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2000-2011 Chevrolet Malibu
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21,000 miles(33,750 km) on the car. Any help would be appreciated.
1. I have tried my damndest but I have attempted to change the wiper blades myself with no luck. There is lever I press and I can't get the old blades out. Any advice? These are the original blades believe it or not. Otherwise I can ask the dealer which I would rather not.
2. My three year warrantly runs out in September. Should I take the car in for some sort of "inspection" to ensure there are any last things that need to be looked at before my warranty expires?? Just wondering.
On a different note have enjoyed my Malibu. Particularly since I stand 6'6" I have found the car a comfortable ride. My rotors did warp at 10K, had a a/c malfunction, all rectified quickly by the dealer, but that's it so far.
Thank you in advance, Magnus
http://www.impalahq.com/Wiper.html
Different car, but the same wipers design.
The wiper arms are ending in a hook. After pushing the lever, you can slip the blades out the hook, as shown on the pictures.
I am using Trico blades for my cars. Buy them in Pep Boys. I believe, the OEM were made by the same company. There are 4 types of the blades, for different attachments; the hook is type 1.
My 98 base Malibu is using 22 inch wiper blade on driver side, and 19 inch on passenger side. Trico Perfectfit 22-1 and 19-1. Most probably your 99 LS is using the same sizes, but it is better to verify with your car manual. Any case, there is a book in the blades aisle.
2. The general inspection is allways a good idea.
More specific:
Many GM V6 engines, including the 3.1l in my Malibu, are developing a coolant leak in intake manifold. The leak is slight (like one quart every 3 months), but it can cause other problems later. The intake manifold gasket must be replaced to fix the leak. Cheap part, but a lot of labor. Costs from about $550 in independent shop, and up to $800 at some dealerships.
Pressure testing the coolant system costs only about $25. By the way, my Malibu manual recommends a yearly pressure test. GM must know better...
I have a 98 Malibu LS with the V6. Dark Cherry Metallic. I am having the oft mentioned problem with the air conditioning flickerig on and off constantly causing me to overheat in more ways than one! I have loved this car and continue to do so. It is as tight as the day I bought it and I dare you to find a rattle or a squeak in the thing. Great power and I have been lucky enough to be still using original tires, brakes and rotors. (56,000 miles). Tires need replaced, and brakes need checked I'm sure...but I have not had problems with either. The only real problem that I am having is with the AC. It's great AC...when I can keep it on. I have some questions for you:
1. What needs to be replaced to correct this problem?
2. How much does it cost on average for parts and labor?
3. Can I take it to another auto shop and avoid the dealer to have this work done?
I don't want to be taken on this repair and as we head into summer, I need the AC to work properly. I know I probably could find these answers in the 900 other messages...but it did not see the ability to search via keyword....thus making the search extrememly tedious and difficult. Let me know if you can and I appreciate the help!
I have a 3 month old 2002 Malibu with 5000 miles. The other day the car began to stall. 4 time now the engine quits with no putter or attempt to continue running. It has happened 4 times:
Right after starting
Rolling to a traffic light, car pulling itsef
Starting to move from a stand still up a small hill
Do 75 on I81 in NY...
Local chevrolet dealer ran diagnostics, with no uck, no trouble codes in the computer. Road test for 15 mins. could not reproduce the problem, even I can't figure when it will occur. Car will start immedialty and run fine...I drove 270 miles after the stall on the highway with no problem.
Anyone have any ideas...Thanks
Phil
Phil
I had the same stalling problem on my Malibu 97 LS with 60k miles. An independent shop diagnosed the problem with one of my fuel injectors. They replaced the injector and now the car runs fine. Also I am using only premium gas to get the added detergent qualities.
Hope this helps
mjohns: I just changed the winter blades on my Malibu this weekend, which considering the weather we have had the past few days may have been premature. Mine came off pretty easy (not what you wanted to hear). I simply push the lever as far as it could go and slid the wiper blade down. Be careful not to push on the wiper blade first. This causes too much pressure on the connections and it won't allow it to disconnect. If that doesn't work, use a pen or screwdriver for additional pressure to release the switch. I had to do this on my Explorer Sunday. The lever didn't lift the "catch" far enough for it to disengage from the wiper blade arm. So i used a screwdriver to push on the lever and release the 'catch'. good luck.
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/GMcnsmrs/
"reliability has fallen to below average"...
Have you seen the Letter from the Town Hall Manager on the Town Hall Welcome page? If not, you might want to follow that link to have a look.
And hang on to your seats. Change is never easy - for any of us - but resolving the Search problems we've had will be worth the pain.
Pat
Sedans Host
for years the owners of import bragged about how well their cars were when new, now they "pooh-pooh" any new car quality surveys.
