Chevrolet Malibu: Problems & Solutions

doombert · June 2005

My 2004 Maxx has about 4500 klms on it and I have noticed a vibration sometimes when slowing down. This has been happening on and off almost since we picked up the car in April. I thought maybe it was something that would just work itself out over time, since it was a left over 2004 that sat on the lot for several months.
I decided to take the car in to the local dealership yesterday and they found that the brake rotors had some corrosion on them, which they removed and the brakes are very smooth now.
Hopefully, this isn't a sign that I'll have to replace any brake parts early!
Just wanted to mention this in case anyone else has the same issue. I did see similar issues here regarding rotor issues... just adding my two cents :-)

werenotscared · June 2005

I just replaced the fuel pump on my Mothers 2001 Malibu. The motor was still working but it was not pumping any fuel. The outside of the unit was sticky like syrup.

pourlemerite · June 2005

maxx4me,

You were right on the money! I do take that turn at 20mph. This past Saturday, I went out to Long Island and test drove 2005 Maxx at the GM AutoShow in Motion. Now I know what the car is suppose to sound like without a tranny howl. If I can locate a dealer that has experience in correcting this problem, I will probably go for it afterall. Thanks again!

ninetyninez · June 2005

Wifes car so it needs to be healed to make like more pleasant at the ole casa.

For many months the AC will cycle itself on and off (light goes out on button) as you drive, is this normal?

Recently the clock (on the radio) shows 12:00 whenever you start it, after you reset it and finish with the trip it's back to 12:00 again. Any ideas?

Yesterday, the tach needle was fluctuating when I tried to accelerate, by that I mean it would drop to zero and after a few seconds it would act normally. A little time after that (hour) the car just died when we slowed down to get off the Interstate. Wouldn't start or anything, 15 minutes later it started up but sounded really rough. Finally got it home though. It's at the dealer now, is there anything I need to be aware of, or suggest they try to fix this? In case my dealer is not as good as y'all....
Happen often to others?

The car has been a good one, until now no problems, and 60K miles to boot.

Thanks for the help.

josephus · June 2005

So in other words it is ALWAYS supposed to say "Locked" when you use the Remote Start?

Mine only does it half the time. [And I never use the remote start while I'm in the vehicle] But, since it doesn't really matter much, I'm not going to worry about that. I just wanted to see WHAT it was, which you explained.

e2helper · June 2005

Nope, it was supposed to say nothing at all when in remote start mode (like most everything else in vehicle).

crosby1 · June 2005

Does anyone know if the 2004 Maxx has an in-cabin air filter?

pao · June 2005

E2, when i remote start my maxx...and then unlock to get in the DIC always shows "locked" until i turn the key to ignition to gain access to the controls....are you saying its not supposed to show the word "locked" in the DIC????? I thought the LOCKED indicator was to inform all the controls were indeed locked to remind you to insert the key in the ignition after using the remote start feature

pao · June 2005

it does not have one factory installed..however there is a space that can be accessed by dropping the glove box...do a search here in on the forum for that discussion.......several members have configured one for the space

juswheels · June 2005

The Maxx is a great car, I'm more than pleased with mine and no initial brake problems. Others have posted about similar brake problems but with individual driving habits being so different, it's hard to tell if there is a problem or just different habits. However, with only 4,500 klms on the car, your Maxx has the vast majority of it's warranty in tact. Your brakes and rotors are still covered for many thousands of miles. If they eventually need replacing up to 36,000 miles (Not sure how many klms that is ) it's the dealers problem and shouldn't cost you a cent.

If the majority of your driving is in the city (including the bumper to bumper expressway crawl to work

) or the car isn't used on a regular basis, after the warranty has expired, should the rotors & pads need replacing, consider getting an aftermarket "Heavy Duty" rotor. That should greatly extend the life of your rotors and the added cost isn't that much. For what it's worth, the same thing happened with my previous 2001 Taurus. The dealer replaced the pads and rotors at around 15,000 miles and I eventually replaced them with "heavy duty" after the warranty expired. The Taurus was inspected just a few weeks before trading it at 80,000 miles. The brake pads had over 50% left and the rotors were in perfect shape. Hope this helps !

