A lot of get up and go.

Reliablility, doesn't feel solid.

Although I only had the car for two weeks it seemed to be a real piece of junk. The first Malibu rented had to be returned because of electrical problems. I would stay away from this car.

All around it's a good car. Roomy, decent mileage (I've managed up to 32 mpg on the highway), great stereo, lots of standard features on the LS model.

Absolutely none.

I must have gotten the only good Malibu that Chevy has made. I have had *0* problems with it. The car is sized just right, not too large but able to handle my 6'1" body (which ironically, the 1999 Lumina, a larger car, was NOT able to do).

Similar Products Used:

None. My other vehicle is a truck.

Sorry, cant think of any.

The whole car is one big pain

I hate this car. I traded a perfectly great Honda Civic in on the Malibu, because I wanted more room, and I was brought up in a Chevy family. The car only has 37,000 miles on it, and it needs rotors and brakes. About 3 weeks ago I had to have the pistons rebuilt, the radio wont pick up FM stations, my turn signals quit working, had to have that fix, the CD player comes and goes. I have had a belt tighten twice. The AC is awful. It is in the shop right now getting fix, because everytime I try to give it a little extra gas, it wont go and the check engine light comes on and off. I havent had the car long enough to trade it in and the resale value on a malibu, is terrible. So I am stuck with it for awhile. I will never own another Chevy, Im going back to Hondas.

Similar Products Used:

None, none of the other cars that I have own have ever given me this much trouble, and it is the newest car I have had.

The only good thing I have found with this car is the stereo system. I would rather have a reliable car and listen to a walkman.

Brakes, suspension, engine, ac, more than I care to name.

I purchased this vehicle in June of 2000. I have replaced the brakes, both wheel bearings, both tie rods and have purchased 8 new tires in 7 months because of abnormal wear. I have had the alignment checked 4 times since March and it comes out perfect. I even checked to see if there was a recall on the tires (BF Goodrich touring) and there isn't. Right now it is in the shop again because it needs an engine. The only thing I noticed was a very rough sound when it was first started. So I called to have it checked. I was told that it needs new rings, pistons and to bore the block .030. My wonderful extended warranty that I bought will only cover the rings, leaving me to foot the rest of the bill. I have been told that GM has been aware of the problems with the 3.1 engine for some time and have released this information in technical service bulletins. Dealers receive the technical service bulletins but don't tell consumers about these problems either. Also, when I drive the car in heavy rain or snow it sways around the road. It never handled well in the first place and this added condition makes it even worse. I paid $12,000 for this car two years ago and have put in another $4,000. I still owe $7,000 on it today and probably couldn't give it away. I know a dealer won't pay what I owe because they know all the "silent" defects of the vehicle thanks to GM.

Sunroof works great. It's leased, so next May I can hand it back to GM!

Brakes, Brakes, Brakes! A noisy and weak V6 motor.

2000 LS, leather and sunroof $24,000 CDN - What can I say...I hate this car with a passion. I've never had so many problems with a car. Don't even consider buying one. At 13,000 km (8,000mi)the rotors were turned and replaced at 18,000 km (11,000mi). At 30,000 km (18,000)the brakes were totally gone, pads and all. Let's see...front strut bushings, turn signal indicators etc. the list goes on. I wish I could have read these reviews before I bought, but never again. It will take me years before GM can convince me to buy another car and I'm a diehard Chev truck owner. Here's the joke, I owned a 1997 Dodge Stratus that was bullet proof (although not highly refined) and I convinced my wife to buy a Chev because of the reputed quality issues with Chrysler. Boy do I have egg on my face, the Dodge was twice the car this Malibu is. I'd buy a Chrysler before I get another Chev, but I must admit that Honda and Toyota are getting my attention.

Similar Products Used:

Honda Accord (I should have bought it)

V6 power. Rear seating room is generous. Average fuel economy. I like the styling, but only with a spoiler.

Brakes needed replacement after 35K. CD player needed replacement. Heater fan stopped working on settings 3 and below. Check Engine light faulty sensor. Front seats not too supportive, back pains after long drives. Handling way too sensitive at high speeds. Noisy engine. Squeaks and rattles. Cheap leather.

Put it this way... I bought the car brand new February 2001, and traded in for a used Honda in June 2002. The car was in the shop 3 times in the first year of its life. On the bright side, the car never left me stranded. But that's about it.