This car was manufactured in Feb of 99 and I bought it in June of the same year in California. Now it has 35K miles. The very first accident happenned about a week later. I rear-ended, of all cars, a Porsche Boxter. The SOB was moving in traffic as if it was an obstacle course, and I had the stupidity of following him. The difference in braking ability between a Porsche and a Malibu became apparent when I was unable to stop in time and hit him. The speed was low, though, as air bags didn't deploy, but the other car jumped forward a couple of yards after the hit. The most amazing thing was that neither car had a single scratch, and the Porsche driver didn't even bother to come out and see what happenned. Maybe it was stolen? Hahaha. When we stopped at the next light I pulled up, rolled my window down, and asked him if he wanted to come out and check the vehicles. He only asked me how badly was it damaged, and when I said not a scratch, he said he was late for a doctor's appointment and sped away.
When it was barely 3 months old and had just over 2 thousand miles on it, I had the most serious accident, as I T-Boned an older Toyota SUV which failed to yield to me while making a left turn at an intersection (I was going straight). The airbags again didn't deploy, but the car was damaged to the tune of $2,000 USD, all covered by insurance except the deductible. The car was quite driveable after the accident, though the hood popped up slightly. It was like new three weeks later.
And then I moved to Texas, where it was 110 degrees every single day in the Summer. I went to an airport to meet my friend, and at the airport the car wouldn't start. It was such a luck to have a dead battery where they have a portable jump-start battery in every airport tow truck. Five minutes later I was on my way, thanks a lot. The battery was replaced under warranty, and I was told it died due to extreme outside heat.
Then I moved to East coast, where I drove the car for the first time in Winter conditions. It did pretty well.
After that I put all of my stuff in Malibu and drove for 3000 miles to Vancouver, BC, where I currently live. The car performed admirably, and at one point it gave me 33 miles per gallon despite being fully loaded. Miracles do happen.
Then my very first day in BC I rear-ended a Honda minivan, very slightly, cause the guy stopped abruptly after starting to make a left turn at the intersection, though he had plenty of time to turn, and I thought even I would have time to turn, so I hit the gas, and voila, the guy decided to yield to a car seventy yards away. Again my front bumper wasn't even scratched, while he had a half-penny scratch. He said he would talk to my insurance company, but he didn't.
And then I rear-ended a Toyota Corolla, this time it was entirely my fault, as I was looking at something on the sidewalk and didn't notice the traffic in front of me started to slow down. The Corolla got a very big scratch on its bumper, while my bumper again didn't have a single scratch! A woman driving the Corolla just looked at my Malibu in amazement. Tongue-in-cheek I told her to buy a Malibu next time, because now I would have to pay for repairs to her bumper.
The brakes problem didn't escape me, though, as my pads had to be replaced at 20K miles. I must admit I used to brake very hard, so I guess it's partially my fault too. I also had problems with electric mirrors. They won't work. The passenger side mirror was fixed once, and driver side - twice, all under warranty. Also, a week ago I had calipers replaced - 200 CAD.
The tires I have right now are Goodyear Aquatred III. Cost me 700 CAD with all the labor, taxes, etc. Quite expensive, but a must to have in Vancouver, where it rains on average 160 days a year. These tires are just amazing, especially on wet pavement. Probably saved me from hitting many more cars :-)
Also, I get occasional rattles from the dash, always in the morning, and they seem to disappear completely five minutes later, when the car warms up. I wonder why that is the case? What is it in the dash which rattles when the car is cold?
Oh, yeah, the car was broken into about two months ago. The SOBs stole stuff worth maybe CAD 100, and did $2,600 CAD damage! The car was "repaired" by Port Chev in Port Coquitlam, BC (very bad job, don't go there), and after I got the car back the following was discovered:
1. I had no AM reception - had to go back so that they would spend one minute exactly turning some radio switch on in the trunk.
2. The horn wasn't working! Had to go back again, they fixed that too.
3. Sunroof started to rattle like crazy. The fixed it when they fixed the horn.
4. After a while, get this, my car would honk by itself! Especially when I would make turns. Literally every minute. You can imagine how many irritated looks I got from other drivers who thought I was honking at them on purpose. It's a miracle I wasn't shot. Went back to that Port Chevrolet, and they replaced the entire horn. Now everything works fine.
The bottom line, reading how many problems others had with their Malibus, I guess I am lucky I've got a worry-free car. Living (now) in a benign climate doesn't hurt either. My warranty has just expired, so here's hoping my Malibu gives me many tens of thousands very happy miles.
Bottom line is, the Malibu/GA/Alero plant is highly improved and probably one of the best assembly plants around now.
