2001 Chevrolet Malibu Engine

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ANTIFREEZE LEAK IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY CONFIRMED THE LEAK. SHE HAD TO PLACE ANTIFREEZE IN HER VEHICLE EVERY MONTH BECAUSE IT WOULD LEAK OUT CONSTANTLY. SHE NOTIFIED GENERAL MOTORS TWICE. THE FIRST TIME, THEY DID NOT RESPOND TO HER VIA EMAIL. THE SECOND TIME, SHE SPOKE WITH THEM AND THEY STATED THAT SHE WOULD NEED TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. FROM THERE, THEY WILL DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS A DEFECT. GENERAL MOTORS FURTHER STATED THAT THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,00 AND CURRENT MILEAGE IS 60,000. UPDATED 01-29-08. *KB

I HAVE MALIBU 2001 WITH 56000 MLS ON IT. TODAY I HAD TO CHANGE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET.$950 TOTAL...BESIDE THIS A HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY THEFT SYSTEM,BRAKES ,LIGHT HAZARD SWITCH. AIR CONDITIONER ..ETC. THIS IS THE MY LAST GM CAR..PERIOD. *TR

ANTIFREEZE LEAKING INTAKE MANIFOLD VALVE GASKET DEFECTIVE. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 CHEVORLET MALIBU WHICH HAS CLOSE TO 67000 MILES, AND NOW ITS SHOWING SIGNS OF COOLANT LEAKING ,AND COOLANT HAS TO BE TOPPED UP EVERY 200 MILES OR SO, AND THE COOLANT USED WAS DEX-COOL, GM RECOMMENDED. ALSO THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH AIR CONDITIONING (A/C) UNIT AS IT WAS NOT COOLING AT ALL, AND WHEN CHECKED THE FREON. GAS LEAKED OUT ,AND YET TO FIND WHERE THE LEAKING IS FROM. MECHANIC MENTIONED THE COOLANT PROBLEM WAS THERE IN ALL MALIBU MODELS STARTING 1998. PLEASE LET US KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY RECALL FOR THE ABOVE MENTIONED PROBLEMS. *AK

I HAVE TWICE REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS ON MY 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. BOTH TIMES IT HAS STARTED AS A SLOW SEEP FROM THE END OF THE ENGINE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. AT FIRST WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PUDDLES, JUST A LOW FLUID INDICATOR ALARM. THEN WE HAD INTERMITTANT PUDDLES. THE LATEST OCCURENCE INCLUDED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WITH ABOUT AN HALF A GALLON OF FLUID INTO THE ENGINE, AND IT WAS 200 MILES FROM HOME. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT WE WERE NOT DRIVING WHEN THE FAILURE WAS DISCOVERED, SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE FIRST REPAIR OCCURED IN JANUARY 2005 AT 101K MILES, THIS ONE IN AUGUST 07 WITH 144K MILES. THE FIRST REPAIR WAS DONE AT AN ASCE SHOP AND COST $700, THIS ONE WAS AT A DEALER AND COST $1200. I DESCRIBED THE INCIDENT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC, AND HIS FIRST QUESTION WAS, "GM CAR?" IT IS QUITE COMMON AND WELL KNOWN TO MECHANICS.

CAR INITIALLY WOULDN'T START, WOULD ONLY TURN OVER. CAR WOULD DIE IN TRAFFIC AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITH NO WARNING REQUIRING TRYING TO COAST TO A SAFE PLACE OUT OF TRAFFIC IF POSSIBLE WITH A SEVERE POTENTIAL TO BE HIT FROM BEHIND EVEN WITH HAZARD LIGHTS ON. CAR TOWED TO CHEV DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP REPLACED INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. TECH SAID GASKET WAS LEAKING CAUSING ENGINE TO HYDROLOCK. THIRD TIME DRIVING THE CAR SINCE REPAIR, CAR DIED IN TRAFFIC AGAIN ON FREEWAY. CAR IS SETTING AT DEALERSHIP AGAIN WAITING FOR TECHNICIAN TO DIAGNOSE SINCE OBVIOUSLY THE $1200 REPAIR JUST COMPLETED DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM. *TR

