Problems with 2001 Chevrolet Malibu ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Anti theft pass key car will not start due to theft protection kicking in have to reset everytime i want to start the car. *tr

I have a 2001 chevy malibu. the anti theft system light keep coming on causing me to wait for 10 - 15 minutes for it to reset. causing me to go back to dealer to get my key reprogram. a very expensive job. i've not had it done yet. i've researched this and have found out that this is common among malibu owners. what can we do to have gm recall our car to fix this problem. this problem last occurred on june 4, 2008. i've had this problem for awhile. *tr

2001 chevrolet malibu. consumer writes in regards to ignition switch problems and repairs. *smd the consumer stated the ignition switch was replaced on may 8, 2008, at a cost of $ 343.06. on march 26, 2009, the vehicle would not start. april 14, 2009, the ignition switch was replaced again, at a cost of $ 315.86. on september 10, 2010, the ignition lock and cylinder were replaced at a cost of $ 457.07. the consumer no longer owns the vehicle. *jb

The anti-theft system on my 2001 chevrolet malibu frequently activates for no apparent reason, causing a ten minute waiting period before the car will start. this device does more harm than good and leaves me stranded in undesirable areas to in which to be stranded. *tr

Gm passlock system is failing in the vehicle. problems incurred are: no-start and engine shut-down while in operation. sudden loss of power in vehicle is serious safety concern. *tr

I purchased my 2001 in 2003 and has never given me any problems. but at the end of march my malibu would not start. i had it towed and got a full tune up and it ran for about a week before it started skipping. i took it back to the mechanic and he gave the car a transmission flush and it ran for about a week. two days later while i was driving the car it cut off, i was able to restart it but then sunday morning 4/20/08 it would not start. i called my mechanic and he noticed that the anti-theft light was blinking and indicated that the system had locked me out, and that the ignition no longer recognizes the chip in the key. i have read online that several owners have been experiencing this problem. i am anger that general motors has not taken ownership of this very serious problem this problem and issued a recall. my car has 41,000 mi and i should not be having problems like this. this is not relevant to wear and tear this is a defected product and a safety issue that warrants the attention of the manufactures and owners who are having problems with their vehicle. this could possibly prove to be fatal if the car suddenly stops in the middle of traffic on the street or highway like my car did. my husband and i were lucky this time. this is a serious issue that needs to be addressed, and was contemplating trading for the newer 2008 model, not anymore. *tr

Problems with anti-theft system. car would not start. have had to have car towed to dealership twice and had the ignition pass lock changed both times within a 6 month period. the third time it happened was one day before the 1 year guarantee on the parts and labor of the previous replacement ran out. had car towed again. this time they said it was the wiring harness to the pass lock. they said it was corroded and they replaced it but i had to pay for it since it was not the same part as the pass lock part they replaced twice before. naturally i have no way of knowing whether the wiring harness corrosion was the real problem on the first, second or third time. they never reimbursed me for the tow on the second replacement that was under their warranty either. tow truck driver told me that this was an almost everyday occurrence for him on gm vehicles that he towed. recall and reimbursement seems to be in order. *tr

Cannot start engine because of anti-theft system. *tr

Anti-theft light comes on then the car just wont start. had many sensors, as well as ignition switches, replaced. at my cost! had to be towed, pushed, and pulled, too many times to count. wont ever by a chevy again. ever!!!! if you own a 2001 chevy malibu, sell it trade it. whatever you do get rid of it. save yourselves! a lot of money too. *tr

Car initially failed to start. towed vehicle to shop. shop couldn't find any thing wrong. kept on happening. after multiple tows it was determined that it was the anti-theft system. system replaced-was ok for 3 months now happening again. should not have to put $400 into same problem every 3-4 months. *tr

I went outside to start my 2001 chevy malibu and it wouldn't start. so i had it towed to mechanics they kept my car for a week. they could find a trouble code to find out what cased the problem of the anti theft system to go on. i use the same key everyday no one there to steal the car. so now my light stay on all the time an i learned how to program the code myself this way i don't have to pay every time it don't start. all so my turn signals stop working sometimes i never took it to get fix because i learned that if you push the hazard lights they will work again. *tr

