lots of features for price, leftside cupholder, auto headlights

short reliabilty, engine suspect ( knock ) poor a/c , poor used purchse

Purchased new in 99 by my girlfriend. At the time of purchase i recommended that she also purchase the full extended warranty because this was to be a keeper for a long time. Started out to be fine , nice performance, creature comforts although a harsh ride, the left hand cupholder is great for the driver . A few things like climate control fan not working properly , squeaks and rattles , front passenger door requiring adjustment twice before getting it right , power steering hose burst were fixed under warranty. I'm keen on maintenance and ensuring to stay on top of repairs because neglect is a receipe for disasster for any vehicle. Since I know my way around vehicles and literate on the workings she asks me to inspect her vehicle for things that need attention.Found it strange she needed brakes ( all 4 ) done in a short period , of course not covered under warranty . Had aftermarket brake shoes and pads installed , far better. Once the manufacturer's warranty was up proved how valuable purchasing the extended warranty became. The rear wheel brake cylinders leak and had to be replaced along with the brake shoes. The ABS light came on and turned out to be the left front wheel bearing , spindle and bearing both replaced. The engine had developed a knock (funny I didn't think it was a diesel ) was told this is normal. I was told that as long as it quiets down ( not necessarly goes away ) within 2 minutes it's known issue( piston slap )and ok. I don't buy it , when an engine makes noise there is a definate problem obviously it would be costly for them to repair or replace engines. This was something that happened to GM in the early 90's with the Lumina. They did find the headgasket was leaking and replaced it. I had a list for her to take in for repair : transaxle seals leaking ( both ) steering rack leaking , front engine oil seal leak. Told that this is normal " seepage " unless there is a puddle on the ground GM wouldn"t cover it. Yet my mother who takes car that's off warranty back to dealership for all repairs was told because the transaxle seals were leaking (seeping) needed replacing, go figure. The front hood above the grill started to rust, the seam sealer that is used let go moisture got in behind and rusted the metal bubbling the paint. The cost was 50/50 , so much for GM's corrosion warranty. ABS light came on again, nothing found but they did find the steering rack to be leaking ( surprise ) and a broken coil spring on the right front strut, both replaced. The a/c is not very good, the hood release cable freezes in the winter not allowing to open the hood. She has said buying the extended warranty was the best thing to do, it's paid for itself. It seems that North American cars are built to barely last the 3yrs of their warranty.This car has been looked after , not abused or neglected she does not recommend anyone to buy one of these as a used car because of lots of costly repairs. She is getting rid of this car before the warranty runs out and going back to a Japanese vehicle.

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86 Nissan Multi 4wd

Space, comfortable, nice pick-up, good trunk space

AC, faulty sensors, car sounds and runs a lot older than it actually is

Bought car two yrs ago used with 84k miles. Check engine light came on w/in 3 days. Back to dealer. Changed one spark plug. 90 day warranty. Check engine light back on as soon as warranty ran out. Diagnostic test showed spark plug #5 backfiring. Didn't change since they had just been changed. 2 wks after buying car, tires needed changing. Replaced 2. Last October, had blowout on interstate and tread was good. In November, brake pads wear out and I replaced. Also, car started overheating in November. Replaced thermostat, but low coolant light still comes on when at low speeds even though there's coolant in system. Finally replaced all spark plugs in November, but check engine still goes on and off. Diagnostic check still shows spark plugs are the problem. Also, in December, the starter went out. As of now, the tires I got when I first bought the car need replacing, the check engine light continuously comes on, the low coolant light continuously comes on and I've replaced a headlight and a taillight and the other taillight needs replacing now. Also, the AC has had problems since I bought the car. On different levels, the fan goes out and I have to constantly fight with it to keep the AC on. I haven't really spent that much money in repairs on this car, but all the "little stuff" is becoming tiresome. As of tomorrow, I'll hopefully be purchasing my first NEW car - a Chevy Equinox...my husband can use the Malibu as a "fixer-upper".

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Ford Contour, Toyota Tercel, Pontiac Sunfire, Mitsubishi Mirage

Gas mileage Comfort Big trunk Safety

None

I purchased my Malibu used almost 3 years ago and love it. When I first got it I had problems with the brakes just like I have heard from everyone. I took it back to the dealer and they repaired them. About a month and a half later I needed my brakes worked on again. I went to my mechanic who is not at a dealer and he suggested purchasing the more expensive brakes. I did and have had the same ones since then. I have had no other problems with the car until now. I am having a problem with the theft protection as of today. But I am very happy with my car.

