Problems with 2000 Chevrolet Malibu ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

2000 chevrolet impala. consumer writes in regards to vehicle fire and engine oil may deposit on the exhaust manifold recall notice. *smd the consumer stated the vehicle caught of fire. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 chevy malibu. the contact was driving 90 mph when the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact pulled over and called a tow truck. the vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed for the failure. the contact called the manufacturer and was advised that they were unable to assist. the failure mileage was 200,010. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet malibu. while the contact was driving approximately 60 mph, the engine warning light intermittently illuminated. the vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic for diagnosis. the technician stated there was a leakage within the intake manifold gasket which could result to the engine overheating and potentially causing a fire. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 63,000. updated 02/23/11*lj updated 02/28/11

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet malibu. while driving at highway speeds, the vehicle suddenly shuts off. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 135,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet malibu. while driving 40 mph, the vehicle shut off without warning. the contact took the vehicle to a mechanic and was informed that the intake manifold gasket caused the failure. the mechanic also stated that this was a common issue for this year, make, and model vehicle. the contact feels that this is a major defect and chevrolet should be responsible for the repairs. the current and failure mileages were 144,000.

After replenishing radiator fluid in my 2000 chevy malibu with the approved fluid, havoline dex-cool radiator fluid, my car started to constantly leak anti-freeze and now i have a leak and my radiator "idiot" light is constantly on. the car was perfectly fine prior to the application of the dex-cool but days afterward my troubles began. there was never a problem before and as usual 4-6 weeks i would have to replenish 1/2 gallon of fluid. this is noted on every discussion board regarding this model between 1997-2003. it's too circumstatial that immediately after the application of the dex-cool that my troubles began then finding the settlement of gm regarding this matter and improper gaskets for their manifolds and water pumps (nylon/solicone based) that the courts found that the coolant does indeed corrode these gaskets. now that my car is 8 yrs old, my ability to recoup any money on using the proper/recommended product as stated by gm is more than likely improbable. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet malibu. the air bag light has been illuminated since the vehicle was purchased. the coolant is also leaking from the vehicle. he was advised that the thermostat was not working properly. the dealer refused to repair the vehicle. the failure mileage was 93,600.

Noticed coolant leaking for the 2nd time in 2 years. this is now the 2nd time to replace intake manifold gasket. the 1st replacement was done 2006 for ~$750. now the estimate to replace gasket and flush cooling system is ~ $800. new radiator may be required if the service shop can not flush oil out of the radiator. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle began to overheat. the vehicle was taken to a local repair shop and they stated that the intake manifold failed and needed to be replaced. the mechanic stated that the engine failure was common for this year, make, and model vehicle. the vehicle is currently being repaired. the failure mileage was 60,000 and current mileage was 63,000.

I was driving to texas from missouri, doing the speed limit which is 70 and on a busy interstate and on a bridge with know shoulder,and my 2000 chevy malibu just shuts off ,no warning and was nearly hit by a semi 18 wheeler on the bridge, i finally got off the bridge ,and 15 minutes it starts back up again and i go another 20-30- miles again same problem,so a chevy dealer in ark by the name of petus .works on my car ,put a map sensor on car and charges me $158.00 and tells me it is fixed. and told me the problem was fixed,well 100 miles down the roads it happen again,well to make a long story short, and the last 60 miles i had to have car towed at $4.00 a mile . i read that there was a recall on my car. i need answer, i want to be able to go back to my home in missouri, if need to my mother is sick and i am stuck and afraid to travel for fear of breaking down. i think it is a wide spread problem with chevy with the malibu. *tr

I own a 200 chevy malibu and have had to repair an intake manifold twice- once at 92,000 miles and again at 105,000 miles. gm knows that their dex cool antifreeze eats through the gaskets but does nothing to fix it. i do not know why the gov.'t lets them get away with this. this is very expensive and not something that should have to be repaired within 100,000.00 miles. the speeds on the fan did not work shortly after purchase and around 50,000. miles the turn signal did not work . i did have the extended warranty and both were covered but these are not things that should break down. it was very dangerous to be sitting at a light and turning left and not being able to signal. i did eventually get a recall on this but it was way after it was fixed. gm makes junk and the gov.'t should hold them responsible. i will never purchase another gm product. *tr

