2003 Chevrolet Malibu

THE CAR WAS PURCHASED IN NOVEMBER OF 2012 IN WASHINGTON. ON THE DRIVE FROM WASHINGTON TO MISSOURI, THE CAR WOULD NOT START AFTER THE ENGINE WAS OFF. AFTER WAITING THREE DAYS FOR THE MECHANIC IN A SMALL SOUTH DAKOTA TOWN, HE "FIXED" IT IN TEN MINUTES. THE "SOLUTION" OF KEEPING THE ENGINE ON FOR TEN MINUTES, TURNING TO OFF, AND THEN STARTING IT AGAIN IS ONLY A TEMPORARY FIX TO A VERY REAL PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS SO REAL AND OBVIOUS THAT THE TEN MINUTE SOLUTION IS INCLUDED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL (WHY THAT INSTEAD OF FIXING IT, I'M NOT REALLY SURE...) THE PROBLEM HAS PERSISTED INTERMITTENTLY FOR THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, ANYWHERE FROM TWO TO EIGHT TIMES A MONTH- UNTIL THIS LAST MONTH. I BEGAN KEEPING TRACK ON A CALENDAR THE NUMBER OF TIMES THE CAR WOULD FAIL TO WORK - 26 TIMES IN FIVE WEEKS. THIS IS BEYOND ANNOYING. THE PROBLEM WOULD BE EVEN WORSE IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE FACT THAT I AM A TEACHER AND THE LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL WAS THE FIRST WEEK IN THESE FIVE WEEKS. NOW THAT I AM OUT FOR THE SUMMER, MANY DAYS NOW I STAY AT HOME, THUS REDUCING THE CHANCE OF THE CAR FAILING TO WORK AS I AM NOT USING IT. THAT LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL, IT "STALLED" EVERY SINGLE DAY. TWO DAYS AGO, IT QUIT WORKING FOUR TIMES IN ONE DAY. I HAVE BEEN LATE FOR WORK, CHURCH, AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED IN DARK PARKING LOTS LATE AT NIGHT. ALONE. THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM ANYONE SHOULD HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT. I DRIVE AS INFREQUENTLY AS I POSSIBLY CAN NOW, AND WAS FERVENTLY PRAYING THAT MY CAR WOULD START AFTER FILLING IT UP WITH GAS THIS MORNING. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. I WAS HOPING THE MOST RECENT RECALLS WOULD AFFECT THIS CAR AND WHEN TYPING "2003 MALIBU RECALLS," INTO A SEARCH ENGINE, WHILE NO RECALLS WERE SHOWN, WEB SITE AND FORUMS APLENTY ALL CAME UP, WITH MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SINGULAR PROBLEM OF THIS SINGULAR CAR. IT IS A KNOWN SAFETY PROBLEM. WHY IS THERE NO RECALL? *TR

MY 2003 CHEVY MALIBU WOULD SHUT OFF IF I HIT EVEN A SMALL BUMP. IF I HIT A BUMP WHILE DRIVING, EVERYTHING WOULD GO DEAD. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO AVOID ACCIDENTS WHEN THIS HAPPENED AS IT HAPPENED ON BOTH SURFACE STREETS AND THE HIGHWAY. HAD THIS LOOKED AT BY MY MECHANIC AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SHUT OFF. NO RECALL YET ON THIS VEHICLE. PAID FOR OUT OF POCKET. *TR

I HAVE HAD SEVERAL ISSUES WITH MY CAR OVER THE YEARS. THE FIRST WAS WHEN THE FUEL PUMP FAILED AND MY CAR STALLED IN TRAFFIC IN 2006 AND REPAIR WAS $600. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS FAILED ABOUT 10 MONTHS LATER THAT WAS REPAIRED AT THE DEALER FOR $1200. I HAVE REPLACED THE ENGINE TWICE ($600 EACH TIME) BECAUSE OF THE HEAD GASKETS AND TOO MUCH OIL INSIDE THE ENGINE. NOW I HAVE A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE INSIDE MY CAR WHEN I START IT UP THAT LASTS FOR ABOUT 15-20 MINUTES EACH DAY. I'VE REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH TWICE NOW AND THE GEAR SHIFT DOES NOT LOCK PROPERLY. NOW ANTI THEFT SECURITY LIGHT COMES ON OFTEN AND I HAVE TO WAIT APPROXIMATELY 11 MINUTES TO RESET IT BEFORE I CAN LEAVE MY LOCATION. THE HOOD LATCH RECENTLY BROKE AND NOW THE WIRE MUST BE REPLACED FROM THE INSIDE TO THE EXTERIOR OF THE CAR. *JS

2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO IGNITION SWITCH AND FUEL PUMP REPAIRS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE PASSLOCK SENSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED, BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. ALSO, THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED, BECAUSE GAS WAS NOT GOING FROM THE TANK INTO THE ENGINE, THE CRUISE CONTROL OCCASIONALLY WOULD NOT WORK, THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON INTERMITTENTLY, AND ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS, SUCH AS THE RADIO AND WINDOWS STOPPED WORKING. *JB

