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Scared to keep my 2010 past warranty

6K views 17 replies 6 participants last post by  greenman 
#1 ·
I went to return a 2013 LS loaner and pick up my car from service yesterday. It was in for a follow up on front end noise over bumps. 2 weeks ago they replaced a RF strut, right tie rod, and axle seal and did an alignment. I thought I still heard a slight popping sound from the LF. Nothing was found. The service runner brings up my car to the service exit and shuts it off. He sees me walking up so he tries to restart it. It would not start after 3 tries. Back home with another loaner I went. I like my car and had planned on keeping it. Now I am scared to keep it after the warranty is up. It only has 31,000 mi. Here is my sevice list so far excluding oil changes and tire rotations:

1. Air bag recall
2. Intermittent engine tapping noise at start up. First visit they replaced the cam solenoids, Second visit the cam phasers. Problem solved
3. Shift cable recall
4. Front end noise at slow speed over bumps as explained above
5. And now it wont start

I like the 2013 but after this I'm not sure about the quality. I may wait to see how the 2014 redesign goes.
 
#3 ·
Hey there...I read your post & I cannot believe it! I thought I was the only one out there with a brand new (well practically brand new) Chevrolet....that just seems to be more of a nuisance than a dependable vehicle to feel safe in! I'm really sorry to hear about all of your troubles with your Malibu & I hope they DO get the car running smoothly again soon.

As for me, I have a 2010 Malibu LT...I bought it brand new from a Chevy Dealership. I didn't want to go through the hassle of getting a loan & having car payments, so I just bought the car. I wanted a new, dependable, warrantied car...that was gonna keep me & my daughter safe on the New England roads, especially in the winter! Anyhow, fast fwd....

I didn't get to enjoy my "new" car for very long. :( When I took it in for the 2nd oil change at my dealership (where I purchased the car) the service 'boy' who took my keys to move it into the garage, actually got into a collision with a Surburban that happened to be barreling through the lot as he was backing it out of the spot. I guess he didn't take the time to look both ways. Needless to say, he was 'let go.' My car was sent to the Collision Center to be repaired, free of charge (the entire rear bumper had to be replaced and one of the tailights, and some other minor stuff. They also provided me with a loaner car. I was quite upset, but at least they took care of everything for me.

Well, wasn't long after that, I started having problems w/the car.....one of them being the noise you had described when you drive over a bump! It is quite a rivoting feeling when it happens....it urks me to the core....I've tried to tell my dealership about it & they just look at me like I have six heads! They ended up saying that my brake pads needed dusting....there's a name for it, I just forget what it is (and it costs a pretty penny, too) but I refused it, as I know enough about cars to know that it DEF WAS NOT DIRTY BRAKE PADS!
So anyways, besides other minor things like radio wires somehow not being connected anymore, windshield wiper settings being outta whack, paint chipping off the seams of the car & a recall here & there....it seemed as if things were going pretty well for the next 36,000 miles. And then....the "bomb" dropped! The car wouldn't shift into gear & the engine made a noise like a high-pitched power-drill (that's the only way I can think to descibe it....sorry, I'm a girl....can't get too descriptive). Now, mind you....I've mentioned to the dealership numerous times about it "slipping" while trying to shift into 3rd and 4th, but they just replied with "oh yea, it's the way the new cars are now....these new engines are electric transmissions....they have to get used to the way YOU drive the car." OKay, so I guess it was MY fault then....:( then they said I'm better off just waiting for something to happen because it would be covered under my warranty! Well, what do you know, it HAD to happen in the dead of winter, right before Christmas! It was a nightmare!

So my car was towed, in the dealership for a week, diagnosed....they said it was the solonoids....well, they were wrong! Had to keep it another week & order a whole new transmission! Got it back and guess what? It's now February & my car is out in my parking lot, in non-drivable condition! SAME THING AS BEFORE!!! When the car gets up to 20mph & tries to shift, the entire car starts to shake...it's so scary! I'm terrified to drive my own car, that I threw down close to $32,000 on the table for, hoping I could keep me & my daughter safe....in this so-called #1 selling automobile!

