Problems with 1999 Chevrolet Malibu ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Chronic coolant leak due to faulty intake gasket.*ak

Have had many problems with this car! bought car 2/17/2001.....-8/15/2001 had to replace alternator....2/24/2002 had intake manifold gasket replaced because of coolant leakage, cost was 600.00.....06/20/03 had to replace battery due to leakage and corrosion around positive cable.......7/24/03 had to replace brake pads and have rotors turned for the second time....i think that there should be a recall for some of these things!!!!! car now has 70,000 miles on it... thought i was buying a good car!! :)*ak

Altenator replaced at 44500 miles, thought that was the problem but when started up vehicle slams into gear and has no reading on the engine temp, engine warning light continued to stay on odbii testing reads 2 codes both are cooling system input sensor failure, car is now sitting in the garage as repairs are too expensive right now, gm should take responsibility for this failure, as this car is well maintained, i can tell you this i wil never buy another malibu again in my life. *ak

Defective intake manifold gasket and then the head gaskets blew on me requiring expensive repairs. *ak

Consumer stated that while driving and without warning the vehicle started to leak coolant. *ak

Lower intake manifold gasket leaking

Coolant system failure. this "5 year" coolant gm uses does not last 5 years. this 1999 vehicle developed a leak, overheated, and blew a lifter. the engine is ruined at 78,000 miles!

Leaking coolant through manifold gasket. i was told by mechanic that this has been a problem with chevrolet malibu cars after 30,000 miles. i noticed on your complaint database that there has been several complaints on the same issue but no recall has been issued. is there a manufacturing problem? what is the threshold for a recall? *nlm

I have had my rotors reground numerous times over the past one and a half years as well as have had both bearings replaced in the front. i had all valves replaced on the coolant system and it continues to leak still. there is a strong oder that comes in through the airconditioning vents. there is also a strong vibration when braking or traveling at higher speeds which makes the vehicle difficult to control.*ak

All malibu's seem to have the same problems, low miles high miles, ect brakes are replaced at least three to four times a year with minimal miles each time, head gasket leaks, alternator replaced twice, battery twice, electrical shorts twice, ignition switch handles terrible, not safe, car was suppose to have high ratings, lying to get people to buy junk. *nlm

1999 malibu with enging cooling problems and fan does not work on position 1 and 2. had to have intake gasket replaced and one month later entire engine went out and had to be replaced. i really like my malibu, but hate the problems that i have had. i, too, have had brake problems and coolant leakage problems.*ak

Two repairs in one week, alternator had to be replaced,dash lights started coming on & guages going crazy! car wouldn't start after being parked for 1 hr, then when jump started it, died again in few minutes, replaced alternator, battery, then next day ignition failed, key wouldn't turn in ignition, had to be towed to my mechanic (this was the third (3rd) time the ignition switch locked up like this and the key wouldn't turn & the car would not start & entire ignition assembly had to be replaced, 2x earlier it was under warranty...this time it cost me over $400.00 (the part alone cost $289.) i am so frustrated w/ this problem, as dealership repaired it the first 2 times & they didn't seem to understand it. this is the second battery i've had to purchase since i bought the car brand new in january 2000. *ak

Head gaskets all needed to be replaced at 53000 miles. this is a known issue with gm, but they refuse to own up to the problem. some dealers goodwill the repair costs ($500-900), but others offer nothing more than an apology. two recent tech. service bulletins address this very issue. this defect can lead to engine failure and could put other drivers are risk. gm needs to issue a recall and fix the problem. *nlm

While driving, the engine failed. dealer notified. please provide additional information. *jb

Severe piston slap. dealership has replaced lifters 3 times, pistons and all other moving parts in engine once. engine still runs very hot and has significant loss of power (i have to floor it to maintain highway speed while going uphill, etc.)*ak

Cooling system boils over and reservoir requires frequent filling. dealer said it was common in 3.1 engines under 75000 miles. 450$ to fix the intake gasket. *nlm

Air conditioning control problems dealer insisted nothing wrong never repaired tires; worn out at 16000 dealer insisted that that was normal fought to get them to replace only 2 tires engine: intake manifold gasket went out never experienced the problem in all the cars i ever owned 978.00 later. engine 3 months later presently engine has serious internal engine rattle, lose of power don't know what is wrong yet there was no indication of problem oil was clean no temp problem just blew last week towed to the house brakes; had to change both front calipers could not re use them needed new ones when doing brake job would never buy a chevy product ever again!!!!

