Problems with 2000 Chevrolet Malibu ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I have already filed complaint in regards to the hazard light recall, which for some reason does not cover my 2000 malibu. i noticed other complaints on the malibu and figured i would throw my two cents in. i to have had to drop over $1000 dollars into the most defective car i have purchased this includes the $200 piece of junks i bought when i was a teenager. my list of problems. 1. coolant system leak cost $700 note: mechanic laughed and said this happens all the time is this type of engine. in reviewing other complaints, the one really stands out. nice i am glad gm owns up to its problems. 2. brakes constantly need to be replaced well below mileage. glad gm saved a few bucks under sizing the rotors. 3. within a year the fans switch (levels 1,2) and lighter stopped working. boy gm is saving lots money now. 4. within the past year i had fuel pump failure, nothing like traveling in rush hour traffic doing 75mph and car totally dieing. boy gm has made one quality car. 5. the last insult, my first and likely last gm product is when i thought boy i finally get something from gm in regards to one small defect, the hazard switch, i find out that my vehicle is not covered by this recall. wow not only i am out at least $1000 bucks on piece of crap product, gm does not even want to give a bone to hungry man. with this type of product it is no wonder gm is losing market share faster than any other automotive company. keep up the good work gm. clearly the are some serious defects with this vehicle and the gms ownership with defects.

3.1 engine leaking collant at head gasket. mechanic says this is a common problem with gm 3.1 v6 engines. about $600.00 estimate to repair.

My wife's 3.1 general motors v6 needed a manifold gasket and related items replaced on her 2000 malibu which only has 48,000 miles and is well taken care of. my 1995 lumina had the same problem. after checking with many shops and gm dealers (and a co-worker who had the same problem today)...it is a very common defect @ every 40,000 miles. it could turn out to be a very bad deal for many consumers and it appears that the manufacturer knew of defect for years. just a heads up for you. *jb

Had trouble starting car. replaced battery, alternator and belt. same thing happened; car would turn over, but not fire. automobile repaired, replaced battery; next day, car would not start again. would start with a jump, but when i stop, it dies. *ak 3 occurences; same problem. i've used aaa 3 times for same item. i only have 1 more service call left!!! also, interior lights don't work all the time. brake noise on right side.

Dex-cool coolant leaked into engine of my 2000 chevy malibu. this is an ongoing problem for many gm owners, and it is well known by everyone expect gm. both the dealer and chevrolet said there is nothing they can do, that i must pay to have it fixed, about $1500.00. chevy must address and fix this problem .*jb

Coolant was leaking from my 2000 chevrolet malibu engine intake manifold and my coolant pump. the car has only 52,000 miles. i took it to the dealer where they replaced the intake manifold gasket and coolant pump. the cost was $1250. i work at a company where i know all the other chevrolet malibu owners. there are two other: one owns a 1999 and the other owns a 2000 malibu, both with less than 50,000 miles. the 2000 owner has had the intake manifold gasket replaced for $950. the 1999 owner has had the coolant pump replaced and will probably need the intake manifold gasket replaced. i feel that chevrolet had initially installed defective cheap parts in this model and will not own up to it. *ak

Abs light comes on intermittently, fan does not operate on speeds 1 & 2, brake rotors and pads need replaced every year, hazard/turn signal lights operate intermittently, and intake manifold gasket began leaking around 70,000 miles. the coolant is listed in the owner's manual as not needing service for 150,000 miles but it turned very acidic in less than half that time and ate the gasket causing the need for costly repairs or else risk permanent damage to the engine. turn signal issue recalled but the recall did not apply to my vehicle's vin. vehicle was unable to signal intention to turn or switch lanes and was unsafe on highways. have yet to experience common fuel pump failure that could cause stalling in highway traffic. not recalled is the most common problem of the leaking intake manifold gasket because it is not deemed a safety issue. this can become safety issue if engines catch fire or fail on highway due to coolant leak into motor oil. cost to repair leaking intake manifold gasket quoted at $743. currently discussing with gm customer service because the problem is addressed in tsb 03-06-01-010b (10/24/2003) and there are several class-action lawsuits. tsb describes replacing faulty gasket with a new gasket that has improved sealing qualities. gm customer service stated they have never heard of any tsb for 2000 malibu other than turn signal recall. gm is being intentionally dishonest when owners inquire about problems with an obviously defective vehicle. i hope that the nhtsa takes notice of the multitude of safety issues concerning this vehicle and can obtain a satisfiable resolution from gm to make this vehicle safe for owners or justly compensate them for the repairs necessary to make the vehicle safe.*ak