2001 malibu with 50,525 miles with first occurrence 12/07/06. passlock system failure and car will not start (new fuel pump). anti theft light keeps blinking and car won't start continues almost monthly. malibu has been towed to dealer 7 times since dec 06. fuel pump replaced dec 06 not the problem. iginition cylinder not the problem. towed again 10/17/07 same problem. dealer clipped 3 wires to passlock sytem said they were crimped. (that might be the problem according to tech) however, probably been that way since car purchased in 2001 new. wait and see. called gm at one point and they covered half of a $800 repair bill. so far over $1500.00 in repairs and $400.00 plus in towing plus rental car fees. gm why not recall? too many complaints on same problem. *tr

2001 chevy malibu. *jb

This 2001 chevy malibu is junk the anti-theft light keeps coming on the car starts only half the time. the sad thing is my wife and 4 month old baby rides in this car with me when it dies out on the high way here in town and it does it on busy streets here in town. my wife used to love gm products but now after this car and pontiac grand am we had she hates gm. it disappointing they have all bad consumer rating and no recall to fix this. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the engine light illuminated and the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 73,536 and the current mileage was 100,000. updated 07/01/14 ma

Ignition switch / passlock anti-theft system prevents vehicle from starting about 70 percent of the time. *tr

Car fails to start due to passlock system. manufacture defect. *jb

The passlock system on my 2001 chevy malibu (the absolute worst car i have ever owned) is bad. took it to the dealership several times under warranty and was told that they fixed it. now it's way off of warranty and the system is failing on a weekly basis. $500 to fix, chevy won't issue a recall or (as usual) offer to fix the problem which there are literally thousands of complaints on. *jb

2001 chevy malibu..theft system light goes on several time a year and will eventually cause the car not to start and require a tow and various types of ignition/starter types of replacements. this has cost me a lot of money, lost time at work and concern for my safety and my families safety when driving the car and not knowing when it will not start and we'll be stranded.*jb updated 12-12-07. *kb updated *jb

All electrical went out including radio,air conditioner,power windows ...i had to stop and pull off road and call for help. this has happened over 5 times and dealers will not do anything but look at me. also the security system went out and i could not crank car and spent $500 to get it fixed. *tr

Electrical problems, with anti theft lock switch, kill switch, hazard and signal lights. *jb

Theft device replaced in ignition switch twice in just over 2 years, both repairs over $300+. last time it failed while driving down the road, ignition just shut off. had to tow to dealership to repair. wife luckily got car stopped and someone helped push out of street. i see this complaint a lot. sounds like it should be a recall just like the rest of the junk that is failing on these models. i will never buy chevrolet again. *tr

I have a 2001 chevy malibu and i have had to many hard times trying to start it due to the theft system in the car. and gm don't make a recall for this problem. *jb

Constant problems with the passlock system on my 2001 chevrolet malibu. passlock engages constantly, causing me to wait 10 minutes for reset every time this occurs. this is a safety issue for my wife and daughter who must wait, in sometimes dark areas of town for passlock to reset before they can start the car and get safely on their way. have had ignition replaced once but issue has not corrected. *tr

2001 malibu. theft system light comes on constantly. atleast 1x a week. i have followed teh turn to acc until light shuts off, turn off and then try and start, but this is time consuming. now when the car does start the fuel gauge says i am empty, radio will not work, acc and heater will not work and if and when it kicks on the car makes a weird sound. *tr

The car would turn on but would not start. i tried jumping but it still wouldn't work. i had it towed to a mechanic and spent $200 for them to tell me the anti-theft system needed to be reset. a few weeks later the car did the same thing. i did some research, and found out it could be reset by leaving the car on for 10 to 20 minutes then start it. also, i read this was a common problem with malibu owners and gm was doing nothing to remedy the problem.*ak

I own a 2001 chevrolet malibu, for the last 3 1/2 years i have had to replace the ignition cylinder 3 times. the theft light will come on and the car will shut down. the dealer told me that this was a common problem and gm won't do anything about it. so here i am again having to replace the part again. *ak

I purchased a used 2001 malibu and have experienced problems with the anti-theft system , and learned of it being a common problem from a number of sources ,and would like to support any efforts to get gm to fix what was clear to me a system design defect. the intent of the system may be well meaning and may work well, however, when it causes the owners of the vehicle such inconvenience, and who knows how much money. in 3 weeks of ownership of this car this has occurred twice. the first time it cost me over $200 and over 12 hours of trouble shooting to discover way to get the car running. the second time it was just the annoyance of having to wait for the system to reset. *ak