I own a 200 chevy malibu and have had to repair an intake manifold twice- once at 92,000 miles and again at 105,000 miles. gm knows that their dex cool antifreeze eats through the gaskets but does nothing to fix it. i do not know why the gov.'t lets them get away with this. this is very expensive and not something that should have to be repaired within 100,000.00 miles. the speeds on the fan did not work shortly after purchase and around 50,000. miles the turn signal did not work . i did have the extended warranty and both were covered but these are not things that should break down. it was very dangerous to be sitting at a light and turning left and not being able to signal. i did eventually get a recall on this but it was way after it was fixed. gm makes junk and the gov.'t should hold them responsible. i will never purchase another gm product. *tr

I bought the car at the end of 2000 and had to replace the intake manifold gaskets at around the same time (thanksgiving) in 2001. my fuel pump went out in 2002 and my mechanic just told me the intake manifold gaskets are leaking again. he suggest to replace them soon. it cost $900 to get it fixed the first time which was not under my extended warranty plan. i just paid the car off and have to fork out another $700-900 to get it fixed again. it is common knowledge to gm that there is a history of gaskets problems in several chevy models especially the malibu, but no recall has been issued and no compensation has been awarded to all those hard working people who trust the chevy name. if nothing is done i will never buy chevy again. pontiac had the same problem with some of its cars a few years back and recalled all models with less than 100,000 miles on them. why wont chevy. there needs to be a recall or a lemon law on the chevrolet malibu!!! i am surprised that a class action lawsuit has not been filed against gm for selling such a defective product!!! i hope that no one has had an accident, injury, or even death result from this dangerously defective car!!! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet malibu. the low coolant warning indicator light illuminated; however, the vehicle was filled with coolant. thirty minutes later, the vehicle overheated while driving 70 mph. the low coolant warning indicator light illuminated again. the dealer stated that there was a leak in the intake manifold. no repairs were made. the contact verified his vin; however, it was invalid. the engine size and number of cylinders were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 125,000.

Intake manifold gasket replaced three times under and outside of warranty. hazard switch malfunctioning - almost caused accident turning signal/wiper washer switch malfunctioning premature brake wear until calipers replaced check engine light various emissions and fuel vapor leaks. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet malibu. while driving 35 mph for approximately ten minutes, the temperature gauge displayed hot. the coolant light illuminated, which indicated that the coolant level was low. the contact stopped the vehicle and checked the level. he then took the vehicle to carmax and they confirmed that the lower intake manifold gasket caused the failure. chevrolet stated that they were not aware of the failure. the current and failure mileages were 133,000. updated 12/12/07 *bf updated.

From the time i got my car in 6/07, i have also had problems with the ac system having a mind of its own. 1 and 2 won't work and the ac power light flickers on and off while driving and resetting it to pull the air from outside instead of circulate. the previous owner also stated that she had problems with the car not starting in the morning and having to wait about 15 minutes. haven't had any problems with it stalling, but have only had it 2 months. occasionally while at a light or in park, i feel the car jolt slightly and the rpm gauge moving, and while in park pressed the gas to see what it would do, and while my foot was steady on gas, the rpm went up and down like crazy. mechanic friend of mine looked at motor briefly and said i had a bad sensor. *tr

Small leak developed at rear of intake manifold. caused overtemp and all coolant boiled out. @ $800.00 to repair. i am reporting this because 2 separate repair shops informed me this is a known defect for this model, to the extent the defect is posted on all repair data bases. it is very common to sustain a crack in the engine block because of this defect.

I have had ongoing problems 3 years., approximately with frequent low coolant levels and low oil levels, in addition to noticing a strong odor of coolant after turning car off. i was informed recently , during a routine oil change in may, 2007, of a common problem often observed in gm 3.1 l and 3.4l v-6 engines. the intake manifold gasket leaked and allowed cross contamination of the coolant and oil systems. the oil system leaked into the coolant system, clogging the flow of engine coolant and damaging other systems, gaskets and fluids. the coolant leake d into the oil system as well, causing engine wear.*ak now i am told it will cost about $1000.00 to replace the intake manifold gasket, in addition to all the other gaskets affected by this leak. the main expense is for the labor to reach the intake manifold gasket in mid-engine. i was also informed that this problem affects all gm 3.1l and 3.4l v-6 engines since 1996, and that these engines have not been recalled, in spite of the frequency of this complaint. my vehicle is no longer under warranty, but since this engine's problem has been known since before i purchased the car, i believe i am justified in requesting that gm cover the cost of any necessary repairs to replace this leaking gasket before the engine is destroyed.

