Problems with 2002 Chevrolet Malibu ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Car fails to start after shutting off. theft system has to be reset by leaving the key on for 9 minutes. gm knows about this but will not do anything about it. car does this about twice a month. car started doing this at 52000 miles in 2005. *tr

The 2000-2003 chevy malibu will turn over but won't start, ever!. auto repair place kept care for last 8 days. problem is caused by the antitheft system. dealers and auto-repair shops charge $1000 without fixing the problem. i've seen over a hundred complaints on this issue from people with malibus of this era from the 'carcomplaints website'. http://carcomplaints.asterpix.com/cy/2427771/?q=2002+chevy+malibu+starting+problems request: ask gm to come up with a solution. *tr

1. the turn signals would not illuminate. just stopped working for no reason. lights were not burned out. then they mysteriously started working just as they had stopped. for no reason. incidents became more frequent with no apparent cause. not weather related. after reading complaints on this site, i found that if i turned on my hazard flashers, the blinkers would work again. 2. i was rear ended on 11/4/11 though and could not get the flashers to work. i don't know if my brake lights were working or not when the incident occurred. 3. the air conditioner and heater only work on the highest level. 4. the door locks will lock and unlock at random while driving. 5. the key fob will work sometimes, most times not lately. 6. the security system will honk the horn sometimes when the key fob does lock the doors, most times it does not honk though. 7. the car overheats as the coolant container is loose and the radiator cap does not fit properly even though i purchased a new one. the gauge for the temperature doesn't seem to be accurate. 8. sometimes the heater does not work, just as the a/c didn't work most of the time in the summer. 9. anytime i try to use the cigarette lighter, it blows the fuse, leaving that feature totally useless. this car is very unpredictable and for a single woman, i feel it creates potential to be in a very dangerous situation. i do not know what to expect from this car and i really thought i was buying a reliable used car since it is a chevrolet malibu. was i ever wrong and although i have always bought chevrolet, it will not be my preference in the future. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was advised that the vehicle had experienced a computer failure. the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure because the vehicle was restarted by that time. the contact stated several attempts would need to be made and the key had to be maneuvered a certain way before the vehicle would start. the contact attempted to use other copies of the key and the failure recurred. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 41,000.

I bought this car as a "steal" from a dealership. it was used as a trade in and the carfax report looked good. however, no one told me of the passlock problem. today, i had to call off work after stopping for a cup of coffee and having to spend 3.5+ hours resetting and starting the car, i have often had difficulties and learned of the 10 minute trick, but it doesn't always work. gm should stand behind their products. from what i've gathered the repair can cost as high as $600 for a design flaw that will likely repeat itself. no wonder they went bankrupt with such shoddy products. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the anti theft system would activate and would not allow her to start the vehicle for 10 minutes. the dealer advised the contact that the vehicle was not recognizing the key. the contact replaced the key; however, the anti theft system would still activate intermittently. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the current mileage was 68,000. the approximate failure mileage was 65,000. updated 8/29/11 *cn

I bought a 2002 chevy malibu from a private party. up until a few days ago it was running fine. one day it doesn't start up right away but i don't think anything of it. i park it then later get in to go to the store and vehicle will not start. so i get a new battery and that still did not fix it. i notice that the anti-theft light is on and is preventing me from starting my own car. a local gm dealership has my car and they say that there is definitely something going on with my ignition and theft system. there are thousands of complaints about the anti-theft system on 2002 chevy malibus and malibus not letting owners start their car. this is a manufacturing problem and gm knows all about it, yet they refuse to own up and issue a recall. it's not right that we have to pay for repairs on a defective theft system that gm built in there vehicles. they should be ashamed for putting thousands of american's at risk because everytime they start their car they have to wait 10, 20 mins, and sometimes more just for their theft light to go off to start their car. that is actually putting people at risk. does something awful have to happen before gm opens up their eyes to this dangerous problem??????? *tr

I drove about 2 miles to my sisters house and turned my car off. when i went back out to start my car 20 min later, it would not start. aaa said my key had to be reset and it would cost about $80. he towed my vehicle to aaa plus. they advised me the next day that it would be $477.29. $302.10 for an ignition switch. $42 for dia electrical labor and $77.70 for rr ignition switch and recode. i was informed that they had to rekey my car, because this is a recurring issue with the 2002 malibu's. if this is true, then chevorlet should have a recall for the ignition switch. $477 is extremely high for something that i have no control of. i am a senior citizen and can not afford this cost nor can i afford to be out somewhere when my vehicle stops. *tr

