2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU Engine And Engine Coolingenginegasoline Problems

I AM A SINGLE MOM OF TWO, AND AM FRUSTRATED THAT ALL OF MY SAVINGS HAVE GONE INTO THIS MONEY PIT. I HAVE REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD TWICE, AND ITS GOING OUT AGAIN! I HAVE REPLACED THE WATER PUMP, HEATER CORE WHICH ARE DYING, AND THE THEFT SYSTEM TWICE. I HAVE HAD A FUEL LEAK BY MY ENGINE AND HAD IT ENTER INSIDE MY CAR AND ITS DOING IT AGAIN, MY ABS BRAKES ONLY WORK WHEN THEY WANT, AND THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF MY COMPLAINTS! *TR

A SLOW RADIATOR LEAK WAS OBSERVED OVER A PERIOD OF 2 MONTHS. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED A FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. HE HAD MENTIONED THAT IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN THE MALIBU, EVEN THOUGH GM TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NOT. THE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS REPLACED BEFORE ANY ANTI-FREEZE LEAKED INTO THE ENGINE.*JB

I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY ENGINE COOLANT HAVING TO BE REPLACED CONSTANTLY. I TOOK IT TO CREST CHEVROLET (SAN BERNARDINO), THEY CHARGED US TO CHECK THE COOLANT PROBLEM, BUT DID NOT FIND ANY. THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. ON JAN 2, 2005 WHILE TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY, THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND CAUSED A PISTON TO MISFIRE. I NOW AM STUCK HAVING TO REPLACE AN ENGINE ON A 4 YEAR OLD CAR WITH LESS THAN 85,000 MILES ON IT. ACCORDING TO MCO TIRES, A HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING COOLANT AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. THE ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIR IS $2300. *NM

ENGINE HAS EXPERIENCED "VALVE-SLAP" SINCE APPROX 5000 MILES. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THIS IS INHERENT IN THE DESIGN OF THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE TO MAKE IT ECONOMICAL. CHEVROLET OFFERED 100,000 MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE ENGINE. THE (CHECK ENGINE) LIGHT ACTIVATED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. CODE INDICATED "SMALL EMISSIONS LEAK". MADE SURE GAS CAP WAS ON TIGHT, THEN CLEARED CODE WITH READER - ISSUE RESOLVED. APPROX A MONTH AGO, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AGAIN. CODE WAS P1404 (TEMPORARY CODE). TRIED TO CLEAR OUT CODE WITH READER, CAME BACK. DEALER ADVISED THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY FAULTY EGR VALVE SO REPLACED THE EGR VALVE WITH GENUINE CHEVEY PART, CLEARED CODE WITH READER - APPROX 20 MILES LATER (CHECK ENGINE) LIGHT BACK ON. I SUSPECT THAT ISSUE IS RELATED TO THE VALVE-SLAP PROBLEM AND RELATED WEAR ON PISTONS. *AK

THIS CONCERNS THE QUALITY OF A 2001 MALIBU PURCHASED NEW. THIS CAR HAS HAD A NEW ENGINE, TWO IGNITION SYSTEMS, TWO BRAKE JOBS, AND NOW A MAJOR COOLANT LEAK THAT IS TO COST OVER $800.00 TO REPAIR. IT HAS HAD TWO SETS OF TIRESAND THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 40,000 MILES ON IT. IT HAS HAD TURN SIGNAL PROBLEMS, INJECTOR FUEL PROBLEMS, AND EMERGENCY LIGHT SWITCH PROBLEMS. IN OTHER WORDS THE COST OF OPERATION IS MORE THAN THE CAR PAYMENT PER MONTH. THE QUALITY OF THIS VEHICLE RANKS AS A LEMON.

