2004 Malibu/Maxx

Hey folks. I'm a newbie, and just getting up to speed.

Have a (now) VERY troublesome '98 Malibu LS, and will be sharing lots of advice in other threads in the future.

I've spent a year fussing over the '04 Malibu/Maxx. A year ago it was my first choice for purchase between 8/04 and 12/04 (still have extended warranty on the '98, thank goodness). Due to numerous factors, it's now slipped quite a bit. Chances are remote, but still a chance, that I'll buy an '04 or '05 Malibu or Maxx.

My main beef right now is that the Fairfax plant is not cranking them out with any speed whatsoever (until 2 weeks ago). They've only produced 26K to date! I'd guessed supplier problems, and sure enough, I've now read that the 3500 V-6, coming from GM's Mexico subsidiary, has not been performing up to par. Unfortunately, it looks like some sorry examples have made it onto the streets.

Before this, I'd heard nothing but rave reviews over the quality.

Kindly share your experiences if you own one (or are seriously considering one). Thanks.

One thing to keep in mind when buying a new car, is that if you can, it is usually a good idea to wait until it is the 2nd or 3rd year model of the car, so that the "kinks" can be worked out. If your extended warranty is still good until at least the 05 model year. This goes for all 1st model year cars of any make and model, albiet to varying to degrees. Hopefully someone with more intimate knowledge of the 04 Malibu will chime in to help out with the specifics you are inquiring about.

wow, I had not heard of any issues with the '3500' v6.

Aside from the pushrods.......AWWWWWWW>>>>>>>>

Typically GM plants have had some troubles working up to full speed, or maybe it is just a ploy to keep demand high and incentives low.

Assembly quality on the bu/maxx appears much improved, but as they say, the devil is in the details. I had heard there MIGHT even be a n early 05 model year switchover.

Oh boy, I was really hoping for better, but guess they REALLY ARE on an extended "beer break" in Fairfax, KS.

It's the time of year to crash-test mid-size sedans, and while I'll run and hide now when the Bu comes down the runway, in a week or two, at 40mph, the bumper test was bad enough.

"Poor", the lowest rating. Oh well. My '98 got an "Acceptable", many years ago.

Well at least GM thought of throwing in a remote starter to sugar coat everything. The funnier thing is that the remote start sucks just as bad as everything else does on the car! It's sad, I love GM but enough is enough. Heck, they made me live with my engine knock in my Silverado too!

Well at least GM thought of throwing in a remote starter to sugar coat everything. The funnier thing is that the remote start sucks just as bad as everything else does on the car! It's sad, I love GM but enough is enough. Heck, they made me live with my engine knock in my Silverado too!

What are the problems with the remote start? I just got a 2004 Malibu LT and everything seems to work great so far....

What are the problems with the remote start? I just got a 2004 Malibu LT and everything seems to work great so far....
The way it operates and the lack of range.

Had my '98 Malibu LS in the shop today for an oil change and something minor and got a chance to look at a loaded ($28K) Maxx LT up close. Very well built, too pricey and too much car for me (don't have rear seat riders much).

What was striking though, was the fact that my dealer has 100-150 Impalas on the lot and only this showroom Maxx and 2 LT sedans. Guess the plant is still struggling to make em. I do see that they've been on overtime for weeks now.

The dealer winced when I mentioned the bumper bash tests (will many more '04s really sell now that that was on TV?), and, within the last week, only a 4-star frontal rating from NHTSA (same as my '98, BTW). They think the '05 will commence production in June with stronger bumpers, but the 4-stars can't really be fixed without a complete redo.

Until we get more '04 owners on this site, check out Edmunds Town Hall for praises and complaints (you don't need to be a member to read posts, I'm not one). The car is by no means perfect, but so far anyway, seems off to a better start than the '97 was way back when. Except for the cardboard bumpers!

Do people really buy a car simply based on its 5mph bumper damage rating ? I could kind of see it if you lived downtown in a major city, but the average person? It seems to me there are about 1000 other factors that are more important when purchasing a car, then the off chance you are going to involved in a slow speed accident And have to foot the cost yourself. With a $250 deductible, it doesnt matter if the damage is $251 or $900, you are going to be paying the same. I can see the importance of 40MPH ratings, but 5MPH? I dunno.

Valid point, which I considered AFTER making the post. Offset and side impacts would be major purchase factors, though, and we haven't heard about those yet.

Ironically, the only accident I've ever had in 30 years of driving was a slow-speed bumper incident in summer '02. Due to 5mph bumpers on my '98, I only had $300 damage; the other car with weaker bumpers had just under $1500.

Weaker bumpers also increase insurance premiums.

And make one wonder what other cost-cutting has occurred elsewhere.

Yeah, I can see how it can be viewed as a partial indicator of overall build quality, but it could also be an isolated problem. For instance, several Japanese cars like the Nissan Quest, Toyota Sienna, and Infiniti G35 didn't fair very well, either. The German made Mercedes E class and the Saab 9-3 faired poorly as well. The E class took almost $3000 in damage in the rear-into-pole test. These cars and manufacturers are usually held in high regard for safety and quality, and they did as bad or worse than the Malibu. I've even heard that one of the big Japanese manufacturers new that a vehicle was going to fair poorly, and added a non-production model piece of foam to a critical area in hopes of making it score better.