4-2007 gas was pooling around engine, replaced intake gasket, next time i drove car , same problem,they had to do over ( their dime) because failed to replace o-ring. 9-06-07 would not start at gas station, 9-13-07 pass lock sys. installed ignition switch lock cylinder. 11-13-09 turn signals, tail lights not working, between 11-13-09 @ 4-07-2010 , i have been back several times, because signals failed off and on while driving. told me, they could not do anything until they could see it fail, which it did on 4-07-2010 while i was close to shop. flasher switch/relay bad, replaced. 6-10-10 harmonic balancer worn and serpentine belt & seal replaced. 2-23-12 water pump leaking, replaced. 6-14-12 replaced sparks plugs, wires, complete injection flush. 9-14-2012 strong fuel smell (fumes) inside car and under hood, performed fuel leak test, no visual signs of fuel leak. checked vent canister, gas cap, no fuel codes. have been fumes several times since but by the time i drove to shop could not smell fumes. 4-22-13 fumes very strong inside car and under hood, drove to shop and they could smell fumes , put it up on rack and checked all underneath, no sign of leak under car or under hood. no one can tell me what the problem is but say process of elimination is only way. why on 6-10-2010 need to replace serpentine belt and seal and again on 2-08-2013 remove and replace serpentine belt and belt tensioner?? when this car reached 62,000 i have had nothing but trouble with it and now i am afraid of a fire, gas is leaking somewhere!!!! i only have 97,461 miles. is not there some way or someone who can find origin of the fuel leak?

2000 chevy malibu intake manifold gasket failure, 800.00 to fix. replaced gasket at dealer, told car was a fixed and then the head gasket fails, within hours of leaving repair shop. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 chevy malibu. while driving 45 mph, the vehicle stalled and shut off without warning when she attempted to accelerate. she was able to restart the vehicle after waiting approximately 40 minutes. the dealer was unable to diagnose the failure. the warning indicator light illuminated when trying to restart the vehicle; however, details re: the warning indicator was not in the manual. the warning indicator was of someone sitting in the seat and the contact confirmed that it was not related to the seat belt. the left and right turn signals failed intermittently, unless the hazard button is used. there is a recall for the exterior lighting hazard flashing warning lights switch (nhtsa campaign #03v327000); however, the dealer stated that her vin was not included. the current mileage was 144,778. updated 02-01-08. *kb

Dt*: the contact stated while parked in the driveway, a leak was noticed under the vehicle. it was driven to the dealer who determined the intake gasket needed to be replaced.

2000 malibu engine gaskets had to be replaced. *ts the air condition control head was replaced. *jb

As stated by other complainants, i also have a problem with my cooling system. after losing my a/c now i'm faced with losing the whole engine. my car continuously runs hot the so called dexcool coolant keeps squirting over the engine and reading other complaints i'm facing either intake repairs or water pump and thermostat problems. this is ridiculous so many people having similar problems neither gmc or our so called would step in and put and end to this mess. i guest lobbyist are more important than the safety of america. *tr

While driving my car along the freeway and without any notice the car went from having a normal temp to red lining on the temperature. i immediately slowed the vehicle down and turned on the heat. at this point no heat came out and soon afterwards the vehicle overheated and died. i cruised it off the freeway and onto a side road. i was in the middle of nowhere and a passerby was nice enough to stop. i ended up refilling the coolant and was able to drive to where i need to go and return home. i had refill the fluid level multiple times. i took it to a radiator shop that stated that the seals on my engine were leaking exhaust into the fluids which caused the vehicle to overheat. they stated that chevy was having trouble with the dexacool coolant in the vehicles and that it was eating away the seal in the engine. *jb

