9.2
really awfulTypical Repair Cost:
$469.00
Average Mileage:
99,850 miles
Total Complaints:
5 complaints
Most common solutions:
- replace gasket (5 reports)
engine problem
Helpful Websites About 2002 Chevrolet Malibu head gasket failure
2008Oct 30
Malibu LS 3.1L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 135,000 miles
My car had started to misses when it would sit and idle for a little bit like at a stop light. I had a code reader and it said miss fire on cylinder 1. I went through all electrical and fuel systems and had no problems there. I had recently changed intake gaskets and one week after I had the head gasket gave out. I found my miss fire on cylinder 1. When I pulled the heads you could tell it had been leaking around cylinder one for a long time. I was amazed how the gasket was ate up around all the water ports.
A big thanks to GM for that orange antifreeze that destroys all gaskets and they don�t know why they are going bankrupt. I hate to buy non American cars but I need a car that will last more than 100,000 miles.
2008Feb 01
Malibu LS V6
- Automatic transmission
- 62,000 miles
my car is so fuxin screwed the shyt don't even run and its been like that for the last 9 + months!! the shyts gonna cost az much az almost a nice beater to get fixed plus more! I thought i waz buying a slick nice lil car, but ended up getting my 83 Buick wit a nicer body and interior(the thing died on me and the engine waz shot) N e wayz hopefully I will have enough money to get the damn thing fixed!! OHHHH p.s. I still make payments on the damn thing lol!!!!
2008Jun 25
Malibu LS 3.2L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 97,250 miles
My Chevy Malibu 2002 is not worth the money. I use it to go back and forth to work. Thats all its for. I have so many problems with it. Its knocks for no reason i to replace my radio and speakers and head gaskets. Now it got really bad i don't know what to do with it. I would never buy a Chevy ever/ figurine.
2008May 16
Malibu 3.1L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 115,000 miles
I got my Malibu two months ago, and it had 114,000 miles on it (mostly highway miles). I bought it from people I know and thought I could trust. They told me that the car had to have a little bit of antifreeze replaced every once and awhile, but that it was nothing bad. They even told me that they had had mechanics look at it and that the mechanics could not figure out what was causing the antifreeze to 'disappear'.
Well, my friend's boyfriend has a Camero also with a 3.1L V6 engine. He told me that he had recently rebuilt his engine because of a bad head gasket. He said that the 3.1L engines seem to have lots of problems with their head gaskets as well as their intake manifold gaskets.
So, when I did an oil change and noticed that the oil looked sludgy, my friend, her boyfriend, and I decided to go ahead and replace the head gasket before it got any worse and the engine seized.
Let me tell you, today we got the intake manifold off and there is antifreeze EVERYWHERE! Little green puddles all over the heads! And peanut-buttery oil stuck to the underside of the intake manifold. I'm going ahead and replacing the intake manifold gasket as well, but, actually that gasket was okay.
I just pray that the bearings aren't too far gone, and that will an oil flush the car will run fine for at least 2 and a half years so that I can graduate college and get a good job and a nicer car!
F%^& Chevy and their crappy engines!
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2008Sep 01
Malibu LS
I bought an 02 malibu used, off a dealer. It had a standard 90 day warranty and all was well. At of my oil changes, the tech tells me their is some oil in my coolant and he's never seen this before (he was just a kid). Everything on his computer screen checked out okay, so I didn't give it a lot of thought.
A few months later I had my brakes done and the mech told me the head gasket was leaking...Repair would cost about $1,200.
Now I'm finding out their has been a class action lawsuit settlement?? WTF!!! And btw, I'm tired of those metal trim clips that always cause the plastic to break, any time someone needs to remove a door panel or a window switch, on the dammed thing
derelictdom
Glen Ellyn, IL, USA
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