I was gonna have it towed this morning back to the dealership, but to be honest with you, I'm not even sure I want to go back there! I just don't know what to do!!! :( :( :(
 
#4 ·
Well good news is it sounds like your both still under power train warranty and I hope it works out the best for both of you.With that being said we have to remember cars are mechanical and things do go bad and wear out and people that build them,work on them and design them are human and we as humans do make mistakes.My eco just turned 10k and I have just been waiting to see what happens(be it parts malfunction or human error). The uncertainty of not knowing when and where this will happen can drive you crazy.All I have to say is I have a great dealership and have bought most of my vehicles through and they take care of pretty much any issue i have so hopefully yours takes care of your problems and makes things right again.If not time to find a new one who will
 
#7 ·
My cars B2B warranty is up at the end of this month. I purchased an extended warranty from my dealer that kicks in after that. It extends the B2B for 5yr/75000mi. Your right about the mechanical and wear out but I just cant believe my car needed a strut and a tie rod this soon. I baby my car and go slow over bumps and RR tracks. The no start is even more unexpected at this point. I hope you have good luck with your new car. I think there may be a conspiracy between service and sales at my dealer. They are hoping I get real comfortable in these 2013 loaners and buy one :D j/k. I am liking them more and more each day I drive them (wife does too) and its getting harder to say no to a trade in.
 
#5 ·
Hey there...I read your post & I cannot believe it! I thought I was the only one out there with a brand new (well practically brand new) Chevrolet....that just seems to be more of a nuisance than a dependable vehicle to feel safe in! I'm really sorry to hear about all of your troubles with your Malibu & I hope they DO get the car running smoothly again soon.

As for me, I have a 2010 Malibu LT...I bought it brand new from a Chevy Dealership. I didn't want to go through the hassle of getting a loan & having car payments, so I just bought the car. I wanted a new, dependable, warrantied car...that was gonna keep me & my daughter safe on the New England roads, especially in the winter! Anyhow, fast fwd....

I didn't get to enjoy my "new" car for very long. :( When I took it in for the 2nd oil change at my dealership (where I purchased the car) the service 'boy' who took my keys to move it into the garage, actually got into a collision with a Surburban that happened to be barreling through the lot as he was backing it out of the spot. I guess he didn't take the time to look both ways. Needless to say, he was 'let go.' My car was sent to the Collision Center to be repaired, free of charge (the entire rear bumper had to be replaced and one of the tailights, and some other minor stuff. They also provided me with a loaner car. I was quite upset, but at least they took care of everything for me.

Well, wasn't long after that, I started having problems w/the car.....one of them being the noise you had described when you drive over a bump! It is quite a rivoting feeling when it happens....it urks me to the core....I've tried to tell my dealership about it & they just look at me like I have six heads! They ended up saying that my brake pads needed dusting....there's a name for it, I just forget what it is (and it costs a pretty penny, too) but I refused it, as I know enough about cars to know that it DEF WAS NOT DIRTY BRAKE PADS!
So anyways, besides other minor things like radio wires somehow not being connected anymore, windshield wiper settings being outta whack, paint chipping off the seams of the car & a recall here & there....it seemed as if things were going pretty well for the next 36,000 miles. And then....the "bomb" dropped! The car wouldn't shift into gear & the engine made a noise like a high-pitched power-drill (that's the only way I can think to descibe it....sorry, I'm a girl....can't get too descriptive). Now, mind you....I've mentioned to the dealership numerous times about it "slipping" while trying to shift into 3rd and 4th, but they just replied with "oh yea, it's the way the new cars are now....these new engines are electric transmissions....they have to get used to the way YOU drive the car." OKay, so I guess it was MY fault then....:( then they said I'm better off just waiting for something to happen because it would be covered under my warranty! Well, what do you know, it HAD to happen in the dead of winter, right before Christmas! It was a nightmare!

