Well its now one year that I have my Malibu LTZ and here are some stats:

Mileage= 8890
Average miles per gallon 18.3
Average speed I drive is 70mph
Average miles I drive a week 150
Average gallons used per week 8.5 to 9.0
Uses about half a tank a week at about $30.00 per fillup.

Maintenance - 3 oil oil changes, 1 pair of wiper blades,computer adjustments to my tranny setting, new headliner, new k&a air filter and an inspection.

Over all the car has been good. The ride is still stiff, despite all the Brooklyn NY pot holes. I love the power of the V6, I think its rediculous chevy is getting away from it.

I just renewed my Onstar (basic plan) last night and paid 149.00. You need to ask for it at that price.

Here are the things I wish GM would improve:

1- Put a light in the glove box.
2- Tilt and telescope stearing (The tilt stearing now is a joke).
3- Better tires -- these LS2 do a lot of sliding !
4- Get rid of drive by wire, go back to the old cable to throttle system.
5- Headlight bulb replacement -- this has to be the biggest negative for this car -- either they should design it diffrently where a person can change the bulb with out ripping apart the car or give the option of HID headlights when you buy the car.
I blame my self for this , I should of researched it better, if I did ,I wouldn't of bought the car. I feel its an added expence an owner doesen't need.

Other than these issues I think the car is pretty good, but again its the first year. Let see how the front wheel drive system and the strut mounts hold up going on year 2. I will keep you posted.

Bedbug,

Nice write up. I agree with you on the light in the glove box, crappy tilt steering and the headlight replacement issue.

Tires aren't a concern yet for me as I have the 4-cylinder with the 17" Firestones.

You are so lucky with the few miles you run. I am over 400 kms/wk (250 miles). My car is only 7 months old and I have more mileage than you :(

One other thing I hate about this car is that I can't figure out how to rotate my tires! There is only one jack point by each wheel. How do I jack up the car and slip a jack stand underneath to allow me to pull out the jack and move to the other wheel on the same side? There is no spot to put the jack stand while the jack is still under the car! On my other vehicles, I found a place to jack in the middle between the front and rear tires. I could jack up here and put jack stands up near the wheels for safety while I switched front to back. No such place exists unless you want to crack and destroy your side skirts :mad:

Bedbug,
1- AMEN!
2- I like the telescope but the "tilt" is more like "height". A true tilt would rotate the actual steering wheel, not the whole column. (This design is a lesser copy of the Toyota version, which also sucks even though it's better.)
3- AMEN again! The LS2 tires on my '09 scared me if it was less than dry, and these are exactly the same. Keeps the CAFE numbers high at the cost of increasing the risk to life for me and others.
4- Yeah, I wish that, too, but you know it ain't gonna happen. I've seen the Power Block series of TV shows and on one of them they have this Boost device that improves the response. I'd like to see if there's one that fits the 'Bu, but the way things go for this car in the aftermarket, I doubt one will ever be made.
5- I don't know the name of the idgit that dreamed up hiding the headlights, turn signals, and side markers behind a body panel, but that person (or team) needs some serious remedial edu-mah-kay-shun!

I also have 2010 LTZ V6 close to one year at 10,000 miles. Average 20.3 mpg and DIC has never been reset, little suprised by your mpg.

Bedbug,

Nice write up. I agree with you on the light in the glove box, crappy tilt steering and the headlight replacement issue.

Tires aren't a concern yet for me as I have the 4-cylinder with the 17" Firestones.

You are so lucky with the few miles you run. I am over 400 kms/wk (250 miles). My car is only 7 months old and I have more mileage than you :(

One other thing I hate about this car is that I can't figure out how to rotate my tires! There is only one jack point by each wheel. How do I jack up the car and slip a jack stand underneath to allow me to pull out the jack and move to the other wheel on the same side? There is no spot to put the jack stand while the jack is still under the car! On my other vehicles, I found a place to jack in the middle between the front and rear tires. I could jack up here and put jack stands up near the wheels for safety while I switched front to back. No such place exists unless you want to crack and destroy your side skirts :mad:

I use my spare, if you have one of course.

I agree, you have some pretty good isdeas with this car. keep it up.