I HAVE PURCHASED TWO (2001) CHEVROLET MALIBU'S THAT EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET IS DEFECTIVE WHICH CAUSES ANTIFREEZE TO LEAK. I EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM WITH MY FIRST MALIBU BACK IN 2005. BASED ON DOCUMENTATION OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS THAT I SUBMITTED TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE REPAIR WAS COVERED OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY AND I ONLY PAID THE WARRANTY DEDUCTIBLE. MY SECOND MALIBU WAS PURCHASED USED FROM A NON-GM DEALERSHIP IN THE FALL OF 2005. I PURCHASED THE SECOND CAR DUE TO THE FIRST ONE BEING A TOTAL LOSS IN AN ACCIDENT. I AM NOW EXPERIENCING THE SAME LEAKING GASKET PROBLEM WITH THE SECOND CAR. I CONTACTED GM DIRECTLY TO INQUIRE ABOUT HAVING THE CAR FIXED. THE CAR HAS 103,341 MILES ON IT. REGARDLESS OF THE MILEAGE, THE MECHANICS THAT I HAVE SPOKEN TO SAY THIS IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT BECAUSE THE GASKET(S) ARE CHEAP PLASTIC. AS OF DATE, GM IS NOT WILLING TO COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR WHICH COSTS $700+. THE DEALERSHIP THAT I USE TO SERVICE MY VEHICLE WILL ONLY OFFER A DISCOUNT ON PARTS AND LABOR. THE DEALERSHIP IS NOT AT FAULT. IT IS GM'S RESPONSIBILITY TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE 61 PAGES OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS REFERRING TO THE SAME LEAKING GASKET PROBLEM WITH THE MALIBU. *NM

LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD REPLACEMENT. STARTED LOSING ANTIFREEZE - LEAK ON DRIVEWAY. MECHANIC TRACED THE LEAK WITH DYE TABLETS AND SEALANT TABLETS -- AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS I TOOK IT CHEV. DEALER AND THEY TESTED EVERYTHING AND REPLACED THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD AND WAS TOLD THIS MODEL CAR HAD MANIFOLD PROBLEMS. IT COST ME $990. I HAD THIS WORK DONE ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND THOUGHT MAYBE WITH THE OTHER MALIBU'S HAVING PROBLEMS THERE MIGHT BE A RECALL -- I'M WAITING. *JB

THE CAR MADE A HORRIBLE KNOCKING NOISE SHORTLY AFTER I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW. 5 DIFFERENT DEALERS STATED THAT THE TEFLON FROM THE ROCKER ARMS IN THE ENGINE WORE OUT AND THATW AS WHAT WAS MAKING THE AWFUL NOISE. ITWAS COSMETIC, SO TO FIX IT WOULD COST A LOT OF MONEY. *AK ALSO, THE INTAKE MANIFOLD ON THE CAR HAS CRACKED CAUSING THE ENGINE/RADIATOR TO LEAK ANIFREEZE OUT THE EXAUST. GM NEEDS TO RECALL THESE CARS BECAUSE OF ALL THE PROBLEMS. I CAN GO ON AND ON WITH MY CAR. I HAVE MAINTAINED IT EVERY 3,000 MILES METICOUSLY AND SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM WITH A CAR THAT ONLY HAS 60,000 MILES.

I HAD TAKEN MY VEHICLE IN TO GET A SIMPLE OIL CHANGE AND WAS INFORMED MY VEHICLE HAS A FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WHICH IS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR COSTING ANY WHERE FROM$ 800-$1000.00 . ON MY SEARCHING THE INTERNET I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT GM CARS ARE HAVING OVER 70,000 MILES. INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKS CAN LEAD TO ANY NUMBER OF VERY SERIOUS, AND EXPENSIVE PROBLEMS. WHILE THE PART ITSELF ISN'T COSTLY, THE LABOR TO REPAIR IS COSTLY. *NM

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE LOW ANTIFREEZE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE ANTIFREEZE HAD TO BE REFILLED ONCE A WEEK. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 46,849. UPDATED 01-15-08. *KB THE WAS INFORMED BY TO MECHANICS, THAT IT WAS COMMON WITH THIS TYPE OF ENGINE. UPDATED 12/12/07. *JB

DEFECTIVE GASKETS CAUSES ENGINE COOLANT TO LEAK INTO ENGINE AND MIX WITH ENGINE OIL. COMMON PROBLEM FOR YEARS ON CHEVROLET MALIBU'S AND GM HAS NEVER ISSUED A RECALL. OR CONTACTED CONSUMERS TO NOTIFY THEM OF THIS ISSUE? I HAVE ALWAYS WELL MAINTAINED MY CAR AND DONE SO TO MANUFACTURERS SPECS. THIS IS OBVIOUS DISREGARD FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS. *NM

I HAVE A 2001 CHEVY MALIBU, WITH 51000 MILES MY COOLANT LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. I TOOK IT TO THE GARAGE. THE MECHANIC FILLED THE COOLANT. TWO MONTHS PASSED AND THE COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. THE MECHANIC FILLED THE COOLANT AND I MADE AN APPOINTMENT. IT TURNED OUT, THE COOLANT WAS LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE. I WAS INFORMED MY CAR HAD A FAULTY MANIFOLD GASKET. IT COST ME $600.00 TO HAVE MY CAR REPAIRED. I HOPE THERE IS A RECALL SOON. I HERE THAT MANY GM VEHICLES HAVE THIS PROBLEM. *NM

I NEED TO KNOW WHO I CAN SPEAK WITH IN REGARDS TO GM HAVING A RECALL ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FOR 2000/2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU'S. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE MANAGER AT ADVANCED AUTO PARTS THAT SEVERAL MALIBU OWNERS COME IN TO PURCHASE COOLANT, AS WELL AS MYSELF, AS OUR GASKET IS LEAKING, WHICH CAUSES US TO HAVE TO REFILL AT LEAST EVERY OTHER MONTH OR SOONER. I HAVE ALSO CHECKED ONLINE AND THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, TO THE POINT THAT I FELT A RECALL SHOULD BE DONE. SOME INDIVIDUALS NOTED THAT THEY CONTACTED THEIR CAR DEALER AND THE GASKET WAS CHANGED TO A NEWER ONE THAT THEY ARE USING IN THE NEWER CARS. HOWEVER, I CONTACTED MY DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO, AS THERE ARE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. I NEED SOMEONE TO CONTACT ME ASAP REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. IT'S NOT FAIR TO MYSELF, THE CONSUMER, TO HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO GET THIS MANUFACTURER DEFECT CORRECTED. TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM FOR IT NOT BE RECALLED. PLEASE, PLEASE CONTACT ME AT [XXX]. THANK YOU FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION TO MY CONCERN. *NM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED A PUDDLE WAS NOTICED UNDER THE ENGINE. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THERE WAS A FAULTY INTAKE GASKET. A NEW GASKET NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WHEN AN OIL CHANGE WAS PERFORMED BY AN INDEPENDENT SERVICE DEALER, A COOLANT LEAK WAS FOUND ON THE ENGINE NEXT TO THE INTAKE GASKET. A SECOND OPINION WAS SOUGHT AT ANOTHER INDEPENDENT SERVICE DEALERS AND WHEN THE LEAK WAS CONFIRMED, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO ADD COOLANT TO THE VEHICLE. THE INTERIOR OF THE WINDOWS WERE COATED BY THE COOLANT VAPOR, ENTERING THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE VENTILATION SYSTEM.

AFTER HAVING TO REFILL MY ENGINE COOLANT ON A REGULAR BASIS I FINALLY TOOK MY 2001 CHEVY MALIBU INTO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. I EXPECTED A LEAKY HOSE BUT FOUND OUT THE PROBLEM WAS A FAILED INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET CAUSING THE COOLANT TO DRAIN INTO THE ENGINE. THE DEALER GUARANTEED ME THAT IF I DIDN'T PERFORM THE $900 REPAIR THAT THE ENGINE WAS SHOT, AND THAT THE ODDS OF SAVING THE ENGINE EVEN AFTER THE REPAIR WERE ONLY 50/50. THE OTHER OPTIONS I WAS GIVEN WERE TO COMPLETELY REBUILD THE ENGINE ($3000+) OR "CUT MY LOSES AND TRADE IT IN NOW." AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM, RESULTING FROM DEFECTIVE GASKETS, THAT CHEVROLET HAS DONE NOTHING TO REMEDY.*JB

MY 2001 CHEVY MALIBU HAS STARTED LEAKING COOLANT. THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT HAS COME ON, GONE OFF, COME ON AND GONE OFF. WHEN I CHECK THE RESERVE, THE LEVEL IS SO LOW IT'S EMPTY. AFTER PURCHASING, SO FAR 6 GALLONS, OF DEXCOOL AND MIXING IT ACCORDING TO THE DIRECTIONS EACH TIME, THE COOLANT LASTED A SHORTER AND SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME. THE TEMP. WARNING LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING AND RINGING, THEN WENT OFF AND THE TEMP WENT DOWN. I TOOK IT TO FIRESTONE, WHERE I JUST HAD THE CAR INSPECTED. NOW I'M BEING TOLD THAT THE MANIFOLD INTAKE GASKET IS BAD AND THE REPAIRS WILL COST ME $1023.00 AFTER DOING RESEARCH ON THE PROBLEM, IT SEEMS THAT GM HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THE PLASTIC GASKETS FOR SOME TIME. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE DUE TO AN OVERHEATED ENGINE, A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE BEFORE GM WILL RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM? OR IS THIS HOW MR. GOODWRENCH CAN MAKE SO MANY REPAIRS AND ADVERTISE ABOUT HOW MANY CARS THEY FIX AND MAN HOURS THEY WORK? I LOVED THIS CAR! I BOUGHT IT WITH 5 MILES ON IT(4 OF WHICH I PUT ON DURING THE TEST DRIVE.) A 2001 WITH ONLY 45K MILES? AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO SEES THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURING ISSUE AND THAT GM SHOULD STOP ISSUING "PRIVATE" NOTICES AND RECALL THE CARS FOR PROPER PARTS & SERVICING?*JB