joe3891 · June 2005

GM policy on brakes as stated to me by my dealer. 12 mon 12 k pads and rotors covered and will turn rotors at service managers discretion up to 24 mon. If you know any different I would like to see it.

doombert · June 2005

Actually, I heard the same thing in the past from the dealer I go to. I'm pretty sure around here they only give 12 month warranty. Unless of course you've had a lot of issues and have the service records to show it, they may do something for you then.
I agree that with different driving habbits it is difficult to diagnose all the problems as beeing the same issue, but I don't think that the problem I experienced has anything to do with how I drive since it happened a couple days after getting the car. That would have to be some pretty hard driving to cause the problems I experienced after a couple days. Also, since the dealer that serviced the car said the rotors had some corrosion on them, there must have been a problem with them since the day I rolled out of the dealership.
I will definately get higher-end brake parts to replace the ones on the car now once they wear out.

juswheels · June 2005

Please, I wasn't making any reference to your driving habits. I would never do that and have no doubt your problem was noted from day one.

With all respect - If your car was purchased new, as mine was about 10 days ago, the dealer doesn't have alot to say about it. They MUST honor the written warranty issued by GM. The written warranty I received from GM is very short and to the point.
"GM vehicles registered in the USA are covered for 3 years/36,000 miles,whichever comes first. The complete vehicle is covered, including tires, towing to the nearest Chevrolet dealer, and cosmetic corrosion resulting from defects." My written GM warranty doesn't list an exception for the brake pads and rotors. It's very straight forward, "The complete vehicle is covered". If it's a new car warranty and no exceptions are written into the warranty, I don't care what the dealer says - It's covered. Of course there is the usual disclaimer for deliberate abuse/neglect, but even with that the dealer must be able to show such abuse or neglect. Saying it, just isn't enough, they would have to document it. Again, with all respect.

josephus · June 2005

See that's what confuses me. Sometimes it says "Locked" other times it shows nothing. I'm wondering if it makes a difference if I leave the radio on when I shut the car off?

malibu2000_999 · June 2005

Hi
I have a 2000 Malibu also and I noticed the same problem. I'm not sure what it is yet but I noticed it too only at lower speeds than you did around 40 - 50 mph. But the same problem. And everything checks out ok on the car. It does not appear to be getting worse so I hope its just an adjustment issue.
Just my 2 cents.

e2helper · June 2005

It isn't supposed to do that, pao. Weird that it does it that repeatibly.

I will check into this further and if I come up with anything I will let you know.

rob35cts · June 2005

I changed my altenator because the generator light went on-had it checked at auto zone and they tested it and it was bad. Put a knew one on and now car shifts very hard check engine light is also on. Owners manual says wrong size tire can make check enging light turn on. I did over size tire a couple of years ago. Could disconnecting the battery have reset the computer and since i have over size tires on the car caused this hard shifting problem in my automatic transmission?

skyhawk · June 2005

Mine does the same thing, Sometimes it reads LOCKED, other times nothing.

E2 can you tell me if my car recalibration is up to date. I griped the rought shifting and the dealer told me no pertinent updates available for my car. It is an early build and to my knowledge no dealer has ever done one. I am now leary of having it done. I picked up the car and the AC / heat module was blank - no AC no fan. I immediately returned and after an hour they reset something and blamed the fact that they hooked up to the computer and it knocked out the AC module.

doombert · June 2005

Hey juswheels, no problem here. I didn't think you were attacking my driving habbits. I was just explaining my particular situation.
I will definately push GM to repair any problems down the road, if any. I just find you sometimes have to fight with them because they will just say it's normal wear and tear and the parts are just worn out, not defective. And I'm hoping that these early problems with my rotors don't lead to issues down the road with my brakes. I'm just going to make sure I take the car in for service for any little issue I find with my brakes, then at least I will have a service history in case something major happens.
My brother was the sales manager at a GM dealership that I always got my new cars at and I think it's because of him that I've had things repaired on my car that the service department initially stated was normal wear and tear, such as exhaust and brakes. And these things were definately defective. He has since moved to another city and is general manager at a Toyota/Lexus dealership... a little to rich for my blood. The dealership he works for also owns a Chev dealership, so that's where I got my Maxx. But unfortunatly it's about 4.5 hours away from where I live, so I won't be getting the service done there :-).

e2helper · June 2005

Skyhawk, what I say here has nothing to do with locked DIC.

