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Chevrolet Malibu Meet the Owners

179 messages,  Last post on Oct 04, 2010 at 5:53 PM

You are in the Chevrolet Malibu Forum.

What is this discussion about? Chevrolet Malibu, Sedan

Messages Page 14 of 18

#130 of 179 Re: Malibu Reliability [cwesleyg] by pao

Aug 24, 2005 (5:06 am)

Replying to: cwesleyg (Aug 23, 2005 1:51 pm)
well again....mine has been problem free from day one....less the window shades in the back...and the initial recall......but as I noted..the GMOL is just another data point and as I stated..should be considered in the overall equation of when you think best to change your oil..........and I will change the synth around the 7k range.....
 
in 35 years of driving..never had a car (GM/Ford/Chrysler/Dodge/Toyota/Nissan) fail with electrical, engine or AC problems (except a ford explorer...went thru three compressors in a year under warranty!)...averaging 80-100k on each car that I owned as I normally trade every 5-6 years.....but I also followed factory maintenance schedules for most of that time as well....and never was hard on a car in driving styles.....never towed with the vehicle on a regular basis...the uhaul trailer a few times....so I guess Im a fortunate one that never suffered through a car meltdown....
 
csandste msg..127 was very insightful and there are many articles out today on the modern engines and oil.....I would agree with is statements on oil useage..again..just another data point.....just like the auto injector service offered by the oil change places and dealerships....look into any owners manual and it isnt part of regular maintenance....if one uses a high quality gasoline..with good detergent it will clean your fuel system as it works for you......
 
BTW...discovered there are 17 grades of gasoline..that refineries make based on the region of the country the product is being sold in..in order to meet environment and air quality concerns.....so why cant we have one standard for the entire country......?

#132 of 179 Re: Chevrolet Malibu Owners: Meet the Members [KarenS] by maxxoliver

Sep 06, 2005 (3:58 pm)

Replying to: Karen@Edmunds (Feb 04, 2004 10:38 am)
Deanna and Randy, we bought our first Maxx in Feb 04. A galaxy silver LT loaded with everything except the eingine heater. Loved the car from day one. The ride is excellent, it has plenty of power, very comfortable and lots of leg room in the rear. The first Maxx however had every problem that has been expressed and after 15 months, over 30 days in the shop and many repair attempts GM finally agreed to buy it back.
   We went right back and bought an 05 galxy silver Maxx Lt loaded, we call him Oliver, We were able to get the employee discount, plus rebate, and other discounts and saved over $6,000. We were never unhappy about the car itself just all the repairs we were having to have done. When you buy your first ever brand new car you don't expect it to be in the shop more than at home. I have so much fun telling others about this car and all of it's features. When it came time for GM to buyback the other Maxx we had the option of taking our money elsewhere. We did not want any other car and do not want any other dealership than the one we had. We have had the new Maxx since June and other than the rotor trouble no real problems. The stereo has a glich every now and then but I can deal with that, and we have a rattle in the roof we are going to get looked at when it's time for the next oil change. We tinted the rear windows,and added a wooddash kit to the stereo these help give it character.
      I really hope that GM is not serious about doing away with the Maxx in 07 and replacing it with the HHR the two do not compare. Maxx is way cuter and has many more features.
     Having a great dealership to work with helps too. Fitzpatrick is the best. We even got homemade cookies sent to us and free oil changes for the first year.

#133 of 179 Seems we have mostly happy Maxx owners two years into production now by pao

Sep 07, 2005 (6:26 am)

seems the bugs are beginning to work themselves out of the Maxx now...Im seeing less and less problems show up on the board now...hope that is a sign it is settling down and not loss of interest in the car and board.....I still love my Maxx LT....built Feb 04, purchased in Mar 04.....have had no problems with it...and will roll over 40K on the way home tonight....just completed a 1700 mile trip this past weekend...Northern Va..to upstate SC down to Charleston SC and back to MD...got abtou 27-28 MPG..running 75-80 with the AC on....most gas was 3.19 a gallon thru VA, NC, and SC.....I beleive I have lost about 1 MPG with the upgraded 17 inch rims and wider tires...but will trade it for the handling and ride now....otherwise..still a very satisfied Maxx owner.......love the new styling on the 06 Maxxs.....I do hope they keep them after the 07 model year...perhaps just a major restyling........now if my Pontiac Solstice would arrive.....I would really be a happy camper....cheers!!!

#134 of 179 Re: Seems we have mostly happy Maxx owners two years into production now [p by redmaxx

Sep 07, 2005 (10:08 am)

Replying to: pao (Sep 07, 2005 6:26 am)
seems the bugs are beginning to work themselves out of the Maxx now...Im seeing less and less problems show up on the board now...hope that is a sign it is settling down
 
Unfortunately, I currently have no shortage of problems. I have a returning water leak in the hatch area, the shades in the back don't stay and tend to snap back (even after the fix) which caused them to not roll up completely, intermittent remote start problems, dash peeling, brake vibration (when the car is warmed up, but not cool, which is why the dealer doesn't find any runout) and grinding (when stopping hard and its not very loud), and Auto Volume setting adjustment doesn't always work.
 
Since this is "Meet the Members" here is what I've got:
 
2004 Red Malibu Maxx LT build in Feb 04, with the sunroof wind deflector. So far, I've replaced the POS Insignia SE200 tires with Goodyear Assurance ComforTread and they are much smoother. The highway I take every day to work is just about forgotten by the state highway department (ADOT), so it is a mixture of cracks, road sealant and developing potholes. Plus the expansion joints for the bridges aren't evenly lined up with the road, so that can be pretty jarring. But, with the new tires, it certainly takes the edge off of the bumps.
 
Things I like:
  • XM Radio - Nice clear sound, even if the XM module doesn't always communicate to the radio correctly every time (sometimes I get the preview channel for the first minute or so of driving).
  • Economy - Highway is great, getting 30-31 on the highway at 65MPH is nice. Around town? Not spectacular. My average economy is 22-23.
  • Power - Engine is powerful and it makes passing easy
  • Transmission - Smooth, most of the time.
  • Sound - The uplevel sound on the LT is excellent!
  • Cruise - Implemented very well. Tries to accelerate for a while before ordering a downshift. Plus, it holds to within 1MPH almost all the time. Unlike my parent's Montana, which goes all over even on the slightest incline.

    •  
    Things I don't like:
  • Going back into the dealer repeatedly. The've tried to fix the shades now 3-4 times. I'm not going to pursue returning it for a lemon as I have no real mechanical issues (right now). They really should have just done away with that whole design and put a sliding solid shade in. Plus, the hatch now leaks water again. Last time it was from the CHMSL, and it looks like that is going to be the problem again. You would think that with all these years of building cars and SUVs, GM would get that right.
  • Transmission inconsistencies. Usually it is smooth and accurate, but there are times when it gets clunky.
  • Cruise - Yep, got it on this side too. What were they thinking not allowing the cruise to unlock the torque converter. If you want to speed up, holding the accel for a few seconds should not result in a downshift. That usually sends me rocketing past the speed I want to go. Ex: Going 65, want to accel to 70. I know I can tap it 5 times, but sometimes it only gets up to 78 or 79 so I must be tapping too fast. So, for precision, I just hold it down. But...it gets to 79, downshifts and by the time I let go its up to 72 or 73.
    •

    #135 of 179 Mostly Happy by pao

    Sep 07, 2005 (11:10 am)

    I think we are seeing far fewer problems with the 05 model year than our 04.....again ours was probably built around the same time (2/17 a Tues) and we have the same color etc......I never did take the car in for the window shade fix...noone sits in the back anyway...so mine simply stay open and retracted...never a leak of water......brakes are good...have noticed a slight vibration...but at 40K...nothing Im concerned with at this point..probably need to have them checked...but will do that at my local brake center, not the dealer....
     
    despite your issues......my concern would be the leak.......i think you still hold a favorable opinion of the car...at this point....long term may be a different story
     
    I probably not as picky as most are with an automobile....Im a fanatic at keeping it clean and maintaining the service.maintenance, oil changes, tire pressure, etc......but I still love this car....

    #136 of 179 Re: Mostly Happy [pao] by redmaxx

    Sep 07, 2005 (4:07 pm)

    Replying to: pao (Sep 07, 2005 11:10 am)
    despite your issues......my concern would be the leak.......i think you still hold a favorable opinion of the car...at this point....long term may be a different story
    Yes, I do have a good opinion of the car. But, if this thing starts leaking again out of warranty, I'm going to be pretty POed.
      
    I probably not as picky as most are with an automobile....
    I'm probably a little more. I tend to notice the little engineering inconsistencies and stuff. Maybe I should apply to GM?
     
    Im a fanatic at keeping it clean and maintaining the service.maintenance, oil changes, tire pressure, etc......but I still love this car....
    Check, check, check and check.

    #137 of 179 Just bought 05 Maxx by mybooo

    Oct 31, 2005 (10:26 am)

    Hello! Just bought an 05 Malibu Maxx. So far we LOVE IT! Have only seen a few on the road here in Iowa. I am learning alot on this forum. Thanks to all!
     
    Larry

    #138 of 179 New (to me) Malibu owner by crewhauler

    Dec 06, 2005 (11:01 pm)

    Hello, I recently purchased a used GM certified '05 Malibu Sedan LS with 10,845 miles. This is the first GM product I have ever owned and I'm very happy with the car. Cars are becoming rolling computers nowadays aren't they? I like it though and got a decent price to boot. I read through all the Malibu related forums and it appears that Chevrolet got most of the kinks worked out as I haven't seen too as many posts from owners of the '05 model year compared to 2004. e2helper, would you be able to give me the build date on my vehicle? The last 6 of the VIN is 268769.

    #139 of 179 Re: New (to me) Malibu owner [crewhauler] by e2helper

    Dec 07, 2005 (7:33 pm)

    Replying to: crewhauler (Dec 06, 2005 11:01 pm)
    03/15/2005

    Messages Page 14 of 18

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