cooling system problem
8.0
pretty badTypical Repair Cost:
$900.00
Average Mileage:
92,659 miles
Number of complaints:
7 complaints
Most common solutions:
- replace intake manifold gasket (5 reports)
- not sure (2 reports)
Helpful Websites About 2000 Chevrolet Malibu coolant leak
2008Jun 07
Malibu LS
- Automatic transmission
- 99,000 miles
i bought a 2000 chevy malibu ls off a friend on my job it had 97,000 miles on it at the time of purchase about a month and a half ago i noticed a coolant leak brought it to a mechanic and was told it was the intake manifold it cost me 800.00 you see chevy uses a sealant instead of a gasket so after so many miles it starts to crack and leak way to go chevy now its leaking again all around the water pump and top of engine i recently had the water pump replaced who knows what it will cost to fix this problem. now i know why american made cars are junk and they want to know why they're losing money how about trying to build a durable car that isn't in the garage more then on the road to anyone that reads this do yourself a favor go out and buy a toyota, nissan, or a honda stay away from american made.
2006Jun 25
Malibu 6 cyl
- Automatic transmission
- 67,000 miles
Tried the cheap route first with gasket seal and it worked for about 4 months. Plastic coolant tank threads strip easily so you need to tighten cap down hard. If you visit quick lube shop and they check the radiator fluid make sure you check how they have tightened the cap. Otherwise you are looking forward to coolant leak. Every mechanic I talked to seems to know about this problem and one quoted me price of $450, not $700 I paid.
2008Jan 08
Malibu V6
- Automatic transmission
- 76,000 miles
Every one to two weeks I have to add Dexcool coolant to the tank of my Malibu 2000 car. The car has 78,000 miles. The tank appears to be intact. It has not heated up to the point of turning off but sometimes it has a burnout odor. Where could be the problem?
2008Mar 03
Malibu LX
- Automatic transmission
- 125,000 miles
OMG!! I am so angry! This is the second time in the past 2 1/2 years I've had to replace the Intake Manifold Gasket on my 2000 Chevy Malibu! It has been losing fluids for about a year so I took it to a mechanic who tried to rip me off, so I took it elsewhere and had the hoses fixed. That worked okay for a while, then it started doing the same thing AGAIN, so I took it to another mechanic who took $200 of my dollars and said it was something else. That worked for a little while, then it started happening AGAIN! Finally I took it to the mechanics and when they told me it was the Intake Manifold Gasket I about fell to the floor because I just HAD that replaced 26 months ago. But both mechanics told me that this is a common problem for GM cars. WHY IN THE HECK IS IT, THAT WE HAVE TO SPEND BETWEEN $400 - $600 EVERY TWO YEARS TO HAVE THIS THING REPLACED AND GM, KNOWING ABOUT THE PROBLEM, DOESN'T RECALL IT?!?!?!?!?! I HATE GM products. I will never again buy a GM product.
My question for anybody who might know, is this. One mechanic told me that there is a class action suit against GM for this problem. Does anybody know anything about it and if they do, how do I get on board with it?
2008Feb 01
Malibu
- Automatic transmission
- 113,000 miles
The coolant leaks. I had the system flushed, replaced water pump hose and the sensor light. The light stills comes on and I am still having a problem with the leaking. As soon as I turn the car off, the anti freeze just comes pouring out under the passenger side not from the radiator. I am very annoyed - please help me out thank you.
2007Nov 24
Malibu LS 3.1L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 76,615 miles
Had a coolant leak. Went to a closest Canadian Tire. I'm lucky it leaked outside, so engine is fine, but they had to replace intake manifold gasket, thermostat and belt. And of course they had to do cooling system flush & fill, oil change with engine flush & filter. $1200.
Also had turn lights replaced (recall), fuel tank gauge (recall).
Engine rattles since car hit 3 year. Poor acceleration that nobody can fix: been to 3 places including GM, replaced many things but to no avail.
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2008Jun 04
Malibu 3.1L
I purchased my car from a previous owner a couple of years ago. The coolant level light appeared on the dashboard last year and I took it into a mechanic to see why it was leaking. They filled the car with anti-freeze, however, the coolant light came on soon after. Over the course of a year, I have battled with the light coming on an off. Finally, on June 4, 2008, I was traveling on the highway when I noticed my temperature gauge climbing to the hottest setting and the car began to decrease in speed. I stopped the car on the shoulder and filled it with more coolant, however, after a few miles the light came on again.
A mechanic told me to see if there was a milky substance forming on the inside of the oil cap and there was. He then told me that based on the events I described to him and the evidence that the coolant was not leaking outwardly, my intake manifold gasket needed to be replaced.
Also, I spoke with a GM Certified Technician who told me that this has been an ongoing problem with all of models of cars that use the same type of engine as the Malibu. The cheapest price I've been quoted in order to have the repairs completed is $900. Has this been recalled by GM or is there an existing class action suit filed?
I would appreciate any information you all can provide.
jariusj
Kansas City, KS, USA
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