Sorry this is long but as I was told yesterday by someone "I asked you for the time and you told me how to build a clock"

Your vehicle if I remember was built in late January 2004 and so definitely has older PCM software in it (stuff that others have had updated to correct complaints on starting/shifting). I agree that your PCM has never been updated

It is not a panacea, of course, but I would recommend it based on your complaint.

I don't think there is a TSB regarding this update because it was more of a continuous improvement item. I know that dealer has some method to check whether your module has latest calibration but I don't know what they call it (so that you could say to the service writer, for example, "Could you please check if I have the latest PCM software using the thingamajib whirlybob service interface gizmo?")

If you saw earlier posts, from someone

providing a link to a public? website you could plug in your VIN and see the progression of calibrations for various modules in your vehicle. I am not going to post a direct link but you can Google to it pretty quick if you try "gm calibration". Your vehicle started at 12589770 so you can see you are slightly out of date.

In regards to your previous observation of a problem with your automatic climate control system after they had your vehicle previously (probably when you had ABS reprogrammed), that is a pretty simple thing which there IS info for dealer on. It would likely occur again when they reprogram the PCM but they only have to pull out and reinsert a fuse to correct. Tell them to look up PI01535A.

But don't tell them I sent you

.

kurtamaxxguy · June 2005

Yup, Mine does the same. Can never figure out why LOCKED appears sometimes and othertimes does not.

am checking the cal site for my Maxx....very, very slow.

last 6 VIN digits: 155772

Sadly, the Chevy dealers I visit never give a straight answer on calibration status. I really don't understand why they are so badly informed on that as well as TSB's.

joe3891 · June 2005

Try to get them to change the oil and filter for free, normal mainteance and normal wear items excluded.

skyhawk · June 2005

Thank you.

The AC was last week when they supposedly checked to see if I was up to date on recalibration. They tell me there are no updates for this car. I was so disgusted that after leaving the car the night before and them working on it until 6:30 pm the day after and being stuck there for over an hour when I told them the AC was out. I was not up for a discussion on recalibration. At one point they had three people standing there looking at the engine bay.This dealer is supposedly one of the better Chevy dealers around here.

juswheels · June 2005

Thanks - Also no Problem, just didn't want anyone to think I was taking a shot - Not my style to try that -

My Maxx is just about 10 days old and this past weekend I took it on a road trip through New England. It never skipped a beat and in just over 800 miles got amazing mileage. No problems with the brakes at all. This is the first new car I've owned, that so far, I can't find any reason to take it back to the dealer. I'm more than plaesed.

The issue with rotors seems to crop up then go away on this forum, then crop up again. For the amount of cars on the road, I really don't think there is an over-all problem with them. Time will tell. You are also correct that sometimes you have to stand up to the dealer to get your problem resolved. I've had to do it from time to time, myself. Mostly the outcome has been positive.

e2helper · June 2005

Sorry about that skyhawk. GM does provide resources to dealer when they need help on vehicle: Technical Assistance Center for general troubleshooting problems and Techline for programming issues so in this case the 2nd would be more appropriate.

I know this doesn't help you in your situation though

bluedevils · June 2005

I'm finally ready to make an appointment to bring our Maxx in for some warranty fixes. Not bad considering we've had the car since October and nothing important enough to bring it in sooner. We seem to have sidestepped the whole electric steering snafu that plagued some of the earlier Maxxes.

Re: brakes, it *does* seem like there's a problem with rotors on this vehicle. Our Maxx started showing pulsating most notably on highway-speed braking around 10,000 miles. Of course we haven't dealt with it and are now past 15k miles. I'm fully expecting the dealer to turn the rotors under warranty even though we are beyond this magical 12k interval.

Re: door locks. I asked about this a bit before, a while back. Should the lock/unlock button on my driver's side door work all the time, regardless of what sort of locking settings have been made in the Driver Information Center?

