Chevrolet Malibu Forums banner

How Do Y'all like your cars?

6K views 23 replies 17 participants last post by  Tim Krego 
#1 ·
The wife and I haven't had a Malibu since her 1999 which we got rid of in 2007 when it died with 209k miles, it had a 2.4 Twin Cam. Anyway, we have this 2010 Ford Focus with 233k miles on it and we're looking at this generation of Malibu because it's a bigger car. How do y'all like this 7th generation of Malibu both 4 banger and 6cyl? I'm upgrading my pickup truck and we want to get her a bigger car and the 7th gen Bu seems to be decent size car.
 
#2 ·
Sorry for the long post...

Gen7 models range in years from 2008 to 2012. Here are some things to know that will help you decide what to ask about:

2008 and 2009, and possibly some 2010, models with the 6-speed may have an issue with the 3-5-R Wave Plate. The early versions seemed to fail at an accelerated rate. Check the VIN at a dealer to see if the recall was ever done.

Early Gen7 models offered 3 engines: 2.4L I4, 3.5L V6 (pushrod), 3.6L V6 (DOHC). The 3.6L in my 2009 was mated with the 6-speed automatic, whereas the 2.4L got the 4-speed. In later years, the 6-speed replaced the 4-speed as the only option. I'm not 100% sure, but I believe the 3.5L was available only with the 4-speed.

There were 2 types of power steering: hydraulic and electronic. The 3.6L got hydraulic and the 2.4L got EPS. There are some issues with the EPS that some hate and others are only mildly bothered with. Overall, EPS requires less effort by the driver to turn the wheel compared to hydraulic.

The 3.5L pushrod was a carry-over engine that was fairly sturdy and bullet-proof, being used mostly in fleet orders: taxi, rental, etc.

The 3.6L was the only engine with a factory "dual" exhaust. The other 2 engines both came with single exhaust. I put "dual" in quotes because it's not a dual exhaust like the cars of yesteryear. It uses a single pipe all the way to the back where it enters the muffler. Only then does it exit the muffler as 2 pipes. It looks more symmetrical but otherwise it probably provides very little extra performance.

Changing the headlights requires removal of the bumper cover. For some it can take longer to remove it than it takes to do the bulbs, and they still need to put it back on. There are videos on the interwebby with ideas on how to speed it along.

The gas pedal is wired to the computer rather than being a mechanical connection to the throttle body.

The 6-speed transmission came with the ability to put it in either D or M modes for forward movement. D is the usual fully-automatic drive mode. M is the manually-selected mode. More correctly, you don't "select" the gear, you "request" it from the computer. When in M at a stop, you can start in either 1, 2, or 3 with the V6 (1 or 2 with the I4). Once underway, selecting "+" will request an upshift, but it won't happen if doing so would make the engine slow too much. Selecting "-" will request a downshift, but it won't happen if doing so would make the engine go too fast. In either case, shifting is accomplished using torque management. Because the gas pedal is wired, TM will reduce the amount of throttle being applied, perform the shift, then reapply the throttle based on the pedal input. TM helps to reduce stresses on the transmission, but the cost is a little more clutch wear. Using software such as HP Tuners (there may be others), you can modify a number of parameters, not the least of which is the shift tables and TM. In my 3.6L, my TM is turned completely off.

Additionally, when using Cruise Control, the stock shifting strategy allows the car to lose more speed than usual when going uphill, often forcing a downshift from 6 to 4 instead of 6 to 5. This kills MPGs and makes for an annoying trip. My CC tables were also altered and now CC on trips is much more responsive!

The radio uses dot matrix technology. It sounds fine for most listeners. Some members have replaced theirs with 7" or 8" screens and they look really nice.

The turn signal blink sound is fake. It is produced by the computer and sent to the left front speaker. The alert chimes also come from front left.

If the vehicle has Blue Tooth, you can make/take calls hands-free using buttons on the steering wheel, and even possibly use voice commands to find and dial your number.

The computer controls many things, including the exterior lights.

LTZ models come with special stop/turn/tail light housings that take a special Philips Joule LED bulb. The housings use a clear outer cover, making them appear "white". The LED creates red light at 2 levels: running and stop/turn. The cadence is controlled by the computer as well. If you have a non-LTZ with red housings and want the clear ones, you'll need to get the housings, the LED bulbs, and the harness that goes from the rear fuse box to the lights. The bulbs are not interchangeable between housings. Changing from regular to LED bulbs will cause the computer to get all mixed up and produce a weird cadence for the LEDs, but it can be overcome or you can just live with it.