Air conditioning - electrical failure, would flicker on and off. engine - head gasket, faulty. was replaced. power window - regulator and motor faulty, the window just stop rolling up and down, did not show signs of faiure till it happened. in shop right now, not covered under manufacturer warranty. other - cooling system, uses the infamous dex-cool coolant. the engine gets hot every time i drive it. hot meaning two bars above middle. it usually resides in the middle. the radiator cap has been replaced twice and the head gasket was also suspected of being a problem related to this. the problem still exists and is going to the dealer tomorrow for another inspection. the worst time it occurred was after the head gasket had been replaced. the vehicle ran fine for two months. we took it on vacation to lake powell when the problems occurred again. the engine started to get hot. i turned off the a/c and turned on the heat. this was able to get the engine driveable without causing damage to it. my worry is that this will happen to my wife on the freeway or driving home to see her parents. had this occurred the first time with just her in the car she would not have known what to do and would have been stranded.

Faulty cooling situation with 1999 chevy malibu. it has been getting warm, two bars above middle, on the temperature gauge. the mechanic said it was a faulty head gasket, so he replaced it. two months later, we were on a trip in the middle of the southern utah desert region coming home from lake powell when the engine started to get hot again. we were able to bring it down by turning off the a/c and running the heat. however, we were in the middle of nowhere and close to breaking down. had it just been my wife in the car, she would not have known what to do and the car would have over-heated. she drives it just to work now, 4 miles away and it gets hot in the process. it uses dex-cool coolant and also has the gm 3.1 liter v-6 engine, both have inherent problems. it has cost us more money than we have to get it fixed and cannot sell it because of this problem. i appreciate any inspection you can do regarding the gasket and the dex-cool coolant. thanks. *jb

My auto over heats. coolant leaks around the intake manifold gaskets near the heat sensor. i have to add coolant at least once a week. my auto is a 1999 chevrolet malibu four door sedan,vin #[xxx]. i didn't recognize this problem for what it really was until warranty expired. high gas consumption. only 71,000 miles. town driven by lady. dealer says this common problem with car. *nlm information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The intake manifold gasket fails. the dexcool coolant leaked into the oil. the bearings on the gasket are damaged. i was told that i really need a new engine, but that i could try replacing the gasket, but there are no guarantee that will work. i understand this is a common problem for most gm cars from that time frame and starting around 40,000 and that gm has even made a new part finding the original deficient.

Engine coolant leakage - warped lower intake manifold gasket causing engine coolant leakage and boil over. this is apparently a frequently occurring problem with general motors v-6 3100cc engines. *nlm

1999 chevrolet malibu. "check" engine light has repeatedly come on since march 03. scan reads code p0420 catalyst system low efficiency. vehicle is out of emission warranty. vehicle has been into chevrolet dealer twice for to diagnose this problem. obdii diagnostic can not find a defective component or cause for code. through default, dealer diagnosed problem as bad converter. catalytic converter has been replaced twice with non oem brand since problem first diagnosis in march 03. obdii code p0420 reappeared again 2 weeks after last converter was replaced. i am beginning to doubt reliability of obdii system. the original and 2 replacement converters can not all be bad. no faults for other emission components have been identified by obdii. *nlm

I have already sent in a complaint re: my '99 malibu's engine cooling system. i have since found out that wal-mart, the company i work for, has had engine problems on between 30 and 50 of their '98-'99 malibu's, grand am's and grand prix's. i am still trying to get gm to pay for the new engine i had to get because this is my only car. i paid $2000.00 for a used engine to be installed and who's to say that the same thing won't happen again since it's the same type 3.1 engine.*jb

My "99 malibu developed engine cooling problems and the fans were not working. it got too hot and trashed the engine. i dealt with gm for about a month and they finally turned me down for help because i took it to an independent mechanic who checked it out and said the transmission gasket was leaking, so they replaced that and when it still leaked they said it was the sensor to the thermostat and by that time it was too late. when i took it to the chevy dealer for a diagnostic, they said it was shot. i have known of quite a few people that had the same problem with gm cars. now, since i have been without a car for a month, i am going to get a used motor put in it. this is the only car i have.

