Problems with 2001 Chevrolet Malibu ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Several times my 2001 chevy malibu theft system light comes on,and when i turn my car off then try to crank it back up it want crank had to get it reset twice. i'm still having the same problem. *tr

Recall on emergency flasher done under recall. contacted chevrolet c.s. and they confirmed recall done,part replaced. within the last year the flasher will start clicking without being engaged. neither the emergency flasher or turn signal flash on and off,but the turn signal indicator makes the clicking noise. this intermittent sound has no pattern,and lasts for various lengths of time,again with no input from the turn signal stalk or emergency button being pushed. it can be silenced by pushing in on the emergency button partially until the clicking noise stops. *tr

2001 chevy malibu - passlock system engages at random times causing vehicle to not start. leaving ignition key in "on" position for ten minutes will allow the vehicle to start, but incident occurs repeatedly. dealer cannot determine cause, says this is rather common. *tr

I have a 2001 malibu i bought brand new. it went to the point where it just wont start. what's happening is the theft system light starts flashing. so i have to set 10 minutes with the ignition lights on and then it will start. but it keeps happening, i was told the only way to fix it is by taking it to the dealer to have expensive work done on it, why would chevrolet put a system in that is that faulty. i seen on line its about the theft pass over system. there's alot of people having problems with it, is this what i get trusting chevrolet. *tr

2001 malibu security system - failed to allow owner to start the car. required 10 minute wait to re-set. also failed. owner unable to drive vehicle home from work late at nite. very dangerous situation. has occurred numerous times in past several months. dealers only able to temporarily fix problem at huge cost. there are many, many problems reported on this "security" system. why isn't gm ordered to recall and repair? *tr

2001 chevy malibu theft prevention passlock system is defective. every 5-7 starts it activates and you have to wait 10 minutes for it to reset before attempting to start again. *tr

About every three mo. the [xxx] car won't start because of the anti-theft system, and the door locks don't work right,also the power minors. the car is a piece of junk!!!!! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 25 mph the anti theft light illuminated on the dashboard. when the vehicle stalled he coasted to the side of the road because the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic. the local mechanic advised him that only the dealer could provide him with the error code. the vehicle was then towed to the dealer who reset the code. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for the failure. the failure occurred twice. the failure mileage was 114,000 and the current mileage was 125,000. updated 03/29/11 *bf updated 04/28/11

Gm vats 2001 chevy malibu theft light comes on and car is unable to start replaced the ignition switch and the passlock sensor which is suppose to correct the problem well it did for only a few months now i'm having the same problems again. i don't have the money nor the time to keep repeating this fix. after reading numerous complaints online about this particular problem why hasn't gm had a recall on this problem. this is beyond ridiculous! *tr

This malibu had blinker and interior lighting problems. the blinkers were either inoperative or worked intermittently. the interior drive panel lighting was either inoperative or worked intermittently. the panel would go black while driving at night so as not to allow the speed of the vehicle to be seen or anything else on the panel to be seen. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet malibu. while driving at 30 mph, the lights on the instrument panel turned off suddenly. the lights turned back on after a minute. the failure continued to occur intermittently. the vehicle had not been inspected at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage was approximately 73,300. the current mileage was 74,217.

I have a 2001 chevy malibu. the anti-theft system prevents me from starting the vehicle about three times a month. i have to wait 15-20 minutes before it will start. this has caused me to be late to work many times. *tr

My wife drove our 2001 malibu around in the morning, after parking it in the driveway until the afternoon it would not start. it sat for 3 day until i could research how to fix it. the passlock system was failing. the system will not recognize your key and the car will not start. this seems to be a major issue for these vehicles, numerous accounts documented on the internet. to bypass it you have to wait 10 mins and hope the reset takes place and a replacement could cost you upwards of a thousand dollars. a ten minute wait to start a car i own is ridiculous.*tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle would not start. the contact was unable to remove the key from the ignition and the auto theft warning light was illuminated for ten minutes. after ten minutes, the contact was able to start the vehicle. the contact stated the failure would occur intermittently. the vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. the failure mileage was 140,000 and the current mileage was 160,000.

