2002 Chevrolet Malibu Engine

HAD TO REPLACE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ON 2002 CHEVY MALIBU. WAS INFORMED BY SEVERAL MECHANICS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. *TR

2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU ENGINE SERVICE LIGHT STEADILY ON; INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKS W/ENGINE COOLANT GOING INTO ENGINE. WAS NOTIFIED OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST CHEVROLET FOR MALIBU HAVING THIS PROBLEM, BUT IN ORDER TO OBTAIN SERVICE, THE OWNER MUST HAVE HAD THE PROBLEM AND INCURRED EXPENSE IN OBTAINING REIMBURSEMENT. THE COST OF REPAIRING THIS IS $1500. RESEARCH ON INTERNET INDICATES MANY OTHERS ARE HAVING SAME PROBLEM. *TR

ANTIFREEZE IS GOING BAD AT LOW MILEAGE (75,000 MILES BELOW LIFE EXPECTANCY), BECOMING CAUSTIC, AND CAUSING INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS TO DISSOLVE CAUSING A LEAK, ALSO CAUSING HEAD GASKETS TO LEAK LEADING TO MAJOR ENGINE FAILURE. THIS LEADS TO AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR AT BEST AND ENGINE REPLACEMENT AT WORST. THE ANTI FREEZE IS OBVIOUSLY A BAD FORMULATION AND/OR INTERACTS WITH COMPONENTS TO BECAME CAUSTIC. THIS IS A DEFECT AND REPAIR SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER. IT IS ALL OVER THE INTERNET HOW PREVALENT THIS PROBLEM IS. NO NOTICE TO OWNERS WAS EVER SENT TO REPLACE THE ANTIFREEZE BEFORE IT BECAME CAUSTIC. *TR

CHEVROLET MALIBU INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS" BEGINS TO LEAK ANYWHERE AROUND 80,000 MILES OF DRIVING. THIS CAUSES THE CAR TO LEAK COOLANT, TO OVERHEAT, AND MOTOR WILL LOCK, BURN OUT. THIS CAR WAS NOT EVEN 5 YEARS OLD, AND I HAVE SPOKEN TO OTHER MALIBU OWNERS WHO HAD THIS WORK DONE OF THEIR CARS COSTING $500.00 TO $700.00 I FELT AS THOUGH THE MANUFACTURER NEEDED TO IMPROVE THIS GASKET AND REPLACE THE CARS THAT ALREADY HAD THIS DEFECTIVE PART. *AK

GM V6 DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED, CAUSING COOLANT TO DISAPPEAR THROUGH ENGINE OR INTO ENGINE OIL. CAUSES ENGINE TO OVERHEAT, AND POSSIBLE SEVER INTERNAL DAMAGE. LAST FAILURE WAS ON 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU AT 39000 MILES,IT FAILED 2 TIMES ON 1998 PONTIAC MONTANA UNDER 80000 MILES, FAILED 2 TIMES ON 2000 CHEVROLET VENTURE UNDER 80000 MILES. FAILED 1 TIME ON 2002 MALIBU. MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF DEFECT, BUT DID NOT TELL CUSTOMER. *AK

(1) 2002 CHEVY MALIBU. 3100 V6 ENGINE. GASKET FAILURE/FACTORY DEFAULT. (2) ONLY 22,200 MILES, AND INTAKE GASKET HAS FAILED. (3) WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, IS A GM FACTORY RECALL TO FIX THIS ISSUE. *TR

ENGINE COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON. I REPLACED 1/2 GALLON OF COOLANT. AT MY NEXT OIL CHANGE, I NOTICED AN ORANGE GEL ON MY OIL CAP. I FIGURED IT WAS AN INTERNAL COOLANT LEAK; THEREFORE, IT WAS PROBABLY A HEAD GASKET LEAK. I TOOK MY CAR TO LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN DETERMINED IT WAS AN INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAK. IF THE GASKET WAS NOT REPLACED PROMPTLY, THE ENGINE OIL WOULD FAIL TO LUBRICATE THE ENGINE PROPERLY. THE RESULT COULD BE CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. 8JB