They replaced the Hazard Switch, that had an open circuit and was faulty (although it worked), failure code: 6F. They said the two are directly related, and it is a common Malibu problem. Parts and labor: $67.50, if I was not still under the 3yr/36 mo. warranty.
So far, so good.....
Most of problems were small. Fixed with oil change, did not influence driveability. Like bad speakers or door sensor (the car thought it is not closed, needed a second attempt). Major items were transmission (not typical for Malibu and GM cars in general), intake manifold gasket, and brake rotors.
On the other hand, my Malibu is an early build even for 98 model (July 1997), and I bought it used just several months after the car was put in service. Who knows, what the previous owner did with the car, and why he sold it so fast?
According to the last surveys (J.D.Power), the 2002 model have very few defects. Must be much more reliable.
My wife and I were very surprised at how well the Malibu drove. She wasn't a bit interested in it before the test drive and afterwards she was completely sold. The car had good acceleration, smooth shifting, quiet ride and fantastic brakes (what a difference compared to our Geo storm!). The interior space and trunk space are good. It was a breeze to secure our carseat, and it was TIGHT. The exterior is a little generic and the interior could use some refinement especially the fake wood in the LS. But overall it's a great car with great value. I've always been wanting to buy domestic but was turned off by the high prices (for us anyway). Now with the rebates the Malibu is just too good to resist.
I testdrove the Altima on the same day. Fancy looking inside and out, but is it worth the thousands extra. I'd say no for people like us on a TIGHT budget. I really hope this thing will work out and I can already imagine us as satisfied Malibu owners.
tamu2002
All new V6 engines and a 5-speed automatic among the spec sheet for this car.
Bye, bye old Malibu!
1) Is this a good deal? Is there still room for negotiation?
Malibu LS with spoiler:
$16,250 before TTL
2)Is it a lot of trouble to change the titles and everything once we move to another state. How does it work? Is this price worth the trouble?
Your input will be GREATLY appreciated!
tamu2002
tamu2002
So far absolutely no problems with mine. I have 15,500 miles on it. The only thing I would change is the tires. Which will be done in a year or two.
Good luck!
The latest quote I got is $15650 for an LS with spoiler. That's a very good price but trouble is we're moving to another state 1000 miles away next week and will have to transport the car. I hate the idea of towing a trailer behind a rental truck. The best quote I got from our new place is $450 dollars more with 1% less sales tax though. Touch decision to make. What do you think?
tamu2002
I would buy from the dealership in the area you are moving to. It still seems liek a great deal you are getting and it will only cost you about $300 or so dollars more. And you never know what kind of sale may pop up once you get there. The end of the month is coming up. Dealerships like to move inventory around that time and salesmen need to meet their monthly targets.
Good luck with the move.
We have decided to buy after the move. Like you said, it's just too much trouble buying now. Will keep you guys posted.
I have had no other problems with the car, and am very happy with it so far.
The road noise from the tires is more than I like. I guess this is a problem others have expressed. I had a 97 Malibu before this one and it had the same excess tire noise. I have Firestones on my 2001 Malibu. Car is a lease so I don't want to invest in new tires.
As far as getting out of the lease, your options are limited. If you were interested in another GM product, I bet the delaership would be willing to work with you. Unforutnately you are bound by the contract you signed and required to make those payments. There are ways to get out but normally it is not advantageous to the consumer. I would check on the Leasing Board. Those guys know can give you more information.
thanx
1999-2001 were close to average.
According to the last J.D.Power report, the initial quality of 2002 improved sharply, and currently it is one of the best cars in this respect. Initial quality (number of defect found during first month to 3 months) correlates well with long-term reliability.
However, to feel safe, I would suggest to price the car plus long-term after-market extended warranty. Something like 7-9 years / 90-100k miles. The warranty may cost about $1000 via Internet.
To the best of my understanding, with the warranty tossed in, Malibu is still less expensivethan most of competition without such a warranty.
If you decide to buy the car, you can go without the extended warranty till about 30 months / 30k miles. Then you will know, if your car is reliable or have a lot od small problems.
Aftermarket remote lock / fobs are available from hundreds places around. Even at Pep Boys, if I remember it right. I see advertisement often in local newspapers, mostly from small shops.
For cars with power locks the remote are reasonably priced. Strong competition. Usually are combined with remote starter, for cold winter.
However, 4 years later, I am still did not bought the gizmo. Nice to have, but do not really need, no problems to live without.
I am thinking about getting one this weekend, but would like any reassurance available that the 2002's have most of these recurring issues fixed.
Any help or insight greatly appreciated!!!
L~
The Malibu LS we're looking at was built in Jan 2002. Was this after all the major improvements? We're buying tomorrow. Please comment!
Also, has anyone put in an aftermarket cassette player?
Thanks tons!
tamu2002