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING IF VEHICLE RIDES OVER A BUMP, ENGINE STALLS. DLR CAN NOT DETERMINE CAUSE. TS

AT 20000, IF THE VEHICLE HITS A BUMP OR A DISFIGURE IN THE ROAD THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT DOWN NO MATTER WHAT SPEEDS. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS WHICH ONE CHANGED THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE OTHER CHANGED THE FUEL FILTER. VEHICLE IS STILL EXEMPLIFYING SAME FAILURE. NLM

THE FRONT END IS VIBRATING AT ANY SPEED. DEALER HAS DONE FRONT ALIGNMENT, REPLACED THE FRONT TIRES, AND THE ROTORS WERE TURNED. DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. *AK THE CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DEALER WILL NOT REPLACE, BUT WILL ONLY TURN (THREE TIMES) TO BE TURNED LESS THAN THREE MONTHS. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. THE SEVENTH TIME THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR ONE PROBLEM OR ANOTHER, AND FEELS THAT THE VEHICLE IS A LEMON. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATES THAT THE DEALER HAD THE VEHICLE FOR TWELVE WEEKS FOR A KNOCKING NOISE IN THE ENGINE. A VALVE ADJUSTMENT SEEMS TO REMEDY, THE FRONT END VIBRATION STILL NOT REPAIREED. *SCC

A KNOCKING NOISE WOULD COME FROM THE ENGINE WHILE DRIVING AND CAUSE VEHICLE TO HESITATE WHEN ACCELERATING. DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME.*AK

VEHICLE STALLS WHILE DRIVING, DEALER CAN NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM, OIL PAN EXPERIENCED A LEAK, SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. *SLC

ENGINE MISS-FIRES AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT REMAINS ON AFTER SERVICE. *AK

FRONT BRAKES PULSATE WHEN VEHICLE STOPS. BRAKES HAD FAILED AND DEALER STATED THE PROBLEM COULD REOCCUR. *AK CONSUMER STATES HE IS HEARING A CLUNK NOISE IN RIGHT FRONT WHEEL AREA AND BRAKE NOISE IN FRONT WHEN BRAKING, VIBRATION IS WORSE AFTER 30 MILES OF STOPPING, DEALER REPLACED PADS AND RESURFACED ROTORS; ALSO, INTERMITTENTLY HUMMING TYPE NOISE DURING ACCELERATION. *YD

VEHICLE MISSES AT SPEEDS OF 60-80MPH, VEHICLE JERKS WHEN IT BACKFIRES. DEALER CANNOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM.*AK

VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTANTLY AT SLOW SPEEDS AND WHEN MAKING SLOW TURNS, DEALER HAS REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH BUT THIS DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. NLM

WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE SHAKES ERRATICALLY. IT VIBRATES FROM INSIDE. ALSO, HAD NEW STRUTS PUT ON REAR. *AK CONSUMER STATED THAT DRIVER SIDE HEAD LAMP OUT OF ADJUSTMENT, FRONT BRAKE PADS MAKE NOISE, ENGINE MAKES TAPPING NOISE WHEN FIRST STARTING, THERE WAS A SHIMMY IN VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING DUE TO STRUTS LEAK. *YH

VEHICLE STALLS WHILE DRIVING, DEALER CAN NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM, OIL PAN EXPERIENCED A LEAK, SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. *SLC

VEHICLE HAS STALLED NUMEROUS TIMES AT SPEEDS OF 30-40 MPH. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER 5 TIMES, IGNITION WAS REPLACED, BUT DID NOT REMEDY PROBLEM.*AK VEHICLE EXPERIENCES HARD START WHEN COLD, ENGINE ALSO MAKES NOISE. *YH

TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS FAILED DURING NORMAL OPERATION. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT HAZARD LIGHT SWITCH WAS THE CAUSE OF PROBLEM. *AK DEALER REPLACED HAZARD WARNING SWITCH. WEATHERSTRIP AROUND BOTH REAR SIDE WINDOWS DEFORMED, AS WELL AS BOTH DOOR PANELS, DEALER REPLACED WEATHERSTRIP AND DOOR PANELS, EXPERIENCING TICKING AND WHINNING NOISE FROM ENGINE, DEALER STATES THIS WAS NORMAL. *TT

WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE RANDOMLY CUTS OFF, IT LOSES STEERING POWER. ALSO, ENGINE LEAKS OIL. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

ENGINE PINGS WITH NO REASON, ROTORS ARE LOOKING BAD EARLY ON. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTSDOWN WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK