1998 Chevrolet Malibu Electrical System

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT CONTROLLER THE ANTI- THEFT SYSTEM DISABLED THE ENGINE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING TURNED STARTED. THIS ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM HAS PROHIBITED THE CAR FROM STARTING TWO DIFFERENT TIMES. HAD TO DISABLE THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM IN ORDER TO START CAR. DEALER COULD NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM. *NM

1998 MALIBU - THEFT SYSTEM WILL ACTIVATE FOR NO REASON AND THERE IS NOT A SOLUTION IN THE OWNERS MANUAL FOR THIS CONDITION. IF THE INTERNET SEARCH OF 10 MINUTE WAIT DOES NOT WORK, USING ANOTHER KEY, SPRAYING THE IGNITION SWITCH WITH CLEANER OR KICKING A TIRE - YOU WILL HAVE TO TAKE A CAB. THERE IS NOT A WAY TO DISARM THIS SYSTEM. I WILL NOT OWN ANOTHER GM PRODUCT BECAUSE OF THIS SYSTEM AND THE INABILITY TO TURN OFF MY HEADLIGHTS. *TR

ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK WHEN I TURN THE KEY TO START THE CAR, IT CRANKS BUT DOESN'T START. THE THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT STARTS FLASHING. AFTER 10 MINUTES I CAN TRY AGAIN AND IT USUALLY STARTS. I'VE FOUND DOZENS OF OTHER COMPLAINTS FOR THIS PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. I'VE CALLED CHEVROLET (NATIONAL 800 NUMBER) TWICE; EACH TIME THEY SAY THEY'VE NEVER HEARD OF IT. I'VE CALLED TWO DEALERS; THEY KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, BUT OF COURSE A DIAGNOSIS IS STILL REQUIRED. *JB

I OWN A 1998 CHEVY MALIBU AND IT IS ONE OF THE THOUSANDS WITH THE ANTI-THEFT PASSLOCK SYSTEM ERROR. MY CAR CONTINUALLY READS AN ERROR IN THE THEFT SYSTEM AND CUTS OFF THE FUEL FOR 10 MINUTES BEFORE I CAN START IT AGAIN. *TR

I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT HAS CAUSED THE FAILURE. I AM USING THE SAME KEY THAT CAME WITH THE VEHICLE. I HAVE ONLY BEEN USING IT FOR THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF. THEFT SYSTEM IS CAUSING ME A BIG HEADACHE WITH THE TEN TO TWENTY MINUTE WAITS FOR THE LIGHT TO STOP FLASHING SO I CAN START THE CAR AGAIN. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS SO EXPENSIVE TO FIX AND MY FINANCIAL STATUS IS PREVENTING ME FROM BEING ABLE TO REPAIR IT. *TR

SERVERAL TIMES (5+) THE LEFT REAR TAIL LIGHT WOULD BURN OUT. I REPLACED THE BULB MYSELF AND NOTE THAT THE CONNECTION AND BULB HAD OVERHEATED. CURRENT, ON GOING PROBLEM IS THE DASH/INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTING. THE INSTRUMENT LIGHTS GO ON AND OFF, AS THEY FEEL LIKE IT. THE LIGHTS CURRENTLY ARE OUT. I CHECKED ALL FUSES AND BREAKERS. ALL TESTED OKAY. I REALLY HATE THIS CAR AND NO MORE GM PRODUCTS FOR ME, EVER!

THE ANTI- THEFT SYSTEM DISABLED THE ENGINE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING TURNED THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. WITH THE MOTOR DEAD, NEITHER THE BRAKES NOR STEERING WERE POWERED. COASTED TO THE FAR RIGHT LANE OUT OF TRAFFIC FLOW, TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE, BUT TO NO AVAIL. CALLED A TOW TRUCK BUT BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED, THE ENGINE STARTED AND RAN. THIS ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM HAS PROHIBITED THE CAR FROM STARTING FOUR TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY CANNOT FIX THIS. THEY SUGGESTED I USE A BACKUP KEY, BUT I HAVE TRIED SEVERAL KEYS INSERTED BOTH WAYS WITH NO IMPROVEMENT. THIS PROBLEM HAS STRANDED THE DRIVER TWICE AT WORK AND ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS IN MALL PARKING LOTS, ONCE LATE AT NIGHT. THE DEALER SAYS THEY CAN'T FIND WHAT CAUSES THE PROBLEM, AND THEY CANNOT DISABLE THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM AS A WORK-AROUND. THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR THAT ONLY THE MANUFACTURER CAN SOLVE. *JB

ANTI- THEFT SYSTEM ENGAGES FOR NO REASON. AFTER GETTING IN THE CAR, WE TRY TO START IT; IT TURNS OVER, BUT WILL NOT START. I HAVE TRIED SEVERAL KEYS INSERTED BOTH WAYS. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED AT WORK SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE OF THIS. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES AWAY FROM HOME BECAUSE OF THIS. I HAVE MISSED WORK BECAUSE OF THIS. IT COST $ 180 EVERY TIME TO HAVE IT RESET BY THE DEALER. A NEW SYSTEM IS $450, BUT NO GUARANTEES IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. FROM READING WEB SITES, THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. *JB

I HAVE HAD MY LOCK CORE IN MY 1998 CHEVY MALIBU LS REPLACED ABOUT A DOZEN TIMES SINCE MY CAR WAS AROUND 30,000 TO 35,000 MILES. IT STARTED WHEN THE PASSIVE THEFT SYSTEM ACTIVATED IN MY CAR. I WOULD BE DRIVING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WOULD COME ON. I BROUGHT IT TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED IT. THEY SAID THAT THEY COULD ONLY FOLLOW THE PLANS ON HOW TO FIX IT EVEN THOUGH I MENTIONED TO THEM THAT IT MORE THAN LIKELY WAS A SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OF THE CAR. IT HAPPENS EVERY SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS WHERE IT WON'T START AND THE THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT ON THE DASH STARTS FLASHING AT ME. I CALLED GM AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO SIT IN THE CAR WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION IN THE "ON" POSITION FOR UP TO 20 MINUTES. I LIVE THE UPPER MIDWEST AND IF IT WAS ON A REALLY COLD OR HOT AND HUMID DAY, THAT COULD BE DANGEROUS IF YOU STAY WITH YOUR CAR. IS THERE ANY WAY TO GET IT FIXED AND FIXED RIGHT? OR HAVE GM STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT? *NM

THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEMS SEEMS TO BE AN ANTI-OWNER SYSTEM ALSO. SINCE 1998 WHEN THIS CAR WAS BOUGHT NEW, THE IGNITION CYLINDER OR THE IGNITION SWITCH HAVE BEEN REPLACED 6 TIMES. THIS HAS BEEN BECAUSE OF ONE OF TWO REASONS. EITHER THE KEY WON'T TURN OR THE THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT COMES ON AND WON'T LET ME START THE CAR. I DRIVE OVER 50 MILES EACH WAY TO AND FROM WORK AND CAN'T AFFORD TO GET STRANDED FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME SHOULD I HAVE TO STOP SOMEWHERE DURING MY TRAVELS. IT'S ONLY BEEN TWO WEEKS SINCE IT WAS REPLACED AND AGAIN THE LIGHT IS COMING ON.... AT $300+ FOR EACH REPAIR SINCE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED, IT'S GETTING A LITTLE EXPENSIVE. IF THE ONLY THING THAT CAN BE DONE IS TO REPLACE A DEFECTIVE PART WITH ANOTHER DEFECTIVE PART AND THAT'S NOT REASON ENOUGH TO INVESTIGATE THIS AND FIND A SOLUTION THEN WHAT IS? I REALLY LIKE THE CAR BUT THIS IS RIDICULOUS! *NM

