With various models that are built in more than one plant, such as the Malibu coming out of both Fairfax, Kansas and Lake Orion, Michigan, generally all should be "equal" but it can be interesting to compare via owner's of each.

Often Accord and Camry buyers talk about their cars as either being US or Japan made, and which is "better", so why not here too.

Both Fairfax and Orion seem to be equals, but still may be a good topic. After 2 months of a G6 from Orion that was a living and breathing disaster--it actually seems assembled well, and really strong on fit & finish except for horrible and un-fixable roof noises--now that it's being repurchased by GM and I'm Malibu shopping, I had to ask.

Our current '08 is a Fairfax car and is tight as a drum, only marred by some slightly irregular dash piece gaps up close and misaligned dash to door panel flow--the latter being something that varied a lot on the Aura originally, and I see to various degrees on different Malibu's as well.

Where to find such information:
1) Window sticker
2) Vin number: the 11th vin digits are:
Fairfax: "F"
Orion: "4"
3) Sticker in driver's door jamb

So...what plant is your Malibu from and any niggles or thoughts?

If the 10th VIN digit is the indication, my car was built at Orion, however to my understanding before this, it was built at Fairfax.

???

Lake Orion, 04/08, no problems :D:D:D

If the 10th VIN digit is the indication, my car was built at Orion, however to my understanding before this, it was built at Fairfax.

???

Well, then, very simple...do you have an "F" in the vin anywhere? If not, you're Orion. What did the window sticker say, or how did you think otherwise before?

my 10th digit of the vin is 8.....

my 10th digit of the vin is 8.....

I just edited my post...the number varies, I think, to mean Orion. But as long as there's no "F", you're not a Fairfax car.

I just edited my post...the number varies, I think, to mean Orion. But as long as there's no "F", you're not a Fairfax car.

There is also a sticker on the driver's door.
This will be a good thread.
Why don't we all put our plant and build date in our signature?
When someone reports a problem we will see which plant built it.

There is also a sticker on the driver's door.
This will be a good thread.
Why don't we all put our plant and build date in our signature?
When someone reports a problem we will see which plant built it.

YES! Terrific idea, and it will be great informal data to build.

Would the 10th digit not mean the year like 8=2008 9=2009 ?

I had a few VIN numbers from Aura' & Malibu's, but the Aura 10th digit were all 8. They for sure were built in Faifax.

2) Vin number: the 10th vin digits are:
Fairfax: "F"
Orion: a number
So...what plant is your Malibu from and any niggles or thoughts?

I don't think this is correct - my 11th digit is F and 10th is 8 and there's a Faifrax sticker.

I don't think this is correct - my 11th digit is F and 10th is 8 and there's a Faifrax sticker.

My VIN is similar to Yury's. "8" is the 10th digit, and "F" is the 11th digit.

My window sticker states "final assembly" in Kansas City, KS. There is also a round sticker on the rear of the drivers door that shows 'assembly' in Fairfax (which must be close to Kansas City).

BTW, I've had zero problems with my Malibu (almost 12,000 miles). (The right light on the passenger sun visor has burned out. So minor a problem it doesn't even count as a problem.)

I don't think this is correct - my 11th digit is F and 10th is 8 and there's a Faifrax sticker.

Correct, I am really having troubles today:rolleyes:

I edited the post again, NOW it's correct.

The 11th digit of the vin is the one, sorry again. To repeat:

Where to find such information:
1) Window sticker
2) Vin number: the 11th vin digits are:
Fairfax: "F"
Orion: "4"
3) Sticker in driver's door jamb

NOW, let's commence...

Yup

That would be right, 11th digit F=Fairfax. Would 11th digit in 2009 Malibu for Lake Orion be all a 4 value ? Got 3 2009 VIN's I am looking at and 11th digit = 4. Previously was looking at some 2008 Aura's and all those 11th digit = F.

Could we say Fairfax are better that Orion ? Or would all vehicules be about equal. One thing I had notice is the interior trim around the shifter seem's to be installed almost always right with Orion built Malibu's cause a notice this vs the one's for Fairfax were the trim was not sitting right.

I think I read somewhere that Fairfax's Malibus were better than Orion's...I don't know, I may have imagined that.

My '07 was built at Fairfax.

Mine is an Orion, Sticker on the door jam says so....

Fairfax, here.

