2001 Chevrolet Malibu Engine

VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. CONSUMER HAD THE INTAKE GASKET AND INTAKE SENSOR REPLACED. VEHILCLE WAS IN THE REPAIR SHOP ONCE AGAIN. CONSUMER TRIEDTO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. *AK

WHILE DRIVING COOLANT LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. CONSUMER ADDED COOLANT, AND NOTICED COOLANT STAINS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF ENGINE. DEALERSHIP PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH INDICATED THAT THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS BAD.*AK

I NOTICE THAT MY COOLANT HAD TO BE REFILLED BECAUSE THE "LOW COOLANT" LIGHT WAS STAYING ON IN THE DASH. THE REPAIR SHOP TOLD ME THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE INTAKE MANAFOLD AND I NOW HAVE COOLANT IN MY ENGINE AND IN MY OIL. THIS IS A POTENTIAL DANGEROUS PROBLEM WITH THE MALIBU. THE ENGINE COULD BLOW CREATING OTHER PROBLEMS. THE SAME PROBLEM HAS BEEN NOTED WITH MANY OTHER MALIBU OWNERS. *AK

DURING INSPECTION DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT WATER WAS LEAKING FROM THE HEAD GASKET. THE PROBLEM WAS REPAIRED. *AK

GASKET LEAKS ANTIFREEZE. MOST OF MY FIRENDS AND CO-WORKERS WHO OWN MALIBUS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DEALER ESTIMATED THE REPAIR AT $1266.00 (MICHAEL CHEVROLET, SUMMERVILLE, SC - 843-875-8034). TO ME, IT APPEARS THAT MOST OF THE CARS (2 YEARS OR OLDER) HAVE THE PROBLEM. THE PART SHOULD LAST MUCH LONGER. *AK

DRIVING AT HWY SPEED CHECK COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON ADDED COOLANT TOOK TO LOCAL GARAGE. THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF APPROX. $900. IT ONLY HAS 44,000 MILES AND I HAVE HAD ALL THE REQUIRED SERVICING DONE TO THIS CAR.THE GARAGE TECH SAID THAT THEY HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THIS ON SEVERAL OTHER MALIBU'S. THIS MUST BE A DEFECTIVE PART AS IT SHOULD NOT HAVE TO REPLACED THIS SOON. WHAT CAN BE DONE? *LA

CAR HAS ONLY AROUND 21,000 MILES AND HAD TO HAVE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET REPLACED. *AK

I OWN A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU WITH LESS THAN 41000 MILES. RECENTLY THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED, ALLOWING COOLANT AND ENGINE OIL TO ENTER MIX.*AK AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ON GOING PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF CAR. CHEVY EXPECTS IT CUSTOMERS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKET AND DENIES ANY RESPONSIBLITIES. AGAIN, IF YOU INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER YOU WILL FIND THAT THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF GM CAR IS VERY PRONE TO THIS FAILURE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO THE FACT THAT ONCE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILS THE ENGINE MAY STOP WITHOUT WARNING, AND THEN FAIL TO START.

IN MARCH 2004 I WAS TOLD BY CHEVY DEALER MY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET HAS A SEVERE LEAK AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF 800.00. I CALLED GM AS THE CAR ONLY HAS 50,170 MILES ON IT-THEY INFORMED ME THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT AS THE WARRANTY IS EXPIRED! IF THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE WAY THE ORIGINAL GASKET WAS MADE,THEN WHY HAS GM SINCE RE-DESIGNED THE OLD GASKET WHICH IS WHAT HAS TO BE USED TO FIX ? THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME THING ON THE MALIBU'S,AND I NEED HELP TO GET THIS REPAIR DONE. I AM A SINGLE PARENT AND CAN NOT AFFORD THIS REPAIR,NOR AFFORD TO CONTINUE TO MAKE PAYMENTS ON A VEHICLE I AM TOO AFRAID TO DRIVE. PLEASE HELP. *JB

WHILE DRIVING 55-60 MPH CONSUMER NOTICED THAT ENGINE HESITATED. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE SERVICED, BUT THE TECHNICIAN WAS NOT ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK *NM