I have a 2000 chevy malibu with 38000 miles. the intake manifold gasket is leaking. i called the dealership to see if there is a recall. i was told there have been many gasket failures on the malibu but there is no recall. repair cost is estimated at $645.00 by the dealer. i am now unable to afford the repair or safely drive the car for fear of damage to the engine. the car is now in storage. *jb

2000 chevrolet malibu: turn signals stop without warning. air condition stops and starts on its on. brakes squeal. engine surges. uses oi, l but no leak. uses alot of coolant no leak found by me. ignition switch locks and wont let go sometimes.*ak

The malibu engine smelled hot and fluid was leaking onto the garage floor. a mechanic discovered that coolant is leaking onto the top of the transmission from the intake manifold gasket. we have added fluid a couple of times. the gasket will have to be replaced. i believe that gm should replace this since it is a commonly known problem on this car. *nm

The intake gasket on my 2000 malibu is leaking and it's going to cost 550.00 to repair it. called jackson chevrolet and service mgr. stated he purchased malibu for wife and he also replaced the intake gasket. the service mgr also stated that all the malibus with that motor are bad about the intake gaskets leaking. called gm and they said can't pay for repairs. will not buy a gm automobile again. still not fixed. putting water and antifreeze in it everyday. *nm

(1) the failure occurred under normal driving conditions. (2) the intake manifold leaks radiator fluid due to faulty gaskets. fortunately, the problem was observed before the engine overheated or caught fire, but there is evidence of coolant contaminating the engine oil: further consequences will likely occur in the future. (3) the failure has not yet been corrected. a firestone service center diagnosed the problem but repairs have not yet been contracted. a chevrolet dealership/service center (bill heard) gave an estimate of $1000 for the repair. please note that this is a common fault in chevy malibus and other gm cars with this engine type. the service rep at firestone stated that this was the most common problem seen in this car, and the service rep at the chevrolet dealership stated that in malibus, the intake manifold gaskets fail "more often than not." *ak

Vehicle is leaking antifreeze out the intake gasket manifold causing the vehicle to overheat. consumer will notify the dealer of the problem for repair. *ak the vehicle was repaired at the consumer's expense. the consumer believes the component should be recalled to the amount of problems it exhibits. *nm

I purchased a 2000 chevrolet malibu in dec 1999. the car had 6 miles on it when purchased. within the last year i have noticed the car has been overheating a little, and i am having to fill the coolant up once every couple of weeks(with no noticable leaks). *ak at this point i have taken it to a couple of different shops telling me that the lower intake manifold needs replaced (cost 5-700 dollars!!)--i still owe 11000 on the car. i have read and seen many others with this issue and am very dissapointed in the fact that gm will not do anything to help out. of course now the car is at 66000 miles and out of warranty--so i must pay for the repair--single mother/going to school/working full time this is not what i expect out of a new chevy....

While driving 70 mph the vehicle stalled without warning. the dealer states that they were unable to duplicate the problem. please provide additional information.

I repeated had problems with the transmission slipping and/or not going into gear completely and this problem almost caused an accident on a few occasions. i first suspected something was faulty shortly after purchasing the vehicle - which was a gm certified vehicle. less than a year after purchase i had to pay almost $2000 to have the transmission rebuilt. items replaced include the torque converter and solenoids. i also have noticed that i have coolant leaking and assume it is a problem with the intake manifold gasket - but have not had it diagnosed yet.

Coolant in the oil. has always over heated in stop & go traffic, no one knows how to fix but is aware of the problem & says gm could care less & won't fix it. how many complaints do you need before this very common complaint is recognized & is recalled???????? *tr

Consumer's vehicle experienced the same problem as stated in recall 03v327000. however, the vehicle became became inoperable. *ak

I am the owner of a chevrolet malibu. this car is very dangerous and should be recalled. the car will shut off when driving speeds of 55 or more. i have had nothing but problems since i purchased this car. first, it was the intake manifold gasket. second, it was something wrong with the fuel system. third, the car quit on me and my daughter when we were driving on the express way going 60 miles per hour. we could have killed ourselves and someone else. *jb