Yup

That would be right, 11th digit F=Fairfax. Would 11th digit in 2009 Malibu for Lake Orion be all a 4 value ? Got 3 2009 VIN's I am looking at and 11th digit = 4. Previously was looking at some 2008 Aura's and all those 11th digit = F.

ALL Aura's are built in Fairfax, but it seems the Malibu is now roughly a 50/50 split between there and Orion...possibly with an edge to Fairfax, but I've not seen any numbers.

Could we say Fairfax are better that Orion ? Or would all vehicules be about equal. One thing I had notice is the interior trim around the shifter seem's to be installed almost always right with Orion built Malibu's cause a notice this vs the one's for Fairfax were the trim was not sitting right.

Good question, but I don't think we can definitively say much yet. Like I said, our Fairfax 12/07 car is drum tight but has some alignment problems inside that are more visual than anything else. And then, albeit different, my '08 G6 from Orion with great visual finish but problems galore--I don't blame any or much of it, really, on the plant, though. I'm always looking through pictures on Ebay, Autotrader, etc. and have been trying to compare what can be seen between Fairfax & Orion cars, but it's hard to tell that way.

Hence, these individual owner reports of where and "what's it been like?". Should really be good.

Most of the Malibu's I'm now considering are again Orion cars, too, so further curiosity, especially if I end up with one of each in the driveway.

My GTP was built in Fairfax. It hasn't had any build quality issues at all. Seems like it was VERY well made. Only complaints are the height of the sweeping roofline (I'm 6'4" and this thing's short) and a few minor rattles.

10th digit is the model year 9=2009
11th digit is the plant F=Fairfax, 4=Orion
Per the official decoder tool!

Like I said, our Fairfax 12/07 car is drum tight but has some alignment problems inside that are more visual than anything else.

same here.

OK, I could be wrong here, but further to Fenwick's post, it was my understanding the majority of malibu's were built in Fairfax with the overflow going to Orion. I thought Fairfax was 100% dedicated to Fairfax....Also in 08' I had heard rumblings that the fairfax builds were superior to the builds from Orion.

Just my two cents....And oh yeah.....I am a 07/08 Fairfax build.

Just my two cents....And oh yeah.....I am a 07/09 Fairfax build.

Wow, 07/09? Must be nice to have the 2010 before anyone else! lol

Here is a link on the Fairfax plant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairfax_Assembly

Our 87 Grand Prix GT was built there and was the best quality car we had owned up to that point. Looks like the Malibu will be

More history
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairfax_Airport

Wow, 07/09? Must be nice to have the 2010 before anyone else! lol

Opps, silly me...nice catch Grapes! :p

04/08 Orion.

I have noticed some small off-alignment with the door chrome trim...the interior paneling...and the back bumper being flabbier than that of another Malibu I looked at on an another lot...but all around a great car. I have had no worries and problems with it, aside from the center console popping out in the back whenever the latching was opened.

I have a Fairfax Malibu, and after 600 miles it's still impressing me as compared to all the Camry's I've owned over the years. Very impressed :p

Lake Orion, and very happy with fit and finish of this car. No problems so far......

04/08 Orion.

I have noticed some small off-alignment with the door chrome trim...the interior paneling...and the back bumper being flabbier than that of another Malibu I looked at on an another lot...but all around a great car. I have had no worries and problems with it, aside from the center console popping out in the back whenever the latching was opened.
Mine is Orion as well. I to have a slight drop in the chrome above the drivers door above and below the windshield. It is about 1/16th to 1/8th of an inch lower than the pillers trim and rear door trim. Seems the whole drivers door is a tad lower.

Also, only one interior panel (center console floor trim piece just against passenger's left thigh) is just shy of the next panal (small gap).

Other than that, my interior light dimmer knob (left of wheel where power pedal button would of been) and the blank next to it (for fog lights) are VERY VERY LOOSE. you can move either left right in out...

The bluetooth connects and disconnects if my phone is in the cup holder.

Last prob has nothing to do with assembly but my radio's third preset button doesnt always work and twice the whole radio froze and went silent...damn delco parts.

Gee, I sound like i'm at the dealer (headed there in a few days). Sorry for the babble.

Overall i think i heard fairfax is better and by some of the comments it seems to be true ;-p

Well, my new '09 Malibu coming soon will be a Lake Orion, MI car. I don't know the build date yet, but I drove it at the originating dealer and all I saw and felt immediately was tight, solid, and smooth.

Hope it's fantastic, and stays that way for its life with me. It'll be interesting to nitpick compare in the driveway our early Fairfax one vs. my new one--hopefully the last one is even better than the great first!

Mine is from Orion according to the door sticker. Build date 08/08. No quality issues so far.

Last prob has nothing to do with assembly but my radio's third preset button doesnt always work and twice the whole radio froze and went silent...damn delco parts.
Just a side note, but I don't believe Delco does the new radios. I can't recall right now what the new supplier's name is, but I read about the new radios over on GMInsideNews forums when they were first leaked in images about the (then) upcoming GM9x0 trucks and SUVs.

USA1fan - You are correct Delco does not make the radio's anymore....But for the life of me I can't remember the new name....FenwickHockey will probably know. :O)

USA1fan - You are correct Delco does not make the radio's anymore....But for the life of me I can't remember the new name....FenwickHockey will probably know. :O)

I believe it's Denso--I remember the same discussion about the new truck/SUV radios a while back, which are these. I think they make most of the current GM head units, in various forms.

Back to the top...

Come on guys, there's a lot more of us here, post your plant and quick review:)

USA1fan - You are correct Delco does not make the radio's anymore....But for the life of me I can't remember the new name....FenwickHockey will probably know. :O)

Unfortunately I don't...the system in my '98 Sonoma is from Delco...hmm...:confused:

Okay, my Fairfax-built '07 Malibu is starting to annoy me...

First the ticking noise from the steering column which my parents forgot to get fixed, then the thumping noise from right turns which was fixed after replacing half the steering column, then a weird rattling noise that sounds like the passenger seat belt isn't fitting right, then weird clicks coming from the doors when going over bumps...

We've already had the brake drums replaced, the front cowl fixed, the steering column replaced, the glove compartment adjusted...

I don't know...I don't want to pull a lemon law yet since the only problems have been generally minor. But there's just so many minor issues that I'm starting to think that I should've traded it in the day '08 Malibus arrived at my dealer...

Okay, my Fairfax-built '07 Malibu is starting to annoy me...

First the ticking noise from the steering column which my parents forgot to get fixed, then the thumping noise from right turns which was fixed after replacing half the steering column, then a weird rattling noise that sounds like the passenger seat belt isn't fitting right, then weird clicks coming from the doors when going over bumps...

We've already had the brake drums replaced, the front cowl fixed, the steering column replaced, the glove compartment adjusted...

I don't know...I don't want to pull a lemon law yet since the only problems have been generally minor. But there's just so many minor issues that I'm starting to think that I should've traded it in the day '08 Malibus arrived at my dealer...

Rattles, clunks, clicking, etc. seem to be very common with the last gen Malibu, so that's not too unexpected. From reading forums over the years, it seems like suspension & steering clunks and dash/front end rattles have been most typical. My '07 Malibu 1LT rental had a pretty obnoxious clunking strut cap (self diagnosed) up front, after 16k miles, but was otherwise 100% noise free.

The G6, another "older" Epsilon seems to have the same trend. Thankfully the newer Aura's and Malibu's seem to be more thoroughly engineered and better built, and don't suffer the same kind of stuff as much if at all--just little things here and there.

The lemon law phrase gets thrown around a lot when people have ANY problems, but coming from someone who just went through such a process, clunks, clicks, rattles, etc., that vary aren't exactly lemon material, even if there are several repairs for noises. That said, I hope it can be quieted down and mellow out before long--unwanted noises can really ruin a vehicle experience.

Picked up our '09 2LT on Thursday - assembled Lake Orion, MI

05/08 Lake Orion...I have had a couple of warranty issues with this car. Nothing too major and all have been fixed no questions asked.

Rattles, clunks, clicking, etc. seem to be very common with the last gen Malibu, so that's not too unexpected. From reading forums over the years, it seems like suspension & steering clunks and dash/front end rattles have been most typical. My '07 Malibu 1LT rental had a pretty obnoxious clunking strut cap (self diagnosed) up front, after 16k miles, but was otherwise 100% noise free.

The G6, another "older" Epsilon seems to have the same trend. Thankfully the newer Aura's and Malibu's seem to be more thoroughly engineered and better built, and don't suffer the same kind of stuff as much if at all--just little things here and there.