I have a 02 chevy malibu that the passlock alarm keeps activating almost every time i turn off the ignition, leaving me stranded for 10 minutes each time waiting for the alarm to reset. this problem has been getting more frequent over the last 2 years to where every third crank activates the alarm. this is a ongoing problem with no approximate incident date, but i will use today's date. *tr

2002 malibu will not start- anti theft system has shut down car. fixed 5 years ago- over ride last year- won't start. also tail lights work when they want to-most the time not at all. keep having leaks in coolant area- needs to be fixed yearly running around $900 a year. *tr

I turn the key to start my car. i drive to the corner to make a right turn onto the main street. the turn signal does not work. this has not happened before. i then turn on the turn signals left to change lanes and make a left turn and the signals don't work again. then i come to a stop at a light and the horn goes of on its own and i had to pull over and tried to stop the horn by turning off the car. the horn is still going. i turn the car back on and the horn is still going and the lights still are not working. i hit with an open hand the horn twice and it stops, but the turn signals still doesn't work. then a few weeks later, the headlights cannot be adjusted. the wheel that adjusts the lights from bright to dim doesn't work. you cannot adjust the lights and if you try, all the lights, inside and out go out. also the turn signals on both sides(left and right) work when they want and i don't have a horn. once a few months ago, the lights were blinking and the horn was going off in my car while the car was off and parked in my driveway. help me!!!!!! *tr

I have had intermittent electrical problems almost since buying the car in 2004. in 2010 i experienced a scary new twist: my blinkers won't always work. it happened maybe three times total over the next 12-18 months, but it is happening again, and i am now doing much more around-town driving. i have read other complaints where some owners have been able to get the blinkers working again by toggling the hazard lights, but this is not the case with my car. i turn the vehicle on and the blinkers will work the first time i use them, then not again for the rest of my trip (or in some cases, the rest of the day). *tr

2002 chevrolet malibu - engine will crank - no start, theft system indicator light blinking. previous fixes performed by dealerships have been replacing ignition tumblers and bcm. issue been recurring every 12-16 months for past 3 years. *tr

I have a 2002 malibu that has left me stranded more times than any vehicle i have ever owned. the passlock system has locked me out more times than i can remember choosing to activate itself on its own. the theft engine lockout has caused me to have to leave for work early every day cause i never know when it is going to activate. now the key locked up in the cylinder and $450 repair bill later, i don't think this is going to fix the problem. i have contacted gm and they just blew me off. what a crappy car - the worst i have ever own. i am stuck with a car that is totally unreliable. thanks gm - i wont forget. *tr

Own 2002 chevy malibu. the security interlock kicks in frequently. i have to wait 10 minutes while the car resets, only then may i start the car. (kinda similar to the fuel pump shutting off if a rear end bump occurs-safety). strangely too, i hear an electrical sizzling sound just over and behind the radio. this is affecting my turn signals from working. i hit the safety flasher button and the sizzling noise stops, and the turn signals may or may not operate. somehow the radio, the security system, and the turn signals are "wired" together, and the car thinks someone is stealing my radio, causing the security interlock to kick in. that's when i have to turn the key to on, than wait 10 minutes for the security system to reset. only after 10 minutes may i restart the car (this is in the owners manual). this happens frequently. i think there may be a link in here somewhere the my car battery is draining while the car sits. something relating to my radio(so it doesn't get stolen), and security system are causing the "no start" interlock to kick in. *tr

Very often my car will not start due to the anti lock defect which is a huge inconvenience and dangerous in personal situations. i'm searching on how to look up the recall for this situation because this is a constant problem with this vehicle and i'm searching for help how to get this fixed and resolved please i would greatly appreciate your help thank you *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the vehicle would not start or respond. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the anti-theft system was reprogrammed yet the failure persisted. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the contact was informed that the anti-theft system would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 29,000 and the current mileage was 32,000.