As reading over the website i notice the 2000 malibu is pretty much a lemon. i have had to replace the radio, pretty much every gasket in the engine, the fuel pump, brakes front and rear, now my turn signals don't work, just found out about the recall i have to check to see if i qualify, my engine knocks on cold starts, and it practically losses all power when i go to accelerate . . and top it off my transmision slips. . this vehicle needs to be looked into . . and something needs to be done about it. *jb

Manufacturer used plastic intake manifold gasket which caused engine to leak coolant and overheat. why use plastic? what happens to plastic when it continuously heats and cools, it fails. a relative has the same engine in a different model car from this manufacturer and has the same issue. not model specific, but engine specific. chevrolet 2000 malibu.*ak

Recently purchased a 2000 chevrolet malibu with 61k miles. discovered multiple problems as others have described and covered under recalls, but some which are not. worst problem is intake gasket is leaking resulting in coolant leak and coolant mixing with oil. gm dealer states there are no campains or recalls on this item, although i have seen numerous complaints of the same problem on dozens of websites.*ak

While driving engine light appeared on the dashboard and remained on. consumer noticed that the temperature needle was registering as hot on the dashboard. vehicle stalled. consumer restarted vehicle, and drove it to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to a blown head gasket. *ak *ts

We unfortunately own a 2000 chevy malibu. we have already replaced the rotors several times for going out of round. we have also replaced the fuel pump at less then 50,000 miles at the cost of $728.00. the air conditioner pops on and off on its own not cooling for the most part. the turn signals are nonfunctional and our vin number is not included in the recall although it should be. then there is the transmission slipping and the coolant leaking and the car overheating we are told this is a manifold intake gasket and will cost around 800.00 to fix. the newest problem is the factory installed radio tuner is burned out and now we have to replace the radio costing yet another $100.00 dollars or so this car has nickel and dimed us too much. after looking over your site i found these to be numerous complaints on the same year and model. i feel this car was a lemon across the board not just ours but, all 2000 malibu's. please look into these cars on a whole they were very badly manufactured and we all deserve some compensation for it. *jb

After stopping for an errand and seeing a puddle of coolant on the ground, the vehicle was taken to the local repair shop to have the leak checked on. the repair shop found a leak in the lower intake gasket. the shop advised that this repair was common and possibly caused by the type of coolant used and possibly defects with the gaskets or intake manifold. they provided and estimate for repairs between $600.00 and $800.00 depending if any further problems were found. the dealer where the car was purchased (polar chev in white bear lake, mn) was contacted about the repair and refused to offer any assistance in repairing the vehicle. the dealer stated they do a lot of these repairs on the malibu and impala but the repair is not a warranty issue. their customer service was contacted also. they said no special consideration or bulletins issued about coolant leaks on the 200 chev malibu. from research on the issue it appears to be a large problem with the vehicles and chev refuses to provide any assistance. *jb

Oil leaked into coolant system of our 2000 chevrolet malibu requiring replacement of the intake manifold gasket and flushing out of the engine. this engine only had 40,900 miles on it. research has shown numerous complaints for this problem on this particular gm engine (3.1 liter).

Light for low water would come on. about 3-4 times every 6 months starting 2002. then all of a sudden every time the car was driven, even just a few blocks. at that point, the car had to be towed to the dealer for repair. fortunately, i was not far from home when the major trouble started. the repair report reads "low coolant light is on and the oil appears to have water mixed... advise... lower intake manifold gaskets leaking -replaced lower intake manifold gaskets. all related gasket/seals. 6 hours of labor in cary, nc. total bill $768. + $50 for towing. the car only has 36,000 miles. this seems a lot for a relatively "young" car. thank goodness the low water light worked -- but no excuse for the problem. *ak

Had to replace the intake manifold and gasket on my 2000 chevy malibu. *ak

Intake gasket had to be replaced

My car has had the signal lights replaced, the fuel pump replaced, & the intake manifold gasket replaced all problems w/ my car before i had replaced were very dangerous for me & my 2 children. i will never buy or refer anyone to buy a chevorlet malibu . *ak

While driving temperature gauge failed. this made it impossible for the consumer to know if the vehicle overheated. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

2000 chevrolet malibu bought with 120,000 miles on it. less than a week after getting this car for 5500.00, when retail on the car was 8300.00, i had to replace the intake manifold gasket and the valve cover gaskets because they were leaking coolant. also, the brakes shudder and vibrate whenever applied, even at speeds less than 25 mph. half a week later, the gas gauge fell to zero while normal driving and the low gas light came on, even though i had just filled the car up two days prior. there was plenty of gas in the car, about 3/4 of a tank. also, the tranmission is slipping now when i speed up. when i speed up the car does not shift into 1st gear right away until 4000 rpm. when it does shift, it shift with a large jolt that shakes the entire car. there was no warning before the gas light came on, and i find the car to only now have all of these problems. also, the car smells of gasoline and leaks, even though i had it fixed. *ak