The lemon law phrase gets thrown around a lot when people have ANY problems, but coming from someone who just went through such a process, clunks, clicks, rattles, etc., that vary aren't exactly lemon material, even if there are several repairs for noises. That said, I hope it can be quieted down and mellow out before long--unwanted noises can really ruin a vehicle experience.

Second that about the prev. gen Malibus. I had an 05, ticks, squeaks and so on....Sold it in 6 months, too annoying. The 08 is a whole different level.

However, with some patience it may be possible to improve it. I found that the major source of squeaks is the trim piece on top of the dash under the window as well as the trim around the radio. The dash piece comes off easily and can be padded. The problem with the radio trim is that it's made of a number of small plastic parts with no insulation in between. At some point I took the darn thing apart, wasn't that hard. I didn't go through with that, was already too annoyed with the whole having to do that thing :) But, have I been mentally ready for such project I could've made a difference I believe...

06 Equinox - engine / tranny built in China - no issues!!

Just throwing in a monkey wrench here!!

Face it, both plants will have some issues and it might not be the plant itself. the issue may have occurred from a supplied part from who knows where.

06 Equinox - engine / tranny built in China the issue may have occurred from a supplied part from who knows where.

The Chinese plant gets American-made parts and the American plants get Chinese parts.

The Chinese plant gets American-made parts and the American plants get Chinese parts.

Makes sense - this is GM...........:cool:

The General does not care where the equipment comes from, as long as his fleets head out the door to meet (dare I say "heightened"?) demand.

06 Equinox - engine / tranny built in China - no issues!!

Just throwing in a monkey wrench here!!

Face it, both plants will have some issues and it might not be the plant itself. the issue may have occurred from a supplied part from who knows where.

Correct. But it's still interesting info to have as far as build quality, alignment, etc. in order to spot, possibly, any trends. It happens frequently when the same vehicle is built in more than one way. They should be the same, but just like those even from the same line, there can always be variations.

Speaking suppliers, a new interesting one is that the 6-speed now used on 2.4L models (not the same transmission as on the V6, but a unique design) is sourced from Korea, as the window sticker states. I had never seen that until actually sticker shopping, and was surprised.

But back to the 'Bu and their plants...I need to post a review of my new Orion '09 very soon, as well, including as compared to our other Fairfax one.

Makes sense - this is GM...........:cool:

I bet there's no union in China :)

83 Silverado,204K miles build date 05-83, bought New in 06-83 still my Daily Driver out of the Janesville,Wis plant. is this plant still running ? heard it might have shut down :confused:

LIKE A ROCK!!!
http://img487.imageshack.us/img487/3117/truck003yr1.jpg

83 Silverado,204K miles build date 05-83, bought New in 06-83 still my Daily Driver out of the Janesville,Wis plant. is this plant still running ? heard it might have shut down :confused:

LIKE A ROCK!!!

Janesville is the oldest GM plant in operation, producing Tahoes, Yukons, and the like at the moment and will close by the end of the year for good--yes. Our '04 Suburban was also from there. With the big trucks and SUV's, GM spreads them around to a few different plants, hence the closing given the current and future market.

Back to the 'Bu...

Living in Wisconsin, I believe that plant was already shut down. Initially it was to be open until late rthis year but economic forces made the shutdown occur earlier.

Speaking suppliers, a new interesting one is that the 6-speed now used on 2.4L models (not the same transmission as on the V6, but a unique design) is sourced from Korea, as the window sticker states. I had never seen that until actually sticker shopping, and was surprised.

.

My 09 2.4 6-speed is sourced from the USA according to the sticker. It was built in 7/08. Is the Korea source something new?

My parts content is 80% US/CDN but no other country is listed for the other 20%.

My 09 2.4 6-speed is sourced from the USA according to the sticker. It was built in 7/08. Is the Korea source something new?

My parts content is 80% US/CDN but no other country is listed for the other 20%.

On at least all the 2.4L 6-speeds I saw while shopping, the window sticker had "Korea" listed as the transmission country of origin. Odd, I thought, but I saw it repeatedly. I'll have to dig up a window sticker pic, somewhere.

I just checked and mine is a 4 I guess, there is no F in my VIN.

I just checked and mine is a 4 I guess, there is no F in my VIN.

Then you're an Orion. How's the car?