The headlights use halogens in a non-projector housing. H9 for highs, H11 for lows. There are HID bulbs available that will replace the halogens, but most who've tried them have reported light spraying all over the place. There are also LEDs available. I've tried 2 kinds. The first was a single COB version that didn't work as well as it could have. The second, which is currently installed, uses 3 very small LEDs on each side of a thin PC board and does quite well. They are brighter and better than the halogens, but the halogens were way better than the old sealed beams from years ago, so consider what could have been and then decide for yourself.

Early Gen7 models suffered from the door latch/lock mechanism (all in one) failing prematurely. A number of new versions came out, and by 2010 or 2011 they seemed to get them sorted out. There is a thread about bypassing the failed lock function with an external aftermarket solenoid/motor that can be retrofitted. The cost for 4 is around $50 and can be done by most DIYers.

Some of the early Gen7 models suffered from the driver's seat frame having a weld fail, causing the seat to feel like it was tipping, and making it so that certain adjustments could not be made. Later models have not been reported to have this issue AFAIK.

Early models (2008-09) required only conventional motor oil to meet warranty specs. 2010 and newer required a synthetic blend meeting a new "dexos1" spec that is unique to GM. Using fully synthetic motor oil exceeds those specs in most cases. Check your requirements and the oil specs to decide what you feel is best.

The 3.6L is a great engine and has only one Achilles' Heel: the DOHC set-up has 3 timing chains and 7 chain tensioners. The tensioners use plastic linings to contact the chain. A number of comments have been made regarding oil change intervals and/or oil type contributing to increased wear of the plastic linings. A good regimen of regular oil changes with quality oil should help extend their lives. I use a fully synthetic oil rated to go 25K miles but I usually change it at around 5ooo miles. A couple of times I caught myself forgetting and went 7ooo miles.

On my 3.6L, I used a kit to move the spin-on oil filter location from the side of the block at a 45° angle to another spot where it is completely vertical. This does several things: 1) it no longer requires me to remove the air intake tube to reach the filter, 2) I no longer have to be close to the exhaust when accessing the filter, 3) removing the filter no longer drips oil all over electrical wiring and doesn't spill on the ground, 4) instead of the stock size of a tiny teacup filter, it now uses one that is over 2x the size, so I feel that it will filter better due to having more area of media, which allows it to more more slowly to capture impurities better. I have a thread about it if you are interested in finding it.

A few members have reported water leaks with the sunroof due to one or more of the drain hoses becoming disconnected. It caused water in the floorboards and sometimes stains on the headliner. The simplest fix has been to get a short piece of tubing and extend the hose connections.

Overall, I consider the Gen7 to be a fairly decent car. I'm on my 3rd one as of this writing. The first was a 2009 2LT with 3.6L V6, traded at 20K miles. The second was a 2011 LTZ with 3.6L V6, lost to a flood after 3 years at only 44K miles. The third (current) is a 2011 3.6L V6. At 94,ooo miles the engine was replaced after a connecting rod broke and punched a hole in the bottom of the oil pan and another through the side of the block. The Power Train warranty took care of everything, and I was so glad that it did! I treat this engine better than I ever did the other two!

The 2.4L is a very strong engine for its size. It compares well with larger straight sixes of older cars and does a venerable job of moving a car with a curb weight well above 3200 pounds. The 3.6L compares well with older small-block V8s, as does the 3.5L but with only a few less HP.
 
#3 ·
My '09 2.4 car is at 185k miles now. Other than normal maintenance/wear items it's been good. Steering sensor done under warranty and brake light issue recall was done it's been a dependable car. It's had brake jobs and wheel hubs but other than that which are normal wear items it's still going right along for a basic LS car.
 
#4 ·
2011 Malibu LT v6.

Like the car so far. I've had it since approx 150,000 km and now it has 320,000. I'm almsot 6'4 and needed something with room, and with me in the drivers seat i can still have someone 6ft behind me without cramping too much. Trunk is large, good for 2 hockey bags. Child seats go in nicely nice anchor spots (much better than the caravan). And V6 has lots of pep!

I've done 3 wheel bearings, two about 120k ago, and one went about 40k ago (but are really easy to do, can swap one in and out in about 30 mins). But other than that, relatively repair free besides wear and tear items. The only one thing i don't like is the headlight replacement and having to pull off the bumper, but go with Long life bulbs and once a year is all you'll do. Beyond that, haven't really had to dive in to it too much. A speaker went so i'll be fixing that when its a little warmer out. My only one super complaint is city gas mileage, its an absolute gas hog (i'm no race car driver). Highway it does great!

