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9.8

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
$2,180
Average Mileage:
93,000 miles
Total Complaints:
8 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. rebuilt engine (5 reports)
  2. not sure (3 reports)
2002 Chevrolet Malibu engine problems

engine problem

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2002 Chevrolet Malibu Owner Comments

problem #8

Jun 242007

Malibu V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 92,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

car knocks like crazy....My neighbors hear me coming before they can see me!

- janetme, Houlton, ME, US

problem #7

May 042010

Malibu 3.2L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 164,000 miles

My car has generally been a good car. Few problems, little fixes, no major defects until now. I was bragging about what a good car I had and that afternoon, I heard it for the first time. The car's engine started knocking! And loud! I drive it an hour to school and an hour back everyday. I get the car back and as soon as I pull up to the babysitter's house,her boyfriend hears my car and this awful look comes across his face. He says,I hate to tell you,but your engine rods are knockin and you shouldnt drive this any longer. So I take his advice until my husband works on it. well, my husband thought he got the noise to quiet, but it didnt. I drive my car to school where I then take it to a mechanic who tells me I need a new engine. OMG! Thats a good $5000 for a NEW engine. That is five times more than I even paid for the car in the first place. It has 164000 miles on it. Maybe I should just take my losses. Or maybe, chevy should suck it up and make a recall on this stupid car!

- desire', Sturgis, KY, US

problem #6

Feb 082009

Malibu LS V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 88,000 miles

Looked up this car on this website. It appears that this is a common problem for this year of Malibu. I am very unhappy that- as soon as the car is paid for- It breaks down. Typical American car. ugh.....!!!!

- heatherlynn820, Waterford, MI, US

problem #5

Mar 162008

Malibu V6 3100/ 3.2L/ V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 97,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving my friends home from the pass, this was around 10.00PM. And i'm almost home all of a sudden there was this loud rattling - knocking noise coming from my engine. I started loosing compression loosing power so I pulled the car over immediately and turned it off. So I called my girl friend so she can take my friends home. We called a tow truck and I was waiting there for about an hour, but I was glad when he got there because my battery was getting ready to die. So we get to talking and he tells me that he sees alot of these types of motors with problems. So we get to my house ended up having to push the car in it's parking spot. I didn't get home till about 1:00 AM in the morning. The next day I called my mechanic to come that a look and here the motor, and there was that loud knocking noise. He told me that I had to replace the engine. If I do this, this would be the 3rd engine in this car. So i'm going to sell the car!!!

- Sean W., Bothell, Washinton, US

problem #4

Mar 162008

Malibu V6 3100/ 3.2L/ V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 76,000 miles

I bought the car and about two month's later after I got washing my car, I pulled out of mf drive way and the car sa little bit but picked right back up again so I didn't think much of it. When I got in to town I started loosing compression and power then the car started shooting out a thick white smoke that covered the entire street. You couldn't see through it. So ended having to get it towed and found out that intake manifold gasket or the head gasket was leaking, so the coolant was leaking into the oil. It ended up looking like a milk shake in the oil. And in the coolant reservoir you could see oil flowing in the coolant. Before all of this, I was loosing coolant really fast, didn't know were it was going. So about 1,200.00 dollars later I had to get a new motor. My suggestion, don't get a Malibu, Chevy really should fix this problem. I'm will not buy another Chevy Malibu again!!!

- Sean W., Bothell, Washinton, US

problem #3

Nov 162007

Malibu

  • Automatic transmission
  • 75,000 miles

I GOT A 2002 MALIBU IT ONLY HAS 78000MILES NOW AND AT ABOUT 75000MILES THE ENGINE STARTS TO KNOCK I CHANGE THE OIL ABOUT EVERY 3000MILES I

I GOT THE CAR IN MARCH IM STILL PAYING FOR IT AND HERE IT IS MESSING UP

I ALSO HAVE TO CHANGE THE BRAKES OFTEN WHICH IS A PAIN IN THE ASS.

I THINK THEY SHOULD DO A RECALL ON THIS YEAR.

- Jaime B., Austin, TX, US

problem #2

Nov 252007

Malibu 3.1L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 77,000 miles

I have a 2002 Chevy malibu. It is the first car that I have bought from a dealer. I take excellent car of my car. I put synthetic oil in it. One day out of the blue the car starts knocking really bad. I had a mechanic look at it and he told me that the engines in the 2002 malibus don't really last past 80,000mi. He said that once the engine hits 80,000 miles the heads start to leak water into the engine. So now since I still owe quite a bit on the car I am force to pay $3000 to have the engine rebuilt.

- sncrompton, Austin, TX, US

problem #1

Jun 082006

(reported on)

Malibu

  • 75,000 miles

I take good care of my car. service regularly oil change every 3000 miles and then one day my engine just starts knocking i pull over check the oil it's fine with no leaks but when towed and checked by 2 mechanics they say you need new engine so i get it rebuilt and the rebuilder say he don't know what caused it cause my engine is clean and no sludge could be stress fracture or some factory default I really have been upset so 3100.00 dollars later i have a rebuilt engine and 75.000 mile warranty

- weibley, St. Louis, MO, US

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