So far so good. Only have 3000 kms on it. Just a small misallignment of the front bumper and on and off creaking while accelerating hard from a stop from the front a pillar area.

My 09 2.4 6-speed is sourced from the USA according to the sticker. It was built in 7/08. Is the Korea source something new?

My parts content is 80% US/CDN but no other country is listed for the other 20%.



My 09 2LT has the six speed but the window sticker as well says 80% us/canadian and tranny on my sticker is from USA.

05/08 build from Fairfax, no major issues. Only thing that hasn't been fixed right is my trunk liner. It has a good 1 inch buckle in it right where it meets the declid seal. They replaced the distorted seal, but didn't fix the liner :eek: I'll try again when I have a issue that I want to take the car in for. I'm at 5k miles, and no rattles or squeaks to speak of :D I did have a squeaky brake pedal, but they have a bulletin on that, so all fixed now.
Oh and on a side note, I had the airbag warning light go on once, and never since then. Of course no error codes so they didn't do anything. I'm keeping my eye out, and will hit the onstar button the next time it happens so they can read the code before it get's wiped out by the ingition cycling.

I've got an Orion build, 03/2008.

08 LS 2.4/4-speed

No issues as of yet. Came from the plant with the front bumper corner paint issue but I just touched it up. No biggie. Pretty solid car.

I have a 04/08 Orion and I have not noticed any paint issue at all...and I give my baby some pretty close-in detail cleaning. Does anyone know if this has been a plant-wide problem, or if there are also Fairfax 'Bu s running around with the same problem? Anyone with a build date of 04/08 and later notice any of these problems with the paint?

No problems here, my LTZ was built 04-08 also in Orion :D

Mine is Orion as well. I to have a slight drop in the chrome above the drivers door above and below the windshield. It is about 1/16th to 1/8th of an inch lower than the pillers trim and rear door trim. Seems the whole drivers door is a tad lower.

yeah, mine was build 9/08 at Orion, and my door is the same way. When i took it to the dealer, he understood my complaint, and looked into adjusting it, but advised me to leave it alone, because it may screw up the seals, etc..

i have a rattle on the drivers door - the window controls that are mounted in that plastic panel, rub against the door panel, and rattle a little bit. the dealer says they will look at it next time i bring it back, cause i didnt remember to tell them about it when i took it in to get my security light looked at. the light came on one night, and went off after i used the remote to lock and unlock the car. idk, it was kinda weird, because the dealer said it shouldnt have started if it was on, but it did.

i also have a sound, idk where from, but its whenever i go over a transition when im turning. steering column maybe??

i also have a sound, idk where from, but its whenever i go over a transition when im turning. steering column maybe??

Is it a "thunk" noise? I had the same problem in my '07 Malibu and had a good chunk of the steering column replaced.

Okay I know I'm a few months late but I finally ran out to my car and it is a Fairfax build. No problems yet at approximately 4,500 miles.

Okay I know I'm a few months late but I finally ran out to my car and it is a Fairfax build. No problems yet at approximately 4,500 miles.

Finally, the long-awaited mystery has been put to rest...;)

Finally, the long-awaited mystery has been put to rest...;)

Yes, I know you were all wondering this hahah

5.5K without any problem (yet). Hope it will keep that way. I do feel it get a little noisier on a windy day but can not really tell. Looks like the noise comes from the back.
Also, the runner trim on the passenger door is kind of lower than the one on the dashboard about 1/8 inch or so. But outside, the chrome trims looks great!
I bought the car used though (1.6K miles). Still consider myself lucky as I read other threads on brand new car with issues. Hope they are just isolated cases. This is my first Chevy car and I am hoping it is a good experience.

5.5K without any problem (yet). Hope it will keep that way. I do feel it get a little noisier on a windy day but can not really tell. Looks like the noise comes from the back.
Also, the runner trim on the passenger door is kind of lower than the one on the dashboard about 1/8 inch or so. But outside, the chrome trims looks great!
I bought the car used though (1.6K miles). Still consider myself lucky as I read other threads on brand new car with issues. Hope they are just isolated cases. This is my first Chevy car and I am hoping it is a good experience.

minor trim issues are not unheard of with those cars, but in my experience they are either fixable or so minor that it doesn't really matter :)