ON COUNTLESS OCCASIONS MY 1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU FAILED TO START BECAUSE THE DEFECTIVE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM PREVENTS STARTING. I FEAR FOR THE TIME WHEN THIS SYSTEM CAUSES THE ENGINE TO CEASE WHEN I AM DRIVING AND IN DANGER OF LOOSING CONTROL. I KNOW THAT GM IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM--HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN RECORDED ONLINE ALONE. CAN'T YOU PERSUADE GM TO CORRECT AND ADRESS THIS PROBLEM BEFORE INJURIES AND/OR LOSS OF LIFE OCCUR--TO SAY NOTHING OF THE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS CHEVROLET DEALERSHIPS ARE CHARGING AFFECTED DRIVERS TO ATTEMPT SOLVING THIS PROBLEM. *JB

LATELY THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM ONLY SEEMS TO BE WORKING TO KEEP ME FROM DRIVING. I HAVE ASKED EVERYBODY WHAT I CAN DO TO STOP THIS STUPID THING AND I COME UP WITH THE SAME ANSWERS. WE CAN CHANGE THE KEYS, PUT IN A NEW IGNITION, A NEW IGNITION SWITCH. ALL WITH THE SAME RESULTS. IT WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I DON'T SEE WHY CHEVROLET WILL NOT RECALL THE SYSTEM AND DISABLE IT SOME HOW. IT USED TO HAPPEN JUST ONCE IN AWHILE NOW IT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING ABOUT 2-3 TIMES PER MONTH. EACH TIME I AM STRANDED FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES BECAUSE THAT IS HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR THE THEFT SYSTEM TO CYCLE THROUGH. I CAN REMEMBER AT LEAST 3 TIMES THAT I HAVE BEEN STRANDED FOR OVER AN HOUR BECAUSE WHEN THE LIGHT WOULD GO OFF I WOULD TRY TO START IT AND THE THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT WOULD START BLINKING AGAIN. VERY FRUSTRATING. OTHER THAN THE STUPID THEFT SYSTEM THE CAR HAS BEEN GREAT.*JB

MY THEFT LIGHT CAME ON AS I WAS DRIVING THE CAR. I BROUGHT IT INTO VILLAGE CHEVROLET AND THEY SWITCHED OUT THE IGNITION SWITCH. (THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 12 TO 15 TIMES). THEY HAVE REPLACED THE IGINITION SWITCH AT LEAST 4 TIMES, THE BODY CONTROL MODULE ONCE. AT LEAST FIVE OF THOSE 12 TO 15 TIMES, I WASN'T DRIVING ANYWHERE AND I WAS USING THE ORIGINAL KEY THAT I GOT WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR BRAND NEW, I WAS ATTEMPTING TO START THE CAR AND THE THEFT LIGHT CAME ON SOLID. I CALLED GM, AND THEY TOLD ME TO PUT THE KEY IN THE ON POSITION FOR 15 TO 20 MINUTES TO RESET ITSELF. I LIVE IN MN, AND THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE SINCE WE HAVE WEATHER EXTREMES AND I AM A SINGLE WOMAN, AND THIS IS MY ONLY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION. THE LAST TIME THAT I BROUGHT IT IN FOR THIS, THEY CUT A NEW KEY FROM MY VIN TO SEE IF THAT WOULD HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEM. IT HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 2 MORE TIMES SINCE THAT. I HAVE CALLED GM REPEATEDLY, AND THEY TELL ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO. I AM PRETTY SURE THAT THERE IS A SHORT BETWEEN THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE STARTER. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE???

THIS CAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT A NIGHTMARE FOR ME. AND TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, THE LOCAL CHEVY DEALER SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. (THOUGH IT DOESN'T STOP THEM FROM CHARGING ME FOR ALL THE EXPENSIVE REPAIRS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE) THIS CAR HAS MANY, MANY ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. I PURCHASED THIS CAR AS A "CERTIFIED GM" BACK IN JULY 2001. THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY ISSUES TO LIST ON THIS FORUM. MOST RECENT, WAS COMING HOME LAST NIGHT WITH MY SON IN THE CAR. FOR NO REASON AT ALL THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED, LEAVING ME W/ 1 FOG LAMP AS THE OTHER WENT W/ THE HEADLIGHTS. ON A GRAVEL ROAD, W/ NO LIGHTS. FOUND OURSELVES IN THE DITCH. STILL WAITING FOR THE TOW TRUCK TO PULL THE PIECE OF CRAP OUT. SON GOT A NICE GOOSE EGG OUT OF THE ORDEAL FROM HITTING HIS HEAD ON THE DOOR ON THE BUMPY RIDE DOWN THE DITCH. I AM SO FED UP WITH THIS CAR. *NM