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU, WHICH WAS PURCHASED ON 02/28/2007, AND WORKED WELL UNTIL 03/16/2007 WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON. ON 03/23/2007 THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, AND WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND THE DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO TURN ON SINCE THAT TIME. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A 3 YEAR WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,700 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,667. *AK

2002 CHEVY MALIBU (85,000 MILES) = APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AGO ENGINE OVERHEATED AND "NEED COOLANT" LIGHT CAME ON. OWNER REFILLED COOLANT. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER "COOLANT" LIGHT AGAIN CAME ON AND OWNER REFILLED COOLANT. NO VISIBLE LEAK OF COOLANT WAS NOTICED UNDER VEHICLE. AT NEXT OIL CHANGE OWNER ASKED TECHNICIAN TO CHECK COOLANT AND TECHNICIAN NOTED THAT EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE, NO DISCERNIBLE LEAK. JULY 2006 ENGINE COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON, OWNER REFILLED, THIS OCCURRED AGAIN IN LATE AUGUST AND AGAIN IN OCTOBER. DECEMBER 22, 2006, OWNER HAD OIL CHANGE AND ASKED TECHNICIAN ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE TECHNICIAN SUGGESTED THAT CHEVROLETS REGULARLY GET AIR BUBBLES IN THE COOLANT SYSTEM AND OFTEN HAVE PROBLEMS WITH COOLANT BECAUSE OF IT. HE CHECKED THE COOLANT PRESSURE, HE SAID IT WAS NORMAL AND SUGGESTED TO DO A FLUSH AND FILL, THE OWNER AGREED. ON DEC. 26, 2006, THE COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND THE OWNER ADDED ADDITIONAL COOLANT. ON DEC. 29, 2006, OWNER TOOK VEHICLE TO A CHEVROLET DEALER SERVICE CENTER. THE TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THE VEHICLE TO HAVE A DAMAGED INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. THE CHEVROLET SERVICE CENTER PERFORMED THE SERVICE AND REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ON DEC. 30, 2006. *NM

AT 62,000 MILES I NOTICED THAT MY ENGINE COOLANT LIGHT WAS ON. I FILLED THE COOLANT. THE LIGHT CONTINUED TO COME ON AND I FILLED IT A FEW MORE TIMES, BUT COULD NOT PINPOINT THE LEAK. THEN, I REALIZED THAT THIS WAS THE SAME PROBLEM THAT I HAD EARLIER THIS YEAR WITH MY 2002 CHEVY IMPALA. THE HEAD GASKETS NEEDED REPLACED. I WAS LEAKING WATER INTO MY ENGINE. CAN YOU IMAGINE BUYING TWO NEW CHEVY AUTOMOBILES IN THE SAME YEAR AND 4 YEARS LATER HAVING BOTH ENGINES FAIL FOR THE SAME REASON. SEEMS LIKE CHEVY IS HIDING A MAJOR PROBLEM. I SEE OTHER COMPLAINTS LIKE THIS ON THE INTERNET. I DID NOT CONTACT CHEVY SINCE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. NOW, BECAUSE OF MY INTERNET RESEARCH AND THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY IMPALA, I KNOW THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. SO, I TOOK MY 2002 CHEVY MALIBU AT 62,000 MILES TO THE SAME GARAGE AND THEY WERE ABLE TO REPLACE THE HEAD GASKETS AND GIVE ME A PRICE BREAK AND FIXED IT FOR $252.00. BOO TO CHEVY. *NM

I BOUGHT MY 2002 MALIBU IN 2003 AND SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE HEAD GASKET TWICE. THE FIRST TIME IT WENT THE MILEAGE WAS 74000 NOW IT IS AT 109000 KL AND IT HAS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. *JB