I AM TRYING TO SELL A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU LS FOR MY DAD WHO IS 86 YEARS OLD AND CANNOT BECAUSE OF A START UP NOISE THAT DOESN'T GO AWAY TILL THE ENGINE WARMS UP. I HAVE LOST 4 BUYERS SO FAR. THIS AUTOMOBILE HAS ONLY 5600 MILES ON IT. I HAVE FOUND A SERVICE BULLETIN SAYING THERE CAN BE A NOISE FROM CYLINDER 1 THRU 4. THIS IS INTERFERING WITH THE RESALE OF THE CAR AS NO ONE TRUST IT. I HAD IT ANALYZED BY THE DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS A PISTON SLAP. AND IT WOULD COST AROUND 1600.00 DOLLARS TO FIX IT. GM AGREED TO GO HALF AND HALF BUT THEN THE DEALER SAID IF THE PISTON SLAP HAD DAMAGED THE CYLINDER IT WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE. THIS TO ME IS A DEFECT THAT THE MANUFACTURE SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR BECAUSE AS I STATED BE FORE THE CAR HAS ONLY 5600 MILES ON IT. PLEASE CONTACT ME AT [XXX] IF NEED BE. THANK YOU. *AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NOTICED SMELL OF BURNING COOLANT AND TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE. GM DEALER REPLACED INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. CONTACTED CHEVROLET DIRECTLY BY PHONE, WHO DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT PROBLEM WAS COMMON, NOR OFFER ANY TYPE OF COMPENSATION. TOTAL SERVICE COST 1050.19 (PARTS AND LABOR). *NM

ANTI-FREEZE LEAKS FROM ENGINE. AREA OF LEAK SEAMS TO BE AROUND THE MANIFOLD OR HEADS. THIS CAUSES FUMES TO INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND MAKES THE OCCUPATES DIZZY OR WITH HEADACHES.

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

THE CONSUMER STATED EXHAUST FUMES SEEPED INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

I HAVE 43,000 MILES ON MY 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU AND HAVE BEEN TOLD MY HEAD GASKETS ARE LEAKING. ANTI FREEZE IS LEAKING EXTERNAL TO THE ENGINE. I HAVE HAD THE CAR MAINTAINED AND SEE NO REASON A HEAD GASKET SHOULD FAIL WITH ONLY 43,000 MILES, THE MECHANIC SAID THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE. IF THE LOCAL MECHNIC'S KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM WHY HASN'T CHEVROLET BEEN MADE TO TAKE CARE OF THIS DEFECT AT THERE COST INSTEAD OF THE CONSUMER FOR A KNOW DEFECT.

ENGINE COOLING. MANIFOLD GASKETS LEAK ALLOWING OIL AND COOLANT TO ENTER INTO ENGINE. BEEN ADDING FLUIDS FOR A YEAR. THE GASKET MUST BE DEFECTIVE AND A RECALL ISSUED. I HAVE READ MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON YOU SITE.*AK

SINCE I HAD BOUGHT MY 2001 MALIBU IN OCTOBER OF 2003 I HAVE HAD TO ADD COOLANT INTOT HE CAR ABOUT EVERY OTHER DAY. I FINALLY GOT FED UP WITH DOIN THAT AND DECIDED TO HAVE IT PRESSURE CHECKED. ONCE I DID THAT I FOUND OUT THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE COMPANY THAT DID THE PRESSURE TEST ALSO TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE REPAIRED THIS EXACT PART IN SEVERAL OTHER CARS WITHIN THE LAST TWO MONTHS. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS.*AK

MY 2001 MALIBU HAS 45,000MILES AND I NOW HAVE TO CHANGE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, BECAUSE IT IS LEAKING COOLANT. THIS I'M TOLD IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH THE MALIBU 3.1 LITER MOTOR. IS THIS POSSIBLE? I'VE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING?*AK I ALSO HAVE HAD THE EGR VALVE CHANGED 3 TIMES BY THE DEALER. IT NOW SEEMS TO BE FIXED?

THE CAR'S CHECK-SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON REPEATEDLY SINCE I PURCHASED IT ON 14 NOVEMBER 2001. THE DEALER HAS FIXED THE PROBLEM OVER A DOZEN TIMES BUT IT CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM. IT WAS REPAIRED AGAIN ON 17 NOVEMBER 2003 AND FAILED AGAIN THE VERY NEXT DAY. *AK

WHEN DRIVING OR WHEN VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND RUNNING ENGINE WOULD MAKE A KNOCKING NOISE. THE OWNER MADE CONTACT WITH DEALER. *AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLS. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

ENGINE PROBLEM.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. *AK

LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKING. *NLM