Problems with 2003 Chevrolet Malibu ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2003 chevrolet classic. consumer writes in regards to ignition key recall repairs and seeks reimbursement. *smd the consumer stated the ignition switch was replaced prior to the recall. *jb

I parked the car in the driveway which is sloped downwards, and thought i put the car in park and turned the ignition off and took out the keys. after i got out of the car, it started rolling forward into the garage door. i quickly jumped into the seat and slammed on the brake. thank g-d, no real damage was done, but i am pregnant and got really shocked. i realized the extent of this safety issue which i previously disregarded. the issue is that the keys can come out of the ignition while it is in the on position. therefore if i forget to put the car in park and take the keys out they come out. most cars have a safety feature which prevents removing the keys until the ignition is off, which cannot be done unless the car is in park. in my car however this is not the case as the keys come out in the on position and i am therefore lacking the feature to remind me to put the car in park. this can g-d forbid cause a terrible accident. i subsequently checked my brother in law's car which is also an 03 malibu and it has the same problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that it took several attempts to start the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the ignition switch housing assembly needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 45,000. updated 11/24/14*lj the consumer stated the vehicle was repaired at the owner's expense. the consumer would like to be reimbursed the cost of the repairs due to being made aware of a recall for the failure. updated 05/6/2015 *js

Safety issue. the car went dead several instances at stop sign, when making a turn, and while driving. on july 2, 2014, i did contacted gm at 800-222-1020 about the ignition switch recall for malibu 2003 and they told me that i would receive a letter to take to a gm dealer but i never received it. i did call then again and now i was told that the vin was not being recalled. yesterday, i did replace the ignition switch as i can not risk a major accident or loss of life. if you send to my address a self-stamped envelope i will send you the ignition switch that was replaced so you can make your own opinion. i am very upset of this game with the life of the consumers, i read nhtsa recall number 14v400, but i suggest that you google: theft system chevy malibu 2003 and see the truth, so how can this happen after the ford explorer? who regulates this mess with the ignition switch?

Car wouldn't start at shopping center, had it towed 50.00. mechanic said it stared right up, nothing wrong. 6 months later, after work, car wouldn't start again 50.00 tow. mechanic said car computer issue 1,000 fix! 2 months later same issue when leaving for work, towed again 50.00! 500.00 later i figure maybe more people are having the same problem so i got online and found out it's an anti theft/not recognizing key issue. we shouldn't have to pay that much money to try to fix an issue that is known about and not recalled because not enough people have died! *tr

The car will not start due to antitheft light being on. it started happening occasionally, now it happens all the time. some days every time you try to start it will not start. have to turn key to on position wait 10 plus minutes until antitheft light stops flashing then turn off and restart. this is getting very frustrating and i have read millions of complaints from others online about this. gm is well aware of the issue and will do nothing to fix this. this car is for my 17 year old daughter and i feel uncomfortable with her driving this vehicle as i am now reading where this also happens while driving in traffic the car will just shut off. this is a major risk and gm needs to do something to repair this constantly happening problem. if they will not recall then they need to publicly issue the correct remedy for this not just the 10 minute restart quick, but temporary fix which causes many problems. my daughter has been stranded in places until her car will start. this happened once while my husband was driving on highway in june 2013 we thought it was the fuel pump and had that replaced approximately 4-5 months later the antitheft issue started. obviously the fuel pump was not the issue rather than the beginning of this never ending problem. thankfully my daughter was not driving at that time as the car just died going down the highway. i feel that gm needs to do something to address this problem as it does affect millions and with this vehicle i seen a lot of young, new drivers, in this type of vehicle. there has been a lot of complaints regarding this issue and gm refuses to do anything about it. hopefully they will address this before they begin being sued for serious accidents or deaths due to their lack of action and regard for the safety of consumers. *js

Loud noise. replaced starter assembly. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the key could be removed from the ignition switch when the shift lever was positioned in any gear. the failure occurred while the vehicle was parked and in motion. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