This complaint relates to the poorly designed gm passlock anti-theft system that erroneously enters anti-theft mode and disables the fuel injectors. gm should be forced to recall this passlock system '' it is simply unacceptable to strand motorists because of an incompetently designed anti-theft system. i have replaced both the in-tank fuel pump and two ignition modules (at an expense of three towing bill plus $1000+ in repair costs), only to find out that the anti-theft system was misreading my ignition key and disabling the injectors. several internet forums that i found after the expensive repairs describe how to reset this erroneous signal after having to wait 10 minutes for the system to clear. i have personally read hundreds of similar horror stories in online forums, and this is a widely known issue. it is unacceptable that people have to deal with this defective system, and that dealerships and mechanics make huge profits replacing fuel pumps and ignition modules unnecessarily. by the way, after each of the expensive repairs i mentioned were done, the car experienced the same issues within 30 days of the repairs. *tr

Failing starter. *tr

Not that i think doing this is going to make any real difference but i will try. i own a 2001 chevy malibu and besides being one of the worst cars made i am having problems with my passlock system not working properly. i know that you have had many complaints about this problem and i see that there is still nothing done about this problem. is it because your do not care? is gm lining your pockets and you are sweeping this under the rug? what ever it is the fact that you turn a deaf ear and do not make gm fix this problem is wrong!!!!! if i had the money i would sue all of you and make them fix this problem on all of the cars! come on this is america and we are supposed to build good cars. gm will never outsell the imports in cars as long as we build junk!! *tr

2001 chevy malibu, ignition theft system keeps blinking and the car won't start. *tr

2001 chevrolet malibu shuts off while in motion (much fun in washington d.c. commuter traffic) or parked. it shuts off like the key is turned to the off position. the doors unlock and the lights turn off. within seconds the lights are back and a with the car coasting in neutral i can restart. occurs whether the engine is cold or hot. i see hundreds of similar complaints. i hope my wife or children being injured aren't the catalyst for a safety recall of this electrical problem. *tr

The turning signal on my 2001 chevy malibu works when it wants to and when it doesn't it's very dangerous. this past halloween i was riding up the main st. and could not signal to cars behind me (it was dark) that i was turning. this is very scary since it happens unexpectedly when you push the arm down. nothing. there's no lights on the car or flasher on my dash. i had to pass my turn & keep going out of my direction so i could send a signal through braking and used my hazard light to let them know i was turning. i live in south carolina where i can't just hop on a bus or train if my car malfunctions. i'm a single mother of two girls and our car ride ended up scarier than the halloween masks. i'm writing before an accident happens. on the roads down here if you put on your hazards and slow down, people generally go around you. this would be very dangerous on a two lane road where i'm trying to make a left turn & they try to go around. gm had a recall in 2003 for this issue & when i called 11/2 they said my vehicle was serviced before i purchased it in 2005 from caring and that i'd have to figs this gm issue out of pocket. i have a problem with that. the very reason for the recall is the reason for the issue. the soldering cracks and affects the circuits. gm knows this issue will reoccur under those conditions & needs to make this right before i have to trust a mechanic to half fix this gm issue & charge me an obscene amount of money in the process. *tr

Purchased a 2001 chevy malibu and after a week worth of starting the car, the car would "crank" but not turn over. i had to wait 10-15 minutes with my key in the acc position then restart my car. i have night classes and if this happens at night it could be dangerous. my friend also has a 2002 chevy malibu and he has the same problem. to correct this problem i am having my anti-theft passlock system wire (yellow) disabled. how is the anti theft lock going to lock out the owner with the original key?!?! *tr

2001 chevy malibu theft system, this problem is robbing people and it's just not fair. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 20 mph the engine stalled without warning. he coasted to the side of the road and jump started the engine to resume normal operation. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection. the mechanic repaired the ignition bypass switch. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on numerous occasions for the identical failure. the technician repaired the ignition lock cylinder. none of the repairs have remedied the failure. the failure mileage was 75,000. the current mileage was 78,000.

Passcode antitheft system - 2 separate repairs, latest oct, 2011 involving the ignition/theft system. the system malfunctions and the vehicle will not start. *tr

I have a 2001 chevrolet malibu with the anti-theft system/passlock problem, that turns the car off while i am driving on the highway at 55 mph (or any speed for that matter). in fact, it simply turns off whenever it likes. this morning turning onto a highway, it stalled as i turned and i was almost hit by a truck had the truck not moved out of the way. i could not move because my power steering did not work due to the car shutting off. the mechanic i took it to said he's replaced hundreds on all kinds of gm cars, and that he was surprised it was not recalled. after researching this, i have found thousands of posts of people complaining about the identical issue! this is incredibly frightening and has happened to me on more occasions than i can count! it happens at least once a day. *tr