MY 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH DOWN AN INCLINE WHICH LEADS TO A ROTARY. ALL POWER STEERING AND BRAKING ABILITY WERE LOST. THE CAR KEPT GAINING SPEED AS IT DROVE DOWN THE INCLINE. I HAD TO FORCE THE CAR INTO PARK AND USE THE FOOT EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP IT AFTER IT ROLLED THROUGH A STOP SIGN AND UNTO THE ROTARY. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ENGINE INTAKE MANIFOLD ALLOWED OIL TO MIX WITH ANTIFREEZE CAUSING A LEAK. THE ANTIFREEZE MIXTURE ATE THROUGH THE GASKET WHICH RESULTED IN REPLACEMENT OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THIS OCCURRED TWICE IN 10,000 MILES.

3 WEEKS AGO MY 2002 CHEVY MALIBU STARTED TO RUN LIKE #@$% (HESITATION BETWEEN 0- 35 MPH AND GOING UP HILL, LOSS IN POWER, AND SLOW AT CATCHING UP TO FREEWAY SPEED). I HAVE REPLACED SPARK PLUGS, COILS, AND THE EGR VALVE AND THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. WELL, AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION ONLINE, I FOUND OTHER PEOPLE TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND IT TURNS OUT THAT IT'S WITH THEIR CAT CONVERTER. I CAN'T EVEN ORDER THE PART ONLINE BECAUSE OF STRICT EMISSION CONTROL IN CALIFORNIA, I NEED A MECHANIC TO DO IT,GET IT STRAIGHT FROM THE DEALER, OR HAVE AUTO ZONE DO A SPECIAL ORDER FOR ME (I FOUND A MECHANIC THAT WILL DO IT FOR $800). NEXT IS MY HEAD GASKET, WHICH LOOKS LIKE IT HAS TO BE REPLACED. ON 4-8-06 I GOT AN OIL CHANGE AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS OIL IN MY COOLANT RESERVOIR TANK, WHICH MEANS I HAVE AN OIL LEAK. SO NOW I HAVE TO TAKE MY CAR IN AND HAVE THE HEAD GASKET REPLACED WHICH WON'T BE CHEAP EITHER. I LOOKED ONLINE FOR RECALLS AND I CAME UPON THIS WEBSITE WWW.NHTSA.DOT.GOV , I REALIZED THAT OTHER CONSUMERS ALSO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. SO WITH SO MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCING THE SIMILAR PROBLEMS WHY DOESN'T GM DO RECALLS. NOW I MAY NEED TO FORK OUT A COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLARS IF NOT A THOUSAND OR MORE TO FIX (CORRECT) A FAULTY CAT CONVERTER AND HEAD GASKET. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEAD GASKET OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LEAK AT APPROXIMATELY 13000 MILES. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. UPDATED 07/05/06. *JB

CAR STARTED LEAKING ANTI-FREEZE FROM INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ON ENGINE AT 45000 MILES. WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS PROBLEM BUT THAT SINCE THERE WAS NO RECALL I WOULD HAVE TO PAY $900.00 FOR THIS REPAIR OUT OF POCKET. THIS COULD LEAD TO A FIRE AND OVERHEATING ENGINE FAILURE. *NM