Similar Products Used:

1998 Honda Accord - Far superior in every aspect except power (Malibu V6 vs Accord 4-banger). In 2002 still no squeaks/rattles.

Looks Decent engine

Just read all the reviews. And I could care less if one or 2 people have written they've had no problems with theirs and it's a "great car" This car has proven to be a Grade A piece of crap.

It's got to be pretty apparent that all the unlucky Malibu owners learned about this carreview.com AFTER they made their mistake. Let's face it, anyone who reads the Malibu reviews and THEN still buys one, has got to be psychotic or just loves throwing money away. Luckily, I test drove one and then went to carreview.com. Should have been the other way around or I would have never test drove one. In my "blind" test drive, I found the car to be OK. Fairly comfortable, nice engine but cheap Chevy interior. I didn't like it enough to want to buy one though, Thank God!

Similar Products Used:

'95 Mazda Protege-worlds better in quality,reliablity and driveability than a "worst car ever made" Malibu

Comfortable bucket seats. Nifty little cup holder on the driver's side, although it only fits larger cup sizes.

BRAKES AIR CONDITIONER RADIATOR STEREO REAR LIGHTS

I bought this car used in October '99 with 22,000 miles on it. One week later I replaced the front brakes, which my dad (a former racecar mechanic) thought was just a minor overlook by the inspectors at the dealer. We had no idea that over the course of the next 2 and a half years we would replace the brakes roughly 5 times a year. I admit, I do drive more than most people (I have 120,000 miles on it now), but we were both comfortable with the Chevrolet name and thought this would be a very good car. Aside from brakes, my A/C continually leaks refrigerant and must be charged once or twice a month during the summer. Arkansas summers are hot and humid! Average daytime temp is 95 in the shade, so A/C is a necessity. My radio antenna wire has loosened 4 times, leaving virtually no FM signal. I finally added a custom CD player so that I wouldn't have to deal with radio problems anymore. My stop lights have been replaced 3 times. The radiator leaks and I am often having to refill engine coolant. Right now, I am having all of these problems at once (including the check engine light). I am a full-time college student. I *NEED* a reliable vehicle, and so far the Malibu hasn't proven to be one. The problem is, I still owe $5,000 on this junkpile. Piece of advice: Never sign a 5 year lease unless you know the car will last the whole time. Thankfully, since dad is a mechanic, labor is free, and with AUTOZONE (thank God for them!), the brakes have a lifetime warranty. Just $19 the first time, everytime I have to replace them, I buy new ones, then bring the old ones, they refund me. Hyundai, here I come!

Similar Products Used:

1998 Olds Intrigue (hard to believe, but it is a worse lemon than the Malibu). Dad has already taken GM to court over that one!

Love the trunk room, car is spacious compared to other midsize models. Nice looking for the price.

breaks, electrical, that left handed cup holder idea is just a mess waiting to happen. Won't buy another

We bought this car used and didn't get a really good deal after being told it was from a family, then later finding the registration to be an Avis rental. We too had problems with the breaks had breaks and rotors replaced once not using dealership, they squeak but no other problems since. Our left break light works randomly and today my driver side window decided to quit working, no problems prior to this just out of the blue. We have terrible rattles and the car hesitates some when starting up, often like an old car with a choke. I never have and leak spots but am always having to replace power steering fluid.

Similar Products Used:

94 Escort

Nice looking car and roomy for the price.

Brakes, Road Noise, Handling. Awful!

This car has been a complete nightmare. I purchased this car used with 30,000 miles on it in January 2001. Soon after we had to replace the brakes. The car began to make noise and handles awful in wet weather. We had a wreck in June of 2001 on the interstate going about 45 miles per hour in wet weather. We could have been killed. The car is very scary in wet weather. We thought maybe changing and getting really good tires would help but it hasn't. The dealership would not do anything and I called and Chevrolet and spoke with a representative who stated that I was the only one he knew of who ever had had this problem and it must be due to my driving or something I had done to the vehicle. I would not even want to trade this car in because it is a danger to anyone who would buy it. The air conditioner goes on and off when it wants to and the ride is noisy. I will never buy another chevrolet.

Similar Products Used:

Had a 1989 Ford Mustang and a 1996 Pontiac Grand Am that were much safer to drive