,000 miles) for $1500. Even if you have all the problems listed above that still doesn't total $1500. (The manifold leak is $700 and brakes are $400 (go aftermarket once warranty is up)). GM transmissions are some of the best in the business so I would be stunned if something were to go wrng there. Of course you can get a plugged oxygen sensor or a bad EGR valve or a stuck thermostat but that happens in all vehicles. Anyway, I thought the extended warranty was way overpriced. Try a third party extended warranty, just make sure that it doesn't have a clause that state they don't cover damage cause by gaskets.
Good luck with the Malibu. Let me know if you have any questions.
Have the dealer keep checking...surely this has happened to other Malibus before...good luck!
Miles Problem
22,000 - replace battery, all 4 window realign, trunk realign, still make click-click sound when the windows rolling down
32,000 - A/C control unit replace, A/C on and off
40,000 - diver side door and diver side seat belt rattle
59,000 - all 4 firestone tires replaced with 4 mich. due to tire wearing out in the middle of the tracks, and hydroplate alot.
64,000 -some rattle inside the panels
72,000 - coolant leaking, clamp replaced.
98,000 - manifold leak problem - considering put the car for sell...
I drive the car 95% on highway here in Texas, the A/C can only keep the car inside warm in Summer. No doubt, there is alot of power from the V6 engine, and the Auto transmission shifts very smoothly, i change oil every 5000 miles, use brand name gasoline. replaced air filter twice, fuel filter once at 50,000 miles, flush the coolant at 70,000 miles, replace the belt, plugs and wires at 80,000 miles...
good luck!
Art
Just had the intake manifold coolant leak repaired. Chevy dealers wanted $775 to $800 to repair. I said no way. I took it to a trusty side mechanic and had it done with GM parts for $280. A good price for labor considering the amount of parts that had to be removed to get to it. The gasket set (including valve cover and manifold gaskets for both cylinder banks) was $64.00. I jumped on his deal and I was off and running in a day. The job actually took about 5hrs. I just drove it 90 miles and no problems. We all agreed that the gaskets fail to early, but I do have 77700 miles on it. I still think it should have lasted longer though. Those Dealers have excessive mark up on repairs or labor. Well, that's it. If anyone can find a good side mechanic, do it. I just could not see paying that much for a simple problem. While at the dealer a man with an Olds mini van with the 3400 V6 which is a bored and stroked 3100 had the same exact problem, his was newer and under warranty. Lucky Dog he was. But he was still upset because of his inconvience and price he paid for this van.
My husband & I are looking at a 2002 Malibu LS with the 1SB option package which includes the sunroof. The only other option is the enhanced gold package, the car is black with grey leather interior. It certainly is a very sharp looking car for the money.
I was hoping someone might have some info on the sunroof, any problems? Good and bad responses welcome. We hope to purchase the car this week.
Thank you in advance,
J. Bennison
We have previously purchased a GM car and have never received one.
Thanks for your responses,
J. Bennison
Actually the leak was found almost a year ago with 50 thing thousand miles on it...it had a little kinda greasy track dripping from the maniford gasket...i did ask my mechanic..he said don't worry!!! it maybe just some old oil....
the coolant leak was found on the right hand some of the gasket...now i can see some orange coolent sit on the engine...my machanic put 2 big tablets, that can stop the small leak...I don't know what it was but we see...since the leak is not that big....he said that the dealership will do the same if you are still under warranty. I am still thinking about fixing it...Man! a thousand dollars is pretty expensive...i am thinking it is gasket design problem or assemble liner worker mistake...if it is a design problem...it will leak later after 50,000 miles..and then fix it again? or it is the coolant problem i mean coolant dissolve the gasket...
oh by the way, Himomer...the rattle is from the driver side seat belt adjustment thing...and also some from the inside of the door..around the power lock area...
anyway keep in touch to discuss the problems and post the way to solve those annoying problems.
thank you, himomer and mailbuinsc
later,
JC
Cost about $550. Mostly labor, the gasket iself only $50. Labor is very expensive in Connecticut, and probably it would cost less in TX. Definitely not $1000.
