Chevrolet Malibu Midsize | Compact
Chevrolet Malibu Midsize | Compact
[Apr 28, 2002]
Mark
Model Reviewed:
/Malibu LS
Strength:
All around a good car for the dollar except for that not stopping thing.
Weakness:
Brakes, brakes, brakes. After one year and 15,000 miles, it''s time to replace the rotors. It''s so bad the ABS kicks in when I do any serious braking. I''m calling 1-800-CHEVY-USA tommorow and I urge you to do the same if you''re having this same problem. Mention the words "NHTSA" and "Campaign" when you call, and don''t speak to the dope who tells you where the hood release is, ask for a supervisor right away. Hopefully we can get at the least some money for parts... it''s ridiculous. I''ve read the reviews on this page as well as one from a co-worker. These rotors are undersized for their job. Similar Products Used: ''96 Olds Acheiva. Same engine, but the brakes held up in that car. |
[Apr 13, 2002]
Malibu97
Model Reviewed:
Malibu V6
Strength:
-Reliability -Room -Comfort -Quality -Bright Headlights -DRL/Automatic Headlights -Nice styling
Weakness:
none I can think of. For those of you complaining of brake problems, look into the ceramic parts. They are expensive, but seem to remedy the Malibu''s appetite for brakes and rotors. It has been a good car for the money I paid. It currently has 87K and runs good. The check engine light came on last week and yesterday they told me it needed a crankshaft sensor and a camshaft sensor. About 3 weeks ago I had a bad lifter in the engine and got that repaired...besides the 3 problems mentioned, its been great...My local mechanic (not a dealer!!!) uses ceramic parts for brake jobs.He did recommend them to me after my rotors went bad a couple years ago. They were expensive, but they are better than going through rotors and brakes like the rest of the reviewers. I highly recommend this car if you intend to maintain it properly. Similar Products Used: If you want to talk about how good Camry is compared to the Malibu go check it out on this website or type: Camry Sludge in a search engine. The Camry and Sienna (and a few Lexus models) are plagued w |
[Apr 12, 2002]
James Butler
Model Reviewed:
Malibu
Strength:
Handling, appearance, standard V6.
Weakness:
None that I''m aware of so far. I was surprised to read all of the bad reviews about the Malibu. I did note that the majority of them were early model years. Never buy a model in its early years! I have had my Malibu for 2 years. I have had to replace the brake pads recently 18,000 miles. Other than that, I am very pleased with its performance. |
[Apr 11, 2002]
Huck
Strength:
Good for dealer job security
Weakness:
More problems (I ran out of room above) 1: The trunk collects water. I took it in twice and the dealer finally disassembled the trunk and completely resealed it. 2: The suspension "clunks" each time I make a right and turn over a curb. Dealer says he can''t duplicate problem. 3:Vent motor burned up. Dealer replaced, but I''m tired of seeing him. I only wish I could sell this car and get out from under it. Between the maint problems and the market saturation factor, I''d make more money selling lemonade in Siberia. BOTTOM LINE...DON''T BUY THIS CAR!!! Steer clear of this model until the engineers at GM manage to work out all of the bugs. From brake problems to engine troubles to annoying squeaks and rattles, this car only exceeds in getting my local service manager and I better aquainted. My problems started the day a week after I took delivery of the car. With less than 1,000 milkes recorded, the brake rotors warped and set the car into a "paint shaking" frenzy whenever I applied the least amount of pressure on the pedal. I now have about 32K on the odometer and the rotors have been replaced twice and lathed twice. It''s to the point now that I''m hesitant to apply too much pressure on the pedal in fear of warping the rotors. Manufacturing brake rotors clearly incapable of handling the car''s braking pressure is a CLEAR lack of engineering foresight IMO. The condition is so frustrating that if I knew then what I know now I would have steered clear of this car. No doubt about it. Now for the engine troubles. My oil light illuminated 1,000 miles after an oil change. Writing it off as a fluke, I simply added a quart and went on with my business. I later found that the engine burning it after seeing a small cloud of smoke blowing away from the exhaust pipe after startup. After a bit of research, I found that the 3.1 (not just in the Malibu) suffers from what''s called "Piston Slap", a condition resulting in too much space between the rings and the cylinder walls allowing oil to pass through and burn. The condition subsides after warm up because the rings expand to fill the gap, but at a cost to your oil. I took the car to the dealer for analysis and was told that GM would only fix the problem (including a rebuild more or less) after they verified that the engine consumed more than a quart every 2,000 miles. My car came in about .25 quart under that. I still have the problem today and (again IMO) am sure that the dealer will accurately diagnose the problem and offer to repair, at my expense, it after the warranty expires. As far as sqeaks and rattles go, the car has plenty and they don''t go away. The dealer found some in the drivers window bay, while other, more elusive sounds the dealer can''t isolate, come from behind the passenger dash. I''ve come to simply accept them now and just turn the radio up until I can''t hear them anymore. Similar Products Used: Toyota!! 150K and still running strong!! Mazda x2!! Had 100K when I sold...still ran strong!! |
[Apr 10, 2002]
kozz316
Model Reviewed:
/LS
Strength:
Looks good, performs well.
