2001 Chevrolet Malibu Electrical System Problems

THE BLINKERS RANDOMLY WORK; MOST LIKELY NEEDS A NEW HAZARD SWITCH. THE CAR'S TEMPERATURE GAUGE WOULD RISE WHEN SITTING IN IDLE; NEEDED A NEW WATER PUMP AND THERMOSTAT AS OF 11/2020.

WHEN STARTING THE MALIBU THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS ILLUMINATE AND WHEN THE KEY IS TURNED TO START THE CAR THE LIGHTS GO OUT AND THE FUEL GAUGE DROPS TO ZERO OR EMPTY AND THE CAR WILL NOT START. THIS PROBLEM ALSO OCCURS WHEN DRIVING THE CAR AND THE IGNITION SYSTEM SHUTS DOWN LEAVING YOU WITH NO STEERING ASSIST AND THE ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING. SO THIS PROBLEM IS BOTH IN A STANDING START AND WHILE OPERATING THE CAR. I HAD INITIALLY BROUGHT THE CAR TO DEVAN LOWE GM DEALER AND SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR REPAIRS AND THEY DISCOVERED THE FUEL PUMP WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THEY REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND THE PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION IS STILL PERSISTING. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS CONDITION FOR THE DRIVER AND OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD. I WOULD REQUEST THAT GMC HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEVAN LOWE SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR TROUBLESHOOTING PURPOSES IN COORDINATION WITH GM TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT AND REACH A RESOLUTION AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AND ISSUE A RECALL FOR ALL AFFECTED CARS.

VEHICLE STARTS AND FULLY OPERATES PROPERLY FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD OF TIME, THEN IT STALLS ABRUPTLY (AND AT VERY EMBARRASSING AND PERILOUS TIMES). WHEN IT DOES, ALL THE GAUGES ARE NON-OPERATIONAL, WITH THE FUEL GAGE READING, EMPTY. VEHICLE WILL CRANK BUT WILL NOT RESTART. AFTER A PERIOD (AS LONG AS HALF AN HOUR) THE FUEL GAGE WILL JUMP TO ITS PROPER LEVEL, AND ONLY THEN WILL THE VEHICLE RESTART AND RUN FOR YET ANOTHER INDETERMINATE PERIOD. THIS HAS BEEN AN ON-GOING PROBLEM FOR MONTHS, BEFORE I WAS MADE AWARE OF POTENTIAL RE-CALLS ON THIS VEHICLE.

TURN SIGNALS DO NOT WORK INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY WILL WORK OR NOT WORK. IT CAN HAPPEN ANY PLACE, AND TIME. DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. BELOW DATE IS THE MOST RECENT TIME IT HAPPENED. WILL FOR LONG TIME, THEN OUT OF NO WHERE, TURN SIGNAL WILL NOT WORK. THEN WORK AGAIN, UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S PASS LOCK SYSTEM FAILED AND SHUT OFF THE FUEL PUMP. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 65 MPH, THE PASS LOCK SYSTEM WOULD SHUT OFF THE FUEL PUMP SYSTEM, WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SEIZE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH JAMES CHEVROLET OF JOHNSTOWN (108 S COMRIE AVE, JOHNSTOWN, NY 12095, 518-762-5555) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY COULD REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE PASS LOCK SYSTEM. THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED A COST ESTIMATE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V400000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED FRIENDLY CHEVROLET (7501 HWY 65 NE, FRIDLEY, MN 55432, (612) 276-2955), BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. AFTER INSERTING THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION SWITCH, THE VEHICLE REMAINED IN THE THEFT MODE AND THE ENGINE COULD NOT BE STARTED. THE CONTACT ALSO INDICATED THAT THE KEY WOULD SOMETIMES BECOME STUCK INSIDE THE IGNITION SWITCH AND, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE HAZARD AND TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS WOULD NOT OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 205,000.

2001 CHEVY MALIBU WON'T START IN AUGUST, 2013 CAR WOULD NOT START. IT WAS TRYING TO TURN OVER, BUT WOULD NOT. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED IN TO DEALER. THEY FOUND PASSLOCK SENSOR NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THEY REPLACED CYLINDER KIT (INCLUDED PASSLOCK SENSOR) AND IGNITION SWITCH. PAID $800. IN OCT. 2, 2017, CAR WOULD NOT START IN PARKING LOT. SAME THING HAPPENED. AS BEFORE, BATTERY WAS NOT AN ISSUE. TOWED TO SAME DEALER. THEY SAID SECURITY SYSTEM GOT SET SOME HOW. THEY REPROGRAMMED THE SYSTEM. SAID IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN, MAY HAVE TO PUT IN NEW SYSTEM. PAID $125. DEC. 2, 2017 IT HAPPENED AGAIN. CAR WOULD NOT START IN GARAGE. THIS TIME, AFTER FINDING ON-LINE FROM MANY POSTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM, FOUND A WAY TO GET THE CAR STARTED (10 MINUTE WAIT FOR THE 'ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM' LIGHT TO GO OUT. -THIS MAY HAVE BEEN THE SAME WAY THE DEALER STARTED THE CAR IN OCT.) THIS TIME DEALER SAID NEED PASSLOCK SENSOR REPLACED, AGAIN. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN ANOTHER $500+. SINCE CAR WAS RUNNING, AND AFTER READING WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT ISSUE, DECLINED REPAIR AT THE TIME. HAVE SEEN HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ON NUMEROUS BLOGS AND WEBSITES, INCLUDING NTSHA, ON JUST THIS SPECIFIC CAR AND SPECIFIC ISSUE (2001 MALIBU WON'T START). MANY OF THEM SAYING THE PASSLOCK SENSOR DOES NOT LAST VERY LONG (SOMETIMES FAILS IN 2-4 MONTHS). ALSO SAW SAME PROBLEM ON NUMEROUS OTHER YEARS OF MALIBU, AND OTHER GM CARS. WITH ALL OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE SYSTEM, THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL OF AT LEAST THE PASSLOCK SENSOR. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, WHETHER OR NOT THERE HAVE BEEN ANY INJURIES OR DEATHS. SOMEONE COULD BE FOLLOWED TO THEIR CAR AND/OR ATTACKED LATE AT NIGHT IN A PARKING LOT, OR ALONG A STREET, NOT ABLE TO DRIVE AWAY. IT COULD BE VERY SERIOUS. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE FIXED. PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL.