Have less 15,000 miles on the car, mostly used to drive to work only about 2 miles each away. have a problem with getting the air conditioner to turn on and when used alot. seems to be a problem with the air conditioner clutch. also just having problems with fan control as the fan does not work in position 1 or 2. will check if resistor for fan control needs to be replaced. car just went out of manufactor warranty as of jan.

I am writing to find out the frequency of complaints regarding the chevrolet malibu i have a 1999 year and had problem with intake manifold that had to be repaired for $700(antifreeze would leak into engine) i was told by sources that this was a common problem with this model including gm mechanics themselves and that it should be a recall. any help would be appreciated in how to proceed with gathering information on this and what you know about it. *jb

Air controls switch back & forth from fresh to recirculate. car has refused to start twice & antitheft system activated. intake manifold leak upper and lower. i had the gasket replaced and gm canada paid for the labor and i paid for the parts, approx $180 canadian. i believe there was 78000 km (48,000 miles) on the car at the time. seatbelts are slow to retract. clunking noise in front end, they can't identify or fix. recall on rotors caused pads to fail.

Consumer states while driving the vehicle the check engine light came on then the engine shut off. consumer states the head gasket caused this to happen. dealer notified. ts

1999 chevrolet malibu has engine problems.*mr while the vehicle was being serviced, the technician recommended an engine replacement.*ts *jb

Car had a knocking in the motor. took to dealer to get fixed, they have not fixed the problem in the last 2 tries. they first said that it was my fault for not taking car of motor. oil changes have been made every 3-4 months or 3 thousand miles. they first replaced the lifters, 2nd time it went in they replaced the timing chain and gears. now up to date they have had the car for 2 weeks and they have done nothing with it do to the fact they are waiting for the warranty place to say that they can put a new motor in. they are now saying that they are going to put a used motor in that has 42000 miles on it. till this date they will not tell me what is wrong with the car and they will also not let me see the motor it self since they have had it for 2 weeks and every thing that is connected to the motor is out of the car except the block. i personally take care of heavy equipment in the job that i do which has a $ amount around 350,000 dallors and i do oil changes, and any minnor fixing problems. it blows me away that they tell me they can not find the problem to a vehicle that i bought from them. it may sound like a piston or a rode that has gone bad. dt

I had my manifold intake gasket replaced and i know that gmac had a technical bulletin issued on it. i contacted gmac and they advised they would not pay for it. a couple months later my car started to make noise so i took it back where i got it fixed at and was advised i need a new engine. i contacted gmac and they didn't respond until december 24, 2002 and told me they wouldn't pay for the engine since i didn't get my car repaired at a gmac dealership. i told them when i took it to the chevrolet dealer they said i couldn't get my car in until the following week and i couldn't wait that long because i needed my vehicle so i took it to another shop. had i been told when i first called gmac i would have tried to take it to another chevrolet shop. i am paying for a car that i can't even drive and the vehicle is only 3 years old. please advise as to what i can do to have this matter resolved.

While driving the vehicle overheat, dealer change water pump, still reoccuring the problem.

Consumer states that her vehicle has corrosion on the motor due to a water leak. dealer was notified. *mr

3/18/03 - malibu is diagnosed with an intake manifold gasket failure. the vehicle was losing coolant, but there was never any signs of leakage on the driveway. an independant shop diagnosed the problem. a little research on the internet revealed that very many other gm owners were experiencing the same problem. we attempted to get assistance in paying for the repair from gm, but they refused. the design of the gasket system combined with dexcool coolant appears to be faulty. we also have a cronic problem with the braking system on this vehicle. about every 12000 miles the brakes need to be replaced, the rotors are warped and the pads are bad. so far, gm is picking up all those costs because the problem was reported while it was still under warranty. through the internet we also discovered that many malibu owners have the same problem.