ON TWO OCCASIONS 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU HAS FAILED TO START. *TS ***NO ANSWER REQUIRED*** THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TWICE. DIAGNOSTIC TEST WERE RUN BUT THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO FIND A CAUSE FOR THE PROBLEM EITHER TIME. *NM

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MY 2001 CHEVY MALIBU'S MANIFOLD TWICE, AND I HAVE NOTICE THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE. THIS IS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. *JB

(1) COOLANT LEAKING IMMEDIATELY AFTER PUTTING IT INTO MY VEHICLE. (2) MY CAR HAS OVERHEATED THREE TIMES ON THE FREEWAY. IT WILL NOT ACCELERATE, STARTS VIOLENTLY VIBRATING, THEN SMOKE BELLOWS OUT OF MY HOOD WHEN I FINALLY STOP. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED ON THE FREEWAY THREE TIMES WITH MY TWO-YEAR-OLD IN THE CAR, AS WELL AS MY UNBORN CHILD. (3) I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO A CHEVROLET REPAIR MAN WHO FOUND A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ON THE PROBLEM ISSUED BY CHEVROLET. HE EXPLAINED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS MANUFACTURED CROOKED CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK INTO MY ENGINE AND DILUTE MY OIL WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY BURN MY MOTOR AND RUIN IT COMPLETELY. WHEN I CONTACTED CHEVROLET, THEY WERE VERY UNHELPFUL BOTH TIMES STATING I HAD TO PAY A CHEVY DEALERSHIP TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND THAT THEY MIGHT HELP ME WITH A LITTLE COST ASSISTANCE BUT NOT MUCH. IT IS ABOUT $600 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM THAT IS NOT NORMAL MAINTENANCE OR WEAR-AND-TEAR. IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE E-MAIL ME ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM AFTER POSTING A COMMENT ABOUT IT ON A WEBSITE. *NM

3.11 GM V6 ENGINE HAS A COMMON PROBLEM OF A NOTABLE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAK, WHICH OIL AND COOLANT SYSTEM CONTAMINATES ONE OR THE OTHER OR BOTH. HAD TO GET AN EXTREME ENGINE FLUSH AND FURTHER DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR IS NEEDED. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ENGINE HOT LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE ANTIFREEZE WAS REPLACED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. WHEN ENGINE HOT LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN AND THE ANTIFREEZE WAS REPLACED A SECOND TIME. ON THE THIRD OCCURRENCE, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN WHICH CAUSED THE ANTIFREEZE TO GET INTO THE OIL. THE HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED.

SIX MONTHS INTO DRIVING OUR NEW MALIBU A INTAKE MANIFOLD DEVELOP A SLOW LEAK OF ANTIFREEZE. IN THE WINTER MORE AGGRESSIVE IN THE SUMMER SLOWER. YET IT INCREASED GRADUALLY OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS. I FOUND OUT THIS IS A COMMON MANUFACTURING PROBLEM. THE LEAK GREW SO BAD THAT IT HAD TO BE REPAIRED THIS MONTH. THE LEAKING ANTIFREEZE IS NOT ONLY A DANGER TO THE PARTS IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BUT ALSO THE ENVIRONMENT. THIS IS A POORLY MANUFACTURED PART AND GM SHOULD STAND BEHIND THE REPAIRS. THE TOTAL COST TO PUT A PROPERLY MANUFACTURED GASKET WITH LABOR IS $ 691.25. *JB

MY 2001 MALIBU IS STARTING TO OVER HEAT AND LEAK COOLANT FROM THE ENGINE. I HAVE TO KEEP PUTTING COOLANT IN CONSTANTLY. I WENT TO A MECHANIC, HE STATED IT WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM BUT CHEVROLET/GM WILL NOT RECALL THE PROBLEM. I HAVE A REAL PROBLEM BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY $600 FOR A KNOWN PROBLEM AND IT SHOULD BE RECALLED. I WAS THINKING ABOUT BUY A NEW CHEVY, BUT AFTER THIS ISSUE I WILL NEVER BUY AN AMERICAN CAR AGAIN!!!*JB