About 1 year ago i purchased a 2001 chevy malibu. i loved my car! that summer my sister and i went to the beach and spent the whole day there. when we got into my car to crank it up the theft light was on and it would not crank. i had to wait for 3 hours for a tow truck to come all the way out to the beach. i was told that the computer chip in my key was wrong and i needed another key. well i got a key made and it worked fine. today i got off of work and was on my way to taco bell and my theft light came on, my car started but what is this problem. i do not want to stop anywhere just in case my car wont start. i am pregnant now and it is 95 degrees outside, am i expected to wait? what happens when i have my child and this happens? i did an internet search and this seems to be a big problem. does someone have to get hurt or even die from this in order for a recall? i think it is crazy that i spent money on a car with defects and no one will fix this. believe me i will not stop with this complaint..

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet malibu. when attempting to start the vehicle, the ignition failed to turn over. after being involved in a crash, the air bags failed to deploy. a police report was filed and the driver suffered knee injuries. the vehicle was repaired by a local technician. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

The anti-theft on the car has caused me to be late to work many time since i bought it in january 2001. also, it has caused me to be stranded alone in shopping centers until i could get a tow truck to come. many times! incident date was the last date it happened.*ak

Purchased car in 2002 and ran fine until about 8 months ago. replaced alternator and car ran fine for another 3 months. since, has failed while driving on highway and city roads. replaced ignition control module. ran for another month. same problem arose. replaced spark plugs and engine sensor. ran for another 2 months. still having same problem. will kill while driving and eventually won't start at all. will turn over but won't fire.*ak

Chevrolet malibu, year 2001. repeated problems with pass lock / anti-theft system malfunctioning. two separate conditions occurred 1. system will malfunction so that vehicle cannot be started , cannot bypass/reset the anti-theft system. 2. system will not arm itself, and theft system does not provide intended purpose. addressed this with chevrolet , and they refused to acknowledge any service bulletin related to this problem. they could only recommend that i contact my dealer. my concern is with the possibility of the theft system malfunctioning and causing the vehicle to stall while in motion. this problem has reoccurred seven times since october, 2006. so far, it has been possible to reset problem (1) by keeping the key in the accessory position for 10 minutes, and "problem ; (2) by turning the driver door lock 3 times to the right, then once to the left, then starting the vehicle. (these measures were obtained from an internet search which revealed widespread problems of this nature with this vehicle type. *ak

I have had several instances were the 2001 chevrolet malibu won't start after the theft system light came on. i have replaced the ignition cylinder once ,and i refused to pay to get the same item fixed within a year. gm needed to do a recall and have this fixed. there were hundreds of people with the same problem and something needs to be done.*ak

Vehicle was fairly cool having only traveled about a mile from home. after being stopped at a busy intersection, my car died while accelerating into the intersection. after i stopped the vehicle and switched on my hazard lights, i was able to restart the vehicle without a problem. had this been a time when my vehicle wouldn't start for 10 minutes, this could have created a major traffic problem. fortunately, no one was injured. *jb

Vehicle was fairly cold as it had only been running for about 1.5 miles. as vehicle was leaving the i64 eastbound at the oakland exit in st. louis it died. car lost power steering. after i was able to get the car in park, i was able to restart it with no problems. fortunately there were no injuries. unfortunately, several cars behind me had to wait as i fixed the problem. had the car not restarted, as it does regularly, this could have created a major problem on the interstate.*jb

I was driving the vehicle later the same day after the previous incident i reported. car was fairly cool. as i approached a turn, the vehicle died leaving me without power steering. i came very close to having an accident. fortunately, no one was injured. after i brought the car to a stop and turned on my hazard lights i was able to restart the vehicle without incident. *jb

My wife went shopping after a long trip, so the car should have been fairly warm. after she finished her shopping, the vehicle wouldn't start and the theft light was on. because she has seen me fix the problem several times, she knew to turn the key to the on position, wait 10 minutes for the theft light to go out, turn the key to the off position, wait a few seconds, and restart the car. no one was injured. *jb

