Problems with 2000 Chevrolet Malibu ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

When the consumer attempted to started the vehicle the anti theft lights illuminated on the dashboard. when this light is illuminated the vehicle will not start. the heater and signal lights also failed to operate. the manufacturer and the dealer will be informed of the problem. *nm

I had the car for 3 1/2 years and it has given me so many problems with misfire sensors, clicking noise in the engine, noise while driving over a bump or hole, this is besides other problems like water pump, fuel pump, transmission, check engine light on the dashboard and much more. *jb

Vehicle lost power and quit while driving on the interstate highway. *jb

While driving and/or attempting to use the turn signal, a short in the flasher switch made the turn signal inoperative and made other electrical components inoperative (ex. gauges, radio and a/c fan). the electrical problem also caused the engine to stall. when the consumer pushed the flasher switch repeatedly the electrical components would work temporarily. the fuel pump was replaced to alleviate the stalling condition. the technician has identified a problem in the flasher switch but has not replaced it. a recall on the switch is scheduled to start later in 2004 however the consumer's vehicle is not included in the recall due to vin. *ak *nm

In late 2003, early 2004, the hazard lights stopped working and you had to hold button down to keep them on. at the time, i had not received a recall notice. i had my mechanic work on it and fix the wiring. in aug. 2014, it became a problem again, which i haven't fixed yet. due to recent recalls, of which i received a notice for having my ignition and keys fixed for my car, i went onto the nhtsa website to check past recall notices and saw one issued in feb. 2004 for cars of my make/model/year for the hazard warning switch. (campaign #03v327000) by vin number, it shows my car wasn't one with the defective switch, however, i believe there to be a problem there and it should be looked into. *tr

Intermittently when the brake pedal was applied, the brakes grabbed so hard that the entire vehicle vibrated severely. when this occurred, the vehicle failed to stop immediately. this resulted in extended stopping distance. the brake rotors warped. on one occasion this failure caused lost of control, in which the consumer almost crashed into an 18 wheeler, but was able to pull over to the medium. the dealership has acknowledged that there was a problem with the braking system, but was unable to correct the problem, and was now refusing to work on the vehicle. *ak there was a rattle under the hood at the firewall area while the vehicle was in motion, the hose assembly was found rubbing under the vehicle, both front rotors had wore thin, the fuel pump sender did not hold the correct amount of fuel pressure, there was an open circuit in the 24x crank sensor, there was a rattle in the front suspension due to weak front lower control arms which were noisy (the right lower control arm was replaced), the coolant level sensor shorted, the water pump assembly leaked coolant, there was a vibration at highway speeds, hardware was bad and was loose in the caliper, rotor pulsation which was replaced per bulletin, the turn signal was inoperative, and the a/c had internal damage and would cut on and off. *sc

Recurring problem with a "theft system" error. in cold weather, the theft system disables the vehicle for 10 minutes, then maybe will allow car to start. there are numerous complaints on auto forums regarding this exact issue. each year for the last 4 we have issues with the car not starting. this is related to a "pass lock" system in this vehicle. this vehicle does not have an alarm, not remote starter. *tr

The 4 way flasher failed to work properly after being turned on. the turn signals worked only intermittently when in use. please provide further information. *nlm

Consumer stated that brake line indicator light did not come on to inform her that she needed brakes or there was a problem with the brakes. she would hear a funny noise sometimes. then, she took vehicle to the dealer where she purchased vehicle, and after examining the vehicle, was told she needed brakes, and that the calipers on driver's side were going out. they wanted to charge her $140.00 to turn rotors, and put brakes on the vehicle. she has had the vehicle only one month. also, consume rgot stranded, and had vehicle to the dealer. deale rfound that the battery post was corroded, she was told that vehicle needed a new battery. *ak

2000 chevrolet malibu , engine shut down at normal driving speed 4 times although plenty of fuel in tank. *la

I bought this chevrolet malibu ls in 2000 and already i have the following problems: alternator is out, air compresser out, blower motor is out, battery is out they are still checking on the oil leakage. *nlm

When the vehicle hit a pot hole, the engine shut down, the dealer inspected the vehicle 4 times , however the problem could not be duplicated.*ak. also when the brakes were applied, the vehicle did not stop, the brakes had to be re-applied in order to get the vehicle to stop. *ts *jb