From what I've seen so far, GM's build quality has been improving over the past several years, and the '04 Malibu seems to be built well. Heck, my '03 Malibu which is the lat year of the previous body style has an apparent build quality improvement over the '00 and previous year models of the same car. Of course, irregardless of Who makes the car, when you are talking about spending 10's of thousands of dollars, skepticism is usually a good thing.

Two quickies:

Consumer Reports' Annual Auto Issue (some like CR, like me, some dismiss it - to those folks I always challenge them to find something better) rates the '03 Malibu as above average reliability, the '02 as average and the '01 and before as below average. Very clear trend with no discrepancies.

Post from very early this morning in Edmunds Town Hall (think the Maxx forum) describes the condition I'd heard about with Service Engine Soon, and various other dash lights illuminating. Pretty scary, for a model that has been produced with such care and VERY slowly.

They can't seem to get the Maxx aluminum hatch closed easily either.

Maybe they HAVE been on an extended beer break :lol2:

Think twice about buying this car. I purchased a new 2004 Maxx three weeks ago. It had a bad transmission out of the gate. The car was in the shop for nearly two weeks for a transmission replacement. I can't tell you how disheartening it is to see the drive train cradle lowered, the trans torn out, wires and hoses hanging from the bottom of the engine bay and the entire front suspension disassembled. My understanding is that GM has a bad production run of these transmissions and that my car isn't unique. Its sickening to see a car with only a few hundred miles on it go through this. The car is back now, but it simply isn't right. Pulls to the left, streering wheel is off center, and crunches everytime I make a right hand turn. It will be back to the dealer immediately until they put it together properly. In the meantime, if any of you are considering buying one of these, think twice, expecially if your test drive reveals a low pitched groaning sound, between 1,500 and 3,000 rpm, under moderate load, and more pronounced after shifts. General Motors . . . if you read forums, which you should, you ought to be embarrased by this enormous quality control lapse. In the meantime, I have to keep paying for a car that I do not believe will ever be right again.

I just returned from being out of town for 10 days, and luckily made it to the West Palm Beach Auto Show's final day.

I LOVED the Maxx LS (had only seen the overpriced LT before), and it, and the Sonata (talk about being different) are on the "final two" of the short list. The Maxx LS was one of the best built American cars (on the surface, at least, and a local dealer supplied all of the cars so this wasn't a "factory special") I've seen in a long time. LIGHT YEARS ahead of my '98.

The GM rep had enlightening words, and didn't sugar coat anything. The Malibu and Maxx are not selling well so far. The Equinox got far more attention than the Maxx (could've guessed that). He basically said 2 things: 1) the rebates on the Malibu and Maxx (which went back DOWN to $1,000 on 4/1, from $1,750) will go up dramatically come summer, and 2) MAJOR improvements are scheduled for the '05. Talk about a dilemma!

I APPRECIATE hearing about problems, which are, God forbid, not discussed much on Edmunds.com. One person has a lemon, but all the rest kiss their cars good night every night.

rickd: When was your car assembled? I believe production began in mid-late Dec., and they putzed along until late Feb/early Mar before they got up to full (and hopefully, trouble-free) speed. Check the driver's door jamb. Thanks.

Hey
The new Malibu's are awsome with the features they come with. I bought the Malibu LT two weeks after they came out. I love the car but it has problems. Lately the key has been sticking in the ingition and the power steering is going out. The other day I was turning left out on to a busy highway when all of a sudden the driver info center flashed "power steering failure." The car was a pain to steer into the closet parking lot. It scared me because it happened on a busy highway. this has happened at least 4 times now. The dealership is going to replace the steering column to see if that is the problem. I hope it is because i really enjoy the Malibu.

It likely will correct the problem. Hope you also mentioned the key sticking in ignition problem to dealer so they can check adjustment of the cable that runs between shifter and ignition switch.

Be sure to report your problem to NHTSA (link below), because they are investigating reports of power steering failure on the '04s, which might lead to a recall, and help other owners.

http://www.nhtsa.gov

I just bought a 2004 Maxx LT about a month ago and so far absolutely nothing is wrong with it...she runs perfectly and handles like a dream, some of the first ones off the line were undoubtably bad but the one i got was built expertly. its good to hear from those of you that have had problems with your models...if something does go wrong on mine i'll post on here so y'all can help me out.

My '04 Malibu (built Aug'03, purchased Mar'03) has been excellent. My work has sent me to California (Irvine area) for the week and my rental is an '03 Alero with the 2.2l. I've got the 2.2l in my Malibu & I'm shocked at how much smoother the Malibu feels. GM has done a tremendous job with muting NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) on the Malibu. The Alero feels and sounds "coarse". I'm very, very pleased with my Malibu. All my family & friends that have seen it & ridden in it have marveled at it. I really hope that the car builds momentum in it's sales. It's really an excellent vehicle and an outstanding value.

I've just turned 1400 miles on a new Malibu LT and have no complaints so far. The car drives great and is loaded with thoughtful features at a competitive price. Fit and finish of the vehicles is better as well than many vehicles I've purchsed in the past.

I recently purchased (in February) a 2004 Malibu Maxx LS. I love it. The interior is very roomy; the drive is excellent. The handling is beautiful. The back seats are very roomy, along with the fact they move back and forth. It's extremely versatile.

Please note that the car drifts-pulls to the left - according to my dealership, this has been reported by a handful of owners. If anyone out there suspects (but aren't sure of themselves) that they are struggling with the steering wheel when driving straight, especially during highway driving, you are NOT IMAGINING THINGS. Report this to your dealer so that they have the correct number of cases reported.

Also do not accept from your dealership that YOU are responsible for this, as I did hear the first couple of times. "You must have driven over a pothole"......."You may have caused it to go out of alignment by driving up a curb"......."You need to consider the road grade". Normal driving is not causing this problem.

After two attempts at a front end alignment, tire rotation, there seems to be no real answer at this point, until the technical team has data to review, and possibly update the specifications, or find another root cause. According to my dealership, no harm is being caused to the car as a result of this.

I will be patient as this is a new car to the market, because other than this, I'm very happy with the vehicle.

......Chances are remote, but still a chance, that I'll buy an '04 or '05 Malibu or Maxx.... I've now read that the 3500 V-6, coming from GM's Mexico subsidiary, has not been performing up to par....Before this, I'd heard nothing but rave reviews over the quality. Kindly share your experiences if you own one (or are seriously considering one). Thanks.

Hello wpbharry.
We only have 400 miles on our Maxx LT but man is it a sweet ride so far. The V6, as I understand, is yet another upsized version of the 2.8L V6 Chevy has used for many many years. We had a 1985 Fiero V6 with that 2.8 and it is still running strong... pushrods and all!
The primary advantage of Chevy's 3.5L V6 is torque. 220 lb/ft at 3200 rpm. When you look at what the Maxx is designed to do, it's perfect. You can drive around town with a full load of adults and/or cargo without running the engine to 4500 rpm to get somewhere. It's very impressive in our experience so far.

If it gives us problems, you'll be the first to know about it.
BTW: our Maxx was built 01/04. We purchased it for $18,300 after a $4000 owner loyalty rebate, $321 GM card earnings and $2125 dealer discount were applied.
I'm sorry but after 3 months of research, all the incentive and a test drive, it was a no brainer. This is our 7th GM vehicle and the best one yet (albeit after only 400 miles)

I was looking at the Maxx this weekend. The car with a $23K price tag was offered to me for $17K with a GM loyalty discount not even considering the trade. The Maxx looks like a nice functional car, but I'm real hesitant on buying a first year model for some of the problems indicated.

I'd like to hear more on peoples driving and reliability issues.

Old Lar,
Our 1985 1/2 Fiero was the first year with a V6 (still running after 19 years and 78,000 miles), our 1989 LeMans was a first year (99,000 miles in 2.5 years), our 1992 (second year) Saturn SL2 racked up 140,000 in 4 years and our 1997 SL2 is still in the garage with 60,000 miles on it. We've leased 2 S-10's. All with no major issues. This is the reason we decided to take a chance with GM and the NEW Malibu. So far, we have no reason not to.

Nice to know, my 87 Fiero GT bought new, is still running strong after 100K+ miles. But it only goes out in nice weather now. The Maxx looks like a real practical car, based on a Saab platforn or so the salesman said.

I'm really looking at option to replace my 99 Buick. It has only 77K on it now so I figure maybe a replacement at 100K, but you have to look at opportunity. What kind of gas milage are you getting with the Maxx?

Old Lar,
Couldn't honestly tell you about mileage... we only have 400 miles on it so far. It came with a tank of gas, we drove 319 miles and just put under 13 gallons in it. 24.5 mpg? 90% around town driving.

GM has had a problem with the early 04 Malibu steering, if you take a look it is an electric assist PS unit with the power assist motor built into the column, there are 3 sensors in the column that are the source of the problem, manufacturing has corrected the problem, make a note too if the car pulls after the column is replaced, there is a recentering and recalibrate procedure that will cause an steering pull if the reprogram is not done in the proper sequence

FCFFUZZYFACE

After struggling with another ignition lock cylinder failure, and a trannie "clunk", and the impending expiration of GMPP, I visited a Honda dealership back on 6/13, was totally turned off, went to my Chevy dealer, placed an offer on a nearly-loaded Maxx LS, and drove it home 3 days later!! Ahem. You're stuck with me again.

See other threads re: my purchase price and a "fix" for the only problem I've encountered so far.

The electric power steering does make an unusual noise, but I'm used to the way it drives already.

My car was built in late April, so I'm hoping the P/S failure issue was fixed by then.

I'm MUCH MORE impressed with my car than the one I test drove last Sept.