Bought a 2001 chevy malibu in april with 41,000 miles. ran fine for a couple of weeks, but then wouldn't always start (had to keep trying and try every key i owned). about 6-10 weeks ago it started shutting off while i'm driving. i have to either coast to the side of the road or jam it into neutral and try to restart it. hazard!!!!!!! had it to my mechanic 3 times and it doesn't do anything wrong when he has it. just got it back this past monday and it ran ok for 4 days and then today it stopped 3 times in 1/2 mile drive. help - i'm afraid to drive it. i fear someday i will cause an accident when it just stops running. have had other people in the car with me when it just stops running and scared them when it happened. i need my car to get to work to make a living. i know i'm not the only one with same complaints. who can i call for assistance without it costing a fortune to fix. i can't afford huge repair bills at this time and i can't afford to go buy another car. i put today's date as the incident date, but it has happened at least 12-15 times in the past 6 weeks. shouldn't chevrolet fix this for free?????? it's a defect in the car!! thank you *tr

I have a 2001 chevy malibu and i have had multiple issues with the passlock system. i have spent numerous hours, and a large amount of money trying to figure out the problem and get it fixed. i know now that this is a very common issue and wonder why there isn't a recall for the said part. *tr

I have a 2001 chevy malibu that is giving me safety problems concerning the bcm, and the passcode theft feature. i have had 2 dealer experienced mechanics try to fix this problem with out success. the theft light comes on and then prohibits the car from starting until you reset the car by leaving the key in the on position until it resets. not safe if sitting in a dark parking lot (the system will not allow the doors to lock) and very afraid that if the car stalled in traffic this would trigger and not good to leave your car in traffic 1 min while it resets. *tr

My car is a 2001 chevrolet malibu ls. 1. the car failed to start. it got more and more frequent, from once a day to every start. 2. the garage diagnosed it and said the theft protection system failed to recognize my key. 3. i get new keys from the dealer. 4. the problem gets better and it is still there. *tr

Theft system on car occasionally kicks in, preventing starting for 10 minutes or more. this happens when i put in key quickly to start car. usually i can remember to insert the key, let it register, and then turn the ignition. the first couple of times it happened i didn't know the problem and had it towed. the dealer fixed it once, said it was warranty work, the next time a mechanic put in a new ignition system which helped for a while. *tr

Removed and replaced lock cylinder. monitor sensor only holds steady when wiggling key. *ss the consumer the ignition lock cylinder was replaced, prior to the recall announcement. *jb

2001 chevrolet malibu: anti theft/pass lock problems. sporatic issue cause the vehicle to not start. multiple tows and service charge with no consistent fix.

Intermittent issue at start with vehicle rpms elevating to 3500, if put into drive the vehicle speeds to 45 mph. happens at different times (cold, warm, hot). have had iac and tps sensors replaced (2 times) and most recently the power control module. each fix works for a few weeks, then issue begins again. most recently fremont chevrolet had vehicle for 10 days and could not get it to repeat; therefore, could not have computer read or provide problem and repair. no service completed. *tr

Two months ago we bought a used 2001 chevrolet malibu. two days after was sitting, stranded because of a malfunctioning passlock system. the first time it malfunctioned i turned the key and the security system light blinked so i waited 10 minutes and it cranked after it reset. we took it to our local dealer and they replaced the ignition switch at a cost of $470. the very next day i get stranded at the gas pump only this time the security system light comes on solid for 5 seconds then goes away. no other lights on my panel other than the mileage shows up. i sat for two hours waiting and trying to crank it before getting a ride home. went back the next day and it cranked right up. yesterday i was stranded again only this time the thing went dead. it cranked right up and then after a second or two went dead again. went to re-crank and the security system light only comes on for a couple of seconds and no other lights. i sat for two and a half hours trying to crank that thing and finally had to call the police to give me and my two children a ride home. we went back this morning and the evil thing cranked right up. we drove it home and it's sitting in our drive looking innocent as ever. it will crank 20 or so times before the passlock kicks in again. this car runs great and i have no other complaints other than the passlock system of the '!@#$%!!!!

My theft system light came on and the vehicle would not start. this happened 3 times about a week apart each. i ended up replacing the ignition lock cylinder and relearn. the repairman indicated he has seen this issue on a number of malibus. sometimes using a different key fixes the problem. not in my case. similar complaints are logged on internet chat rooms. *tr

2001 chevrolet malibu. consumer writes in regards to ignition switch problems. *smd the consumer stated the tumbler became loose and triggered the anit-theft and the vehicle would not start. the consumer had to wait several minutes, before the vehicle would start. the vehicle was towed to a repair shop, where the ignition switch was replaced. the consumer received a recall notice. however, the dealer stated it was for the keys only. *jb

Problems with the passlock theft system. first problem with it two years ago. now, the passlock is not allowing my car to start at least once a day. i have to put the key "on" for ten minutes then "off" before restarting it. my biggest concerns are "what if i was rushing out the door to take one of my children to the hospital and now i have to wait 10 minutes to start my car". this is not acceptable. i know this system is a problem for many gm owners (just looking it up on the web shows me all the problems). i think too common of a failure that a recall on this product should be considered. disabling this feature could also be an affordable way for consumers to "fix" the problem, especially us who were forced to have the "theft deterrent" in our car. *tr

