# Chevy Malibu



## Kauai Kid (Mar 29, 2014)

We rented a Malibu on our recent three week trip to Maui.

It has one redeeming feature:  The turn signal clicker is loud enough to hear at any speed or radio volume unlike our Honda Odyssey.

It is difficult to get in and out of.  

The front doors open about 270 degrees and you need the arms of an orangatang to get them closed if you are seated in the car.  

The engine sounds like a bunch of mad hornets.  

The cruise control does not automatically downshift the transmission on downgrades to control the speed.  

The trunk is so deep if something rolls to the furtherest interior of the trunk you need to climb in to retrieve it.  

Average mileage 22 mpg city/hw with a puny 4 cylinder. 

After about an hour the seats start getting really uncomfortable.

At least we didn't have problems crashing because of the $5 ignition switch.

Apr 2014 Consumer Reports gives it a check rating.  Boy are they wrong.


Sterling


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## susan6103 (Mar 29, 2014)

*Chevy Malibu rental*

We are in Maui right now and that's exactly what we have too.  
To add to your list:
There is no (cabin) lights in the front... Trying to find something in my purse at night is impossible... I can't remember the last time I had a car with no interior cabin lights.
The side mirrors are VERY small - hard to see with.  Safety issue?

The trunk is massive - another redeeming feature?


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## daventrina (Mar 29, 2014)

*Blind spot mirrors*



susan6103 said:


> The side mirrors are VERY small - hard to see with.  Safety issue?


When we are going to have a car for a while ... we stop by the store and pick up a couple of small blind spot mirrors and install them. They are only a couple of $ and usually make it much safer to drive



Kauai Kid said:


> The engine sounds like a bunch of mad hornets.
> Sterling


Are you sure they weren't mongeese ?


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## Kauai Kid (Mar 29, 2014)

susan6103 said:


> We are in Maui right now and that's exactly what we have too.
> To add to your list:
> There is no (cabin) lights in the front... Trying to find something in my purse at night is impossible... I can't remember the last time I had a car with no interior cabin lights.
> The side mirrors are VERY small - hard to see with.  Safety issue?
> ...



Not when a can of soda rolls to the deepest recesses.  

Sterling


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## Ron98GT (Mar 30, 2014)

Sounds like a Chevy to me. When I rent a car it's "anything but a Chevy". Chevy's are always uncomfortable (seats suck), poor quality, and poorly designed.


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## rifleman69 (Mar 30, 2014)

I'll stick with the Nissan for car rentals.


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## Passepartout (Mar 30, 2014)

What d' ya expect? It's a GM Chevy. Designed by bean-counters, not for human use. Want a correctly designed/executed car, get a Japanese model. 

We use rentals as an 'extended test drive' to find these things out.

Jim


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## susan6103 (Mar 30, 2014)

*No more Chevy*

To add to the list:
There is no trip odometer and yes- the seat is quite uncomfortable.

Our favorite rental car was the Nissan Altima.  Unfortunately we only had the option of a Chevy Malibu and a Hyandai.  Last vacation we rented a Hyandai and it was aweful as well.


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## csxjohn (Mar 31, 2014)

I'm not a malubu owner but for most people a large trunk is a plus. 



> The trunk is so deep if something rolls to the furtherest interior of the trunk you need to climb in to retrieve it.



Most people would fold down one of ther rear seats to get that object rather than climb in the trunk.




> There is no (cabin) lights in the front



The 2014 Malubu has interior courtesy lamps! The dome lamp switch must be in the door position for them to go on when the door opens.  This switch is on the panel where the lights are located on the roof of the car.

There are also reading lamps for each front seat passenger.




> There is no trip odometer



There is also a trip odometer which is accessed through the Driver Information Center.

When I get in a new car I look through the user manual to find out how to use the things I need to use.

Trashng any product that you don't take the time to learn about serves no purpose.

http://www.chevrolet.com/content/da...ship/Manuals and Videos/02_pdf/2K14malibu.pdf


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## Kauai Kid (Mar 31, 2014)

If you don't have a Malibu do you know for a fact that the rear seat folds down???


Sterling


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## Kauai Kid (Mar 31, 2014)

There was no owners manual in the Malibu glove box.

Sterling


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## csxjohn (Mar 31, 2014)

Kauai Kid said:


> If you don't have a Malibu do you know for a fact that the rear seat folds down???
> 
> 
> Sterling



Yes I do, see page 3-9 of the user manual and I did look at them before I bought my 2014 Ford Fusion.


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## csxjohn (Mar 31, 2014)

Kauai Kid said:


> There was no owners manual in the Malibu glove box.
> 
> Sterling



I posted the link because that is often the case with rentals.  I have my own on the computer because it's easier than running to the car when I want to look up something.