I cannot seem to get the lock/unlock button to work on the driver's door. The button on the passenger side works fine - it locks or unlocks all 4 doors (plus the hatch, I think) when it is pressed.

rob35cts · June 2005

went to a garage today- they werent sure why the car would shift very hard. any ideas why it would shift hard- I changed the altenator when I drove it after putting in the altenator this new problem started.HELP!! Going on a major trip in a few days.

drej · June 2005

I just drove our LT on a long trip, it now has 10K on the Odometer and I like it "in General" :confuse: a lot, but what is with the this body Structure. I think this car is the best exept but after washing it a few times I am getting irratated with the overly thin/weak body pannels. :sick: The hood, at the center just colapses at the slightest push "LIKE WASHING OR WAXING THE HOOD" and the body front Fenders also colapse when I lean against it to stretch and wash the windows at the filling station. Will my pannels crease in time? Did the Factory forget to install some support on mine or does everyone experience this. BTW I'm a tall skinny guy !
Drej
~D

e2helper · June 2005

Regarding door locks......

Yes the lock/unlock button should work all the time. Under factory default conditions if you have a door open when you try to lock the doors it will delay locking until all doors are closed but you would hear a chime. Plus the same thing would happen with passenger door lock switch and you have no complaints with that one.

The vehicle (body computer) actually doesn't recognize the difference between the driver and passenger door lock switch and so I would think you have some type of open circuit. Next time it is dark out when you are in the vehicle turn on the headlamps and crank the illumination knob up to full intensity. Take a look at the driver door lock switch and see if it is backlit like the passenger one. If not, then you might simply have a disconnected switch which dealer should be able to fix really easy.

You are correct that the hatch is "unlocked/locked" with the operation of this switch but that is only a virtual lock/unlock. You still need to UNLATCH the hatch by pressing the other switch on driver door, key fob release, or the touchpad switch on rear applique to actually open the hatch.

bluedevils · June 2005

thanks for the clarification and troubleshooting ideas.

maddog7 · June 2005

I own a 2001 malibu and ive had problems since i drove it out of the show room. i drove it for about a year and one night i got in it and it wouldnt start so i had it towed i have warranty so a week later the dealer fixed it so it was running good for about 6 months then it happens again this has happend 12 times from 2001 to 2005 they couldnt even fix it at the dealership so the same thing has happend again so i had to find rides to work and pay 420 dollars a month for this piece of junk so i think i found a solution i was messing with it trying to start it and it started and i back tracked what i did i left the key at the acc position and i was messing with the door lock switch on the door i keeped unlocking and locking it and then i turned the key back to off and it tried to start it and it started i hope this helps you all

kmjbrown · June 2005

HI!

I am in the process of purchasing a 2003 Malibu LS but I found the break lights do not come on when the break peddled is engaged. I have search this message board, but not see anyone else mentioning the break lights not working. However, a friend called me and said that he just recently saw another Malibu (year/mod not known) where the break light did not come on as the person was stopping.

My question is - has anyone else had any problems with the break lights on the 2003 Malibu LS? If so, what caused it and was there any reacurrance after fixing the problem?

e2helper · June 2005

Hi,

I am not aware of any problem but you definitely need that fixed!

First thing: Are ALL the brake lamps inoperative? There are 2 brake lamps in each taillamp assembly and also a Center High Mounted Lamp on rear shelf or in a decklid spoiler.

If ALL of these lamps are inoperative when you press on brake pedal then you could check for a blown fuse. The Stop Lamp fuse is a 15 Amp fuse in the Left Hand Fuse Panel which you can see on end of instrument panel when you open the driver door.

If the fuse is OK then next thing would be to check to make sure there is a brake lamp switch on the brake pedal and that wiring is plugged into it. I guess could be adjustment issue as well.

Good luck - even though I didn't really answer your specific question :P

kmjbrown · June 2005

Thank you!

Your answer is comforting as I was concern this may be a potential reaccurring problem.

To answer your questions: Yes all of the lamps lights including the one on the spoiler are not coming on. The fuse is not blown and the dealership has the car now to check the switch. I hope that is all there is wrong. I would hate to have back out of the deal on what seems to be a very nice car.

If anyone else has any break light problems - I would definitely be interested in hearing from you too.

Thanks again e2helper!

kmjbrown

e2helper · June 2005

NP,

If there doesn't seem to be a problem with the switch then it will be a wiring issue. There is a point where all the brake lamp circuits come together - that would be my next suggestion. It is located in what is called a "splice-saver" and is located in a wiring harness underneath the front passenger seat. I think the service guys would call it "SP303" or "S303"

maxxtkitty · June 2005

I recently purchased (used) a 2004 Malibu LS (all of 2 weeks ago).. loved the car.. a few small dents, but generally loved the car.