ON SEPT. 5, 2006, MY HUSBAND, 2 CHILDREN, AND I WERE DRIVING DOWN A 55 MPH HIGHWAY, WHEN I PUSHED ON THE ACCELERATOR, AND MY CAR JUST DECIDED IT WAS ONLY GOING TO GO 35-45 MPH! LUCKILY, THERE WAS NO ONE BEHIND ME. I HAD TIME TO PUT MY FLASHERS ON AND GET THE CAR DOWN THE ROAD TO THE MECHANIC. I WAS ON A CAR COMPLAINT WEBSITE TRYING TO DISCOVER WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY CAR WHEN I FOUND OUT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE. AT WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM FOR THE 2002 CHEVY MALIBU THERE ARE ABOUT 9 PEOPLE DISCUSSING HOW THEIR ENGINE WAS LEAKING COOLANT. LIKE ME, AT FIRST IT EITHER DIDN'T SHOW THE LEAK, OR IT WAS MINIMAL, AND NOT WORRISOME, WE THOUGHT; HOWEVER, WE (MECHANICS THAT WE ARE NOT) WERE WRONG. SOMEONE SAID THIS REPLACEMENT PART IS $1200+. DEALERS AREN'T HELPING. MY WARRANTY JUST RAN OUT. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M GOING TO DO. I'M 38 YEARS OLD WITH A HEART CONDITION AND I NEED MY CAR, BUT I CAN'T DRIVE IT LIKE IT IS, NOR CAN I AFFORD TO FIX IT. *JB

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET IN THE CONSUMER'S 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU WAS DEFECTIVE. *NM THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER TO SEE ABOUT GETTING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED FREE OF CHARGE. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WOULD NOT BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE REPAIR SHOULD BE COVERED SINCE THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF A PROBLEM WITH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD BECAUSE A BULLETIN WAS ISSUED OCT 24, 2003. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE'S INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET CRACKED WHICH CAUSED ANTIFREEZE TO LEAK ONTO THE ENGINE. THE AUTO BODY SHOP STATED THE LEAK COULD LEAD TO THE ENGINE GETTING LOCKED.

FIRST NOTICED PROBLEM WHEN DRIVING ON FREEWAY AND ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LANE CHANGE VEHICLE DID NOT SPEED AS USUAL AND HAD TO RETURN TO LANE TO AVOID ACCIDENT. WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE FROM A COMPLETE STOP, VEHICLE STRUGGLED FROM 0 TO 25 MPH. WHEN GOING UP BRIDGE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO FASTER THAN 20 MPH. VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE MUCH POWER. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MECHANIC AND REPLACED SENSORS BUT PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF PROBLEM MECHANIC REALIZED THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE REPAIRS HAVE NOT BEEN MADE. I ENTERED THE WEBSITE TO FIND OUT IF THERE ARE ANY RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE FOR THIS PROBLEM (RECOMMENDATION FROM MECHANIC).*JB

1. VEHICLE IS LOW MILEAGE GARAGE KEPT AND WELL MAINTAINED. AN ODOR WAS NOTICEABLE FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. DROVE CAR A FEW MILES AND PARKED, WHEN CAME OUT A HALF AN HOUR LATER. 2. STARTED CAR, TRIED TO TURN ON TO DRIVEWAY TO LEAVE AND HAD NO POWER STEERING. SMELLED BAD. 3. THE KEEFERS AUTO SERVICE RELATED THE AC COMPRESSOR CLUTCH HAD FROZEN UP. THEY REPLACED THIS PART AND RECHARGED THE AC SYSTEM ETC. I BELIEVE THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING IN THE VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY WITH ONLY 11000 MILES, IS VERY SERIOUS AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THIS REPAIR WAS JUST COMPLETED TODAY 4/3/6 SO IF YOU INTERESTED IN THE OLD PARTS OR ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE SERVICE PLEASE CONTACT TOM KEEFER AT KEEFER'S AUTO SALES AND SERVICE (717) 334 2923. HE IS VERY NICE AND REPUTABLE. *NM

LOW COOLANT LIGHT ON MY 2002 CHEVY MALIBU HAS BEEN COMING ON. THE CHEVY DEALER CHECKED THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT COMING ON, CHECKED FOR LOW COOLANT. FOUND INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKING INTERNALLY. COOLANT MIXING WITH OIL. *NM