There are so many new things on these cars that it's taking me a very long time to get familiar with them.


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## california-bighorn (Mar 31, 2014)

csxjohn said:


> I posted the link because that is often the case with rentals.  I have my own on the computer because it's easier than running to the car when I want to look up something.
> 
> There are so many new things on these cars that it's taking me a very long time to get familiar with them.



I was considering posting corrections to all the above about the Chevy Malibu, but, wasn't sure how to go about it without the original posters thinking I was somehow trying to be a jerk.  But, I have to agree almost 100% the "problems" with the car were not actual problems, but, lack of knowledge by the drivers which is understandable.  I own a Malibu and of all the "complaints" the only one I agree with is that the seats (or more accurately, the headrests to the seats) could be placed to make them more comfortable.
In addition to your comments I can add the following
   * there are 2 trip odometers on the instruments (A & B)
   * there are 3 interior lights. one dome light and an overhead above both the driver and passenger.  the intensity of the dome light is controlled by a knob that is on the dash just above the drivers left knee.
   * and when did having a large trunk become a problem?  unless it had been removed there is a cargo net to contain items near the back of the trunk.  and if that fails, drive the car so it is pointing uphill and everything rolls down to you.
Saying that, last year on Maui I had the worst time trying to work any of the controls on a Chevy Cruze that had a LCD screen on the dash that controlled everything.  But that was due to my lack of knowledge.


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## pharmgirl (Mar 31, 2014)

Actually new cars can be dangerous if you don't know controls
We rented a Japanese car and thought we would be at timeshare way before dark, traffic caused us to drive in dark and we couldn't find light control. Stopped and read the owners manual, never would have found this in dark but could read manual using phone flashlight app


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## csxjohn (Apr 1, 2014)

pharmgirl said:


> Actually new cars can be dangerous if you don't know controls
> We rented a Japanese car and thought we would be at timeshare way before dark, traffic caused us to drive in dark and we couldn't find light control. Stopped and read the owners manual, never would have found this in dark but could read manual using phone flashlight app



You're just re-enforced what I said earlier.  When you get in a car that's new to you, find out how things work before you turn the key.  

One thing I find is the emergency flashers in case I need to flip them on quickly in traffic.

There are many others but I'll bet that's one others may not think of.


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## Kauai Kid (Apr 1, 2014)

Heard yesterday that GM has recalled a total of six million five hundred thousand cars.

Check with your dealer to see if yours has been recalled and read the manual.


Sterling


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## Ron98GT (Apr 1, 2014)

Kauai Kid said:


> Heard yesterday that GM has recalled a total of six million five hundred thousand cars.
> 
> Check with your dealer to see if yours has been recalled and read the manual.
> 
> ...


Which GM recall: ignition switch, air bags, hydraulic/power-steering failures? 

And worse than the recalls, 303 people dead because of GM's cover-up.

http://money.cnn.com/2014/03/14/news/companies/gm-recall-crash-deaths/index.html

By the way, the Malibu is included in the recall.  Lucky your still alive.

http://money.cnn.com/2014/03/31/autos/gm-power-steering-recall/index.html

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/04/01/families-gm-deaths/7152985/

http://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2014/Feb/0225-ion.html


When you rent a car, better to refuse any GM product.


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## BocaBoy (Apr 2, 2014)

Ron98GT said:


> And worse than the recalls, 303 people dead because of GM's cover-up.
> 
> http://money.cnn.com/2014/03/14/news/companies/gm-recall-crash-deaths/index.html



You speak of 303 people as a fact.  Actually it is what is being claimed by only one consumer group.  I don't think that is a figure widely believed, but that is not my point.  My point is that it is dishonest to report 303 deaths as a fact when a number anywhere close to that is anything but accepted.  Let's wait to see the facts before we present them as established.


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## pharmgirl (Apr 2, 2014)

Malibus that were recalled were from 2006 so no way would a rental agency have one of these, not a good idea to cause people worry that they might be killed if renting a Malibu

I prefer to rent large American cars, unfortunately many still remember the 70s American cars and the small Japanese cars with good mileage compared to American cars

Now Japanese cars are larger (Americans really don't like small cars) and mileage about the same

German cars are thought to be excellent but there have been many problems lately


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## california-bighorn (Apr 2, 2014)

BocaBoy said:


> You speak of 303 people as a fact.  Actually it is what is being claimed by only one consumer group.  I don't think that is a figure widely believed, but that is not my point.  My point is that it is dishonest to report 303 deaths as a fact when a number anywhere close to that is anything but accepted.  Let's wait to see the facts before we present them as established.



You are correct.  The congressional committee investigating the recall or failed recall, came up with 19 possible deaths due to the switch defect.  That's 19 too many, but, far short of 300.  And also as mentioned above, later models do not have the defective switch.


