8.9
pretty bad- Typical Repair Cost:
- $940
- Average Mileage:
- 90,650 miles
- Total Complaints:
- 53 complaints
Most common solutions:
- replace with new intake manifold gaskets made this year (27 reports)
- not sure (14 reports)
- GM needs to recall (4 reports)
- replace intake gasket (2 reports)
- replaced it myself with non-GM gasket set (2 reports)
- GM mechanic suggested trading car in for a new one (1 reports)
« Read the previous 20 complaints
coolant kept leaking and had to be refilled for the past 3 years-finally someone told me it was the intake manifold gasket--they need to learn how to make cars that last
- cheryls, Saginaw, MI, US
What can I say. It seems like a common $1000 problem that GM is not addressing.
- madthad, Altamonte Springs, FL, US
MAKES NO D*MN SENSE! I've never heard of this being a problem with soooooo many people! Should it even be a problem alone! All I know is that I was in a parking lot, smelled something, cut my car off, opened hood and notice that coolant was leaking from the engine and into a drain! They told me it was $850 .. I bought the price, thinking I was going to do it myself and it was only $65 so the rest was labor! GM is a pain in the AZZ and I ALREADY started looking into foreign cars!
- nda721, Upper Marlboro, MD, US
Just got word to repalce this problem and flush the cooling system will be $950. Apparently it is mostly labor. No wonder GM is going under.
- allan, Lexington, SC, US
called GM about possible recall. the service rep very nice lady contacted local dealer to set appt. just to make sure problem was intake gasket. then confirm by dealer that was the problem. contacted same service rep. again she said too many miles sorry but they still got $29.50 for telling me something i already know about ! gm is using a bad gasket material !!!!!!!!!!
- Steven C., Calvert City, KY, US
I hate this car. It has caused me more problems and the bad thing is that I am still paying for it. This car has had to have brakes like 3 times, a new intake manifold gasket, repeated problems with the cooling system, it rides with a rough idle, and to top it all off, my ABS light came on this morning. Chevy needs to own up to this fluke and give us some kind of compensation.
- elizabethbelk, Charlotte, NC, US
Dealer said common problem. New gaskets are made of a different material that corrects the problem.
My issue, replaced at 17K, again at 80K, again at 83K (defective install) and now 90K. This is "bull shi*" I hate GM. My next car will not have a GM logo
- priced, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
This problem is very bad it can screw up the entire engine the car tends to run hot and you must replace antifreeze daily you cant sit in traffic for long periods of time thats for sure... Im so pissed I will not ever but another chevrolet malibu thats for sure I think chevrolet should recall this problem ..
- Johnnie K., Harrison, AR, US
I bought my Malibu in 2000, six months later I had a cracked piston (covered under warranty), a year later bad brakes (not covered by warrantly). Alignment caused me to rotate my tires 4 times (at my cost) and ended up buying 4 new tires. After 3 years the rack-pinion steering had to be replaced (I had to purchase extended warranty to cover this), now the coolant light came on and went away, but the Chevrolet Dealership mechanic says that it is the water pump manifold that is leaking and would cost $1,150 to fix it. He recommended to trade the car in for a new car. Why doesn't GM own up to these issues and recall these cars for bad gaskets and bad brake rotors. A lot more people would be purchasing the GM product if we knew that GM does give a care about the public. After paying $21,700 for this Malibu, I have second thoughts about purchasing a product that is not going to last me not even 5 years.
- demetri, Plano, TX, US
Happened once already and, I fear, we're approaching number two. Same beginning signs as last time are happening. It really ticks me off and we can't afford to fix it again. What is GM thinking? We should begin a HUGE complaint letter writing campaign and SCREAM at the top of our lungs! Sure won't make this mistake when I buy another car, I'll research til I'm blue in the face...........
- Cheryl R., North Fairfield, OH, US
I BOUGHT MY FIRST NEW CAR A 2000 MALIBU AND HAD MANY PROBLEMS LIKE THE ROTORS AND BRAKES AND A BURNED WIRE HARNESS AND NOW INTAKE GASKETS AND IT SUCKS THERES NO RECALLS ON THIS MATTERS WHAT CAN WE DO ANYONE PLEASE SEND HELP TO THIS PROBLEMS
- junior, Reading, PA, US
i bought the car at the end of 2000 and had to replace the intake manifold gaskets at around the same time (thanksgiving) in 2001. my fuel pump went out in 2002 and my mecahnic just told me the intake manifold gaskets are leaking again. he suggest to replace them soon. it cost $900 to get it fixed the first time which was not under my extended warranty plan. I just payed the car off and have to fork out another $700-900 to get it fixed again. it is common knowledge to GM that there is a history of gaskets problems in several chevy models especially the malibu, but no recall has been issued and no compensation has been awarded to all those hard working people who trust the chevy name. if nothing is done i will never buy chevy again. pontiac had the same problem with some of its cars a few years back and recalled all models with less than 100,000 miles on them. why wont chevy. the day i bought my car i stopped at a chevy dealership just to look and planned on buying a honda instead, but was brainwashed by bill heard chevrolet in sugarland texas. never buy a car there by the way. i guareentee you will get ripped off on the cost interest rate or trade in value. they told me buy american and the malibu was comparable to the honda accord. not even close.
- shawnh2004, Provo, UT, US
When you have it replaced clean out the intake manifold, valves and fuel injectors. Not a impossiable to do yourself with patience, research, and about 2 days. USE RED LOCKTITE ON THE HEADER BOLTS
- Jim W., Westville, NJ, US