My '08 LTZ was built in Lake Orion, 5/08.
Only repair needed so far was due to the sunroof frame assembly not secured to the roof brace. Sounded like I had a cricket infestation! Headliner was removed enough to affect repair. Happy again with a nice quite ride now! :)

Hello, Im a new Malibu owner and just found this site, I think its great. This thread caught my attention and I thought some of you might like to know Lake Orion has been having some major quality control problems. Dealers have been returning cars to the factory. Parts falling off, things not fitting properly among other things. The problem is so big GM has fired the plant manager as well as several other members of management. The plant at this time is running with out upper management and there is a strong possibility they may loose the Malibu all together. Another thing some of you may not be aware of, Fairfax builds the majority of the cars and Orion gets the overflow. Each plant stamps its own parts but Fairfax stamps all the replacement parts. A Fairfax replacement door will not fit on an Orion Malibu, look at an Orion door and the gap between front and rear doors looks great from bottom up to the window but it widens out as you run up to the roof line and may not line up at the top at all. This is a small sign of a much larger problem with the structure of the car. If you have an Orion car pray you never wreck it.
Ive got lots of reading to do and I love this site and my 09 Fairfax Malibu.

You folks need to ignore what headcase650 has posted as he doesn't have a clue what he is talking about. All assembly plants have quality issues from time to time either by internal causes or due to problems with suppliers. Orion and Fairfax are no different. The plant manager was not fired but was transferred to a different plant and Orion maintained production and quality during the time before the new manager transitioned in. Prior to the Christmas shut down Orion was building 60% Malibu of the 1,200 units per day. This will continue as the Fairfax plant launches the Buick Lacrosse. Orion does not have stamping capabilities and as a matter of fact uses door from Fairfax and they fit quite well. Orion and Fairfax both build high quality product with Orion actually edging out Fairfax in initial quality according to JD Power.

You folks need to ignore what headcase650 has posted as he doesn't have a clue what he is talking about. All assembly plants have quality issues from time to time either by internal causes or due to problems with suppliers. Orion and Fairfax are no different. The plant manager was not fired but was transferred to a different plant and Orion maintained production and quality during the time before the new manager transitioned in. Prior to the Christmas shut down Orion was building 60% Malibu of the 1,200 units per day. This will continue as the Fairfax plant launches the Buick Lacrosse. Orion does not have stamping capabilities and as a matter of fact uses door from Fairfax and they fit quite well. Orion and Fairfax both build high quality product with Orion actually edging out Fairfax in initial quality according to JD Power.

Wow, it's an interesting debate! FWIW, I would think quality wouldn't vary all that much. Aren't most parts made by parts suppliers anyway?

Bump up...

2.5 model years in, still a Fairfax/Orion split for the time being...new & old, talk about the specifics of your Malibu from either;)

Wow, it's an interesting debate! FWIW, I would think quality wouldn't vary all that much. Aren't most parts made by parts suppliers anyway?

Exactly. The design is the same, the parts are the same and from the same suppliers, build quality should not differ significantly.

For some reason, people want to think reliability stems from assembly quality, but both design/engineering and components' quality are more important factors. Cars these days aren't designed with a lot of leeway for assembly, at least not when they're designed right.

Lake Orion, 04/08, no problems :D:D:D
Just rolled into 10K miles and so far so good :D

5.5K without any problem (yet). Hope it will keep that way. I do feel it get a little noisier on a windy day but can not really tell. Looks like the noise comes from the back.
Also, the runner trim on the passenger door is kind of lower than the one on the dashboard about 1/8 inch or so. But outside, the chrome trims looks great!
I bought the car used though (1.6K miles). Still consider myself lucky as I read other threads on brand new car with issues. Hope they are just isolated cases. This is my first Chevy car and I am hoping it will be a good experience.

Zero issues since July last year with 13K miles.:D:D

20,000 km and happy as can be with Orion built '09 Malibu.

Exactly. The design is the same, the parts are the same and from the same suppliers, build quality should not differ significantly.

For some reason, people want to think reliability stems from assembly quality, but both design/engineering and components' quality are more important factors. Cars these days aren't designed with a lot of leeway for assembly, at least not when they're designed right.

Completely true, but there are often alignment, paint, etc. things that can vary. And you never know what other kind of trend.

Ideally, the same everything in more than one place should result in the same end product, but there's always variances just as there are from cars at the same plant. Having had both a Fairfax and an Orion Malibu simultaneously, there were a lot of little things different about each (not in parts, but in assembly) which is why starting the thread remained an interesting idea.

