2002 Chevrolet Malibu Fuel System Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHEN THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AND THE SECURITY LIGHT BLINKED ON AND OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASS LOCK SENSOR FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHEN THE DRIVER TURNED THE IGNITION TO THE ON POSITION, THE VEHICLE DID NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHILE AT THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 125,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. CONSUMER WRITES TO EXPRESS DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THE VEHICLE. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AT TIMES. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. HOWEVER, AT THE TIME THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINED A PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER WENT TO HER LOCAL REPAIR GARAGE, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED, THE IGNITION WAS THE PROBLEM. ALSO, THE ENTIRE GAS COVER AND CAP CAME OFF IN THE CONSUMERS HANDS, DUE TO SEVERE RUST. THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE TRADED THE VEHICLE. *JB

ANTITHEFT SYSTEM INTERMITTENTLY CAUSING CAR TO STALL AND FAILS TO RESTART TAIL LIGHTS ARE FAILING FUEL SYSTEM CUTOFF. *TR

MAY 2013: CAR HARD TO START; MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS BEFORE ENGINE STARTED MAY 2013: HAD NEW KEY MADE AT LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER DECEMBER 2013: CONTINUED PROBLEMS STARTING CAR; REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH JULY 1, 2014: GM ANNOUNCES EXPANDED RECALL TO INCLUDE 2002 MALIBU; CALLED LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER; THEY SAID WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE LETTER FROM GM; DEALER DID NOT KNOW ABOUT EXPANDED RECALL JULY 14, 2014: CAR ENGINE TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING JULY 15, 2014: CALLED LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER AGAIN; STILL KNEW NOTHING ABOUT EXPANDED RECALL; COULDN'T ADVISE AS TO WHETHER CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

MY 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU LS LEFT ME STRANDED AT A BUSY FUELING STATION. THE CAR REFUSED TO START DUE TO THE FAULTY PASSLOCK IGNITION SWITCH SYSTEM. THESE PARTS WERE REPLACED AT AN AUTHORIZED GM SERVICE CENTER AT APPROXIMATELY 47,000 MILES DUE TO THE SAME ISSUE OF REFUSING TO START. NOW AT AROUND 21,000 MILES LATER THE PARTS HAVE FAILED AGAIN. GM AND NHTSA NEED TO RESOLVE THESE SAFETY ISSUES. I DON'T FEEL SAFE IN THIS CAR, AND I DON'T BELIEVE IT IS RELIABLE. WAKE UP THIS IS YET ANOTHER GM IGNITION PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR DECADES! ANYONE IN DOUBT JUST DO AN INTERNET SEARCH ON GM PASSLOCK OR CHEVROLET MALIBU IGNITION PROBLEMS. *TR

I DRIVE MY CAR AND IT CUTS OFF. TRY TO START IT BUT CRANKS NO START. BOUGHT NEW BATTERY NO START. SMELL FUEL. DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS AFRAID TO DRIVE. *TR

MY 2002 CHEVY MALIBU HAS BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS SINCE I BOUGHT IT AT ABOUT 104,000 MILES BUT I AM SURE THAT IT WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WELL BEFORE I BOUGHT IT BECAUSE OF THE LOW PRICE I PAID FOR IT, BUT I NEEDED A CAR BADLY. I HAVE ALWAYS HAD PROBLEMS STARTING MY CAR AND USUALLY WOULD HAVE TO TURN IT ON TO MAKE SURE ALL THE LIGHTS COME ON, NOT JUST THE ANTI-THEFT LIGHT. IF ONLY THE ANTI-THEFT LIGHT COMES ON, ITS GUARANTEED TO NOT START. AT EXACTLY 111,111 MILES MY CAR WOULD NOT START AT ALL NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I TOOK THE KEY OUT AND PUT IT BACK IN. IT KEPT FLASHING THE ANTI-THEFT AT ME! I REPLACED THE IDOL SPEED MOTOR AND FOR SOME REASON IT STARTED. A WEEK LATER IT WOULDN'T START AGAIN. I READ ABOUT TRICKS ONLINE TO GET THE CAR TO START BECAUSE THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROMINENT PROBLEM WITH 2002'S. I FINALLY GOT THE CAR STARTED. A FEW DAYS LATER I WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WHEN I CAME TO A STOP LIGHT AND MY CAR JUST SHUT OFF. I WAS STILL ABLE TO USE MY BREAKS, THANK GOD, BUT HAD TO SIT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC TRYING TO START MY CAR FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. I KEEP THINKING WHAT IF THIS HAPPENS WHEN MY 2-YEAR-OLD IS WITH ME? WHAT IF THIS HAPPENS IN THE DARK AND SOMEONE REAR ENDS ME BECAUSE MY LIGHTS GO OUT? I HAVE HAD THE FUEL PUMP CHECKED, THE FUEL INJECTORS, THE IDLE SPEED MOTOR REPLACED EVERY TIME I REPLACE SOMETHING IT WORKS FOR A FEW DAYS OR WEEKS THEN IT STARTS TO ACT UP AGAIN. THE POINT IS THAT THE PROBLEM ALWAYS COMES BACK AND IT SEEMS TO GET WORST, AND HAPPENS MORE FREQUENTLY WITH EVERY FAILURE. THE PROBLEM COULD BE THE IGNITION CYLINDER WITCH IS WHAT I AM HAVING FIXED NEXT, BUT I HAVE ACQUAINTANCES THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT COME BACK EVEN AFTER REPLACING THE IGNITION CYLINDER. MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS HAVING EVERYTHING DIE AGAIN WHILE I AM DRIVING BECAUSE ITS NOT JUST A INCONVENIENCE ANYMORE, IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT CHEVY NEEDS TO ADDRESS BEFORE THERE ARE DEATHS AND OR SERIOUS INJURIES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE IDLING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, AND FINALLY THE ENGINE TURNED OVER. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO HIS RESIDENCE AND TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE AIR CONDITION COMPRESSOR. PREVIOUSLY, THE ENGINE GASKET WAS REPLACED. RECENTLY, THE VEHICLE BEGAN RIDING ROUGHLY AND WAS TAKEN TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE FUEL INJECTOR, WHICH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