2003 malibu owners manual states that the ignition switch may shift the car off for no reason. it shuts the car down by shutting off the fuel pump.this resulted in the fuel pump breaking on my car. since chevrolet knew about the faulty ignition switch, this is why they put the info in their owners manual. chevrolet must take responsibility for costs incurred by owners who must repair fuel pumps and ignition switches. *tr

Turn signal switch does not work all the time will also make the turn signal sound when not using it and if you let it go to long before getting a new one it starts to smoke i have replaced it two time and it is out again. *tr

I have had three incidents related to the ignition system. the first time ,the anti-theft light came on and after driving and then parking the car, i could not start it. the mechanic told me the ignition may have been worn. he replaced the key cylinder and of course the keys. the car was fine for almost a year when the same thing happened. i tried a different mechanic and was told he could reset the computer so as to change the anti-theft alert. i was told that it could happen again but he felt if i replaced the ignition system($300) that it would solve this. i decided to wait. now the light came on again and within a day or two the car would not start.i had him reset the computer again. i have been told by someone with gm that this is not related to the recall. both myself and the mechanic believe it is related. i would like gm to cover this repair and all the towing and other fees for having my car back on the road. *tr

I turned my left turn signal on, and it wouldn't work. since this the turn signals work when they want to.i took it to have it tested and they said it was the control board and i replaced that. but still the signals work when they want to. i was told about another malibu that was a year older that done the same thing. but i have a young son and a baby on the way, i don't want to be rear-ended because i have no turn signals. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, the anti-theft warning light illuminated intermittently. in addition, when the air conditioner activated the air flow did not properly circulate through the vents. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 63,000.

I have a 2003 chevrolet malibu and the theft system light comes on all the time. then i was coming out of work from working a long night shift and went to turn my car on but it would not turn on. i have read up on the theft system light and according to a lot of people this problem is quite frequent and nothing is being done about it. i am a single mother of 3 kids and i need my vehicle to work. i read that it will happen a lot and the gm people know of this and they don't do anything because they say there's not enough complaints. i want this problem fixed but i don't have the extra money to do it so it would be helpful if this problem was recalled so my car can be fixed from this annoying issue. i am afraid that if i get it to start i'm going to end up somewhere stranded with my kids. please i hope something is done about this issue because i have read it happens to a lot of people who own chevy malibus from the year 1997-2005. i hope this helps to get this problem resolved for me and everyone else who owns this vehicle. *tr

Car stalled while driving. everything quit, even power steering and power brakes. this has happened twice. both times, i took the vehicle to the chevy dealership and they said the ignition was faulty. i've replaced the ignition both times. i'm afraid this will happen when we are driving it and we will get into an accident because the power steering and power brakes quit when all the electrical components quit. *tr

We started having different problems with the fan not wanting to work for the air conditioning, lights not wanting to work and failure to start. we had it fixed by a local mechanic on 5/21/2014. i feel like this ignition switch recall from gm needs to be extended to older vehicles and that the key fob is a cover up for the bigger issue. *tr

Two weeks ago, my car wouldn't start, but everything inside was working. we thought it was a fuel pump issue, but later found out that it was the anti-theft system. it turns out that the theft system light comes on, and my car won't start. thank goodness i have a smart mechanic who realized the issue before replacing any unnecessary parts! he was able to reset the system, but it happened again this weekend. i read up on how to reset the system, but it kills my battery before i can even wait for the 10 minutes. my battery is brand new and it sucks it dry! this is not an acceptable fix for me, as i don't typically have the spare time to keep resetting/recharging my car. i have small children and need a reliable vehicle, and this is turning out to be the opposite! this issue needs to be addressed and a recall needs to happen. it makes no sense at all, when i have just read so many of the same complaints! shame on chevrolet! *tr

Started having problems starting my car, theft light would come on and i would have to sit and wait to get the car started, very annoying problem having to play a waiting came to start your car. then one day i was driving and the car just shut off in the middle of the high way, i had no idea the car was even off until i tried to acclerate or turn because the radio remains on. have to stop and put my hazzards on and start the car again, some days it does repeat stalls which causes me to almost get hit by cars behind me (very very dangerous), some days it drives fine. then one day while shutting my car off and returning home the horn started honking and would not turn off for about a 1/2 hour, and after that it hasnt worked again. took the car in to the shop because im fed up and they said it is all linked to a faulty pass key/anti theft system that causes these electrical problems. did some research and noticed this is and has been a reaccuring problem in the malibu's. *tr