So...anyone new have a review?

Sweet! I was surprised to find out my car is a Fairfax build. I know it might not mean anything, but I gotta say it makes me feel better and more confident in the car, whether that's all meaningless is another story. :D

My LTZ was built in late Oct 09/Fairfax. I just got it one week ago. The only things that I noticed were the lug nuts were not torqued to 100' lbs as indicated in the owners manual. And the hood, I guess you call em' bumpers up in the front, had to be adjusted so that it would line up with the front quarter panels. Because I have the USB input, I had to update my iPod firmware as well. It works great with my 8GB Nano. So far it's a great car. I noticed quite a few folks staring at me. The V6 has plenty of power & it handles superbly. Have a nice day y'all. PK :D

Mine was built in Fairfax on Monday June 23, 2008. It was the last week they built 2008 Bu in Fairfax. The 2009 Bu production started the same week so mine may be one of the last 2008 Bu they built so all the problems founded during the 2008 production should have been corrected at that time.

Was leased on July 31, 2008 which was the last day GMAC was doing leases in Canada. Since then, we can only buy with GMAC in Canada. No more leasing :mad:

Mine was built in Fairfax on Monday June 23, 2008. It was the last week they built 2008 Bu in Fairfax. The 2009 Bu production started the same week so mine may be one of the last 2008 Bu they built so all the problems founded during the 2008 production should have been corrected at that time.

Was leased on July 31, 2008 which was the last day GMAC was doing leases in Canada. Since then, we can only buy with GMAC in Canada. No more leasing :mad:

>finance for 84 months, drop the car whenever - just like a lease, except you're the one taking the 'residual/deppreciation risk'. I was pissed about the end of leases too first but then I figured this out.

Mine's from Orion too.


To think of it, I could'a had a Cobalt SS - but it'd still be a Cobalt, despite the massive performance (and let's not talk about insurance premiums or all the boy racer related costs).

...Anyway I don't buy cars for their power, but for how balanced they are and what impact they have on me (emotions and what not). The Malibu made me happier than when I was driving a Golf and as happy as when I was driving a 3 - 'cept I feel the 'bu's more refined and a better value, so guess what I picked :P

My 2009 was buit at the Fairfax plant... No majors issues to speak of... FINGERS CROSSED! Just turned 15K.

OK. I'm here to tell you that there's prolly no difference in the build quality. I work at the Fairfax GM building these cars all night. I have asked two of my co-workers who both transferred here from Orion, which plant they thought made the better car. One said Fairfax because they have a better paint department, and the other said Orion because they had more error proofing (quality checks). So there ya go...neither plant wins!

P.S. We're churning out over 1200 Malibu's and Lacrosse's per day with 24 Saturdays scheduled through the end of 2010. Can't make em fast enough!

Mine is from Fairfax and have had the rear door latch replaced. That is all though.

Fairfax here. No problem at all.

My Fairfax build had to have a front door latch replaced too.

Fairfax here, built 2/08.

16K on it so far. Replaced the steering rack and intermediate shaft (I pushed for both, most likely only needed the intermediate shaft). Then had a squeaky brake pedal fixed and a new dash pad installed, both minor issues. Besides that, all good.

What's the dash pad?

What's the dash pad?

Here, this (http://www.chevymalibuforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3545) thread will explain.

Here, this (http://www.chevymalibuforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3545) thread will explain.

Thanks el.

06 Equinox - engine / tranny built in China - no issues!!

Just throwing in a monkey wrench here!!

Face it, both plants will have some issues and it might not be the plant itself. the issue may have occurred from a supplied part from who knows where.

I LOVE my 08 'Nox LTZ! It's a real "Like a Rock" Chevy... No issues, and runs like a top!!!

My Fairfax build had to have a front door latch replaced too.

My Front Door is also slightly misaligned and may need it addressed at the dealer unless i adjust via the stiriker plate myself.

I also have rubbing and some chips between the quarterpanels and bumpers.

Mine is a '10 Fairfax build, only has 1100 kms, so far so good......

My 11th is "F", so mine must be a Fairfax.

Mine is also a 2010 model and my 10th is "A", so perhaps after 9 (for 2009) they go to A (for 10=A)? If that were the case, the 2011 Malibus should have "B" for their 10th.