My 2001 malibu suddenly would not start. the battery checked out okay, etc. it did not have any power at all. my husband removed the battery cables. upon replacing them the anti-theft light came on and the car still would not start. upon resetting the system, the anti-theft light went out and the car is running again. now i am concerned that the car will stop again on the interstate with my infant in the car.*jb

Loaded up the family for a trip and the car won't start. theft light is on and i've had the problem too many times before, so i knew what to do. turn the key into the on position, wait ten minutes for the theft light to turn off, turn the key to the off position for a few seconds and restart. no one was injured this time. *jb

A few miles after the car wouldn't start, the car dies in the middle of an intersection during accelerating after a stop. lost power steering. vehicle restarted immediately after i got the car in park. *jb

I was driving down the road one day in my car and the theft system light stayed on then started blinking for a couple of days then one day the car wouldn't start and the theft light just stayed on in i took it to a dealer in they said it was a theft system malfunction and that many 2001 malibu's have the same problem and that it would cost $300.00 to 400.00 to be fixed. *jb

I have a malibu 2001. first i wasn't able to start my car. i went to the shop and they changed the fuel pump. i didn't realize then that problem was the theft system. same thing happened 20 days after i changed fuel pump. i went to same store and mechanics started car without any problems. now twice a week theft system light turns on and i cant to start car without resetting it. a few days ago theft light turned on while i was driving a car and turned engine off. i have almost been killed. after i pulled over car i was able to turn it on again . *jb

2001 chevy malibu won't start or when started will switch off for no apparent reason. have had the vehicle in the shop numerous occasions and have had many repairs (e.g. new ignition switch) that were supposed to fix the problem but have not. to this point the car has refused to start on three occasions because of a problem with the computer's theft system and has died while driving on dozens of occasions for unknown reasons. fortunately, every time the vehicle has died, the driver was able to avoid accident. unfortunately, we may not be so lucky in the future. although the chevy dealership has indicated that they're unfamiliar with my complaints, the people who towed my car this last time indicated that almost every chevy they tow is for the same reason. *nm

Electrical: it all started 2/2007... there was a recall on the 2001 chevy malibu for turn signal/hazard light defect. i have a 2001 chevy malibu and i had experienced the exact same problems. i contacted gm and they indicated that my vin number was not in the recall and therefore will not reimburse me for the cost of having my turn signals/hazard lights repaired. there is a ticking noise that is off and on, sometimes lasting 3 minutes. then in 5/2008... the following happens at the same time: the car does start the fuel gauge says i am empty, radio will not work, a/c and heater will not work. my daytime lights will not turn on, along with my windows, and cruise control. this is sporadic, but happens at least once a day; sometimes more. *tr

The car will not start no warning signs. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet malibu. while the contact was driving approximately 35 mph, the anti-theft security indicator illuminated and the engine completely stalled. after waiting for one hour, the passlock system was reset and allowed the vehicle to resume proper operation. the failure occurred four times. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 70,000.

Own 2001 malibu. began shutting off while driving about 2 yrs ago. had ignition switch replaced 2 mos ago. also, horn beeps, locks go off and on and hazard light button clicks as if the car is possessed. *tr

The horn will beep on its own, usually when car is first started or turned off, but will also beep (by itself) while driving. also the automatic power door lock switch on the driver side door, which is supposed to lock all doors when depressed when i am leaving the vehicle doesn't work properly. both of these problems have been "fixed" several times over the last 12 - 18 months by the dealer, but they keep recurring. another problem, which the dealer had "fixed" a couple of times is that i would go out to start the car, it just wouldn't start. the dealer claimed it had something to do with the anti-theft system/ignition lock cylinder in that if you try three different keys or make three attempts to start the car, then the anti-theft system would lock the car out. two times over the last 12-18 i've gone out to the car, put my car key in the ignition (once each time) and the car would not start, would not even turn over. i'm waiting for it to happen it again, because once the horn and locks start malfunctioning, the anti-theft system usually starts malfunctioning. *jb

My turn signals work when they want. i call chevrolet and i was told this part had been changed july of 2001. this was a recalled part and i'm not sure if the one put in in july 2001 was a new part or still one that was on recall. but i was told by chevrolet that they would not pay to fix it. *nm