This problem has occurred several times with my car. In the past, the dealership has said things like "Boy, that's weird. We've never seen this before." I don't remember exactly, but the repairs seem to have been around $250. This last time, the people towing my car started laughing after I told them the problem. They indicated most of the Chevy's they tow are being towed for this reason. They went on to tell me that there's a pretty easy fix. After they dropped the car off at the dealership, I jumped on the net, found this site, and found the solution. I turned the ignition to "on" for 10 minutes and turned it to "off" after the theft light tuned off. The car started immediately. I'm furious, this summer my family was stranded, for this reason, more than a thousand miles from home. Had GM actually fixed the problem the first time I brought it in or taught me how to restart the car, we would have had a much better vacation. Sounds like this problem is pretty rampant. In fact, my father-in-law was excited when I told him the solution because his 98 Chevy truck apparently has the same problem. I won't be buying American again for a long time.

This is how i got an american junk car? 2001 chevy malibu is the worst car ever, theft system light on and off makes the car turn off, a/c light is on and off, from the second i took the car they buttered me telling me they will fix it, but nothing, my car got towed for more than 10 times, and the stupid dealer told me if the theft system is on they are trying to steal the car, they new all along about the problem and made me spend money for nothing.

Please people don't buy american cars buy japanese or european car because there is a reason american cars are cheaper because they are a piece of sh*t, pardon my english, i got rid of this car, please i am urging you from ford that started with problems of tire rotation to chevy malibu, please reconsider when walking in a dealer . Buy a car but not a piece of junk, buy a car but not a pain in the ass, buy a car for your family safety, buy a car but not a chevy malibu .

After a great day of Xmas shopping 38 miles from our home we were ready to call it a day and drive home to Chicago. To my dismay my 2001 Chevy Malibu would not start. The red anti theft light in the left side of the dashboard was flashing. After cranking the battery to death we had to call a towing service and get it towed home. What a pain in the ass!! Thanks to Allstate motor club they sent me a tow truck in 15 minutes or so and towed me home for a hand shake !! Great guys !!. After a day of analyzing the problem,,,, no luck at all !! Recharged the battery a few times but it died after cranking and trying to start. I was all ready agonizing over monday morning because I would have to go to Firestone to get it fixed !!

Just before I went to bed I decided to give Google a shot, to see if I could come up with a solution. And what do you know ?????!!!!!! I found this site and the solution was right in front of my nose !!!! Turn on the ignition for 10 minutes and sit tight for 10 minutes(do not crank it)and exactly after 10 minutes the anti theft light stopped blinking and wow !! It started it right up !! What a relief !!! Thanks to this web site Firestone will have to wait until next time.......... I appreciate this web site and the great help it gave me !! WOW !!

I've had a problem with my 2001 Malibu to where when my anti-theft light started blinking I knew I was not going to be able to start my car. What I did to solve this problem is log on to this site and read a comment from Kathy. B from Chattanooga, TN. She was having the same problem and her fix came after taking it to the shop and they gave her a fix straight from GM. You simply reset the code and how you do this you turn the ignition switch to "on" for approximately 10 minutes (until the theft system light stops blinking), then turn the ignition to the off position for about 5 seconds. This is supposed to be repeated 3 times to reset the code.

I'm in college and quite poor. I went out to run to work and behold- my 2001 Malibu that I have owned for only 3 months- will not start. It was here that I saw the solution to leave the car in the "on" position and the light with go off. I am really grateful for this site and the information posted on it because i almost paid to have my car towed and inspected at Sears. IF YOUR CAR WONT START AND YOU HAVE NOTICED YOUR "THEFT" LIGHT ON TRY THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT IS ANNOYING BUT IT WILL SAVE YOU TIME AND MONEY!!!!!!!!

Problem is accompanied by antitheft system light coming off and on. After many dollars worth of new parts that didn't fix the problem, a Firestone dealership told me there is a short somewhere that causes the car to lose a "code" which allows the car to start. They gave me a written method of resetting the code, whuch has enabled the car to start every time I have had to use it. The reset procedure is to set the ignition to the "on" position for 10 min., or until the theft system light stops blinking..... then turn the ignition switch to "off" for 5 seconds. This is supposed to be done 3 times before the car will start, but my car has started every time after doing this 10 min,/5 sec. procedure once. I have had a new fuel pump, relay sensor, and many other expensive parts that I can't remember. The car is paid for, and I refuse to put more money into a problem that no one seems to be able to find and fix.... but I'd love to have it fixed if there is a sure way to do it.

Theft system light coming off and on is an annoyance, and would certainly effect resale. Problem has existed intermittently since I bought the car at 33,000 miles. The theft system light seems to accompany a major problem which also occurs intermittently, in that when the theft system light is on more frequently, my car will have fairly frequent episodes where it almost turns over, but will not start. I have also had instances where it quit while going down the road. After having it towed multiple times, a new fuel pump, relay sensor, and other expensive parts that I can no longer remember, a Firestone dealership told me the problem is that my car's "code" which allows it to start is being shorted out, but that it would be extremely difficult to find the problem and fix it. They gave me a written procedure from GM which allows me to reset the code. When the car doesn't start, I have to turn the idnition switch to "on" for approximately 10 minutes (until the theft system light stops blinking), then turn the ignition to the off position for about 5 seconds. This is supposed to be repeated 3 times to reset the code. However, have had to do this many times, and each time it has started after only one cycle of 10 min. "on" and 5 seconds "off". I feel like my car is "possessed" but it is paid for, and I refuse to pay any more money, when no one seems to know how to fix it. My son has a friend with a Malibu like mine.... same problem, even after having it "fixed" at the dealership.

At times my car runs, but while driving my radio shurts off and my theft light, abs, fuel reads empty, and brake light all comes on, and the times it will not start my theft light comes on and car shuts down as soon as i start it after going to 2 repair shops they both say "I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS PROLBEM WE RAN EVERY TEST AND YOUR CAR IS FINE TRY THE DEALERSHIP IT MUST BE A DEFECT" p. s no charge on either side b/c they couldn't help me. Well dealership wants to charge for dignosic and to YEAH RIGHT i have gotten 2 all ready, but on the filp side after running my car on ON and my ac for about 20 mins it will drive off but lights pop right back on as i drive away..

We purchased the chevy malibu last year, we spent money on the breaks and a new battery, we are still having problems with the anti-theft system. We have had it looked at three times, they replaced the battery once and another time in was in the shop hooked up to a computer and they couldnt get a code off the machine to find out what the problem was, and today the same thing, it won't start anti-theft system light on again, I think chevy should fix this problem, it should have been recalled its obivous there is problem with this system. I need the number to customer service at chevy , I will never buy a chevy again , screw the anti-theft systems I asked my mechanic to disconnect it , but he said it would cause other problems for the car.

Chevrolet refuses to acknowledge that the Passlock system can engage for no reason, and takes no responsiblity to fix or compensate for cost incurred for a simple fix you can do yourself if you knew your car had a passlock device. All they want to do is charge to diagnose. Also if you look up flashing theft system in the manual it does not refference the passlock. I only found out after I found it while complaining to an unsympathetic Chevy corporation. So if your car will not start for no reason dont pay chevy to diagnose, look up passlock in your manual or on the internet and then try turning your key to acc for 10-15 min, theft light goes out turn off car and restart. P. S. and never buy a chevy again not because of a bad car but because of bad customer service. Thanks again GM.