NHTSA Complaint #10104607 — 2000 CHEVROLET MALIBU

(1) THE FAILURE OCCURRED UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. (2) THE INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKS RADIATOR FLUID DUE TO FAULTY GASKETS. FORTUNATELY, THE PROBLEM WAS OBSERVED BEFORE THE ENGINE OVERHEATED OR CAUGHT FIRE, BUT THERE IS EVIDENCE OF COOLANT CONTAMINATING THE ENGINE OIL: FURTHER CONSEQUENCES WILL LIKELY OCCUR IN THE FUTURE. (3) THE FAILURE HAS NOT YET BEEN CORRECTED. A FIRESTONE SERVICE CENTER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM BUT REPAIRS HAVE NOT YET BEEN CONTRACTED. A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP/SERVICE CENTER (BILL HEARD) GAVE AN ESTIMATE OF $1000 FOR THE REPAIR. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A COMMON FAULT IN CHEVY MALIBUS AND OTHER GM CARS WITH THIS ENGINE TYPE. THE SERVICE REP AT FIRESTONE STATED THAT THIS WAS THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM SEEN IN THIS CAR, AND THE SERVICE REP AT THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP STATED THAT IN MALIBUS, THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS FAIL "MORE OFTEN THAN NOT." *AK