If the newest gen Malibu's are like my gen with reliability and minimal maintenance (haven't really looked in to them yet), but when mine goes, there is a fairly good chance i'll get another. But i'm hoping this BU will last to 500k, maybe pipe dream but feels so far like it will get there no problem.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DrivenDaily
#5 ·
The 2010-2012 Malibu is your best bet for reliability. The V6 makes for a pretty fun family sedan that will surprise more than a few performance oriented cars in a race, if you don't mind taking good care of the motor with synthetic oil changes and midgrade gas.

The other great thing about the Malibu is the quiet tuning and comfort that makes it feel like a more expensive luxury car. The downside is that it's not exactly decked out in fancy tech. If you don't mind an old-school gauge cluster and stereo interface, then you wont have much to complain about in the Malibu. Happy hunting!
 
#6 ·
I have only had my 2012 for a month now, but the reason I bought it was based on the positive reviews and experiences I have heard from others. I bought mine to use as a daily driver as my other car is a 2014 Stingray and I didn't want to rack up too many miles on her nor expose her to the harshness of the Arizona summers.

Up until now I have been completely satisfied with the Malibu. It's a better than average looking, well-built, inexpensive to operate sedan that is a pleasure to drive. Proper maintenance is the key and being educated about the areas to look out for helps too. This forum is a great resource for information.

Good luck!
 
#7 ·
I love mine! I constantly have the regret of not holding out for a V6 but as DrivenDaily said, the l4 is a very strong engine and I think it's quite compareable to the 3100/3400 V6s from the late 90s to early 2000s. I take extra special care of mine and it takes care of me. I think the body is quite stylish but I think the best color for the body is summit white. Mine started out as a 1LT and after I got to work on it, it's essentially a 1LZ clone minus the automatic climate controls and rims, I'll be installing the fogs in the spring. It also started life with an ebony/titanium interior and I've since almost fully converted it to cocoa/cashmere minus the headliner. So now mine is completely unique because cocoa/cashmere was not offered with the silver ice metallic exterior color for some reason. While the 7th gen is wonderful at any trim level, if you want the most out of it, get an LTZ. At this stage of the game, they cost about the same as a 1 or 2LT these days.
 
  • Like
Reactions: hoahai
#8 ·
08 Malibu ltz with the 3.6L

I've had the car for just over a year and so far it has been a pretty decent car overall. Problems I have currently are my steering randomly locks up sometimes but seems to mainly only do it when it's hot outside, not sure if its the steering rack or the power steering pump but going to take it somewhere to get looked at once it gets hot out and starts doing it consistently again. Also my driver side door lock actuator acts up when it's hot out but that's not a big deal as I can just unlock with the key when it does happen and one day I will stop being lazy and fix it. I also have to replace my brakes and rotors soon which I plan on doing over a weekend once it gets a little warmer outside.

As far as the performance the 3.6L is ok, honestly its a little faster then my 02 Altima 3.5 v6 which I owned a few years ago but my wife's 2018 equinox with the 2.0t feels a little quicker putting around town. Overall decent for what it is but don't expect to be beating any decently quick sports cars.

the gas mileage in the city is a little disappointing at times however the highway gas mileage is pretty decent and believe it or not you can actually feel a difference if you use the recommended 89 octane

as far as comfort and the amount of space in the car overall the seats are fairly comfortable and there is a decent amount of room inside. The trunk is fairly large and if you fold down the back seats you have quite a bit of space if you need to put something large in there.

oh yeah also I had to replace my headlight bulbs a few months after having the car, overall they aren't that hard to replace. You do have to partially remove the front bumper to replace them but honestly its only a couple of screws and takes like 30 minutes.
 
#9 ·
2012 Chevy Malibu Ls i had mines since 2015 18k on The odemeter now it’s at 99k, so far it’s been very reliable no issues, since I’ve had it I’ve done the trans flush twice so he sure I get no issue down the line, I would definitely recommend it, and will consider buying another soon.

Question what have y’all done to yours when it hits 100k, like preventive maintenance?
 
#10 ·
I bought my 2011 (4cyl) new and it now has about 76000 miles on it. It's been mostly reliable, but I did have to replace the timing chain recently which seems early to me. Reliability is about the best thing it has going for it. Also if you live in an area with terrible roads, the mini land yacht suspension is and advantage. It also has decent roominess, even in back.