I first noticed that the coolant was leaking from below my car. it has 76,000 miles. the intake manifold gaskets are defective. this is a problem that i have researched and discovered that many, many others have experienced this. this is a $1000 problem that i feel chevy has refused to recall because at $1000 a pop, who would? *jb

We lost all of our anti-freeze thinking we lost a hose. upon taking it in to a certified mechanic he had to replace the manifold intake gaskets for the 2nd time. upon showing the manifold to a mechanic for gm he found a bubble in the manifold when it was molded. *jb

Coolent leaks and overheating,what the hell gm waiting for,we need to get this information out to the buying public to stop buying gm product that they will not stand-by. fix your problem. your coolant calls for replacing 100,000 to 150,000 miles, not every couple of days. the japanese auto makers would have solved this problem a long time ago at no charge to the owners. class action lawsuit is in order.stop-f----- your malibu owner

My car was running hot and it smell like something was burning under the hood, so i took the car in to the shop to have fix and the worker told me it was a defective intake manifold gaskets. it would cost me close to $850 to fix. the part itself only cost $89, but the labor is what i was paying for. i cannot afford to keep fixing this car on a college student budget. after talking to other malibu owners with the same problems i check to see if it is a recall problem, but it is not. this is not fair that the company know they sold defective cars and not plan on doing anything about it. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving the heat indicator light illuminated. the vehicle was pulled off the road without incident, coolant and water was added to the radiator. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, upon inspection the intake manifold gasket had been leaking. the gasket allowed the coolant to leak onto the exhaust, causing the vehicle to over heat. the manufacturer was alerted.

Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 60 mph the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was pushed off the road each time and it restarted after waiting a few minutes. the vehicle was driven to an independent repair shop where a computer diagnostic showed no problem. the repair shop replaced the map sensor and a fuel relay, in an attempt to remedy the problem, however the problem still occurred. updated 05/10/06

Lower intake manifold gasket leak; ball joint & fuel pump; brake pads replaced 4 times in less than 3 yrs. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated an odor was detected and there was fluid leaking on the ground from the engine compartment. when the contact inspected the vehicle by raising the hood, there was fluid on the engine block. the dealership determined the manifold gasket needs to be replaced. updated 03/28/06. *jb

Fuel pump needed to be replaced on 2/01/06 - cost of repair $800. when service was completed, gm mechanic informed me that the intake manifold gasket is leaking and causing coolant to mix with oil in the engine. the estimated cost to repair is an additional $1,000! we have not yet had the part repaired due to the cost and the car has had limited use since. gm should issue a recall on this already and stop having the consumers pay for their lack of use of reliable parts!! this is obviously a major problem given the number of complaints listed. *nm

1. lower intake manifold gaskets leaking coolant. 2. horn is inoperative (2nd time). 3.hvac kicks off and recirc. will not hold its setting. (on-going for the last 2 years). *jb

The incident is the failure of the water pump, a slapping noise coming from the engine, at one point the leakage of coolant, and also the oxygen sensor. all of which were taken back to the dealer to be fixed by their mechanic except the oxygen sensor. however, the car still had a problem with idling as the car was being driven away from the mechanic. my husband had to jump out of the car because of the issues, on his way to work and the car was stopped by a pole. this is the second time that the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be fixed however, i believe that the first time that it was taken to the dealer the problem were just masked only for us to be brought back to them for them to get more money out of us. *nm

I went in to find out why i have no heat and the repair guy said there was anti freeze leaking on to engine block. he said that the head gaskets and the intake gasket needed replacing and it would cost $1500. *nm

Intake manifold leak..loss of coolant..overheating engine..heater malfunction sporadically. this problem continues but abated somewhat after service at a radiator repair facility rodded the radiator twice ,flushed and refilled the system with new coolant and installed new thermostat. mileage was 39,500. *nm

When i went to the store i noticed a smell coming from my car i pulled over and noticed that coolant was leaking from my car. i opened the hood to cool down the engine since i assumed it might have overheated or something of the sort and it was only the run off. i added more fluid (everything was fine) and noticed the next morning it leaked again. i took the vehicle to the mechanic (to get my hazards module replaced since they began to start a fritz) and he told me it was the lower intake gasket and would be $850, not to mention he refused to offer the recall claim because i didn't have any papers. *jb