Intake manifold gasket failed at 49000 miles. gm is aware of the problem but will not take action on it. the most discouraging thing about the problem is the contempt that gm seems to have for their consumers. they released a technical service bulletin to their dealers regarding the problem, yet they do nothing for those affected by an obvious product defect. my request for cost assistance from general motors was met with a flippant attitude toward the loss of my loyalty as a customer.*ak

At 55000 miles had to replace lower intake manifold gasket. looks like is a common problem with the malibu.gm must do something.*ak

Vehicle : 2000 malibu vin : [xxx] i've read that there are technician notes, sent by gm corp., about a design problem with the 2000/2001 malibu v6 3.1 engine for intake manifold gasket leaking and for pistons,valve guides and lifters with valves 1,2,3,4 and gm's remedy with updated parts list to remedy the design problems. my vehicle is one of these with the appropriate vin #. i have contacted gm assistance but have only received a person that transmits but does not receive in the conversation. i have all the maintenance records for oil changes, air & fuel filters etc. since i have owned the car. i also have copies of gm corporate bulletins to the technicians acknowledging the design flaws and the corrections and parts list to remedy the design flaws. i purchased this vehicle used, one year old with 26,879 miles. i have also talked to 3 different technicians who have stated this is a design problem that gm has known about and is an ongoing problem. i presently have the vehicle at don's brooklyn chevrolet where they are repairing the intake manifold gasket and diagnosing further problem with the pistons and lifters. robby states the pistons need replacing to elimnate the problem. i am a loyal chevrolet customer for over 30yrs and currently own a 1993 chevy lumina eurosport, purchased new, 2000 chevy malibu, purchased used 1 yr old, and a 2002 chevy impala ls, purchased new, being a loyal customer and never had a need before, i need assistance as this has been a design flaw that gm knew about, i don't feel i should have to pay for gm's problem. gm should repair the problems now before and engine blows on the freeway or anywhere else and someone is either injured or killed. please give me a call at [xxx]. *jb updated 07/30/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Antifreeze used in our 2000 malibu has been found to frequently cause deterioration and failure of the intake manifold gasket. there hve been many cases sited on the internet with names and specifics and chevy/gmc refuses to admit it is the antifreeze. they told me last night it has to do with the plant where the car was made.*ak

On your site i have found many complaints regarding coolant leak due to poor sealing of the maniflod gasket that according the sevice bulletin on this site, requires new gasket type to replace the old, and the intake manifold bolts cleaned and coated with thredlocker and torqued to a revised spec. this has already been done once to my car at about 30k miles and fortunately cover under warranty, if not it would have cost me $1050, problem is now the car is doing the same thing again at 79k miles and is no longer under warranty....how many times should this happen? was the service bulletin put out as a permamant solution for this problem? if not how long should this work be guaranteed? why was there not a recall on this problem? does there have to be a fatality to recall a vechicle? in addition i also have had the problem with the hazard warning switch that also effected the wipers, neither would work, again this repair was submitted as warranty work. i have complained several times to bob bell chevy about how hot the dash instruments get to touch and have already had to have related electrical problems repaired, to note..when i first complained about the heat when touched to change intrument settings i was told "that's normal". granted my extended warranty covered some of the work but i still had to pay a $250 deductable w/each problem. all these problems have been reported on this nhtsa site by many people and addition others i know personally and who i have had many discussions with also have the same year malibu with all the same problems....why hasn't the manufact. recalled the car for theses problems, surely all can cause fire safety problems. how are recalls determined and what can we all do????????????? i never dreamed chevrolet would be so cheesy. my last car was 12 years old and olds custom cruiser wagon - never gave me a problem that was so major as these noted here, i should have never got rid of it for this malibu!*ak

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 over-heated, taken to dealer which had been servicing the vehicle since new. dealer replaced intake manifold gaskets and water pump charging $1400.00 the vehicle only had 24000 miles on it and was less then six months out of warranty. dealer would not work with me as a goodwill gesture. *cb