Weakness:
My Grandpa told me while learning to drive that "you should never have to use your breaks" Well, good thing because these wear out so fast, I am not going to use them anymore. Watch out for a black Malibu with MI plates coasting to stops from now on. The brakes on this car are horrible! We have had this vehicle for 8 mos. and are already replacing the break pads, and rotors. Granted, GM paid for the rotors since we''re still under warrenty, but it was our responsibility for the labor and pads. In older junkier cars this never would have happened, and by the sound of it most people here are recommending older junkier cars! Similar Products Used: Well, not in this class of car, but the Chevy Prizm I drove in college is looking better and better. All bells and whistles, but no breaks. |
[Apr 10, 2002]
tlemley
Strength:
Not too many nice things about this car. It has good leg room.
Weakness:
Where do I start. Right after I drove it home the next week I had to take it back to the dealer to have rotors replaced. They were recalled & so they were replaced for free, but now @ 52000 miles they are bad again. Dash & trunk squeaks, its in the shop as we speak because it ran hot. The coolant is leaking around the head gasket & the temp did not register hot. We didn''t know until it went dead & smoked rolled out from under the hood. The belt squeaks, collant light comes on all the time, check engine light is on alot, but a dealer cant find whats wrong with it. If I would have known about this car before I had bought it I would have never considered a Malibu. You name it, it''s been replaced. Who can you call about this stuff happening. |
[Apr 09, 2002]
Chris Smith
Model Reviewed:
Malibu
Strength:
Good looking inside and out. Great combination of size, comfort, and efficiency for the money. Practical, no nonsense interior. Good handling in all weather conditions after tire upgrade.
Weakness:
Uninspired design. Bad engineering or cheap parts result in lot''s of time at the shop. Cruise control, front suspension, CD player, and intake gasket problems. Bought with GM employee discount. Overall, a lot of car for the money. Great trunk and interior space, great mileage. Very practical and comfortable, reasonably fun to drive. OEM Firestones are inferior in all weather. Replaced with all season Firehawk SH30 performance tires for huge improvement. Replaced front brake pads at 55,000mi. Rotors did not need turning. Leaking intake plenum gasket replaced at 47,000mi to the tune of $700. Cruise control module replaced at 56,000mi for $300. CD player displays "ERR" message and won''t play CD''s. Rattling lower contol arm in front suspension and horn repalaced under warranty. Poor quality has lost our confidence in it. We won''t buy another one. |
[Apr 03, 2002]
bio1
Strength:
May options for the money. Tires. Interior. Ride. Stereo/CD Player. Handling.
Weakness:
Intermittent noisey rotors. A 3.8L V-6 would be nice. So far, this Malibu has been a great car. I think it has great value with many options for the money. It has 25k miles and the gas mileage is great. It drives and handles really well for the size car it is. The Firestone touring tires handle the road well. I had the right front strut replaced because it had a very slight leak, but nothing else. The front brakes are a little noisy at times, but the brake pads show no excessive wear. Everything else about the car is fine. Engine does well, too. Similar Products Used: N/A |
[Mar 30, 2002]
memissyou
Model Reviewed:
malibu
Strength:
Not one!
Weakness:
Read above, need I say more? This is the worst car ever made!!! The brake pads and rotors have been replaced twice, most recently at 35,000 miles. The heater only works on level 3 and above. The low coolant light and the check engine light come on all the time yet the dealer can find nothing wrong. The struts on the front had to be replaced, the dealer said there was a "silent recall" and they did not tell anyone about it until they called to complain. Had to replace tires already! The heater only blows hot air when it wants to! Similar Products Used: Saturn SL2 |
[Mar 23, 2002]
Jessie
Strength:
It gives you a wild roller coaster ride.
Weakness:
Do we even have to ask? This nightmare was a gift from my parents. I was driving off to school one day when I heard a buzzing/squeaking sound coming from the breaks. Not knowing what to do I kept on riding, when I breaked to stop at a red light. When I let my foot off the break, I swear, the break FLEW OUT OF THE SOCKET!! Frantically, I tried to put it back in but it wouldn''t go. I started to trail down the street, I was up to 25MPH and I didn''t know what to do. I was going to try to run my car into a shrub but then the impossible happened...the left front tire dislodged and I saw it start rolling down the street, nearly missing a parked car. I managed to ram my car into the bushes but breaking my ribs in the process. Please don''t make the mistake I made. Similar Products Used: This is one of a kind folks |