1997 Chevrolet Malibu Electrical System

IGNITION LOCK FAILED! WE CAN'T TURN THE KEY TO START CAR! TUMBLERS MUST HAVE FROZEN!*AK

DEALER HAD REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH, AND PROBLEM STILL RECURRING. *AK

ALTERNATOR BELT BROKE, CAR OVER HEATED AND ANTI FREEZE BOILED OVER.*JB

KEY WILL NOT TURN IN IGNITION. HAD TO REPLACE SWITCH TWICE. *JB

THE VEHICLES COMPUTER SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED. THE WARNING LIGHTS FOR ABS BRAKES AND ANTI THEFT WOULD COME ON FREQUENTLY. FINALLY THE DEALER REPLACED THE COMPUTER CONTROL MODULE. *DT

REAR TAIL LIGHTS HAVE A TENDENCY TO OVERHEAT, SHORT OUT CIRCUIT BOARD INSIDE TAIL LIGHT. OWNER HAS HAD TO REPLACE 5 BULBS FROM THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY, ALONG WITH ONE LIGHT RECEPTICLE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

CAR WOULD NOT START. ANTI-THEFT LIGHT KEPT FLASHING. 1ST OCCURRENCE HAPPENDED ON 10/20/00 AND THEN AGAIN ON 11/11/01. DEALER DIAGNOSED AS DEFECTIVE HOUSING AND TUMBLER AND REPLACED BOTH AT THE COST OF $396.39 EACH TIME.*AK

BATTERY WAS LEAKING ACID DOWN ONTO THE WIRING, WHICH POSSIBLIY SHORTED OUT THE AIR CONDITIONING AND BLEW A HEADLIGHT. *JB

THE STARTER AND IGNITION FAILED CAUSING THE KEY TO BECOME STUCK IN THE START POSITION WITH THE ENGINE RACING, THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE TURNED OFF NOR COULD THE KEY BE REMOVED, THE BATTERY HAD TO BE DISCONNECTED AT THE DEALER TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. NLM

HORN ASSEMBLY WOULD ONLY RESPOND INTERMITTENTLY WHEN IN USE. ACTS AS IF ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAS A SHORT IN IT. HAVE NOT TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP.*AK

IGNITION SWITCH WENT BAD KEEPING VEHICLE FROM STARTING. DEALR HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. *AK

THE WAY HORN IS ASSEMBLED IT DOES NOT WORK WHEN APPLIED. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

I CANNOT START THE CAR. THE KEY LOCK LOOSE. FRIEND HAD SAME PROBLEM. I PUT THE KEY INTO THE LOCK TO START THE CAR AND THE KEY DOES NOT TURN. THIS MAKES THE MILEAGE A GUESS, AS IT IS ELECTRONIC AND ONLY DISPLAYED WHEN THE KEY TURNS OVER. FRIEND SAID HIS WIFE FOUND THIS PROBLEM DOCUMENTED SOMEWHERE ON THE INTERNET BUT I WAS UNABLE TO FIND IT. THANK YOU. *AK

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED CAUSING OTHER COMPONENTS TO MALFUNCTION. *YC

THE SAME ELECTRICAL FAILURE HAS NOW HAPPENED 4X. NO ONE HAS ANY IDEA WHY IT HAPPENS OR HOW TO FIX IT.

WHEN PUTTING THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION SWITCH THE CYLINDER WILL NOT TURN, CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER REPLACED THE CYLINDER THREE TIMES WHICH HAS NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK *YC