I put a little over 21k miles on my 09 in the first year. Just broke 30k last week. I would have to say I completely agree with statement number 5. My fault for not doing my homework, but had I known, I would be driving the Honda I almost bought. I spend a lot of time in my car, and I may gripe and complain about driving a family car from time to time, but honestly, this car is great! Smooth, quite, good power, handles great...

My 1 year 30K mile update:

*5 oil changes and 4 tire rotations (1 at 1K to remove break-in metal)
*NYS Inspection
*TSB #SB-09271C transmission shirt characteristics update
*Serpentine Belt replaced due to squeak
*Front Strut Mounts replaced under warranty
*Hubs replaced under warranty
*Front pads replaced under warranty
*RF lower control arm replaced under warranty
*Sway bar bushings replaced under warranty
*Tire balance to help eliminate shaking experienced on the hwy - still somewhat present.
*Air Bag wiring recall completed
*Front Weathertech Mats (Awesome)
*Klasse car paint sealant (help protect from NE road salt)

As you can see I have had a ridiculous # of issues thus far and I purchased it new with 1 mile on the clock. 85% hwy driving and I religiously take it in for proper maintenance.

Current Issues outstanding:

*Blower makes chirp noise intermittently. Dealer could not replicate upon last visit
*6 speed transmission issues as noted on another thread by myself and many other Malibu owners. GM has not released a fix and at this point has not confirmed (at least with me) that they are even working on one.

For a car that is a consumers digest best buy and is rated well overall I am beyond frustrated and I certainly regret my purchase. Other vehicles in this segment offer more features for the same or less money and are surely more reliable and better built than this car. Aside from the styling I am no longer happy with the car and if I didn't put so many miles on it (which put me upside down in the loan) I would get rid of it tomorrow; however, I cannot justify taking such a huge loss. I keep my cars for 150K and I bought this car with the same intention...At this rate I am not very confident that this will happen. Should this continue I will never purchase another GM vehicle again. Car reliability is a serious concern for buyers today and there is absolutely no reason for this car to encounter as many issues as it has had. Damn you GM!

malibu10, You are like my long lost twin. I read your post, and cannot agree with you more on the regret of purchasing a Chevrolet Malibu.

For the price I paid, I shouldn't be having this many numerous problems with a car that is touted as "Car of the Year."

GM was close to making a pretty good car, the execution was good with the styling, laminated glass, and a few other things.

But man, this car is CRAP, and has aged horribly in only 2.5 years. I should have done a one year review of my malibu ownership. It wouldn't of been a nice one.

I thought GM turned itself around, and made a good bread and butter car. When I was buying it, I was all for GM and recommending them to all my friends. But now... this car is the laughing stock in discussions... quality and reliability went downhill VERY fast.

The transmission is a joke on this car, jerkyness galore, and likes to leak fluid. Steering this car is awful in a parking lot, NEVER have experienced such a grinding like this before (dealer can't replicate it, I've given up pleading with them to fix it, I will just wait until something breaks and I die). I know I have an '08, and a lot of the bugs haven't been worked out yet. But to whoever once said something like... "Never buy a new car the first year it comes out." I say, GM should NOT sell a new car the first year it comes out." Because seriously, my Chevy Service Department is way too busy with fixing these cars. BUT! When I bring my car in, they say "oh, never heard of that problem before." Unbelievable. I thought they did a long enough test run with this platform on the Saturn Aura. EPIC fail by GM. Seems to me they just carried over the majority of the problems.

Other brands are slowly chipping away at GM's share of the pie, and I don't blame them.

I cannot wait to get rid of this car to an unsuspecting buyer, and I hope it will be a total stranger. I would have naturally handed this car down to my little sister... but... I care about her. :rolleyes:

To paraphrase what SilverLTZ had said a while back... This car is the reason I will never buy GM again, and I thought I would never say that.

Nice to read some of the things I may run into.

You really wouldn't have bought the car if you knew it was hard to change the bulbs? Come on.

Guys

I agree you all make good points.
Malibu 10 im sorry top hear you have all those problems, but your from NY and NY roads kill these cars. Strut mount, Sway bar bushings, lower control arms, brakes these are all indications of bad roads. These cars being front wheel drive with all the weight in the front take a beating .