Car was getting hot then cooling back down,while getting hot heater would not work. took to mechanic, had thermostat and water pump replaced. car ran fine for a couple of days,then same problem. took back to mechanic. he said its possible the thermostat purchased was defective. installed new thermostat from the dealership. got in car did not get hot and cool back down it got to normal operating temperature and heater worked. three days later, car started getting hot, cooling back down and bubbling the water out of the overflow reservoir. there are no leaks anywhere,no blown gasket, or cracks. this problem is becoming a big pain. i think it is a defect caused by manufacturer and if the problem cant be fixed, i know ill never own another gm {great mistake} vehicle again. *nm

My 2000 malibu which currently has 50,000 miles on it started losing coolant at about 48,000 miles. i have spent close to $1,000 dollars trying to get it to stop losing fluids. the last repair was a new gasket set per service bullitin #03-06-01-010 dated march of 2003. is there any other course of action that i can take. i cannot afford any more expenses on it. also the turn signals seem to fail when my car heater does not heat up, they come back if i turn my emergency flasers on and then off. *ak

2000 chevrolet malibu with persistent brake problems. have to replace major brake components every approximately 20,000 miles. also, dexcool coolent leak from the intake manifold after only (approx) 50,000 miles. dexcool coolant breakdown and subsequent failure of cooling system. *ak

The engine coolant constanly runs low or empty. i have to refill it all the time. now i find out i might have a leak from the coolant that is running in my oil. car also hard to start sometimes. i have a friend who has the same problem with having to fill up the engine coolant constanly. she has a 2002 model. having to fill it up that often is not normal. *ak

Independent shop replaced the intake manifold at owner expense of $800. dollars and has had problems with the air conditioner. dealer notified. please provide further information. *ph

Intake manifold began leaking at 45000 miles (500 dollars to replace), have replaced the brakes and rotors 4 times in 65,000 miles. the turn signals quit working. while driving down the road the engine just dies. if i let it sit for a while it will crank back up. ase mechanic told me it was the ignition module, so i paid to have it replaced and that did not fix it. i have been reviewing forums on-line and have discovered that this is a wide spread and severe problem, i understand normal wear and tear on a vehicle but this is ridiculous. and last but not least, the fan switch has quit working on positons (speeds) 1 and 2...that happened when the car had about 37,000 miles on (not under factory warranty) ....i once was a die hard chevy man..thanks to this car i will not buy another gm product. *ak

Leaking coolant from around engine block. dealer diagnosis: lower intake manifold gasket leak. mileage 30,000. previous repair completed on water pump for bad bearings at 28,800 miles. manufacturer should be held accountable for a defective component used in the building of these motors.*ak

While driving at 80 mph vehicle stalled. consumer restarted the vehicle, and was able to pull over to the shoulder. consumer had vehicle towed to the dealer for analysis, but dealer could not resolve the problem. *ak

My 2000 chevrolet malibu (36,000 miles) recently stalled 4 times while i was driving at high speeds on the highway. on friday 10/7 i was going approximately 80 mph when the car suddenly turned off. i coasted to a stop on the shoulder. in about 5 minutes i was able to cut the car back on. at which time it resumed driving normally for about 10 miles. then it stalled again. i towed the car into town and drove it to a repair shop. (yes, the car drove normally around town). the repair shop tested it and was unable to find anything wrong. when i picked the car up i drove about 40 miles (again at greater than 75 mph) and the car stalled again. it started back up in 2-3 minutes. then 30 miles later stalled again. this time on a part of the highway where there was no shoulder! i coasted the car until the shoulder reappeared, pulled on to it and re-started the car. the car does not show any symptoms of the problem in my day-to-day driving around town. however, it is not suitable to drive for long distances or at high speeds due to this condition. *la

I puchased this car with 20000 miles on it. i had it for a little over 5 months and i am replacing a fuel pump that will cost $650. the power steering has corrosion, so the power steering has to be flushed. replacement of the fuel filter, a cracked fan belt, and throttle body service. i have the gm extended warranty, but it only covers the cost to replace the fuel pump. everything else is out of pocket expenses because it is considered "regular maintenance". the brakes also grind and seem to take too long for the car to stop. so i think brakes aren't far behind to be replaced. i am hoping i will not need rotors too. i have read so many complaints about the brakes on the 2000 chevy malibu. i try to buy american because i am a proud one. but the quality seem to be substandard compared to japanese cars. my next car will be foreign. us car makers need to "step it up", as far as quality with these cars.*ak

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