Car powered off multiple times without warning while driving, triggering the doors to lock and unlock on their own. luckily i was able to maneuver the car to the safe location quickly out of traffic, before the steering power was lost. there were many close calls! after powering off, had to pray it would start again because sometimes it would not. took to firestone, they could not diagnose it. so i took to the chevy dealer. it was originally diagnosed as the fuel pump, which i paid to have replaced. a week later i still had the same problem. i went online to several blogs/websites and realized there were many people with the same issue with the malibu. some people online recommended replacing the ignition switch, based on the symptoms. i took the car to dealer and asked them to check my ignition switch, as it appeared online to be long standing issue which was never recalled. the dealer acknowledged that it was the ignition switch, a known issue for chevy and at that time i had my car repaired. quite expensive and dangerous for driving. however, i noticed the 2003 malibu is not listed on the current recalls. many owners would agree that it should be. *tr

When trying to start car, often the theft kill engages. i have to wait 10 minutes with the key in the ignition start position before it will start. can this be associated with the cars that turn off while driving? *tr

Heating element of the heated seat feature burned a hole completely through the front of the driver's seat back. *tr

When it rains the tail lights fill up with water and the lights do not work correctly. and sometimes they do not work at all. it holds water and the lights flash in a christmas tree light manner. also when the breaks are stepped on the blinkers do not work. also when you step on the break the blinker indicators on the instrument panel remain lit up green. i have replace bulbs as well as the whole light housing. even drilled wholes in the bottom of the light housing units so the water can drained. nothing can remedy this problem it is very dangerous. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the anti-theft system prevented the vehicle from starting. the failure recurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 147,727.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the vehicle would only start when in neutral. in addition, the key was able to eject from the ignition while the vehicle was in operation. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to diagnose the failure. no repairs were made to the vehicle. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 22,000.

I'm very unhappy as a chevrolet client. my car has completely locked up and will not start due to the anti theft system. upon a diagnosis, the chevy mechanic told me it its my duty to get it towed to a shop only to have it hooked to a machine for $110 an hour only to get the car turned back on. i have seen that this is a common problem with this model of car and i'm very mad that it costs me and not chevy for this avoidable, tedious problem. i thought their cars were suppose to be reliable. i will never buy another chevy again! -very disappointed chevy owner *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that when the vehicle was turned off and parked, moments later she discovered that the entire instrument panel was illuminated. in addition, the contact stated that when the ignition key was turned to the on position, the vehicle failed to start. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system). the failure mileage was unknown. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the theft system failed. the theft system engaged independently and caused the engine not to start. the failure was experienced several times. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who reset the theft system, however the failure was not corrected. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 107,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet malibu. the contact was driving approximately 75 mph when the steering wheel shook violently. the failure also occurred when the brakes were applied. additionally, the door chimes would sound sporadically and the turn signals would engage independently. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 49,882. *tr

The car was purchased in november of 2012 in washington. on the drive from washington to missouri, the car would not start after the engine was off. after waiting three days for the mechanic in a small south dakota town, he "fixed" it in ten minutes. the "solution" of keeping the engine on for ten minutes, turning to off, and then starting it again is only a temporary fix to a very real problem. this problem is so real and obvious that the ten minute solution is included in the owner's manual (why that instead of fixing it, i'm not really sure...) the problem has persisted intermittently for the last year and a half, anywhere from two to eight times a month- until this last month. i began keeping track on a calendar the number of times the car would fail to work - 26 times in five weeks. this is beyond annoying. the problem would be even worse if it were not for the fact that i am a teacher and the last week of school was the first week in these five weeks. now that i am out for the summer, many days now i stay at home, thus reducing the chance of the car failing to work as i am not using it. that last week of school, it "stalled" every single day. two days ago, it quit working four times in one day. i have been late for work, church, and other obligations. i have been stranded in dark parking lots late at night. alone. this is not a problem anyone should have to worry about. i drive as infrequently as i possibly can now, and was fervently praying that my car would start after filling it up with gas this morning. this is a known problem. i was hoping the most recent recalls would affect this car and when typing "2003 malibu recalls," into a search engine, while no recalls were shown, web site and forums aplenty all came up, with multiple complaints about this singular problem of this singular car. it is a known safety problem. why is there no recall? *tr