The initial problem was that the car had difficulty starting after the car was warm. would usually have to give the car gas to get the engine to turn over. took the car to the dealer and was informed that was the least of my problems since the intake manifold gasket was leaking coolant into the oil. the cost of repairs for the leaking gasket was over $650 and told was quite common in 2000 malibus and if the problem was not fixed could cause the vehicle to catch on fire or destroy the engine. the car has less than 60,000 miles. also had to replace wires, plugs, ignition coil and fuel filter which was an additional $475. i can understand the wires, plugs, coil and fuel filter as usual maintenance costs, however, the leaking intake manifold gasket which is quite common from both your website and chevy website should be addressed a potential recall. or investigate the possibility of some funding by chevy to offset the high repair costs to many owners of the malibu who have had to have the intake manifold gasket repaired. *jb

I purchased a 2000 chevy malibu ls in december of 2002. after purchasing this vehicle someone working in the service department of a gm dealership told me i had made a big mistake. he said the engine had a serious problem. he told me the lower intake gasket would eventually fail. the only way of fixing the problem also involves removing the entire engine from the car. in september of 2005 my car has developed this problem. i then contacted a mechanic to find how common a problem this is for the engine. he was under the impression it happened to all gm v6 engines. this failure is a major mechanical expense which i do not have the funding to fix. with less than 65,000 miles i do not feel a car should develop major mechanical defects. *nm

Car has had a leak for a month and when i finally got it to a car mechanic i was told that i had an intake gasket leak and that it was very common among chevrolets. the problem i was told was that the manufacture had designed a poor gasket and that once the problem was identified that they came out with a more durable gasket. this repair was quoted at $700. why is it that if this is a common problem and that the makers recognize this was a problem why it is that the consumer needs to be responsible to fix a faulty or defected item? *nm

2000 chevrolet malibu developed problems with the brake equipment.*mr the consumer had the brakes replaced 3 times. the first brake service they were replaced under warranty after that the consumer was told it was considered wear and tear. the water pump was leaking. *jb

Took my 2000 malibu in for an oil change. was told the intake valve cover gasket was leaking. could repair it for $825. took it to the dealer the next day. was quoted $765. had dealer fix it. but had to use the "updated" gaskets. which needed "updated" bolts.(approx. $40 extra) water pump was leaking from weep hole. replaced. total cost $966.56. my car had 51,xxx miles on it. i feel that gm has had enough complaints about the intake gaskets leaking and that they should pay for the repairs. they know that there is a problem as there is now an updated gasket to be used. was told by one shop that is the dex-cool eats away at the gaskets. if the coolant is good for 100,000 or 150,000 miles. gm should cover any damage that is caused by it within that milage.

Dt: the reservoir for the coolant had a design flaw which caused it to leak. it caused an o-ring to pull away and let coolant splash on top of the engine. consumer was told it would cost 750 to 1000 dollars to fix this problem. this caused the engine to run hot. the consumer would like for the manufacturer to pay to have problem remedied. *jb

Had hazard lights replaced 5 years ago, problem continues. water pump blew, intake manifold needs replaced. dex cool problem car also refuses to start from time to time, takes about 10 minutes to decide to start. *tr

Fuel pump went bad on 06/01/05 ($583). when service was done to replace fuel pump, mechanic informed me that the intake manifold gasket is leaking. to repair it will cost $1300.

I have been advised that the "intake is leaking coolant" on my 2000 chevy malibu and that the cost of the repair will be approximately $825.00. there are numerous articles of other malibu owners on the internet that either currently have or have had this same problem. it would seem apparent that the intake is defective. the mechanic has advised that unless repaired, the engine will be destroyed. can you imagine that happening on a freeway during rush hour? the loss of life would be terrible. i bought this car for my 17-year-old son thinking that i was purchasing a car that would provide him some added protection and now i find out he is driving a time bomb. in light of the numerous reports, i would like chevrolet to repair my car at no charge to me.

The intake manifold gasket is defective on all 3.1 l gm engines like the one in my 2000 malibu. gm dealers know that it always leaks around 70 k miles, and just keep trying to replace it. every mechanic in the country seems to know this fact, and make about a thousand for it from each owner.