NHTSA Complaint #10194097 — 2000 CHEVROLET MALIBU

I HAVE HAD ONGOING PROBLEMS 3 YEARS., APPROXIMATELY WITH FREQUENT LOW COOLANT LEVELS AND LOW OIL LEVELS, IN ADDITION TO NOTICING A STRONG ODOR OF COOLANT AFTER TURNING CAR OFF. I WAS INFORMED RECENTLY , DURING A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE IN MAY, 2007, OF A COMMON PROBLEM OFTEN OBSERVED IN GM 3.1 L AND 3.4L V-6 ENGINES. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKED AND ALLOWED CROSS CONTAMINATION OF THE COOLANT AND OIL SYSTEMS. THE OIL SYSTEM LEAKED INTO THE COOLANT SYSTEM, CLOGGING THE FLOW OF ENGINE COOLANT AND DAMAGING OTHER SYSTEMS, GASKETS AND FLUIDS. THE COOLANT LEAKE D INTO THE OIL SYSTEM AS WELL, CAUSING ENGINE WEAR.*AK NOW I AM TOLD IT WILL COST ABOUT $1000.00 TO REPLACE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, IN ADDITION TO ALL THE OTHER GASKETS AFFECTED BY THIS LEAK. THE MAIN EXPENSE IS FOR THE LABOR TO REACH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET IN MID-ENGINE. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THIS PROBLEM AFFECTS ALL GM 3.1L AND 3.4L V-6 ENGINES SINCE 1996, AND THAT THESE ENGINES HAVE NOT BEEN RECALLED, IN SPITE OF THE FREQUENCY OF THIS COMPLAINT. MY VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, BUT SINCE THIS ENGINE'S PROBLEM HAS BEEN KNOWN SINCE BEFORE I PURCHASED THE CAR, I BELIEVE I AM JUSTIFIED IN REQUESTING THAT GM COVER THE COST OF ANY NECESSARY REPAIRS TO REPLACE THIS LEAKING GASKET BEFORE THE ENGINE IS DESTROYED.