My car is only 3 1/2 yrs. old, but, i'm having problems with it that i shouldn't be having. last summer, i had to have my battery and surrounding wires & hoses replaced due to a corroded cable which had leaked acid everywhere--luckily under warranty. now, my intake valve gasket is ruined, so antifreeze leaks out constantly and the car is perpetually on the verge of running hot. i have to constantly add antifreeze and water to keep it from overheating, although, it still smells overheated all the time. it will cost me between $900-$1100 to repair the problem, even though the part only costs $150 due to the labor involved in removing the top of the engine to get to the gasket. since the warranty has already run out, i'll have to foot the bill myself. i don't appreciate this because i shouldn't be having this problem with this car at this time, nor do i feel that it is my responsibility to fix it. the dealer or manufacturer should foot the bill since the car is so young and there is no way that i caused this problem. *ak

Front/rear suspension-squawking noise -gm well aware of this issue hazard lights - have gone out twice. fuel integrity - erratic fuel reading - shows 1/4 tank - when in reality there is no gas. i have ran out of gas approximately 7 times - several times late at night. no cruise control - gm would not repair. brakes pads/rotors - have replaced 3 times. my local dealer rotolo chevrolet and gm customer service would do nothing. it was expensive. premature tire wear - two sets of tires. cars runs hot - would never go on a trip - because it would get too near overheating. i was afraid of getting stranded in the middle of the desert. engine ticking noise - local dealer said this was normal. now, i find none of these things were normal and many, many more car owners have experienced the same type of problems. also, i had a battery that exploded while car was under warranty. it was my problem. dealership would not replace battery. i finally had enough and turned this automobile back to gmac. is it going to take people getting killed to make gm responsible for these issues with the 2000 malibu. all of these problems were reported to the dealer, but since nothing could be duplicated, even though gm was aware of these issues, they would do nothing. after the car was out of warranty, the dealership was more than willing to correct these issues. the problem i have is the deception.....gm is aware of these issues and have been for some time. someone needs to hold then accountable. *jb

Previously submitted this report/complaint on this site, to gm and to the ftc around 2004 with no response. the chevrolet malibu from 2000 has similar ignition and engine issues now reported on the news in the cobalt and other cars. owner had to replace the intake manifold several times, the ignition,starter, key system, idle control valve, and other parts numerous times due to the car engine smoking, "turning off" or not starting after stopping, parking, and not starting upon inserting the key, idling high or timing off. this began within 2-3 years of owning the car. the engine light came on when driving or starting the car. multiple times the security light would blink and owner would have to wait 15 minutes to turn it on. gm even has this listed in the manual (in security feature/lock system). owner first told it was due to problems with the engine, then key, then it was a security programming issue, then it was the intake manifold (not covered under warranty for some reason). some of the repairs cost hundreds of dollars and costs for towing. eventually the car will not start at all and it must be reprogrammed, worked on by dealer. the malibu and other cars such as saturn have this issue. may be related to the engine and ignition issue mentioned in the news. at times owner was stuck far from home and had to tow the car. highway driving was nerve wracking because you never knew what the car would do. there are hundreds of internet complaints about the malibu from 2000 and onward related to engine and ignition failures. *tr

I bought this car brand new (had 4 miles on it) in august of 2000. within a month, the a/c motor had to be replaced. within 6 months the engine began to surge, and felt like it was going to stall whenever at a stop. during this same period of time, the brakes began pulsating, and i replaced them on my own. i have not had an issue with them since. then this year, 2003, it completely died on me while doing 70 in rush hour traffic on the freeway in san diego. my whole family was in the car, and we could have been killed. i couldn't even turn on the flashers to let other drivers know we were in trouble. obviously, the power steering went out, and we had to cross three lanes of traffic, solely propelled by our existing momentum, without the ability to steer. i am beginning the process of trying to assess what the issue is, though i am sure it is the alternator. the battery was tested, and diagnosed as perfect, other than needing a full recharging (it was drained by another component). once i determine what is wrong, i intend to go to chevy, and harass them until they fix it. then, i am going to try and enter into arbitration, and hopefully get rid of the car altogether. if anyone has the "solution" to the stalling problem, please email me ! mjaramillo @ excite . com *jb

Vehicle passlock theft device is defective. at least a couple times per week the passlock system engages making the vehicle inoperative. *ak

A major electrical problem in 2000 chev. malibu. which occurs in an occasional basis. the turn indicators work inconsistently, doesn't work when it is damped or raining. the electric/power window of the driver side and rear right side wouldn't go down, and the flicker switch from the dash lights doesn't work from time to time. consumer has disconnected and reconnected the battery once for which restored electricity to the two windows (the other windows worked fine); however, i still experience problems with its turn indicators, which work inconsistently. i'm asking if this problem has any connection(s) to the recall of the emergency flasher switch? *la

The turn signal becomes inoperative. when the hazard warning switch is pushed, the turn signal recovers for a few minutes. there is a previous recall for this years model for the same problem. chevrolet will not repair my car, "because the car is not within the stated vin released for recall".