2. The sooner you replace the gasket, the better. After the leak/rust contaminates coolant, it can clog the radiator. Another expensive repair.
3. I have read on another board, that the problem is somewhat common with 2.8l, 3.1l, and 3.4l V-6 GM engines. Proabably because a steel engine block and aluminum intake have different thermal expansion.
No problems with anything yet, including the sunroof. We like the sunroof, and are really happy with the car so far.
Except I don't seem to get quite as good radio reception as my old VW. Stations fade out sooner. Cheap antenna?
Otherwise, the car seems quite good from what I understand.
For some GM cars the information is put on the back side of the trunk lid. For 98 Malibu it can be found on the door jamb.
The pressure recorded on the sidewall is, roughly, the maximum what the tire will endure before blowing up - not immediately, but on a wrong road, when it is hot, etc.. Something like 40 psi. Way too high for driving, bad grip. Especially on the wet road.
Personally, I am inflating my tires 3 psi above the GM recommendation, 32 psi front / 29 rear. This fit better my driving style: I like to turn fast.
2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav
As far as the Check Engine light, if you have an independent mechanic you trust, I wouldhave them check it out just to be sure there is nothing else going on in the engine. the dealer could be right that it is only the gas cap not being tight enough. If it is only the gas cap, iwould consider getting it replaced. The last thing you need is someting major to happen to your car, out of warranty, and it couls hve been prevented if this Check Engine LIght had been investigated further.
Good luck with your car. Still loving mine with 5500 miles on it. No problems and great gas mileage. Lowest mpg so far is 22mpg.
Magnus
Magnus
2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav
1. How to find it?
If you need to add coolant often, for example, every 3 months, this is suspicious. Rust deposit in coolant tank also can point to the leak.
However, these signs are not reliable. The best way to know is pressure test the coolant system.
GM recommends to have this test yearly. I also have a 98 Malibu, and found this recommendation in manual couple days ago.
I read through the manual after buying the car, but did not remember the recommendation. Dealer failed to suggest this test even with the 30,000 and 45,000 mile services (this is about 1.5 year with my driving pattern).
The pressure test costs something between $20 and $25 at Firestone, do not remember exactly. Probably about the same at other places.
2. How to prevent the leak?
I do not know, and doubt if it is possible to prevent it. However, it would not hurt to change coolant.
I do not know anything specific, but the common sense is the old coolant would accumulate more impurities, would became more aggressive chemically, and would easier eat the gasket.
According to GM, the orange coolant is good for 150,000 miles or 5 years. Given few people drives 30,000 miles per year, the 5 year limit is much more relevant. However, everybody remembers the 150,000 miles and few remember about 5 years.
I believe, it would be even better to change the coolant after 4 years. Do not know, when your car was built. You can find the manufacturing date (month) on the door jamb. When you bought the car is less relevant , because it could spend several months on the dealer lot.
I had the coolant service recently. It costs about $100. Roughly $20 the coolant itself, $75 one hour labor including flush, with the balance being sale tax.
I have read that the break pads are too large for the rotors, and therefore cause overheating and warping of the rotors resulting in frequent required replacement.
Can anyone confirm this? Is there a resolution? Has there been any recalls?
There was a lot of problems with rotors warping after 15k miles, 8k miles etc. It can happen with all cars with rotor brakes, but with 97-99 Malibu and other N-body cars (Alero, GA, Cutlass) it happened way too often.
Later GM changed something with the brakes, either manufacturing process, or supplier, and the current rotors behave more or less average in this respect. Or you can use aftermarket rotors.
Overall, I have 7000 miles on the vehicle and it has been running great. Worst tankful so far has been 22 mpg with 60% city driving. Averaging 28-30 mpg on the highway. Would be even better if I slowed down a bit. No rattles, No nothing. Only complaints i have are the tires are loud (Firestone Affinity) and no change holder (solve that problem with a $1.99 coin holder frm K-Mart). So far surprisingly happy with my first Chevy purchase.