There is a coolant smell in vehicle, and vehicle hesitates. also, head gaskets are leaking. please provide any further information.*ak

Fuel and temperature gauges/ blower fuse replaced for 1and 2 positions. *ak

Engine failure due to head gasket failure

While traveling on highway and without prior warning brakes went out. master cylinder broke/ intake gasket failed, and oil and coolant had mixed together.*ak

Chevrolet malibu ls 1999, front end loose, replaced 2 bolts. *bf while driving the entire steering rack cracked for no reason. less than a year later, the engine cradle rack came apart from the frame of the vehicle. the front brakes, lower intake gasket and water pump were all replaced. the abs and power steering pressure hose was replaced. the brake light bulbs had burned out. *jb

There's a hole in cylinder, which makes vehicle hard to drive.*ak

Water pump went out while the conusmer was driving and vehicle started to smoke and leak anti freeze.*ak

Had coolant/oil leaking from valve cover/ intake manifold. dealer replaced all 5 gaskets, oil and coolant. only have 31,000 miles on the car. also had resistor for fan control changed. blower would not operate in position 1 or 2. one month ago in january, had transmission cooling leak. dealer said it was "transmission internal wiring harness connector" leaking when i told them it was cooling line. invoice shows changed harness, which i couldnt tell it was new because it was dirty, and changed gasket in cooling line. at same time had a/c blower control unit replaced. ive had probelms with this vehicle since i bought it. tires were "cupped" after first rotation. dearler replaced 2 front tires under warranty. now i have a problem with tires/wheels after each rotation when rear wheels are put up front. said problem might be alignment, which is not covered under warranty. also have had horn repaired due to inop. dealer found wiring harness wasn't connected. had control switch changed on power drivers seat. drivers seat moves back/forth slightly when braking/accelerating. passenger-side airbag was replaced due to "squeaking" when hitting bumps in the road. had battery replaced due to acid leak eating off positive terminal. had to leave car overnight at work brakes are due replacement due to "brake fade". car is total disapointment. would trade it in, but i owe more than vehicle is worth.

My 1999 chevy mailbu has had many problems. i will start with the 2 fuel injecters replaced 2 months after purchasing. the car begin to run rough then would have problems starting. then there was the altanator, the thermostat, the head and intake gaskets and the numurous electical problems. the electrical problems still cannot be solved after numrous tripsto the repair shop. most of the problems have been corrected on more than one occasion. as a consumer i hope you will help us malibu owners who are in destress. i know the auto companies are in financial trouble but that still does not excuse making an unsafe auto. i am afraid enough not to drive my car. i feel i put my family and myself in danger taking thsi car on the road. i hope you will help correct this problem. i feel my only next option is to contact a lawyer over my legal rights.

I have a 1999 chev malibu and yes the intake manifold is failing. i have had this replaced by the dealer twice. gm apparently knows about this problem for using shotty parts and they refuse to step up and fix it. i am formally complaining to the bbb gm itself and anyone else i can think of. gm chevy stands for junk

Manifold gasket replaced on 1999 chevrolet malibu that i paid for and gm has not even got back with me yet after i sent them copies of all my bills. this problem never should have happened and now i see a service bulletin on it and have a 2002 impala that they want to put sealer in instead of fixing the gasket. i think they owe me money for the malibu and they need to replace the gasket on the impala. *nlm

Intermittentlly vehicle over heats and stalls .every 30-45 days coolant has to be added to vehicle due to gaskets leaking. dealer was notified, and a 3rd party diagnosed gasket deterioration. *ak

Vehicle will stall at any speed. please provide more information.*ak

Consumer states while driving after engine is warm, engine will shut off nothing works but the radio. vehicle has to be put in park to restart. engine will not turn over the first few times after problem occurs. vehicle also stalled out when under 30 mph. dealer unable to duplicate concern. *tt

Gasket on intake manifold leaking again replaced in 2001 will have to replace in 2008. *tr