First of all the car has never been in a wreck.the ignition switch and electrical switch was replaced by owners at their expense .the ignition started to not work.when the key was turned all gauges would fall and would not crank.while on road the car would shut off as if turned off by key..the owner decided to have car repaired before the recall ,,in 2012 and 2013.owner would like to know if there is or can be a refund of a portion of costs to him,he has the invoices of work on done car.thank you very much for your time. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning more than one time. the check engine light illuminated intermittently. the key made a clicking noise when attempting to start the vehicle. the vehicle continued to make a ticking noise at random once the vehicle was driven. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who was unable to replicate nor diagnose the failure. the vehicle continued to shake violently while traveling at any speed above 60 mph . the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who was unable to diagnose the failure on more than one occasion. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

On 9/4/2012 brought my car into king chevrolet, in longmont, colorado, because my 'check engine light' kept coming on. also i lost my electrical system, nothing electrical worked!! i was told that there was an internal short in the bcm, and was charged $639.99 after my senior discount of $71.28. fine! two days later the same thing happened, check engine light came on!!! king chevrolet told me they could not find anything wrong. finally, on may 16, 2013 my vehicle was scanned with a tech tool scanner and the stored bcm codes indicated the ignition switch was bad. this was done by a king mechanic!!! it was misdiagnosed causing this outrageous charge of $639.99!! the ignition switch was fixed (not by king), for $100.00, and i have not had a problem since. i repeatedly emailed king about this, with no response. i don't think i should have been charged $639.99 foe a misdiagnosed.error by king chevrolet. i always liked chevys, but i will not ever go to king chevrolet again. it may not seem like a lot of money to you, but i am on a fixed income and had to put this on a credit card and pay interest. not very good customer service. i put my complaint on facebook so all my friends and family would know what happened. i still would like my charge of $639.99 returned to me. is there anything you can do for me??? *tr

Chevy malibu 03 has issue with anti theft system. many many complains online concerning this. you get into the car; car will not start, you have to turn key to on position and leave it there; then turn car off and then start it the car. this has happened two times in the last 2 weeks. i am hoping this doesn't happen while my wife is driving. a recall should be made on this defect in all chevy malibu's 2003 before a horrendous traffic accident occurs from this defect. *tr

Car failed to start, only cranked. had spark plugs,wires,ignition switch,fuel pump, fuel filter,relays,coil packs,etc... replaced. got it running drove about 40 miles, now it just dies while driving... no warning just cuts off. i have taken it to various mechanics and have spent alot of $$. i even had new gm motor installed. i am afraid to drive it as several time i was on highway. this is a serious safety issue. this will cause an accident or worse death. dealership has given no help. *tr

The anti theft system activated about 4 times for no reason in the past 3 months. each time i followed the instructions in the owners manual and re booted the system. then while i was driving the car sputtered and stalled. the car won't start. the fuel pump is broken. why you ask did the fuel pump break. because each time the anti theft system activated itself for no reason it shut off the fuel pump. this repeatedly shutting off the fuel pump causes the pump to break. this results in a $500+ repair bill plus the cost to tow the car plus sales tax making the repair $600. chevy is aware that this is a very common problem with malibu's. the defective anti theft system in effect causes other parts such as the fuel pump to break. chevy profits by selling fuel pump modules each time there is breakage and this is why chevy is covering up the problem! the chevy malibu's should be recalled immediately and repairs made to fuel pumps and anti theft systems because cars stalling on roadways are a safety hazard. *tr

My 2003 chevy malibu wouldn't turn over noticed the anti theft light was blinking had to reset the system with the key because it wasn't getting gas. before my vehicle would start read online about other people having the same problem this isn't safe gm needs to recall and fix this problem. with the passlock 2 system they have installed in these vehicles i have kids and am glad it didn't happen on the freeway with them in the car. *js