STARTED IN 2005 WHEN CAR WAS BOUGHT USED, AUTO THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT WILL COME ON AND SOON AFTER CAR WILL NOT START DID THIS FOR 5 YEARS STRAIGHT OFF AND ON THEN COMPLETELY STOPPED FOR 3 YEARS NOW HAS STARTED BACK UP IN 2013. THIS IS VERY ANNOYING AFRAID CAR WON'T START WHEN NEEDED FOR AN EMERGENCY. ALSO WHEN PUT INTO PARK KEY WILL NOT COME OUT UNTIL YOU MESS WITH SHIFTER AND YOU HEAR THE CLICK OF IT GOING INTO PARK. *TR

THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED I TRIED TO START MY CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START AND ENDED UP HAVING IT TOWED TO A GARAGE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS LATER TO FIND OUT IT WAS AN THEFT SYSTEM PART THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SO WE DID THAT THEN THE SAME THING STARTED HAPPENING AGAIN. I GOT OUT THE OWNERS MANUAL AND WAS READING ABOUT TURN THE KEY FOR 10 MINUTES. WELL THIS HAS BEEN A ON GOING PROBLEM FOR SOME TIME NOW. IT WAS NOT UNTIL I STARTING READING ALL THESE THING ON THE INTERNET TO REALIZE THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE. MY VEHICLE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN ITS GOING TO START OR NOT SO IN THE MORNING I HAVE TO GO OUT EARLIER THEN USUAL JUST IN CASE I HAVE TO TURN THE KEY FOR 10 MINUTES OR NOT. THE SCARY PART IS READING ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN DRIVING AND THE CAR JUST STALLS OUT ON THEM. GM WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE FOR OTHER LIVES TO BE TAKEN BEFORE YOU REALIZE THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM. MY CAR HAS BEEN A GREAT CAR OTHER THEN THIS PROBLEM AND IT STILL IS A GREAT CAR. JUST IF THE THIS THEFT SYSTEM PROBLEM WOULD BE FIXED. COME ON GM STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND DO WHAT'S RIGHT DO THE RECALL AND GET THIS FIXED SO WE CAN GO ON WITH OUR LIVES. THANKS *TR

PREVIOUS WEEKS BEFORE CAR WAS INDICATING ANTI THEFT AFTER RESETTING THE DAYS TO FOLLOW CAR SHUT OF WHILE DRIVING. ON MAY 25TH 2014 WHILE DRIVING DOWN ROAD CAR SUDDENLY PULLED HARD TO THE RIGHT CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO JUMP THE CURB AND STRIKE A FIRE HYDRANT. SOME CONCERN ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF IT BEING THE IGNITION SWITCH AND WAS SEARCHING FOR OTHER INSTANCE OF THE SAME PROBLEM. ALSO SHIFTER APPEARED TO BE GETTING STUCK AND YOU HAD TO MANEUVER THE KEY AND THE SHIFTER TO RELEASE THE KEY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY BECAME DIFFICULT TO REMOVE FROM THE IGNITION. THE KEY WAS ONLY ABLE TO RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH WHEN TURNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT AT TIMES THE KEY FAILED TO RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH AND REMAINED IN THE VEHICLE OVERNIGHT. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON FIVE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 63,020.

CAR POWERED OFF MULTIPLE TIMES WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING, TRIGGERING THE DOORS TO LOCK AND UNLOCK ON THEIR OWN. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE CAR TO THE SAFE LOCATION QUICKLY OUT OF TRAFFIC, BEFORE THE STEERING POWER WAS LOST. THERE WERE MANY CLOSE CALLS! AFTER POWERING OFF, HAD TO PRAY IT WOULD START AGAIN BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT WOULD NOT. TOOK TO FIRESTONE, THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE IT. SO I TOOK TO THE CHEVY DEALER. IT WAS ORIGINALLY DIAGNOSED AS THE FUEL PUMP, WHICH I PAID TO HAVE REPLACED. A WEEK LATER I STILL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I WENT ONLINE TO SEVERAL BLOGS/WEBSITES AND REALIZED THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE MALIBU. SOME PEOPLE ONLINE RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE IGNITION SWITCH, BASED ON THE SYMPTOMS. I TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER AND ASKED THEM TO CHECK MY IGNITION SWITCH, AS IT APPEARED ONLINE TO BE LONG STANDING ISSUE WHICH WAS NEVER RECALLED. THE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IT WAS THE IGNITION SWITCH, A KNOWN ISSUE FOR CHEVY AND AT THAT TIME I HAD MY CAR REPAIRED. QUITE EXPENSIVE AND DANGEROUS FOR DRIVING. HOWEVER, I NOTICED THE 2003 MALIBU IS NOT LISTED ON THE CURRENT RECALLS. MANY OWNERS WOULD AGREE THAT IT SHOULD BE. *TR