IN NOV 2017 MY 2001 MALIBU WAS STARTING TO OVER HEAT DO I REACHED THE THERMOSTAT I AM STILL HAVING ISSUES WITH THE CAR GETTING TO HOT I HAVE TO ALWAYS PUT MY HEATER ON DEFROST HOT AND ON AND THE FAN ON WHICH ONLY GOES UP TO NUMBER 3 AND THERE ARE HIGHER SETTINGS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IF I HAVE TO REPLACE THE MANIFOLD GASKET . AND I'VE BEEN DURING DEXCOOL COOLANT . IS THERE A RECALL YET? IF NOT WHY? I HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS .

2ND CYLINDER IS MISFIRING AND SOMETHING SEEMS TO BE LEAKING ANTIFREEZE, CAUSING MY ENGINE TO OVERHEAT, WHICH I SEE IS A LARGE ISSUE IN CHEVY MALIBUS. MY TURN SIGNAL/HAZARDS ALSO DON'T WORK 85% OF THE TIME, WHICH IS A RECALL FOR MY MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR (CHEVROLET, MALIBU, 2001) BUT NOT MY VIN NUMBER. ANOTHER ISSUE I SEE IS MY LEFT HEADLIGHT SHINES OUT FROM THE SIDE, WHICH I ALSO SAW TO BE AN ISSUE IN SEVERAL OF THE SAME MODELS OF MY CAR. KEEP IN MIND I BOUGHT IT RECENTLY, USED, SO THE DATE I NOTICED THE ISSUES WAS FAIRLY RECENT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. UPON ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, IT FAILED TO START AND THE THEFT SYSTEM WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL IN ORDER TO HAVE IT PUSHED HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC OR DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE CONTACT RESEARCHED THE FAILURE ONLINE AND FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE FAULTY THEFT SYSTEM WITH THE CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED RANDOMLY. THE CONTACT READ ONLINE TO PLACE THE IGNITION IN THE RUN POSITION FOR TEN MINUTES BEFORE STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,450.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU CLASSIC. AFTER INSERTING THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. IN ADDITION, THE TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD LIGHTS WOULD RANDOMLY NOT OPERATE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING AND THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU CLASSIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED AND THE ANTI-THEFT LOCK WARNING SENSOR ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE ANTI-THEFT LOCK SENSOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE ANTI THEFT SECURITY HAS A DEFECT. THE CAR WILL ENTER INTO ANTI-THEFT MODE AND YOU CAN'T START THE CAR FOR 10 MINUTES AFTER YOU PUT IN THE ON POSITION ,THEN YOU TO WAIT 5 SECONDS AND THEN START THE CAR. YOU CAN BUY A AFTERMARKET MODULE TO GET AROUND THIS PROBLEM FOR $300,IT IS A $1000 REPAIR AT DEALER.MY DAUGHTER IS 4 MONTHS PREGNANT AND IS DRIVING THIS CAR NOW. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU CLASSIC. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP, IT STALLED AND THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH A SENSOR RELATED TO THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 98,000.

THE AC BUTTON TURNS ITSELF OFF FREQUENTLY DURING OPERATION AND WON'T TURN BACK ON UNTIL IT CHOOSES TO DO SO. REPAIR IS OVER $300 BECAUSE BEING A FAULTY BUTTON REQUIRES TOTAL REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE BUTTON PANEL. (HAVE SEEN SIMILAR COMPLAINTS LODGE.) THIS PROBLEM OCCURS REGARDLESS OF WHETHER DRIVING OR STATIONARY (PARKED).

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU CLASSIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE KEY WAS REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH AND ON OCCASIONS THE KEY COULD NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. THE CONTACT ALSO INDICATED THAT THE GAUGES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD FAIL TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAILURES WERE DUE TO A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU CLASSIC. WHILE STATIONARY, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START WHEN PROMPTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ANTI-THEFT SECURITY INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED THREE TIMES BY AN UNKNOWN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE IGNITION WAS REPLACED, THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM WAS REPROGRAMMED, AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED AFTER EACH REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 85,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIRS WERE MADE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.