Also if you have a chance look at the bottom of your car when its on a lift. The front end resembles that of the oldsmobile Alero, the muffler system, is like the 80's camaro. When i looked at my car from the bottem i said gee this car looks like GM re-incarnated it from old designs. The front end is actually a very weak and poor design.

Lastly, this morning i noticed i have a vibration in my steering wheel when i back up. So i will be taking it to the dealer soon.

Keep you updated.

Nice to read some of the things I may run into.

You really wouldn't have bought the car if you knew it was hard to change the bulbs? Come on.

Yes, really! Automakers try to make it harder and harder for the home and small shop mechanic to work on vehicles. I don't take my car to anyone unless it's warranty work or something I just can't do for lack of equipment. (tire changes, alignment, etc) Taking the bumper off to change headlights is ridiculous. It also means a large number of owners will take their car to the dealer for a very expensive headlight replacement. And if the headlights are that hard to change, how is the rest of the car to work on??? It won't always be new...

Good point, I never thought about it like that. I guess I never had a problem with a little extra work by taking the bumper off. oh well. :)

It's by no means "a little extra work." See the thread http://www.chevymalibuforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5540 by yours truly for what's involved.

Well, I had a G6 before and you had to do the same thing for the headlights, minus the Front Bumper Fascia Bracket thing. I guess I'm just used to it because I took the bumper off the G6 a ton of times. But then again I installed HIDs and never had to go in there again after that...

Well, I had a G6 before and you had to do the same thing for the headlights, minus the Front Bumper Fascia Bracket thing. I guess I'm just used to it because I took the bumper off the G6 a ton of times. But then again I installed HIDs and never had to go in there again after that...

I had a G6 too, never had to remove the bumper to take the headlamps out. I was able to get the whole assembly out without touching the bumper.

I need to start looking for an HID kit, so I'm ready when a bulb goes out.

Well here is the one year jinx !

Now everytime I back up I have this wounderful grinding crunching noise. Calling the dealer to make an appointment. Let see what happy horse sh*t he comes up with.

Only good thing about this is the ford dealer is right next door , lets see what the car goes for in a trade in !

Ford? I guess to each his own. I'll never forgive them for not owning up to the P0171/P0174 fiasco with their 1999-2004 V6's.:mad:

BedBug - Although I agree that NE roads are not the best (and yes I do understand the front wheel drive argument) the fact of the matter is that 85% of my driving is completed on Interstates all across NE (as evident by the # of miles I have driven in a years time) and they are all certainly not entirely pot hole ridden.

If the argument is that a front wheel drive car with 30K on the clock should experience this many issues (regardless of the NE climate) I don't buy it. Of course there is additional wear due to the salt and pot holes, but I noted numerous other issues that are certainly unrelated (i.e., transmission surge/bounce, blower motor, and the brakes were done @ only 5K which is inexcusable). The bottom line is that yes additional wear and tear is incurred, but the existance of numerous other issues points to the overall poor design of the vehicle, and the use of substandard parts. Unacceptable for a car costing over 20K.

Of course there is additional wear due to the salt and pot holes, but I noted numerous other issues that are certainly unrelated (i.e., transmission surge/bounce, blower motor, and the brakes were done @ only 5K which is inexcusable). The bottom line is that yes additional wear and tear is incurred, but the existance of numerous other issues points to the overall poor design of the vehicle, and the use of substandard parts. Unacceptable for a car costing over 20K.

I agree with this statement.

The parts on these new Malibus aren't of good quality, they are of mediocre/poor quality... not even average. Now I have realized that this purchase was the biggest waste of money I have ever made in my life.

The font end components aren't made to withstand this car for very long.

GM needs to start making, or tell their parts manufacturers to start producing more robust parts for their cars. Seriously.

All GM really did was make the car look good and be a very attractive machine on the road. But the mechanical and components that make up the car is what really matters in the long run. Epic fail, GM.

It sounds like some issues that couldn't be resolved in a timely manner or at all really took a toll on both your perceptions. I can understand that, sometimes when one thing becomes bothersome, everything else as well. However, it can happen to anyone and any make/model at any price point. There're those out who spent twice the 20K and are just as much disappointed or worse. Automobiles have become increasingly complex over the last decade or so and thus it's just the signs of times.

Ok so i got my car back from the dealer and as usual the dealer could not replicate the problem of clicking and vibration when i backed up.