ONE MONTH AFTER I LEASED THIS VEHICLE, I BEGAN TO HAVE AN IGNITION PROBLEM WITH MY CAR. ONCE THE KEY IS INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION, IT WILL NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION CYLINDER IN ORDER TO START THE CAR, THE ANTI-THEFT LIGHT ON THE DASH BOARD FLASHES AND THE KEY CANNOT BE PULLED OUT. THE IGNITION CYLINDER HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE BY THE DEALER NOT INCLUDING THE ORIGINAL ONE. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED 7 TIMES. THE FIRST THREE TIMES I WAS PREGNANT. THE REST OF THE TIME, I HAD MY INFANT SON IN THE CAR OR WAS ON MY WAY TO PICKING HIM UP FROM DAY CARE. WHEN I HAVE CALLED THE DEALER, THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO WAIT AT LEAST 15 - 30 MINUTES AND IF THAT DID NOT WORK, THEN I WAS TO CALL THE TOWING SERVICE. I HAVE BEEN STUCK IN MANY PARKING LOTS AND MOST RECENTLY, ON CHRISTMAS DAY I WAS STUCK IN NEW YORK STATE. I HAVE FILED WITH THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY'S LEMON LAW UNIT, AND HAVE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, PER THEIR INSTRUCTION. I HAVE LEFT SEVERAL MESSAGES WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND MY "ASSIGNED" REP. HAS YET TO RETURN MY PHONE CALLS. THIS HAS BEEN AN EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING EXPERIENCE BECAUSE I PAYING $300 A MONTH FOR A CAR THAT I NEVER KNOW WHEN OR IF IT WILL NOT START. I AM, PARTICULARLY, AFRAID TO DRIVE IT AT NIGHT. I CANNOT COMPREHEND HOW THREE DIFFERENT PARTS, IGNITION CYLINDERS, CAN ALL BE DEFECTIVE. *AK

I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR JUST OVER TWO YEARS, AND IN THAT TIME FRAME I HAVE HAD THE FOLLOWING PROBLEM OCCURRING 3 TIMES, AND ALMOST A 4TH. WHEN I GET IN THE CAR TO START IT UP, THE "THEFT SYSTEM" LIGHT ON THE DASH COMES ON AND THE CAR STARTS UP BUT SHUTS RIGHT BACK OFF. THIS CONTINUES, WITH THE RESULTS BEING THAT THE CAR NEEDS TO BE TOWED IN TO BE FIXED. THE FIRST TIME THIS OCCURRED WAS A FEW MONTHS AFTER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS "OPEN PASS CODES" AND FIXED BY REPLACING THE INGNITION CYLINDER. THE SECOND OCCURRENCE WAS IN JULY, 1998 AND AFTER SEVERAL UNPRODUCTIVE DAYS IN THE TUSCALOOSA CHEVROLET SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A DEFECT/SHORT IN THE WIRING, WHICH WAS REPLACED. THE THIRD OCCURRENCE WAS THIS ONE REPORTED - 5/15/99, WHICH WAS AGAIN DIAGNOSED AS "OPEN PASS CODES" WITH THE FIX BEING REPLACEMENT OF THE IGNITION CYLINDER. THIS SAME SCENARIO ALMOST OCCURRED AGAIN YESTERDAY EVENING 5/29/99, BUT THE CAR STARTED BACK UP AFTER HAVING SAT THERE FOR 10-15 MINUTES (THIS WAITING PERIOD WAS NOT PREVIOUSLY EFFECTIVE). THE SERVICE PEOPLE AT THE DEALERSHIP HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TRIGGERED THIS EVENT NOR HOW TO PREVENT IT. IN FACT, THEY SAY THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE EXCEPT IN MY CAR. IT MAY NOT BE A SAFETY ISSUE WHILE DRIVING, BUT IT IS DEFINITELY A PERSONAL SAFETY ISSUE AND AN ISSUE OF VEHICLE RELIABILITY. *AK

RESISTOR FAILED. NLM

ELECTRICAL WIRING FAILURES CAUSING THE DASH LIGHTS AND POWER WINDOW TO FAIL.

ALL ELECTRICAL GAUGES ON THE VEHICLE JUST DIE OUT. NO PRIOR INDICATION OR WARNING, VEHICLE WILL AUTOMATICALLY SHUT OFF. VEHICLE BEING TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED FOUR TIMES PRIOR. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. *AK

VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED EIGHT TIMES FOR THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS.

CONSUMER EXPERIENCING ONGOING PROBLEM WITH IGNITION SWITCH. INTERMITTENTLY THE VEHICLE WOULD START AND SOMETIMES WOULD BE UNABLE TO START. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND REPLACED AND REPAIRED IGNITION SWITCH, BUT PROBLEM STILL REOCCURRING. *AK

IGNITION CYLINDER LOCK FAILED TWICE. KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN IGNITION.