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Chevy Corsica - Pretty good car Mercury Topaz - $10,000 car w/ $15,000 in reairs

Controls are easy to get to. Get up and go on take off. Mine rides fairly comfortably and it's roomy enough for me. Radio works well in my car. Like automaitic lights that I never have to worry with turning on.

Too many to list

There have been so many mechanical defects and repair work done on this car it will soon be rebuilt. I think all in all I have sunk about 5k into it and only paid 10k. Had to to have the transmission rebuilt after it died on the interstate in the middle of traffic. Numerous brake replacements. The car used to leak water so bad when it rained I literally had small ponds in my floorboards. The tail lights go out constantly. My most recent repairs involved needing a new fuel tank and the passenger side wheel bearing was bad and had to be replaced. My drivers side window will only roll down when it wants. I would get a new car but due to the poor trade in value I would be upside down if I did purchase a new vehicle. Just yesterday after having just picked up from shop check engine light came on but car still was running. Run as fast as you can from this car. Would never recommend to others.

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I have had a HOnda Accord and Toyota Celica. Next car will be either Toyota or Honda.

handling mileage automatic lights, don't have to mess with them good performance on road

seat can get uncomfortable on longer drives, which I do a lot

I have had this car for 2 years and have put 70,000 miles on it, pretty much all interstate driving outside the city. I bought it because of the good luck I have had with a 2000 Malibu, which my wife took when she needed to get rid of her old one. The '00 now has 84,000 miles and has given me minimal problems. A couple of AC switches easily replaced under warranty and I had the leaking gasket, which I was told was common on the 3.1 engine. On the suggestion of a mechanic, I put in some Bars Leaks tablets, crumbled up in the coolant overflow tank, and haven't had any more leaks. It doesn't use a drop of oil between changes - so far. Because of my luck with the "00, I bought the 2002 with 7K miles on it as a "program" car. DIFFERENT STORY I just found out I have to have transmission work, which could be all the way up to a complete rebuild. It started out as a simple Check Engine light and didn't seem to be running poorly. The tranny guy said it is common in these cars because of a poor transmission design or something. He'd just finished rebuilding a tranny for another Malibu that was still under warranty. I'm expecting the head gasket to start leaking any time, but will use the Bars Leaks if it does. I don't have theft protection so don't have any of that sort of problem. I had to replace a rear deck speaker while it was still in warranty, and now the speaker in the right door is not working. I haven't had unusual problems with the brakes but the rotor does seem to warp fairly easily. They Affinity tires it came with lasted me about 60K tires. I have 154, 000 miles total on the two cars, have done two brake jobs and bought one set of tires. Probably won't buy another Malibu, but will keep these as long as I can in hopes I'm done with big ticket repairs.

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Cavalier

I purchased this car new in 1999. It started to rust around the gas tank cover 2 years later. The dealer did not seem to care. They offered to quote me on the repair. Even though it was still under warranty they did nothing about it. I have had to replace the brakes every year since I bought it. It squeaks and sounds like it is falling apart. I had a 1988 Pontiac Tempest prior to this and I should of kept it with 288,000 kms on it. It had no payments and it was a much better car than this malibu.

NONE.

Everything

I bought my Malibu in 2002, with 60,000 miles, that included a 6 mo. warranty. Of course right after the warranty ran out, the car fell apart. Within 2 years, I put 6 pairs of breaks on that never worked properly, especially in rain or snow. They always squeaked and vibrated. The car died on me over 8 times in a 2 week period, finally diagnoised as a faulty fuel pump. Of course the dealership coundn't fixure out this problem, I had to take it to 3 mechanics to figure it out. The radio quit, and the CD player stopped ejecting and would eat my Cd's. Then the A/C died, and all the warning lights would stay on, This included my theft system light, that the dealership said they removed. So it would come on and my car wouldn't start! Also, the windows and door locks would only work when they wanted, and the automatic headlights too! This past few months the transmission started slipping and hesitating, especially on hills. It also started to leak water under the carpet in the back seat. I have had so many problems, it's unreal! I have 3 years of payments left and the cars woth NOTHING. I took it back to the dealership, and they didn't want to hear any of it. They did want to trade it in on a new Chevy with double the payments I had on the Malibu. Everyone stay away from this car and do yourself a favor...buy a Honda!!

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1991 Cavalier 1995 Lumina

Great Ride, Quiet Ride

Won't Start!