But, they did do a recall for stalling ???? I did not even know there was a recall for that.

They had the car for 2 days.

I come to understand one thing when it comes to car dealers. They are so busy that they only do recalls or fix something that is totally broke. No preventive maintenance, or time to check what you are complaining about.

Its a waste of time !

35,000 mile update - These items are in addition to the others previously posted in this thread:
* Dealer replaced blower motor - reproduced chirping
*Oil leak near front crank pulley - fixed under warranty
-To reiterate my points previously made, my current AVG MPG on the display is 30.1, AVG speed is 52 MPH, and I have owned my car for 14 months. I drive lots of highway miles which result in much less wear and tear, yet the car continues to need dealer attention.

Are you ready for the good news? The good news is that I received a reply to my customer complaint letter I sent to GM two weeks ago. They agreed to extend my warranty for another 30K miles free of charge in order to restore my confidence in the vehicle and the brand. In the letter I simply listed my complaints with the vehicle, cited the numerous issues, and requested that they restore my confidence by backing the car with a warranty past the 3/36 provided. I must say that I am extremely impressed with their handling of the situation and I do truly hope that I won't need it - but if I do at least I will not be responsible for premature component failures for a while! Thank you GM for at least standing by your product.

35,000 mile update - These items are in addition to the others previously posted in this thread:
* Dealer replaced blower motor - reproduced chirping
*Oil leak near front crank pulley - fixed under warranty
-To reiterate my points previously made, my current AVG MPG on the display is 30.1, AVG speed is 52 MPH, and I have owned my car for 14 months. I drive lots of highway miles which result in much less wear and tear, yet the car continues to need dealer attention.

Are you ready for the good news? The good news is that I received a reply to my customer complaint letter I sent to GM two weeks ago. They agreed to extend my warranty for another 30K miles free of charge in order to restore my confidence in the vehicle and the brand. In the letter I simply listed my complaints with the vehicle, cited the numerous issues, and requested that they restore my confidence by backing the car with a warranty past the 3/36 provided. I must say that I am extremely impressed with their handling of the situation and I do truly hope that I won't need it - but if I do at least I will not be responsible for premature component failures for a while! Thank you GM for at least standing by your product.


Maybe I should give this a try and write a good letter of my concerns to GM! Good idea! I just might do this! ;)

Wow! That is impressive! Looks like GM did the right thing for a change.

Here is my review so far with this car. It was purchased new in Aug 2010. Currently it has about 18,000 kms. I realized after writing down my pros and cons there wasn't alot of pros so I'll just post the cons.

- gas mileage, this car is pathetic on gas. I understand its not going to be as good as the 4 cylinder but its not even close. Lets just say I get better mileage in my 2006 V8 Monte Carlo.
- I'm only 5'11" but everytime I get in the drivers side I hit my head where the side of the car meets the roof. Even if the seat is moved down.
- Something's missing on the rear of the car. It needs a spoiler or something. I am impressed with the size of the tail pipes though.
- No dual zone heating/cooling. WTF is up with that, chevy was putting this option in vehicles as far back as 1995 but not on their top LTZ model in 2010.
- Heated seats take a long time to warm up.
- The tranny problem we all know about. We've have the car into the dealer twice now for this, nothing resolved. They don't know how to fix it, nor does GM from what I've read.
- No center arm rest in the back seats.
- Wipers make a terrible sound. Their pressing so hard on the windshield. They work well but its so loud you have to crank up the stereo. They were like this from Day 1.
- What ever happened to memory seats ? I remember my mom have this option in her 1993 Lincoln Mark8 so its not something new. I will never buy a car again that I'm sharing with somebody else who's shorter than I without this option. I've completely destroyed my knees getting into this car after my gf has used it.
- the tilt steering isn't good.
- We've had the car in twice now for the check engine light. It was a sensor in the driver seat.
- The driver side sun visor doesn't sit tight to the roof like the passenger side does.
- Cheep plastic interior
- Paddle shifters, junk ! First of all I'm a big fan of having the auto/manual shift option, but not on the steering wheel. They need to move to the gear shifter column.


This car was $38G CAN plus taxes (approx $43G) Now we didn't pay that because of the incentives but I couldn't imagine shelling out $43G's for this car. I could buy a low mileage 2008 Corvette Z06 for that price.

