NHTSA Complaint #10201190 — 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU

I HAVE TWICE REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS ON MY 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. BOTH TIMES IT HAS STARTED AS A SLOW SEEP FROM THE END OF THE ENGINE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. AT FIRST WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PUDDLES, JUST A LOW FLUID INDICATOR ALARM. THEN WE HAD INTERMITTANT PUDDLES. THE LATEST OCCURENCE INCLUDED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WITH ABOUT AN HALF A GALLON OF FLUID INTO THE ENGINE, AND IT WAS 200 MILES FROM HOME. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT WE WERE NOT DRIVING WHEN THE FAILURE WAS DISCOVERED, SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE FIRST REPAIR OCCURED IN JANUARY 2005 AT 101K MILES, THIS ONE IN AUGUST 07 WITH 144K MILES. THE FIRST REPAIR WAS DONE AT AN ASCE SHOP AND COST $700, THIS ONE WAS AT A DEALER AND COST $1200. I DESCRIBED THE INCIDENT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC, AND HIS FIRST QUESTION WAS, "GM CAR?" IT IS QUITE COMMON AND WELL KNOWN TO MECHANICS.