TWO WEEKS AGO MY WATER LEVEL LIGHT CAME ON. I ADDED DEXCOOL COOLANT PER MANUFACTURERS RECOMMENDATION. THE LIGHT CONTINUED TO COME ON AND GO OFF FOR APPROX 1 WEEK. I ADDED DEXCOOL COOLANT EACH TIME. AFTER APPROX. 1 WEEK OF DOING THIS, THE LIGHT STOPPED COMING ON. YESTERDAY, WHEN I RETURNED TO MY VEHICLE AFTER WORK, THERE WAS COOLANT IN THE LOT UNDER MY VEHICLE. I FILLED THE RESERVOIR UP AGAIN AND DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME. TODAY, I TOOK THE CAR TO A REPAIR GARAGE WHO INFORMED ME THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE MY LOWER INTAKE GASKET AND THERMOSTAT GASKET AND VALVE COVER GASKET AT A COST OF $890.00. THE MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT GM HAS HAD SEVERAL COMPLAINTS IN REFERENCE TO THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. THEY FIXED FOUR OF THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM IN THE LAST TWO YEARS. APPARENTLY THE PROBLEM IS POSSIBLY DUE TO THE USE OF THE GM-RECOMMENDED DEXCOOL WHICH GM HAS SINCE DISCONTINUED USE OF. *NM

THE LATEST INCIDENT IS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE CAR BEGAN TO HESITATE AT 50-60 MPH AND STARTED LOSING POWER. I TOOK IT IN AND WAS TOLD IT WAS FINE. PICKUP BECAME NON EXISTENT AND THE DEALER FINALLY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AFTER CHANGING THE FUEL FILTER AND OTHER REGULAR MAINTENANCE ITEMS. I LIMPED INTO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST $1600. I TOOK IT TO A GARAGE AND IT COST $150. THE AGGRAVATION WITH THIS CAR IS FRUSTRATING TO SAY THE LEAST. WARNING MALIBU OWNERS...THE CONVERTER IS A KNOWN FAILURE ITEM THEY DON'T WANT US TO KNOW ABOUT!! *JB

IN JANUARY 2004, THE ?LOW COOLANT? LIGHT WENT ON. IT REQUIRED MORE COOLANT TO BE ADDED. THERE WAS NO EXTERNAL LEAKING OF THE ENGINE COOLANT. THE LIGHT WENT ON AGAIN ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER. I TOOK IT TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC AND THE CAP WAS REPLACED. THE LEAK STOPPED. IN FEB. 2005, THE ?LOW COOLANT? LIGHT WENT ON AGAIN AND AGAIN I ADDED COOLANT. TWO WEEKS LATER, THE ?LOW COOLANT? LIGHT WENT ON. THIS TIME I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A CHEVROLET DEALER. I WAS INFORMED BY THE SERVICE DEPT. OF THIS DEALER THAT MY CAR REQUIRED A NEW INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. ALSO, ENGINE COOLANT MIGHT HAVE LEAKED INTO MY ENGINE, SO THE OIL AND TRANSMISSION FLUID REQUIRED FLUSHING AND FILTERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT INFORMED ME THAT IT NEEDED TO BE DONE IMMEDIATELY OTHERWISE SERIOUS DAMAGE COULD BE DONE TO MY ENGINE. I HAD THE SERVICE DONE AS I THOUGHT CONTINUING TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE MIGHT HAVE POSED A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. SO THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND MY COST WAS $1,700.00. I PHONED CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THIS REPAIR IS CONSIDERED ?NORMAL MAINTENANCE? AND I NEEDED TO COVER THE ENTIRE PRICE OF THE REPAIR. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE OF THE VEHICLE, NEGLECTING TO HAVE THE NECESSARY SERVICE COMPLETED MAY HAVE RESULTED IN PERMANENT DAMAGE LIKE THE ENGINE CEASING TO WORK. I THINK THE ENGINE CEASING WHILE IN OPERATION MIGHT CAUSE A SLIGHT SAFETY HAZARD TO MYSELF, PASSENGERS IN THE CABIN AS WELL AS OTHER VEHICLES IN THE VICINITY OF MINE.*AK