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## Ron98GT (Apr 3, 2014)

pharmgirl said:


> Malibus that were recalled were from 2006 so no way would a rental agency have one of these, not a good idea to cause people worry that they might be killed  if renting a Malibu
> 
> I prefer to rent large American cars, unfortunately many still remember the 70s American cars and the small Japanese cars with good mileage compared to American cars
> 
> ...





california-bighorn said:


> You are correct.  The congressional committee investigating the recall or failed recall, came up with 19 possible deaths due to the switch defect.  That's 19 too many, but, far short of 300.  And also as mentioned above, later models do not have the defective switch.



Dead is Dead is Dead: What a way to ruin a day. You state "not a good idea to cause people worry that they might be killed" , but I for one would like someone to tell me if I might be driving a death trap. My modified original statement stands: when you rent a car, take anything except a "GM" product, Chevy included.

As far as renting a larger "American" vehicle other than a GM, you have Ford/Mercury, Chrysler/Dodge, and Jeep.  


My post that is being commented on, specifically stated:

"Which GM recall: ignition switch, air bags, hydraulic/power-steering failures?"

I was just noting deaths attributed "GM" death traps in general, NOT specifically attributed to Chevy or the ignition switch => "GM" and deaths and multiple-recalls.


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## MIDisfan (Apr 3, 2014)

Ron98GT said:


> Dead is Dead is Dead: What a way to ruin a day. You state "not a good idea to cause people worry that they might be killed" , but I for one would like someone to tell me if I might be driving a death trap. My modified original statement stands: when you rent a car, take anything except a "GM" product, Chevy included.
> 
> As far as renting a larger "American" vehicle other than a GM, you have Ford/Mercury, Chrysler/Dodge, and Jeep.
> 
> ...



Are you implying that GM is the only manufacturer to ever have recalls and/or unfortunately deaths attributed to a fault in manufacturing?

Was it Toyota that had a sticking accelerator issue? Ford that had tire issues on the Explorer?


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## Passepartout (Apr 3, 2014)

MIDisfan said:


> Are you implying that GM is the only manufacturer to ever have recalls and/or unfortunately deaths attributed to a fault in manufacturing?
> 
> Was it Toyota that had a sticking accelerator issue? Ford that had tire issues on the Explorer?



Do I sense some 'justification' for not fixing a known problem here? GM has known about the key detent problem for at least 9 years and chose not to fix it at the corporate level when a 5 cent part would have done it. With Toyota as far as I am aware, the 'runaway acceleration' issue was not repeatable by any safety related agency, whereas EVERY time heavy weight or undue pressure on the ignition switch put the vehicle into 'Acc' position, turning off power steering and airbags. With Ford, when the Firestone OEM tires were removed, the rollover threat abated.  

Still, in neither case (so far) has anyone gone to jail. A billion here and a billion there, and the regulators say the problem is solved. I can only hope that the hearse carrying the dead to the cemetery is a different vehicle than the one that ended their life.

Jim


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## MIDisfan (Apr 3, 2014)

Passepartout said:


> Do I sense some 'justification' for not fixing a known problem here? GM has known about the key detent problem for at least 9 years and chose not to fix it at the corporate level when a 5 cent part would have done it. With Toyota as far as I am aware, the 'runaway acceleration' issue was not repeatable by any safety related agency, whereas EVERY time heavy weight or undue pressure on the ignition switch put the vehicle into 'Acc' position, turning off power steering and airbags. With Ford, when the Firestone OEM tires were removed, the rollover threat abated.
> 
> Still, in neither case (so far) has anyone gone to jail. A billion here and a billion there, and the regulators say the problem is solved. I can only hope that the hearse carrying the dead to the cemetery is a different vehicle than the one that ended their life.
> 
> Jim



Not trying to justify the issue with GM at all. Simply stating that anyone under the illusion that these issues are specific to GM, needs to think again.


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## simpsontruckdriver (Apr 3, 2014)

Yes, the Ford Explorer had tires put on them from (I believe it was) Bridgestone, that were not designed right. Tires would explode at highway speeds, causing the SUV to lose control. Another infamous Ford recall was the F-150-based trucks, where it would not shut everything down properly when the key was off, causing a fire. With Toyotas, there was the sudden-acceleration issue, which NO ONE found the reason or fix.

The absolutely worst one was the Ford Pinto. When tested by the government, a rear-end collision would cause the gas (petrol) tank to crack open and spill all the fuel, causing an extreme fire hazard (several died due to the resulting fires). As the story says, an internal memo (within Ford) said it would be cheaper to pay death and injury claims instead of repairing the cars. But, they finally did.

TS


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## simpsontruckdriver (Apr 3, 2014)

Back to the Chevrolet Malibu... the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu earned IIHS Top Safety Pick.

TS


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