NOW.. I have several issues, all of which, GM has said they cannot duplicate.. any ideas would be great..

Keyless entry: The car didn't have the remotes with it when purchased, but it is equipped, supposedly. When they hooked up the equipment to program the remotes, the equipment was "unable to communicate with the car".

Cruise control: Push button.. turns on.. push button turns off.. the problem is actually engaging/disengaging it. It only works intermittently.. it could work all day one day perfectyl, and then get in the next day.. engage, hit the brake (or use the button to speed up or slow it down) and it won't engage again.. it just quits.

Door locks: The power door locks on the driver side work fine.. the power lock on the passenger side.. it will unlock, but will not lock. Chevy, on Friday, said that they fixed some "actuator" problem, and that the locks tested fine afterward.. I drove it home that afternoon, only to find the same problem exists.

Lastly.. this MORNING..

DIC: "CHECK GAS CAP".. The gas cap appeared fine when I pulled over since the car began chiming while I was driving down the road. I turned off the car.. removed and replaced the gas cap.. same problem.. continued on to work.. turned the car off.. removed and replaced the gas cap.. looked into the cap (as if I actually know what the heck I'm looking for) didn't see anything out of the ordinary and started car up again.. same problem.. did that one more time, just for fun, apparently, to find same problem.

Any suggestions would be great.. someone mentioned something about a "BCM"??

Thanks..
-Valerie

:confuse:

e2helper · June 2005

Hi Valerie!

Sorry about your experiences so far. You have a bit of a list so this will likely take a few messages. First of all, if you don't mind, could you provide the last 6 digits of your vehicle identification number (VIN)? Don't post the whole thing. With this information I can figure out a little more about your vehicle

1. Keyless Entry - Yes, the technician is likely having some problem with their Tech 2 scan tool. If they are not used to working on a 2004 Malibu it is possible they are not using a special interface tool called CANdi which is required to communicate with a 2004 Malibu. Other potential might be they haven't updated their scan tool to the latest version of software or have a problem with their test tool cable. Best thing for them to do would be to try same tool on another 2004 Malibu and see if it communicates. Regarding the remotes, it is VERY important that they use the correct style for your vehicle. Whether your vehicle has remote start option or not tells them which ones to use.

2. Cruise Control - Until the technician is able to communicate with vehicle using his scan tool he will have some difficulty here. He might be able to communicate with what is called the PCM and that might have a trouble code that could help point in right direction. You might want to suggest TSB #04-08-45-009 but it might be a little premature without reading trouble codes.

3. Your vehicle has 4 doors so how are the rear doors working with respect to door lock operation? Is it only the front passenger door that doesn't unlock? That is important to know.

4. "Check Gas Cap" - once you get this message it will take a while for it to go away even if you correct issue (such as a loose gas cap) because it has to successfully pass a diagnostic test which requires certain pre-conditions before it will run.

I am sure the technician might consider replacing the BCM but believe me when I say that most BCM replacements on this vehicle don't really correct the problem.

I really don't have too much for you to do personally here, feel free to provide these suggestions to service dept if they are willing to listen to some anonymous Internet poster

maxxtkitty · June 2005

Thank you so much.. I will definitely forward this on to the technician on Friday..

I will keep you posted and let ya know what happens.

-Valerie

christinad · June 2005

Yesterday I was getting a few things out of the hatch before going in the house. I hit the door lock button with the front door open (3 chimes). I opened the hatch before the doors locked. The hatch was open for maybe 5-10 minutes. Then, I closed the hatch and went to get something from the back seat. Before 5 seconds was up, I opened the back door, which set off the alarm. Should this happen? The door opened fine, but the alarm went off!

e2helper · June 2005

Nice description of conditions!!!

I will run this by "the expert" and see what he has to say. I will post back

steve12 · June 2005

When I get messages on my DIC such as low fuel or ice possible the chimes no longer sound to alert me of the message. If I turn off the auto lights the chime will sound. Is their any setting to turn the chimes back on? or is their a problem with my DIC.

e2helper · June 2005

Ok, your description of operation is by design. When you hit the door lock button you started a timer to arm the vehicle's content theft system. You might have noticed that the security telltale in cluster is flashing rapidly during this time. After 1 minute, no matter if you closed all doors or not, the security system becomes armed and the security indicator switches to a slow rate of flashing (I think if all doors are actually closed that the indicator goes to a solid ON before the slow flashing rate when armed)..

This was done so that in case you didn't close your door/hatch completely (thus doors never lock) that the system still provides you some level of alarm.

Kirstie_H · June 2005

A reporter is interested in speaking with people who have had their vehicle recalled in the first part of this year. If your vehicle has been the subject of a recall and you would like to speak with this reporter, please send your name and daytime phone number to Pam Krebs, Edmunds.com PR, at pkrebs@edmunds.com by Tuesday, July 5. Thank you.

redhead75 · June 2005

I have a 2002 malibu. Since August of 2004, I have had problems with my theft system lights flashing. the first time my car wouldn't start, I had it towed from chicago. The dealership replaced the ignition cylindar. Then 5 months later, the same problem. They replaced the same part. Two days ago, it wouldn't start again. THe third time in less than a year. They were going to tell me it was the same problem, but this time, they replaced the entire computer module that controls the ignition, auto windows (which I don't have), cruise control (which I don't have) and the power locks.and I'm assuming the theft system sensors too. Well, 1/2 hour after they told me the problem was fixed, the light started flashing again. I talked to one of the mechanics who told me that even though they replaced the module, they actually have no idea what the problem is and they are guessing that this will fix it. Nope, try again. So here I sit with a problem that they need to fix. Three times and it's still not good. They tried to tell me that my problem was the keys too, but the keys I have are all made by them. Then they tried to tell me that I hang things from the ignition that are too heavy. Try again. Three keys aren't very heavy. Maybe the crankshaft, right? Well, I talked to the dealer who told me that I wouldn't have to pay for this problem to be fixed...three times already is a little ridiculous.

jrfan1 · June 2005

i have a 2004 malibu the new body style , and i was wondering if you all are having theese same issues. i have a lite but annoying brake squeal from the front brakes just during city driving and it only appears right as i am applying the first bit of pressure as i am coming to a light or sign. and second is that i keep hearing a very light clicking noise every once in a while almost sounds like it is coming from the radio area. if you guys or gals know of anything give me a holler.

thanks

mondo1 · July 2005

This is a two part question.

I just got a GM certified 2003 Malibu from a dealer. I checked the air filter and it was filthy at 45K miles. Does the dealer need to change the filter to be certified in order to sell it?

Also I have a hard brake pedal and when I press it down I hear squeeking coming out from underneath the dash or firewall. The brakes act like they are not grabbing, I have to press down hard it seems. I am sort of leaning towards a brake booster problem or vacuum leak. But I get no dash light. I also checked the rotors and pads the other day. The pads seem new and the drums are new as well and adjusted. Seems like the rotors are not shiny though. Maybe they need turning. They look a little brown in color. I appreciate any suggestions.

nickd · July 2005

My 2004 Maxx has 10k miles on it and the brake rotors are definitely warped. It is most noticeable when stopping from highway speed. The dealer refused to even turn them let alone replace them. I had a 2000 Olds Alero that warped rotors every 8k miles and I see from posts that older style Malibus had the same problem. Also, it's not my driving style that is doing this since I've had several other cars that never warped their rotors. My other car is a Honda civic and the brakes have 55k miles on them and still look and feel new. I loved the Maxx when I first took delivery but now I'm very disappointed with GM for not fixing the rotor issue that they seem to have on so many of their models. It's no wonder that GM is losing so much market share. What a shame.

pao · July 2005

I would go to another dealer...most seem to have luck with the warps rotors....or try calling the GM link number and get customer assistance and complain loudly about the dealer failing to work with you...sounds like another lack of customer satisfaction with a dealer who is only interested in selling cars and not following up on them.......others have had good luck working with their dealers on this issue

christinad · July 2005

This may seem obvious, but I heard a light clicking sound coming from my radio area when I first got my 05 Maxx. I discovered it was the key fob gently tapping against the plastic on the side of the radio. Just a guess.

joe3891 · July 2005

Brakes are warranty 12 mon 12 K, after that they may turn the rotors.

Chevrolet Malibu: Problems & Solutions

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