Having said all that, I still like the look of the car, especially from the front and side. The car drives great on the hwy and with winter tires you'd think your driving an all wheel drive car in the snow. I think its also a very safe car crash test wise.

$43,000 for a LTZ ? I don't know about that...

Sounds like you don't really like the car too much.

Also sounds like a lot of the issues you list should have been realized prior to you purchasing the Malibu.

$43,000 for a LTZ ? I don't know about that...

Sounds like you don't really like the car too much.
Like I said, 38G plus tax.

-------------------------------------

2011 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ $32,995
1SA Package $0


Colours & Wheels Change
Exterior: Black Granite Metallic $195
Interior: Ebony w/Leather Appointed Seat Trim $0
Seats: Heated Front Bucket Seats Incl.
Wheels: 18" x 7" 10 Spoke Alloy Incl.

Selected Options Change
Tires: P225/50R18 BW Touring AS Incl.
Radio: AM/FM Stereo w/CD Player/MP3 Playback Incl.
XM Satellite Radio Incl.
LTZ Performance Package $2,405
Engine: 3.6L V6 VVT Incl.
Transmission: 6-Speed Automatic w/Performance Pkg Incl.
2.77 Axle Ratio Incl.
Dual Chrome Exhaust Tips Incl.
Hydraulic Power Steering Incl.
Engine Block Heater $100
Front & Rear Moulded Splash Guards (LPO) $190
Front License Plate Mount BC/MB/NB/ON $0
Power Tilt & Tip Sliding Glass Sunroof w/Sunshade $1,195
Tire Pressure Monitor $65

Option Total $4,150
Freight, A/C Tax & Dealer Fees Destination Destination $2,045 $1,450 $1,450
Total∞ Total MSRP Total◊ $39,190 $38,595 $34,445
Cash Credit^ $0
Total Less Cash Credit Total MSRP Less Cash Credit Total Less Cash Credit $39,190 $38,595 $38,595

Also sounds like a lot of the issues you list should have been realized prior to you purchasing the Malibu.
I think alot of these issues have already been mentioned here so its nothing new. Test drove the car twice, its hard to get a feel for alot of these problems just doing that. Plus its the gf's daily driver so it was more about her and she's not a picky as me. I would have never told her to buy it at retail price, but with the employee discount and some GM loyalty incentive for trading in a Pontiac I thought I could overlook some of the issues I noticed from the beginning. I did mention some good things I like about the car too.

This is why I would have such a hard time buying a brand new car. If you don't like it, you're screwed.

I think it's worth it to get the car a year or two used. For instance, my car had a sticker of $26,000 when it was sold in 09, and I paid $13,000 for it in 2010.

This is why I would have such a hard time buying a brand new car. If you don't like it, you're screwed.

I think it's worth it to get the car a year or two used. For instance, my car had a sticker of $26,000 when it was sold in 09, and I paid $13,000 for it in 2010.
Absolutely agree, the only reason I had her the go ahead with this purchase was because of all the discounts she got, $38,000 down to $33,000. But yes, the best way to buy a car is 1 - 3 years old. The key is low mileage and somebody's who's kept the car in top shape. Eg, I bought an 06' Monte Carlo SS in 2009, the guy who originally purchased it didn't drive it, it sat in a garage for 3 years. Only had 8000 miles on it. He paid about $37G's brand new, then I got it off him for $19G's and you could have sworn the car came straight out of the factory.

I think it can go either way! The main thing with buying the Malibu is to try to buy it at the lowest price possible since we all know how much and how fast the Value of the Malibu depreciates! Buy used then you are also loosing some Warranty time, which is going to hurt you since the Malibu seem to have so many issues!

A year or two older is also going to have a negative effect and will be hit hard in the Trade-In Value even harder! The Malibu is a beautiful looking car but it unfortunately has the worst Trade-IN Value in it’s Class!

Also some more expensive Maintenance cost will come into play a lot sooner than buying from new! Pro’s & Con’s on both! Just my Opinion!

I personally like to buy new and if I buy used, I look for something that is almost new with very low miles “No more than 8,000 miles and not being anymore than a year old! Sometimes you can really make out this way by the first owner taking the Major hit on the cost of the car!