I have a 2002 chevrolet malibu ls and the passlock/ anti-theft system has kept my car from starting on several occasions. in re-searching this problem online i've found that there are several other complaints on the same issue. if this is a common complaint, it makes sense that gm should have to cover the expenses the fix the problem. *tr

Passlock - theft system activates and will not allow you to start the car it occurs 2-3 times a week took it to garage - they reset the system - still does the same thing over and over - did not fix the problem 2002 chevy malibu. *tr

I just bought a used 2002 chevy malibu. it only had 72,000 miles on it so i thought i was getting a great deal. little did i know that it would leave me sitting, not starting, about once or twice a month! now i find out that many other people have this problem. i also found the work around of letting your car sit in the on position for ten minutes. if chevy knows this, why don't they fix it? i may never buy another chevy. i can not believe they are not standing behind their product. i'm tired of stressing every time i go some place and shut my car off, wondering if it's going to start. *tr

My anti-theft light was on for a couple of days, then one morning after getting off of work (11-7am) i started my car but the sound it made was that it wanted to start but didn't click over, after several coworkers attempting to help me i had to walk home and get my car towed from my job. the car shop stated they had to reprogram the key, well 4 weeks later the same thing happened and i had to get it towed again from work. i have gotten it towed 3 times leaving me stranded, when i called the car shop stating to them this is happening again and i am tired of spending several hundred dollars for something they are stating is taken care of they stated to me to keep the key in the ignition for 10 min and then it should be able to start. i have been doing that since but recently now everytime i get in my car it won't start to where i have to do the 10 min ritual before i leave anywhere. this has been very inconvenient and dangerous for me because i am a young woman that depends on her car to work because i work night shift, currently in school and have doctor appointments that i weekly have to take my grandmother. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the vehicle would not start and the anti-theft system warning light would illuminate upon the failure. the contact would have to wait until the light stopped blinking before the vehicle would successfully start. the failure occurred on a daily basis. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the anti-theft system would need replacing. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was approximately 66,000 and the current mileage was approximately 67,000.

Purchased 2002 chevy malibu back in 2005 with 26000 miles on it .we had it serviced twice a year and for minor issues ,2009 manifold gasket started leaking replaced and was repaired.in 2010 started noticing when starting abs and theft light came on turning key off and turning key on and not starting letting on for about 15 minuets than turning off and starting car lights went off. this needed done every time this happen .asked and was told there was a problem in my switch but no one stepped up to fix this problem.this car left me sit five times from shut off and will not start. had it towed and they did work on every thing else thinking it would solve the problem .had car stop running all lights came on while driving .i think this issue started back in 2001 and all these years they knew about it and didn't do anything about it .now they are saying this is not in their recall. *tr

Passive alarm system malfunction. theft alarm led comes "on" while driving. there were reports of car dying while driving, see the link http://www.aboutautomobile.com/complaint/2003/chevrolet/malibu/electrical+system. consumers spend hundreds of dollars and great inconvenience not knowing why the cars does not start or stopped running. *tr

I own a chevy malibu 2002. the problem is the anti-theft system. the anti-theft system shuts down the fuel injectors and the car won't start. i have to put the key in the ignition in the on position for 10 minutes to reset the computer. sometimes this will take more than 1 attempt. this happens on a regular basis for no reason. there are thousands and thousands of dissatisfied customers who are currently experiencing this problem. also many after market parts claiming to disable the anti-theft system to try to satisfy customers. i purchased this vehicle in october 2001 and have had this problem for years. i only wish i had found out about this site sooner to voice my concerns. please do some research. there should be a better way to fix this issue than to disable the system. *tr

Ignition lock not working right . problem creating battery problems killing battery. creating problem with alarm system. lock dose not go to off position with out pushing floor shifter forward. also key seams like it dose not want to go to right position feels weird when turning. *tr

2002 chevy malibu, failure to start. towed to repair show, determined it is a bad anti-theft sensor that is preventing me from driving my own car, using official chevy key, but not starting. cost 575.00 to tow and repair. scam. why is chevy putting such a device in the car that is obviously faulty and serves no purpose whatsoever expect to scam people out of their money. *tr

The theft system keeps turning on and i cant find out what is triggering it and it happens frequently the car will not start unless the key is in the on position for 10 minutes. *tr

I drive my car and it cuts off. try to start it but cranks no start. bought new battery no start. smell fuel. don't know what it is afraid to drive. *tr