So my car was towed, in the dealership for a week, diagnosed....they said it was the solonoids....well, they were wrong! Had to keep it another week & order a whole new transmission! Got it back and guess what? It's now February & my car is out in my parking lot, in non-drivable condition! SAME THING AS BEFORE!!! When the car gets up to 20mph & tries to shift, the entire car starts to shake...it's so scary! I'm terrified to drive my own car, that I threw down close to $32,000 on the table for, hoping I could keep me & my daughter safe....in this so-called #1 selling automobile!

I was gonna have it towed this morning back to the dealership, but to be honest with you, I'm not even sure I want to go back there! I just don't know what to do!!! :( :( :(

Hi velocity5 and LuckyIrish35,
If you would like me to look into your situations further for you please let me know. Please include your contact info, VIN, mileage and name of dealer with any inquiries. I'm more than happy to help!

Thank you,
Sara
Chevrolet Customer Service
 
#6 ·
Thank you Sara. I am confident that my dealer will figure out the problem. Sorry to hear about your problems LuckyIrish35. Is there another dealership you could take your car to? There is a local Chevrolet dealership in my small town but I choose to drive an hour to one with much better service.
 
#8 ·
In the back of your dealership the sales and service guys do conspire,next thing you know something will just not feel right or feel as good as the 13 and back you'll go the dealer and there's that shiny new 13 sitting there with all the new toys.Then all they gotta do is reel you in.LOL
 
#9 ·
Well they have had my car now for over a week and no word on it yet. I know it wasnt a scheduled appointment so it may have been set aside if they were busy. I'm debating weather to call and check on its status or wait for them to contact me. I was hoping Greenman would chime in here for a possible reason for the sudden no start. It cranked but would not fire. The service writer verified there was plenty of gas in it.
 
#12 ·
A week is too long to not have updated you. I wouldn't hesitate to call & chastise your service advisor after not hearing anything for that long. It's very possible the problem is so intermittent they are having trouble isolating it. Or maybe they are waiting on a part from a GM warehouse. Either way, there's no excuse for not calling you. Since the issue only showed itself after a service visit, odds are pretty high that it was something they did.

I was very lucky & hit the jackpot when I first dropped mine off for service. My dealer's service advisor (same guy for 3 years now) is the definition of what a good SA should be. I wish they'd clone him.
 
#10 ·
In simplest terms there are 3 legs to any fire: fuel, spark, oxygen. Like a 3-legged stool, if any one of them is missing it won't work. They just need to find out what IS and what is NOT there and work on making that stool stand on its own.

I'd call 'em. It's been a week and you just want a status check. Heck, you've come here stating as much, might as well call 'em and ask, even if just out of morbid curiosity! ;)

I hope they figure it out, or better yet, keep the car and put you in a whole new one. Keep us posted!
 
#14 ·
Thanks Greenman. Your right that they should have called me by now. I was afraid that if I call and they were not able to duplicate the no start or find a code they may just tell me to come and get it. I made it clear before I left that if they failed to duplicate the problem or if no code was found I wanted a thorough explanation. I shouldn't have to be paranoid of my car leaving me stranded. I was assured they would get to the bottom of this. The 2013 loaner remains in my driveway ;)
 
#15 ·
I just got off the phone with the dealer. I was told they have not been able to duplicate the no start. It did have a code for being flooded. The sevice writer blamed the service runner kid may have pushed on the gas pedal. Is this possible with fuel injection?
 
#16 ·
I just got off the phone with the dealer. I was told they have not been able to duplicate the no start. It did have a code for being flooded. The service writer blamed the service runner kid may have pushed on the gas pedal. Is this possible with fuel injection?
There is no code for being flooded. FI systems are computer-controlled & can't be flooded in that manner. He either doesn't understand the first thing about modern cars or he is BSing you. I'll leave it to you to decide which.

That said, a very intermittent crank/no start can be tricky to find. Since it has only happened once, I'd get the car & drive it. If it happens again, use GM Roadside Assistance to tow it to a dealer. I believe they will want to tow it to the closest dealer but maybe you can convince them you have reason not to trust that one.
 
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