MY CHEVY MALIBU WHICH I BOUGHT BRAND NEW AND ONLY HAS 43,000 MILES WAS STARTING TO HESITATE AND NOT THE POWER UP HILLS LIKE IT WAS BEGGING FOR GAS. WELL A WEEK LATER AFTER PARKING IT IN THE MORNING AND GOING TO USE IT SOME HOURS LATER IT WOULD NOT START. THE FUEL PUMP WENT AND I HAD TO BE TOWED TO MY REPAIR SHOP SINCE I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. PART IS NOT AVAILABLE. MANAGER OF REPAIR SHOP WAS VERY SURPRISED THAT THE PUMP WENT WITH SUCH FEW MILES. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY WHICH WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE SMELL OF GASOLINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. THE FIRST 6 TIMES, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. ON THE SEVENTH VISIT, THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A GAS LEAK IN THE FUEL LINE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED, THE FUEL LINE FRACTURED AND BECAME COMPLETELY DETACHED.

I BOUGHT A 2002 CHEVY MALIBU IN SEPT OF 2005 AND HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT REPAIR BILLS SINCE. I UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE STUFF WAS MAINTENANCE BUT I DON'T THINK ALL OF IT IS. THE LIST OF MY COMPLAINTS IS TO LONG SO I AM HOPING SOMEBODY WILL CALL ME. THANK YOU. *NM