I too, have many of the problems that other malibu owners have. my turn signals work intermittently, the brakes have been replaced 2x, in addition to rotors, etc. the battery blew up, but was replaced as was the ac turning off and on by itself. the one issue that is very concerning to me, is one familiar to you. my car cuts off at anytime while driving. it has done this to me on 2 separate occasions. nashville has 3 interstates running through it and i was on them both times this happened. it was very scary and dangerous. it is out of warranty and the shops that i have taken it to cannot replicate the problem. the mechanics at then shops told me that malibu's are by far some of the most troublesome cars on the road today. someone is going to be killed. you lose control and have no steering ability, what does it take to fix the problem. i can see from others that their problems are being ignored as well. when will gm acknowledge the problem. don't they watch the news and see what happened with the firestone recall, or the tobacco companies that kept secrets? it is time for someone to be responsible for their product. *nlm

Vehicle shuts completely down at when going over a bump or pothole in the road. does not happen every time a bump is hit, but has happened over 10 times and you never know when it might happen. *ph

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet malibu. when the contact started the vehicle, the anti-theft warning light illuminated on the instrument panel until the engine was turned off. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they stated that the failure was related to the ignition cylinder. the technician further stated that the vehicle could shut off at any moment if the component was not replaced. the vehicle was repaired. on three separate occasions, the identical failures recurred and were repaired. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 60,000 and current mileage was 157,000.

Ignigtion lock cylinder having difficulty turn the ignition due to tumblers not working properly. had several months where it took 10-20 minutes to start the car because the key would not turn the ignigtion over various number of dates. *ak

Numerous problems: brakes made noise when applied, vehicle jerked when at a complete stop,the vehicle shut down on the consumer three times, it started loud and hard, bounced while being driven and a bolt fell off from under the passenger seat, however the dealer stated the bolt did not belong to the vehicle. *ph also the rear passenger window was inoperative, and the battery was weak. *jb

I have encountered the following problems in the year since i purchased said vehicle: -signal &/or hazard lights work periodically -radio & lighter short out/blow fuses -a/c not working -a/c cuts on automatically w/ recirculation button -vent only works on level 3 or higher -water present in trunk -uneven tire wear -erratic gas gauge readings -coolant ran completely out w/out reason. *jb

Blinker just stops working occasionally, it happens when driving or stopped. i can get them to work again by pressing the hazard lights button several times and they will eventually come back on, it only happens randomly. it started about a year ago happening rarely, now it happens weekly. *nlm

At approx. 10,000 miles, the engine would stop without warning or trouble lights. at night, the headlights would still be on when the tachometer dropped to zero. it would be triggered by bumps in the road. dad, 88, was worried. known problem with this car which has dash mounted ignition switch but never recalled. detent in switch is poor. with minor wear, a large amount of keys causes the switch to move approx. 1/8 inch counterclockwise, shutting the car without any dash light indication. new switches are not improved. you can only have one key on chain so as not to disturb the switch rotation due to the poor detent exact date of first service not available. car is on the third switch. *jb

Brakes failed for the 2nd time accident occurred have not had car for 3 weeks, have been waiting for gm to send inspector. car is out of service for more than 15 days and gm has exhausted the time limit for action. i do not want this "death trap" (car) back. i also want to be credited for lease payments. i should not have to pay for manufacturer defects. *ak

Both tail light assemblies fill with water, causing lights to short out. seal around assembly is inadequate.*ak

Consumer states that defroster and warning lights do not work. consumer feels the computer is defected. please provide any further information. nlm

Engine cut off while driving on freeway 6-8 times. dealer replaced wiring and stated they have been having that problem. 2 weeks later happened again. *ak

While driving, vehicle was hesitant after stopping, transmission would begin to shift every 4 seconds, dealer stated that a piece of metal from the front pump of the transmission had come off and sent pieces of metal circulating through the entire transmission, consumer was told that since the transmission was sealed that it was not anticipated that the metal pieces would affect the other systems of the vehicle, dealer made repairs and one mile down the road transmission began acting poorly again, consumer took back to dealer who stated that transmission was stuck in second gear, dealer replaced transmission. oxygen sensor failed. rotors warped and were causing vibration, dealer replaced pads and rotors. battery leaked acid into engine compartment. coolant cap was defective and replaced. *slc