Letter from congressman goodlatte on behalf of constituent re 2002 malibu recall. *smd the consumer stated the vehicle stalled. the ignition switch was replaced on three separate occasions. *jb the consumer is seeking reimbursement. updated 04/08/15, *jb

Without warning, car suddenly will not start. anti-theft system will activate when trying to start car. it appears that the ignition does not recognize the car key. seems it thinks someone is trying to still the car. this first happened in the summer of 2009. it just happened again on 3/7/2010. in both cases the car had to be towed to a repair shop. the first shop was an independent repair facility. they reset the computer that controls the ignition system. the second shop was the dealer. they reset the computer that controls the ignition system. then, they replaced the bcm unit and the ignition key cylinder. i've done some background checking on this type of problem. many, many owners of this make & model (chevy malibu) have had this same issue. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that after parking, the vehicle failed to start. the contact stated that the vehicle would only start after being off for approximately two hours. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnose that the anti theft device, the tumbler and the ignition switch needed to be replaced. the failure recurred. also, the horn and the turning signals also turn on independently. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 120,000 and the current mileage was 145,000.

Turn signals and hazard do not work, windows occasionally will not go up/down, at times can smell gasoline. the horn ( after 10 years) just began beeping once when exiting vehicle. *tr

2002 chevrolet malibu turn signal intermittently working/not working. this situation poses a safety risk when not working properly. *tr

I have a 2002 malibu/chevy that has theft system and gives me problem all the time and i have to wait for 10 minutes then one minute to start the car. i am really sick and tired of it. this is very common problem for all chevy, malibu theft system. the general motors should recall the situation and fix it in free of charge. thank you. *tr

The theft system of my 2002 chevrolet malibu periodically is triggered for unknown reasons. it happens fairly often up to several times a month - most recently twice today, 6 december 2009. to correct this issue i have to set my car in the "on" position for ten minutes while the system resets. this is very inconvenient (if i was on my way to an appointment or job) or could be quite dangerous &/or life threatening (trying to get family member to the er or trying to escape an attack of some kind). chevrolet needs to do an investigation & recall whatever is causing this fault in their cars. *tr

Own a 2002 malibu with 95k miles. since december of 2009 the car does not start all the time. once you turn the car off the car will not restart. you have to wait for at least a half hour before the car will start again. this has happened at least once a month since december and in june it has happened four times. have taken it to my mechanic three times and they cannot duplicate the problem. did not know what the problem really was until viewing all the similar complaints on nhtsa website. *tr

Passlock system fails preventing the car from starting. this happens almost everytime i attempt to start the car. the car cranks but doesn't start and the theft system light is the only thing that lights up on the dash. *tr

For the past few weeks, my car has had a problem starting up. i had someone look at it and he said there is a problem with the theft system. when i try to start the car, it will not do anything. i have to wait until the theft light goes off before the car even starts. i thought that seemed strange but after reading other complaints i see that i am not the only on having that problem. *tr

The passlock system on my 2002 model malibu has failed several times causing my daughter and grandchild to be "stuck" at different locations away from home. the system even failed during her driving one day which could have been a very bad situation for her as well as other drivers. luckily, she was able to control the car as it completely shut down. i took the car to chevrolet and they told me the fuse box had shorted out due to rain (?) as well as the ignition switch was screwed up. anyway, over the course of 1 year, i spent a total of approximately $1700.00 in so called repairs until i found out about the 10 minute trick. nevertheless, the 10 minute trick turned out to be a 1 hour trick just yesterday. and chevrolet won't fix the problem?!?!?! this is a nuisance and dangerous as well. *tr

Electrical system-anti-theft/passlocksystem. the situation arises with no prior warnings, i insert my original gm key in the ignition switch to start my 2002 chevrolet malibu and the electronic anti-theft system goes into theft mode (as if i am stealing my own car). the theft system light on the dash starts flashing and the car will not start. the engine turns over but will not start. i have to leave the car switched on for 10 minutes (while draining the battery) until the theft system light quits flashing and stays on steady. at that point i must turn the ignition switch to off and then try starting the car again. this has occurred about 6 times since i reached 55000 miles. the last time was last week and i am now at 76000 miles. dealer pretended that they have no idea what caused this and had not dealt with any other problems of this type with the chevy malibu at their dealership. i see after doing much research that this was a total lie on their part. they supposedly tried to recreate the problem, but could not. they told me they had to wait for it to happen again, at which point i could have it towed there and they quoted me $650+ to replace ignition assembly (what they considered the "likely" cause). car also makes outside horn noises randomly and the inside alarm chimes randomly. i've read all of the complaints on this, even one woman whose car just stopped while she was driving on the highway due to this antithefft system problem. this is an obvious defect needing recall and obviously dangerous on many levels. there are many complaints on auto complaint sites (ie., autoforum) and i can see complaints on this site as well. why aren't you doing anything about it?! please respond!!! *tr