My dislikes and frustrations are:
1) The A pillars. Even after 7.5 years driving this thing I'm still surprised by things just appearing out of nowhere. I've lost a city bus in those things. They are big enough to be unsafe.
1b) General visibility is poor, especially in the rear, with no backup camera.
2) Mileage - I never get close to the rated mileage, especially in the city.
3) Headlight replacement is stupid (see description above) It should just be a 2 minute, do it yourself job. The engineers involved should be given electroshock treatment until they swear they will never do that again.
4) Heavy sluggish feel to it. They were going for a mini land yacht and nailed that, but some more nimbleness would be welcome.
5) Downshift / acceleration problems. Say you are stopping for a light, and just as you get there you see an opening to turn right and hit the gas. Instead of accelerating immediately, the car just chokes and sputters for a long second as you roll slowly into traffic before finally figuring out that you want to go.
6) While the trunk is decently large, the opening isn't all that big so you may have trouble with getting bulky items in, even if the car has room.
 
#14 ·
My first American car. I used to own only Toyota and Honda. Was a little scared to buy this car in september 2008, at the time of big GM crisis and the market crash. Looking back now I did not regret the decision. The car is now at 130K miles with more minor issues than my Toyota and Honda car (Door lock, suspension noise, etc...). But overall I can fix them myself (thanks to this forum). Today I still enjoy driving this car more than my Toyota Sienna and Honda Civic. Hope it will get pass 200K miles without major issue.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DrivenDaily
#15 ·
2011 LTZ I4. Had her 10 months now, clocked from 96k to 127k today. Don't know much about her history as I bought it from a lot. Replaced the water pump out of the gate, and that's the closest thing to serious I've had done.
As mileage would indicate, I spend a lot of time in her. I must agree the A pillars do occasionally catch me by surprise. I replaced the stereo, 4 speakers and added a backup camera. It was a lot more work than I anticipated but I feel like it was worth it. Trunk size is great, I found a trunk organizer GM part #12498559 that I absolutely love. I keep my work gear in it, fits perfectly between the "hips".
Headlights are an unusually involved undertaking, and the sockets tend to melt. Not a bad idea to replace as many bulbs as you can afford to when taking things apart in hopes you won't have to again. Reading other's experiences I would hesitate to recommend 2008-09. I specifically sought out 2011 and 2012 for the 4 cyl mated with six-speed transmission and better MPG. I average 25 per gallon, hoped for a little more than that but it's acceptable.
 
#16 · (Edited)
My wife bought her 2008 LTZ with the 3.6 and 6 speed new in Jan 2008. It now has approx 59,000 miles.
So far it has been a good car. Good power and good highway mileage , not so good in town.
Her Malibu has not had the wave plate or timing chain problem, but my 2008 Equinox with the same engine and transmission had both problems.
On my Equinox the oil was changed at 4,000 to 5,000 miles using dino oil.
On the Malibu we started to use full synthetic and change the oil around 4,000 miles.
Here's a picture from this December.
 

Attachments

#20 ·
Cam chain issues where more of a Equinox issue than Malibu 2.4 motors. You can't give away a 2.4 'nox . That was the factor in my buying a 3.6 'nox besides that a 2.4 'nox AWD can't get out of it's own way. These boards are a prime research tool, looking at issues that are common AND expensive repairs make my buying decisions easy. Not some bogus magazine under 30k mile review. Everything is great when it's under warranty and a 2-3 yr. lease plus nobody wants to admit to investing in a turd. Owner repair boards are real experiences, you just have to sort out the informed and genuine reports from the abused and neglected vehicles. My 2.4 4 speed car was a good buy IMO.
 
#22 ·
I'm not sure on the older Malibu V6 like yours, I had the intake gasket issues on several 3.1 cars along with cold start piston slap, but the 2.4 Equinox were notorious for chain issues. The Equinox boards are full of stories and GM had some extended coverage on them. Not so many on the 2.4 motors on here about chains. IMO full synth. oils were the key to long life of chains and tensioners. I still have my OEM cam solenoids in my '09 at 185k miles.
 
#24 ·
2008 Malibu LTZ V6

Dark Gray Metallic with the two-tone ebony/brick leather interior. I got hooked on the looks of that interior/exterior color combo when I first saw it in early 2008.I also liked the 18" 10-spoke wheels on the LTZ versions. I wouldn't normally go for a first year of a new model design. It replaced my 1991 Toyota Celica GT manual that I had for 17 years, another fun car to drive.

Daily driver with 117K miles. I bought it in April 08. Only major issue was replacing a transmission. The headlight ulb changes shouldn't require snapping the front bumper off, but I can do it quick. The tire pressure sensors have been replaced twice, batteries die, the last time I did it when getting tires.

It is fun to drive with the 3.6L V6, which is fast enough so I don't get into trouble. Taught my daughter to drive in this car. She is going to take it over as her daily driver for college.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top