I OWN AN '02 CHEVY MALIBU (SINCE 2/28/02). I HAD THE SAME HAZARD SWITCH PROBLEM W/MY '02 MALIBU THAT THE '00 & '01 MODEL YEARS HAD, AND I HAD TO PAY FOR ITS REPLACEMENT (ROUGHLY $130). I HAD NO TURN SIGNALS OR HAZARD BLINKERS UNTIL IT WAS REPLACED. GIBSON CHEVY OF SOUTH HOLLAND, IL DID THE REPLACEMENT (IT'S IN THEIR REPAIR SYSTEM). MY CAR PRESENTLY HAS A LITTLE OVER 45K MILES. GM SHOULD REIMBURSE ME FOR THE MONEY I WAS FORCED TO PAY, GIVEN THE HISTORY OF THIS DEFECT WITH PRIOR MODEL YEARS AND THE FACT THIS SITUATION HAS NOT SEEMINGLY BEEN REPLACED WITH THE '02 MODEL YEAR, EITHER. I GOT NO NOTIFICATION OF A PROBLEM WITH THIS SWITCH OR A RECALL ON IT, EITHER. I HAVE HAD TO HAVE A MODULATOR REPLACED LAST WEEK (10/5/05) WHICH AFFECTS THE BLOWER MOTOR SPEEDS IN MY VEHICLE'S VENTILATION SYSTEM ($152.00). AT SPEEDS 1, 2 AND 3, THE BLOWER MOTOR WOULDN'T WORK AT ALL. EACH SPEED STARTING WITH THE LOWEST TO THE HIGHER SPEEDS WAS GOING OUT-THE ONLY SPEEDS WORKING WERE #4, #5 & DEFROST. I WAS FORCED TO HAVE THIS REPLACED OR I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO USE THE VENTS OR DEFROSTER OR THE BLOWER ITSELF (& THE DEFROSTER), WOULD NOT WORK AT ALL. THIS REPAIR WAS DONE AT BRACH AUTO REPAIR (103RD & WESTERN AVE., CHICAGO IL -- THIS REPAIR DETAIL IS IN THEIR SYSTEM). BRACH AUTO ALSO REPLACED SOME PARTS IN MY FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM (IT WAS MALFUNCTIONING/ABOUT TO GO OUT). THE AMT I PAID FOR THIS IS ALSO IN THEIR SYSTEM. AT THAT TIME, TOM BEAULIEU INFORMED ME THAT GM HAS DISTRIBUTED A TSB RE: THIS SITUATION (WHICH I WAS NOT INFORMED OF UNTIL I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR THE MODULATOR REPAIR), & HOW I MUST RUN MY CAR W/ ONLY SHELL OR BP'S 93 OCTANE GASOLINE (EVEN THOUGH THE OWNER'S MANUAL STATES IT SHOULD/CAN RUN ON 87 OCTANE). NOW, DUE TO A POOR FUEL INJECTOR DESIGN, RUNNING ANYTHING LESS THAN 93 OCTANE IN MY '02 MALIBU WILL RESULT IN MORE COSTLY REPAIRS. (3 SEPARATE FAILURES / 3 SEPARATE PARTS ON THE SAME CAR). I WANT GM TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE MONEY I'VE SPENT FOR THESE REPAIRS.*JB

DT: CONSUMER STATED: HAD A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD, FUEL EVAPORATION HOSE WHICH MELTED CAUSED THE FIRE. CHEVROLET STATED HOSES BROKE. NO FOR WARNING, FOUND OUT WHEN CATALYTIC CONVERTER WENT BAD, AND SENSORS BURNT. ANY THING IN THE STREAM OF THAT WAS BURNT OR MELTED.*AK

CAR COUGHS/HESITATES WHEN DRIVING BETWEEN 65-75 MPH. BEGAN DOING WHEN I MOVED TO ARIZONA. DID NOT DO IT IN FL USING REGULAR GRADE GAS. DEALER SAID MY FUEL FILTER WAS ALL CLOGGED AND DIRTY AND THE FUEL WAS GETTING DARK COLORED. SAID I NEED TO USE CHEVRON OR ARCO GAS AS THEY PUT A DETERGENT IN THEIR GAS THAT GMC IS RECOMMENDING FOR ALL THEIR CARS. DEALER CHANGED FUEL FILTERS AND AIR FILTER. I TRIED REGULAR GRADE GAS FROM ARCO. NO DIFFERENCE. AM TAKING IT BACK TO SERVICE AT DEALER AGAIN.*AK

WHEN TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE CONSUMER FELT THAT FUEL WAS NOT FLOWING TO THE ENGINE PROPERLY. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FIVE TIMES FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM. EACH TIME DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP, WHICH THEN MALFUNCTIONED SOON AFTER WARDS.*AK

THE CAR DIED WHILE DRIVING ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASSIONS. TWICE I WAS ON THE FREEWAY AT 70-75 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST POWER, RESULTING IN A STRUGGLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE ONTO A SIDE LANE OF THE FREEWAY (ONCE I WAS GOING 30 MPH, IN CITY STREETS AND WAS AGAIN BARELY ABLE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT BY STRUGGLING TO TURN THE CAR INTO A SIDE STREET WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST POWER). ON EACH OF THESE INCIDENTS, I WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE FOR A TIME PERIOD OF 10 MINUTES, THE STARTER WOULD CRANK BUT NOT TURN OVER. THE THREE INCIDENTS ALL OCCURRED ON THE SAME DAY. I TURNED THE VEHICLE IN TO GM TO REVIEW AND THEY STATED NOTHING WRONG AND GAVE MY CAR BACK UNFIXED. 3 WEEKS LATER, I WAS GOING TO START MY CAR AND AGAIN THE VEHICLE WOULD CRANK BUT NOT TURN OVER. UPON TAKING IT BACK TO GM, THEY DISCOVERED THE FUEL FILTER WAS BAD AND BURNT OUT THE PUMP. THEY REPLACED BOTH. I FURTHER LEARNED THE SAME SERVICE STATION HAD TO REPLACE SIMILAR PARTS ON ANOTHER 2002 MALIBU WITHIN THE PAST WEEK. DT