Anti-theft system will not allow car to start even though i am using the factory key that came with the car. this occurs approximately every ten to fifteen times i try to start the car. it has been doing this for the last two months. *tr

Chevy passlock anti theft system is always malfunctioning. have to wait 10 minutes to start car and this is a safety issue. *tr

My mother owns a 2002 chevrolet malibu that sometimes will not start because the theft deterrent system gets a false reading and shuts off power to the fuel pump. placing the ignition key in the on position for 10 minutes will usually reset the theft system. this problem has happened to us several times. i did an online search and found where many people have experienced this same problem. some have spent several hundred dollars trying to correct the problem. can gm be forced to correct this. now that we the people own a majority stake in the company, it seems a perfect time to have this corrected. you know that they knew about the passlock problem, but in their arrogance and greed, would not correct it. if you have any questions please call james mcdonald. also, if you want to see other peoples complains do a google search of chevrolet malibu theft deterrent system problem and you will see the numerous complaints. if this cannot be corrected with your intervention, i will never buy another general motors product. thank you for your time. *tr

Tried to start my 2002 chevy malibu ls and would not start. anti-theft system light was on. the failure seems to be the passlock to the anti-theft system. the computer can be reset but this does not fix the problem it is only a temporary fix. apparently there is not a fix for this problem at all. it will just keep happening as long as you own the car. i have been luck that it's only done this while parked. it is my understanding that the anti-theft system could kick in at anytime and shut off the car even while driving. this to me seems dangerous and should be a recall. *tr

I drove my 2002chevy malibu to work and when i got in to start it , the car would not start. i had to have it towed to a garage. it cost me a tow bill and $278 to have the anti-theft system reset. now i am reading that this may happen again and again as long as i own the car! there should be a recall for this to be fixed permanently. my daughter also has the same model and it has happened to her twice. *tr

I purchased a used 2002 chevy malibu in 2005. in 2006, i had to have the pass lock sensor replaced due to the car not starting. this is apparently a common issue in gm cars, i've since learned. there is something wrong with the theft deterrent system. about two months ago, the car would not start again. the fuel gauge read empty even though it wasn't. the body control module was replaced. today, i took my car through a car wash. while sitting the dash indicator lights all came on, but the car was still running. the lights stayed on and none of the dash gauges were working. i made it home, turned the car off, restarted it, same thing. i was advised to attempt to reset the pass lock sensor. this seems to have worked so far. i have been advised that it is most likely the pass lock sensor or bcm again. apparently, this is a super common issue in gm cars for the pass twelve years. in total for the two repairs already mentioned, i have spent about 1200 dollars. i strive to maintain my vehicle for safety purposes. it very frustrating to know that gm has been aware of this issue, yet has made no attempt to resolve it for car owners. *tr

2002 malibu in for repair. notice the last 12 months that at random times whether or not blinker was used, the clicking sound of the blinker stays on with no turn lights in the dash on. could be driving down the road on a straight path and the clicking noise with just begin. somedays it does not happen and somedays it wont stop. the shop said that it was a bad hazard switch and charge me 150. dollars. well guess what, i left the lot and it is still making noise. also one out of ten times putting car in park the head lights will shut off but go back on once placed back into drive. *tr

I have a 2002 chevrolet malibu and have had to have the pass lock system (anti-theft) replaced once and now after 1-1/2 years am having problems again. i have been stuck several times waiting for the required 10 - 15 minutes waiting for the system to reset. *tr

I own a 2002 chevy malibu that won't start about every third time. the car will not start due to gm's defective passlock anti theft system. the passlock sensor has been replaced twice since i purchased the car in august of 2006. the sensor is now acting up again and it seems like this system needs to be repaired almost every year. thousands of other malibu owners are experiencing this issue. *tr