8.5

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$1,500
Average Mileage:
127,150 miles
Total Complaints:
4 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. not sure (2 reports)
  2. repair cylinder, rings (1 reports)
  3. replaced my starter (1 reports)
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problem #4

Aug 192019

Malibu LS 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 238,456 miles

I bought it from Insta-Credit Automart in Collinsville, IL in Feb 2017. I currently still owe 5,700 plus, so I purchased a throttle body sensor the sensor wasn't the right one, then I was told its the starter and I bought that. I just haven't had money to keep fixing up my car, I even called today to try to trade it in. But I'm having engine power failure.

- Prophet J., Saint Louis, MO, US

problem #3

Jan 192021

Malibu LT 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 123,000 miles

I bought the car Nov 25, 2020 at used auto dealer. Had a 30 days/1000 mile warranty. 122K miles. 10 days later drove 30 miles to a mall. Came back out after couple hours & it would not start. Sat for 35-45 minutes & repeatedly tried restarting & finally after completely cooled, it started. It was ok for couple of weeks. The car was home in garage for a solid week. I drove a few 40 mile trips and it was okay.

On Jan 7 went 25 miles to next town, stopped and did some errands twice, left and started ok. Then I went to dentist for 1 hour while my daughter waited in car. She decided to go get food while I was in dentist office. Car failed to start. We sat there for one hour and was getting ready to call toll truck and suddenly it started. Arrived home safely.

It sat in garage for another week. No engine/dash lights came on at all. Took to local Chevy dealer to fix. They kept 2 days, test drove & couldn't get it to duplicate. They couldn't get any code whatsoever on computer. They didn't take off any parts or install any as they didn't know what the problem was. They called us to pick up.

My husband put a new Fuel Pump Relay on & after sitting in drive for few days we decided to test. On Tues, 1/20/21 we drive round trip 35 miles - everything perfect. 1/21/21 we drove again same 35 mi round trip & 2x on the highway it lost power for a split second then picked up again. Five miles later at the first stop light we had to stop in traffic, then proceeded to make a right turn and it died. We got pushed out of traffic. Sat for 1.5 hrs & never would restart...

Kept cranking then died, repeatedly. We had to be towed home. It's is sitting in front of the house dead as a doornail. I have tried 3x per day & still won't start. Don't know what to do. The problem was there when we bought the car but it was so random the dealer got away with his 30 day warranty without having to take on this issue. We are stuck with $6500 for a car that won't run and nobody knows what the problem is. No codes at dealers, no engine lights has ever emerged.

When this issue was not acting up, the car ran like a new Singer Sewing Machine, quiet and never misfired or had any other symptom or warning. I think whatever the problem is was some part going bad and finally it went completely DEAD. I watched some videos, one suggestion was Cam Shaft Position Censor, Another issue that fixed a similar problem was the wires to the Fuel Pump Relay were heat stressed. HELP HELP HELP.

- Ruby V., Paris, US

problem #2

Feb 162018

Malibu LS

  • Automatic transmission
  • 87,000 miles

This is the second time my car has stalled while driving. First was December 9th, towed it to one repair shop. They couldn't figure it out, had it towed to a different repair shop. I had just filled up my gas tank so they come up with the theory that its bad gas. They drain the gas, put in new gas and it started up. It was really rough but it ran. Cleared up in a few days, drove like usual after that.

Fast forward to today, I'm in the repair shop right now and it's the same problem, but this time I get to miss a day of work for this. Randomly enough, the tow truck driver that rescued me today said his wife has the same car, same year, same problems and they have never figured out what was wrong with it. Bought the car used 4 years ago, never one problem, now this, twice in 3 months with only about 88,000 miles on it.

- Alan P., Kalamazoo, US

problem #1

Jun 152016

Malibu 2.3L 4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 60,000 miles

the engine barely runs and dies often, the engine barely runs and dies often

The car had only 60 or 70 thousand miles on it and had been cared for very well, i.e. oil regularly changed, all fluid levels checked and filled regularly, no off pavement driving. Still two cylinder rings wore to the point of low compression. The Ecotech engine is a terrible engine.

- Greg C., Bakersfield, US