When I bought thise car I thought that I had found a good car. Well I was wrong. Since I've had it I have had quite a few problems with it. The number one problem which has yet to be resolved is starting. I can go to the car in the morning and crank and crank and it will not start. I had the ignition lock cylinder replaced which cost $300 and that was not the problem. Nobody seems to know what's wrong with it. After reading a lot of the malibu reviews it seems like that is a very common problem. I was told that the anti-theft had something to do with it. I got my brakes changed a few months ago because they were ticking and they are still ticking now. So who know's what that is. My A/C would turn itself off. It always seemed to do it on the hottest days. When I hit potholes the tires sound like they're going to fall off. They make this weird rattling sound. When my car decides to start in the mornings and I take off in the car it seems to have a hard time shifting. When the car is in park the engine makes some weird ticking noise. I have just learned to ignore that. This problem is not really major, but what is the point of having a lock on the glovebox if when you lock it you can pull on the handle and still open it. I have had enough of this car, but I don't want to sell it to somebody without getting the starting situation fix. I am NEVER buying another GM again. I am planning on purchasing a Nissan early '05. As soon as I get this junk paid for.

-Size -Style -Roomy -Comfortable -Decent Gas Mileage (30 mpg average in city/hwy) -Headlights have good brightness and range

-Not reliable -Brakes do not last long -Rattles and squeaks in the dash -Engine has a rattle that is surely a problem I've not had fixed yet -The automatic headlights do not have an off switch -Sloppy Handling -V-6 Could have more power -A/C & heat work only on settings 3,4, & 5 -Poor interior quality (dash is becoming loose where it connects to a strip of dash trim)

I bought this car in March 2002. I've had it for almost 3 years now and regret buying it. While it has good points, I find that the weak points outweigh the good more and more. It has been somewhat reliable, but has been a disappointment. My advice to anyone considering a Malibu or any GM vehicle is to run in the other direction to the nearest Toyota, Honda, or Nissan dealer. I will next time. My Malibu is a 1997, the first year they were brought back. It is a base model with power locks, mirrors, and windows. It also has the 3.1 V-6. It currently has 130,650 miles on it. I bought it with 85,000. It was a good car until the summer of 2002. Then, everything went downhill. Two sensors went out, causing the car to want to stall whenever I stopped (stop sign, traffic lights, etc.). I had those replaced and the tranny went a couple weeks later. That cost a fortune itself. The brakes were shot right before I went on vacation. Fall of 2002, it leaked antifreeze constantly and the dealer could not pinpoint it. I had to add antifreeze on a weekly basis until the dealer figured out the problem and fixed it. Spring of 2003 it overheated because the dealer did not fix the antifreeze problem correctly. Thankfully, there was no engine damage. The second time, they fixed it properly. From Spring 2003 to Fall 2003, things were ok. No problems. I thought it had finally stopped. Wrong. The rotors were warped in Fall 2003. Had them fixed. April of 2004, the alternator failed. May of 2004, The brakes went out again. This summer, the car refused to start at times. Thought it was the alternator again, but was diagnosed as bad battery. Replaced the battery. After replacing the battery, the car still would not start sometimes. So, I had a CD Changer taken out that I had put in the car. That fixed the starting problem. Now it is Fall 2004. The brakes are already fading and squealing. I am sure they will be shot in no time. The car has only been reliable for a short amount of time that I have had it. I WILL NEVER BUY A GM VEHICLE AGAIN! I WILL ALSO STAY AWAY FROM ANY AMERICAN MADE AUTO, TOO! AMERICAN CARS ARE JUNK!

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1995 Old Cutlass with the same 3.1 V-6. Excellent car. Had 162,000 miles when I traded it for this piece of crap. I thought that the Malibu would be just as reliable as the Olds, but I was fooled. My mom and cousin both drove 1998 Toyota Corollas. My mom traded hers in for a Jeep Grand Cherokee (big mistake) with 130K and no problems whatsoever. My cousin still has hers with 190K and no problems. Toyotas, Hondas, and Nissans are so much better than anything GM, Ford, or Chrysler can sell.

Nice family car, very excessible trunk, roomy backseat for extra passengers, nice sound system.

DEXCOOL

I only had the car for 3 months and i decided to get a new car!! I had a problem with the dexcool. Then because of the dexcool problem the heads blew (if that makes any sense)Basically the engine is fried and i still owe 7,300 and i need another 2,400 to fix it. I tried to trade it in and because i told them the problem they would of course only give me 4,000 dollars trade in value which puts me upside down 3,300. that is almost half the value of the car. so instead, i decided to buy another car and keep this one for now and decide what to do with it later! If you plan to buy a malibu have the dexcool flushed and changed over to antifreeze immediatley to avoid this problem. Besides for the dexcool, the car is very nice. It is very luxurious and very quick with a 3.1 liter engine. The leather wears fantastic!

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mitsibishi galant 1997 chrysler sebring convertible 2004