I bought my 2000 malibu brand new in september 1999.... my engine was pinging and making all kinds of noise, even when warm.... brakes are very hazardous to public safety... i have been to the dealer numerious times for rotor and pad replacements and even gm's so called new thicker and improved rotors they installed on my car was just as bad as all the other ones ... i almost lost control of my car when i was traveling 65 miles per hour on our local highway when i was almost had a wreck due to complete failure of my brakes... my car vibrated so badly and did not slow down...at all!!....i thought i had 2 front tire blowouts... i pulled over on the expressway and my tires were fine it was my brakes...... i went straight to a local autozone and purchased new rotors and pads....gm needs to issue a recall asap before someone gets seriously injured or killed!......i have called gm and made a complaint and was told no recalls were made..... another issue im having is it takes 3 or 4 times to get my car started ... not sure why my car is having all of these problems but it is at a local gm dealership as i type this .......i hope they will be able to fix the noise from the engine and my cd player that goes in and out of power and sometimes wont release my cd's .... i have given up on gm brakes. *ak

3 months after i bought malibu in july, 2000 i was driving at 65 mph when my care lost all power. dealer told me that there was something wrong with the fuel indicator wiring and was falsely reading the amount of gas i had which resulted in my running out of gas at 65mph. problem has not repeated itself. at 21,000 miles my signal indicator lights failed and my hazard switch had to be replaced. at 23,000 miles my evaporator vent valve had to be replace (engine light remained on constantly). at 20,000 miles my car was vibrating whenever my brakes were applied. dealor said front brakes worn out and rotors out of round and they replaced the front brakes and refaced the rotors. at 33,000 miles, care again vitrated whenver brakes applied and dealer told me again that it was not under warranty and was happening because of "hot spots" and that my rotors needed to be cut even though they had just been fixed at 20,000 miles. was never told that manufacturer was having a problem with malibu brakes and was told it would cost approxiamtely $700.00 to fix rotors and it was my responsibility. my sevice for the brakes was done at future chevrolet in old bridge, nj. *ak

Consumer states the brakes would pulsate when stopping, the brakes and rotors have been replaced 5 times due to warpage, consumer believes this is a safety hazard and is requesting reimbursement.*jb **nm

2000 chevy malibu. anti-theft system randomly engages and will not allow the car to be started. we have to key lock and unlock the doors, have had to unhook the battery(which we just replaced in hopes that was part of the problem) , and let the car sit for ten minutes in hopes that it will reset itself. at 2:30 in the morning, and the neighborhood i work in, this is unsafe. *tr

Brakes on vehicle have been replaced three times in past year. contacted dealer, and there was not much dealer could do. *ak also, gas guage failed twice. the passenger seat recliner was damaged. the electric out let broke and a/c heating system failed. *yh

The brake system was noisy and was serviced six differnt times, but the problem still remains. rotors and drums were badly warped causing pulsation when brakes were applied. *yh

I have been having problems with my hazard lights as well as turning signals. they have been replaced since the last recall, but have went out again. i also have been having problems with my fuel line, such as my vehicle not wanting to accelerate, it seems that it idles at a intersection light with the rpm's going up to the 2 or 3 then acting as if it wants to shut off. i had the fuel line replaced not even thirty days after purchasing the vehicle. i purchased the vehicle jan of 2000, and i did see some investigation concerning the fuel line months prior to the purchase. my vehicle stopped on the side of the highway, and my vehicle was towed to a chevorlet dealer outside of lansing near lake odessa. i at that time was not charged for this fuel pump which they did try to charge but because it happened within the thirty days they replaced the fuel pump at no charge. i do see on this site that this vehicle a 2000 chevy malibu has been investigated due to fuel problems so i hoping this was looked into properly and brought to the surface once again because my pump was changed in 2000 and has been giving me problem since 2002. i have had tune-ups, transmission changed, routine oil changes, fuel line cleaned, diagnosis ran, and the results are nothing i'm hoping to get to the bottom of this before taking any documentation to a lawyer concerning a matter that has been brought to the surface but nothing done about it. also i've took this vehicle back to the dealer where it was purchased and they can't find anything wrong with it. the question they ask is whether the check engine light has come on or not. i have all sensors checked out and that not the problem, but my gas leaves fast and i have a hard time accelerating on the residential streets as well as the high way. i also have been having to change the fuses in order for my horn and cigarette lighter to work. so someone please look into this because it's getting worse. thanks for your time and consideration. *nm

Vehicle shut down multiple times while driving, and occasionally did not start. consumer has taken vehicle to dealer twice, the o2 sensor has been replaced, and the ignition switch, which was causing the problem, was also replaced. *ak *ml

The vehicle experienced excessive brake shimmy due to warped rotors, also the front brake pads have uneven wear. nlm

2000 chevrolet malibu. consumer writes in regards to ignition switch problems. *smd the consumer stated the ignition switch was replaced twice. it was replaced on november 30, 1999 and march 19, 2014. the consumer stated while driving, the vehicle the steering and brakes failed. also, the oil pressure switch and throttle body were replaced. *jb