I purchased a 2001 chevy malibu used. there are times the car will not start. i come back in 10-15 minutes and it starts right up. this occurs about every other day, i also many others have reported this same issue. *tr

Trying to find out if the recall parts have been fixed on my 2001 malibu and its hard to get any one to respond. *tr

2001 chevy malibu theft system, my car will not start. *tr

This car is an absolute lemon,it forces you to use dexcool antifreeze and this eats away the rubber in the lines,have spent thousands fixing head gaskets and redoing the whole cooling system to be able to use the old green antifreeze and after all of the problems(cant afford new car!) i have looked on line and i am not alone,thousands have had same problem,this needs to be recalled. it is common knowledge with chevy about the anti theft system,you have to put key in on pos. and wait ten mins for it to reset. i have lost a job b/c i was late for work too many times,have had ignition replaced twice,it has nothing to do w/ignition. i get stuck in the middle of nowhere car wont start and gotta freeze to death (in michigan!) waiting for it to reset. this is ridiculous. and chevy does nothing! *tr

2001 chevrolet malibu pass key system will engage much of the time. my wife has to leave the key on for ten minutes plus before the anti-theft light will go out and the car will start. dealer wants to keep replacing the ignition switch to fix the system but it never does go away. *tr

I own a 2001 chevrolet malibu. i have had the passlock sensor replaced 5 or 6 time over the life of the vehicle. i returned my car today to a dealer for the same issue and now they want $700+ to replace the body control module. in the last six months i have had the vehicle there 3 times and this is the first time that anyone has mentioned that the bcm is causing the problem. i want gm to cover the cost which the dealer refused to do. even after the passlock sensor is replaced, the issue starts up again within 3 to 4 months. *tr

Anti-theft system prevents car from starting. car has slightly over 100,00 miles on it and suddenly recurring problems with the anti-theft system prevented the car from starting. initially turning the key to on and letting the anti-theft system reset fixed the problem but it kept getting worse until now when the anti-theft light remains on and nothing will make it go off. in researching this i've discovered it is a common complaint for 2001 chevrolet malibu ls owners and very expensive to fix. chevrolet is not supporting this issue through a recall and they should. *tr

Theft system keeps failing this is the 4 th attempt to fix it. no warning that is going to happen car just won't start. this car has left me stranded 3 times twice at night. *tr

On at least 20 occasions over the past 4 years when attempting to start the vehicle the anti-theft system will activate for no apparent reason, which disables the ability to start the engine. if i turn the ignition key to on position and wait for 10 minutes, then turn the key to the off position and then attempt to start the engine it will startup successfully. this is very annoying and potentially dangerous when it happens while parked in dark parking lots late at night or operating the vehicle in very cold weather. this problem has been reported by tens of thousands of gm owners over the past several years. why hasn't gm been forced to repair the problem? *tr

Car will not start - theft system light comes on. i have tried the passlock "fix" of turning key to on for 10 minutes, shutting off and trying to restart but no luck on the car starting. the issue has gone on for over 3 weeks, each day getting worse and worse. i have taken the car to a shop and diagnostics came up negative and car started. 3 weeks later, car won't start again. have a mechanic come look at it, he sees nothing wrong with it except that the fuel ignition isn't working - probably because of the passlock theft system!! *tr

Theft system warning light comes on and will not let car be restarted until i leave key in started switch for 10 minutes. *tr

The car will start fine, but once you turn it off and go to start again it will just crank. the first time i replaced the fuel pump. the second time i repaced spark plugs and wires. the third time i didn't know what else to change and a friend said to try putting the key in the on position for 10 mins. i did and it started right up. it turns out the ant-theft system keeps locking me out about every month. it is a major pain to have to be somewhere and not know when the car will start or not, and then sit there for ten mins to reset it. *tr

Anti-theft system prevents car from starting. falsely detects that ignition key is not the correct key for this automobile, even thou this key has been used to start the car thousands of times. to overcome the problem driver must turn off ignition, turn key to on position and wait approximately 10 minutes for the computer to register the key as being correct, turn the ignition key to off and then turn it to start to get the car started. this has happened to us at least 100 times during the past 6 years. gm service says the remedy is to replace the ignition switch at a cost of $400.00. this problem has been frequently reported by hundreds of thousands of gm 1998 thru 2006 automobile owners. i believe this is an engineering defect and should be repaired for free by gm. this is a safety issue with these cars and trucks. *tr