WHILE PULLING INTO A GAS STATION VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONSUMER'S IN-LAW HOUSE. THE INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSE BY AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED.*AK

I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED, AND HAVE HAD PROBLEMS SINCE THE DAY I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT. CAR WAS SOLD WITH "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT ON, AND IT TOOK 2 REPAIR VISITS FOR IT TO BE FIXED. NUMEROUS MINOR PROBLEMS HAVE HAD TO BE FIXED IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS THAT I HAVE OWNED THE CAR. NEW TRANSMISSION PUT IN AT 69000 MILES. ONCE I RECEIVED THE CAR BACK FROM THE DEALERSHIP, "CHECK OIL" LIGHT WAS ON, BUT OIL LEVEL WAS FINE. BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP SO THE MECHANIC COULD RESET IT. AFTER THAT, ALL GAUGES ON THE DASH PERIODICALLY QUIT WORKING WHILE DRIVING, AND MILEAGE WAS NOT BEING RECORDED WHILE GAUGES WERE OUT. WHEN THE GAUGES COME BACK ON, THE "SERVICE VEHICLE SOON" LIGHT IS LIT. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS FOR THIS PROBLEM WITH THE GAUGES FOR THE 3RD TIME IN THE LAST MONTH. I DEFINITELY FEEL THAT I GOT A LEMON AND AM UNHAPPY.

UPON PURCHASE, LIGHTER/ASSESSORY FUSE BLOWN. REPLACED FUSE, RECENTLY BLOWN AGAIN. NOW BLOWING FUSES AT ANY TRY OF USE.*AK

SOMETIMES WE START THE CAR THE ANTI-THEFT CONTROLLER SHUTS THE CAR DOWN FOR A 10 MINUTE PERIOD FOR NO REASON. *AK

PASS LOCK SYSTEM PERMITS ENGINE FROM STARTING FOR AT LEAST 10-20 MINUTES. *LA

CONSUMER STATED THAT ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM FAILED, PREVENTING VEHICLE FROM STARTING. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER/MECHANIC APPROXIMATELY 15 TIMES, AND THEY COULD NOT FIND OUT WHY THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM FAILED. *AK

INTERMITTENTLY, THE IGNITION SWITCH DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. THE DEALER CHANGED THE NEW KEY AND THE PROBLEM REMAINED. *AK THE THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT HAD COME ON AND SHUT OFF THE FUEL SYSTEM OFF. THE CONSUMER WAS STRANDED UNTIL THE VEHICLE RESTARTED. THE KEY STILL DIDN'T WORK WHEN THE NEW KEY WAS MADE. *SCC *JB

BACK UP LIGHT WENT OUT. CONSUMER REPLACED LIGHT, AND IT WON'T COME ON. THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL COMING FROM BRAKE LIGHT. CONSUMER HAS NO BRAKE OR BACK UP LIGHTS. CONSUMER PULLED BRAKE LIGHT OUT AND IT WAS MELTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

VEHICLE HAS SENSOR THAT AUTOMATICALLY TURNS ON HEADLIGHTS AT DUSK. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE HEADLIGHTS CANNOT BE TURNED OFF WITHOUT TURNING VEHICLE OFF. IT COULD BE BLINDING TO OTHER VEHICLES OR PERSONS IN SPECIAL SITUATIONS.*AK

WHILE STARTING VEHICLE THE IGNITION WAS STUCK, THEN CAUGHT FIRE. CONSUMER TOOK KEY OUT OF IGNITION, FIRE WENT OUT, IGNITION SWITCH HAD BEEN REPLACED BEFORE THIS INCIDENT. ON 16 APRIL 2002 ALSO WHILE STARTING VEHICLE THE STARTER CAUGHT FIRE. PLEASE ADD FURTHER DETAILS.*JB

BACK LIGHTS/BRAKE LIGHTS MELTED OUT. CONTACTED DEALER.*AK