2003 chevrolet malibu. the consumer stated the ignition lock cylinder, was replaced two years ago. *mw the consumer is seeking reimbursement. *jb

The car has cut off while i was driving on at least 10 occasions since 2012. usually, if driving at normal speed it would happen as i slowed down to turn a corner, although it has also happened once or twice while i was driving on the highway. each time, i was fortunate enough to either drift over onto the shoulder or complete the turn without getting hit. when the car cuts off i lose the ability to steer. during that period i also experienced significant electrical problems: sometimes the turn signals would not come on, the auto locks would come on and off by themselves while driving and the air conditioner would not stay on. on 5/3/12 my key would not turn the ignition. i had the car towed to a mechanic who advised that i probably had too many keys on my ring and it wore down the ignition. shortly after having the ignition replaced, i noticed the anti-theft system light stayed on and it affected my ability to start the car. for the past 2 years, in order to start my car, i have to put the key in the ignition, then turn it to the "accessory" position for about 15 seconds, then to the "on" position and wait for the gas gauge and dash to light up (perhaps another 15-40 seconds) in order to start the car. i researched online and found similar problems for my make and model. this is how i learned how to start the car under these conditions. i have my repair receipts and internet searches for this problem from 2012 as well as every oil change and service ticket from 2003. i think that the 2003 malibu should be investigated for inclusion in the ignition switch recall. *tr

My 17 year old daughter has a 2003 chevy malibu and she was stranded the other day because her car shut off and would not start back up....my husband changed the fuel filter thinking that might be what it was with no success. i found on the internet today about the way to reset the anti theft system and it worked, but people have been saying that once this problem starts it doesn't stop happening. i feel that this is a safety issue for a young lady to be out somewhere and the car not start. i read many complaints about the same exact problem and i feel that it is a shame that chevrolet won't recall the problem....if it is not recalled i will never buy another chevy!!! *tr

When i am driving the key will just fall out of the ignition while running for no reason,especially while going over bumps. the car recently has also started to continue running while the key is turned into. the off position! *tr

The car would randomly stop running. this could happen while on the highway or when the car was in motion. daughter was caught a couple of time in the situation. no power steering of brakes. could have had a fatal accident. if you look at this car and other gm cars, there have been a lot of complaints, the problem lies with the pass lock system (anti theft). the car thinks that its the wrong key and kills the ignition. i found a work around online. which involves wiring a resistor into the ignition system....the car has been fine since. *tr

The heating/cooling blower does not operate at low speed setting (1-3). works only at high (4) speed setting. at times some smoke is observed coming out of air vents. i had spoken to a mechanic during routine oil change at a dealership and he told me that this is corrosion problem causing due to condensation and eroding the contacts resulting in non operation of blower motor at low setting. *tr

The first time this happened i tried to start my car and it would not start and ended up having it towed to a garage hundreds of dollars later to find out it was an theft system part that needed to be replaced. so we did that then the same thing started happening again. i got out the owners manual and was reading about turn the key for 10 minutes. well this has been a on going problem for some time now. it was not until i starting reading all these thing on the internet to realize this is a major problem and that i am not the only one. my vehicle you never know when its going to start or not so in the morning i have to go out earlier then usual just in case i have to turn the key for 10 minutes or not. the scary part is reading all these people that have been driving and the car just stalls out on them. gm what is it going to take for other lives to be taken before you realize this is a major problem. my car has been a great car other then this problem and it still is a great car. just if the this theft system problem would be fixed. come on gm step up to the plate and do what's right do the recall and get this fixed so we can go on with our lives. thanks *tr

The car fails to start due to the passlock ii system failure. it will not engage the fuel pump and/or ignition system. the theft lockout system light stays on or flashes all other dash warning lights do not light up. the car will start randomly when attempting to start the car. the passlock ii relearning method has to be used to start the car as instructed by gm in the owners manual section 2 page 17 when the theft system fails. this method will work randomly. no know repair. *tr

