Ask the Car People.SM


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 10 of 19

#85 of 179 Re: Chevrolet Malibu Owners: Meet the Members [bonnie0372] by jeromeb

Sep 18, 2004 (7:09 am)

Replying to: bonnie0372 (Sep 02, 2004 6:04 am)
Try a different dealer.
 
My experience with a "problem" on my 2004 Malibu was as follows:
 
The dealer applied window tint to the rear window. This is SOP for all vehicles they sell.
The 2004 Malibu, with both a defogger and an antenna in the rear window, thus gets a third conductor. The window tint, a third conductor, allows the defogger to short to the antenna. This enables the antenna to add interference from the ignition system to the AM radio output. That's a cute trick if you don't have a tachometer, but listening to the spark plugs while trying to get my daily programming from Rush lacks efficiency.
Anyway, I took it to another dealer first to diagnose the problem. They told me that the tint was shorting the antenna to the defogger, and that removing the tint would be the solution. The tint was not a factory item, so they would not remove the tint without charging me a fee. They recommended that I take the car to the original dealer and have them remove the tint.
I took the car to the original dealer and told them my story. They disagreed, as in their experience of putting tint on every car this complaint was unique. They decided to replace the rear window, which they did not have in stock. A week later, I took it back to the original dealer and got the brand new rear window, gratis, and another tint job. This did not stop the problem, which was that the AM radio reception was collecting interference from the ignition system. Finally, they admitted that maybe the tint was the problem, and they removed the tint. That fixed the problem. To me it was no cash lost, and only a little inconvenience. The original dealer was close to my workplace and the other dealer was close to my house.
 
The original dealer is owned by an out-of-state corporation, and the other dealer is owned by the same family which started selling cars 80 years ago.
 
If you do take your car to another dealer, simply present your complaint, and let them discover what the problem might be. Do not tell them your long story about previous dissatisfaction.
 
If another dealer is too inconvenient to you, try this: Take your car back to your dealer and speak to the service manager. Politely explain that this new car idles rough. It shouldn't.
 
Now, if you're coming to this Malibu after years of driving Lexus's, maybe you'll think it's rough. I don't and my 2003 Malibu and my 2004 Malibu with V-6 engines do not idle rough.

#86 of 179 Itty Bitty Fender Bender! by jeromeb

Sep 18, 2004 (7:13 am)

Well, my daughter drove her 2003 Malibu into a Suburban at very low speed. The Sub wasn't even scratched, but the Malibu needed over $2000 worth of repairs to replace the bumper, grill, light, hood, and assorted stuff. She's 18 now, and has learned to pay her insurance premiums and her deductibles. She's good to go.

#87 of 179 Re: Chevrolet Malibu Owners: Meet the Members [jeromeb] by bonnie0372

Sep 20, 2004 (5:56 am)

Replying to: jeromeb (Sep 18, 2004 7:09 am)
Hey there Jeromeb-
Thanks for your input. Believe it or not, I have been dealing with the Service Manager at the dealership...and he is the one saying that the rough idle is NOTHING. He believes that if a code does not come up on it...NOTHING is wrong with it. The idle is still there but I am just so tired of not having my car..I will wait until the car goes in for something else and bring up the ROUGH IDLE situation ONCE AGAIN!!!! Thanks again for your input. Greatly appreciated!

#88 of 179 Re: MAXX LT Taking Delivery Today!! [jess33] by maxxamum

Oct 01, 2004 (8:00 pm)

Replying to: jess33 (Jun 18, 2004 5:41 am)
Congrats on the new MAXX jess33,
 
     I picked mine up 2 1/2 weeks ago and I think
it may be the best car I have ever owned. I had a 2000 Malibu base model before and it went 80K miles without a hitch but with no bells and whistles. I got my loaded LS MAXX (remote start,
1SB pkg, etc... in Navy Blue with neutral interior and beige pintripe. With the $3500 rebate, the GMAC $1000rebate, and the GM Supplier discount I bought a $23,185 stickered car for
$16,700. They also did an extended warranty to 80K miles with a $100 deductable after 36K for $720 (12 bucks a month !) It is very fast, great riding and handling, and has all the bells and whistles I need. The room is incredible and the flexibility of the rear seating is ingenious.
Hats off to Chevy for coming up with a true Accord and Camry killer, I always knew they could do it!