I bought a chevy malibu new in 2003. i never knew it had any anti theft device. three weeks ago the anti theft light came on. i ignored it. after a few days the car would not start. the engine started to run but sputtered out. i looked in the instruction manual that came with the car. it says if the anti theft light comes on (for no reason) turn ignition to on position wait ten minutes turn car off and the car will start. i followed instructions and car started. same thing happened again yesterday. i followed instructions and car runs again. problem i have is why would the anti theft system be activated for no reason? chevy knew this happens and this is why they have it written up in the instruction manual. if the anti theft system is faulty ie comes on for no reason and prohibits the car from starting, chevy should not have installed it in the first place. *tr

The anti- theft device in the 2003 chevrolet malibu has left me stranded 12 different times beginning november of last year. this vehicle needs to be recalled for this reason. i have read hundreds of complaints online for the exact same problem. general motors is aware of the problem and does nothing. general motors is personally responsible for lost jobs. general motors is personally responsible for elderly people, infants, children, disabled men and women in the u.s. being stranded in their automobiles every day. we bailed general motors out, they need to recall this model. thank you.*jb

We own a 2003 chev malibu, sold and serviced in canada, but manufactured at gm's lansing, michigan assembly plant. chev malibus are not yet included on the gm ignition switch recall list, but in oct/11 we had exactly the same problems reported by those vehicles currently on the recall list: for perhaps 5 seconds, a total loss of all power (engine, lights, power steering, power brakes, etc.,) while driving on a highway at 60 mph, at night. after that 5 second delay, all power resumed, (lights, engine, etc) and the car operated perfectly for the rest of the drive home. a day later, we again had a total loss of all power, this time while turning a corner at slow speed. the loss of power steering and braking made it very difficult to avoid an accident then. a couple of days later, on 25 oct/11, i had my ignition switch replaced at my local gm chev dealership, at a cost of $416.51. at no time did the dealer mention any known problems with these ignition switches. in light of the recent recall, i contacted my gm dealership, who stated they could not comment on whether the replacement switch is potentially faulty or not - and how would dealers know, if gm replaced the original switches without changing the part number? were dealers told to get rid of the "old stock", or to return it to gm? the dealer stated that, if and when my vehicle is added to the current recall list, they would "replace the replacement". in other words, i could be driving with a faulty switch - a potential danger to myself and to others....and, to date, gm apparently doesn't plan to do anything about it. i'm out $416 and may still have a defective ignition switch. i recognize that your department's authority doesn't extend to canada. however, although my vehicle was sold and serviced in canada, it was manufactured in lansing, michigan - like hundreds of thousands of other chev malibus. *tr

Parked the car, came back out and it wouldn't start, though there was power from the battery and the engine acted like it was trying to turn over (indicating that it wasn't the alternator). had to have car towed. turned out that the "theft system" (passlock) locked me out. mechanics "reset" it. it happened again about 10 days later. *tr

My 2003 chevy malibu would not start. i learned that the reason it would not start was due to the theft system pass lock. somehow the theft system was triggered and cut the fuel supply to the engine. i did what the manual said and waited 10 minutes with the key in the on position. the car started after that; however two weeks later, the car does the same thing. the process is repeated to reset the theft system. but now i wonder how many more times this problem will occur and why hasn't anything been done about a recall. over 30 incidents have reported online at http://www.carcomplaints.com/chevrolet/malibu/2003/ so why hasn't there be a recall for this problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i am sure that more people have had problems with this they just have not reported it. this problem is very inconvenient and you never know when your car is actually going to start. something needs to be done!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *tr

At least once a week since purchasing the car i am unable to start it because the anti-theft system will block the car from starting. i will put the key in the ignition and the sensor light will flash. i have to wait exactly 10 minutes with the key turned to "on" before the light stops flashing and i can turn the car off and back on again. on a few occasions this has occurred back to back resulting in having to wait at least 20 minutes to start my car. i have seen that this is a common problem for this car, which seems to defeat the purpose of a safety feature if you have to wait in a dark parking lot alone for 10 minutes because of faulty construction. *tr