#90 of 179 Power Adjustable Pedals by bh628

Oct 10, 2004 (12:44 am)

Hi,
     I am considering buying a Malibu Sedan, LS, and would like to hear from current owners about the power adjustable pedals.
     I remember reading somewhere that a person had more vibration due to power adjustable pedals. I think it was on her Toyota. The service manager told her that she was getting vibration because the pedals aren't firmly attached to the car structure.
     Are you Malibu owners finding more vibration with/power adjustable pedals--especially on the highway? I have sciatica, and that could really lead to back pain for me.
     I would really appreciate your feedback! Thank you.

#91 of 179 by maxx4me

Oct 10, 2004 (5:58 am)

he,he, he....never trust what a service manager tells you.....no, I have not had any problem with the pedals, nor can I understand the vibration issue.

#92 of 179 2 new ones..... by niagara

Oct 14, 2004 (8:43 am)

Being a Virgo, Presbyterian, Scottish and a Professor ... where do think that my $$ will go?
 
After over 40 years of car ownership and over 24 cars, mostly new, I'm still excited by learning new car stuff. Recent experiences tok us through Maxima, Toyotas (4), Lincoln, TBird, etc. It's been almost 20 years since my last GM, - so this year we bought a 2004 Impala LS and a Malibu LT(ISB). I drive the Pal and my wife drives the Bu, - I use it when I "may". I've done 24,000 kms this year and she's done 7.000, - so far, no big issues.
 
My Toyota experiences were all great ... the cars, the dealer, the value. However, my testing, research and evaluations encouraged us to "go Chevy". And, we are truly impessed with these new products: the Pal for it's "everything-works-well" profile, and the Bu for it's "wow!" factor. Many of our peer group are surprized and then impressed ,, I think that many of them will seriously consider these cars,
 
I really enjoy all your comments , - great reading, ...AND kudos to Karen, ... nice work!!

#93 of 179 SS MAXX by ssmaxx

Oct 14, 2004 (4:42 pm)

i bought my maxx in June in Ohio i use it to travel between sanford Florida and brooklyn ny the car so far has been great its like have some one with you watching out . climate control xm traction signal light reminder auto lights wiper speed senseti radio speed sensitive dvd surround sound'comfterble seating headlights are supper bright yes my rear sun visor drove me nuts until i stuck the handle part in the slot they wher done.and the slight whine on the shift on hard exseleration itjust lets me know im getting on it which im not afraid to do iwish the doors locked themselves but i guess alot of pepole wouldn't like that but in brooklyn id like it.all in all its grate so far so ive named after my last great car a 10 sec 1971 chevelle SS with 454ci 450 hp vitar tranny 411 gears sunburt orange strips white interior my maxx is white with tan leather and yes now it has stripes check me at photo gallery. its a pleasure to meet you all between all of us well keep the maxxs getting better

#94 of 179 New Maxx on New Year's Eve by hickoryd

Jan 01, 2005 (10:46 pm)

Hi Everyone and Happy New Year!
Exactly 3 months ago, I bought a new '04 Silverado. After adding a few goodies (which every p/u truck owner must do), I decided it was not the right vehicle for me. However, since the truck deal amounted to about $8,000 off sticker, coupled with dealers desperate for l1th hour sales to close out the year, I guessed that we would not get burned too badly on the trade.
We made the deal for a white '04 Maxx LS, and we are feeling very optimistic about the vehicle.
My commuter car for the past 8.5 years has been a '96 Contour. Nothing has ever failed on this car (now with 163,000 miles and still averaging 33 mpg) but I'm getting tired of driving a 5-speed.
It would be SUPER if the MAXX comes as close reliability-wise.
Dean

Messages Page 10 of 19

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement