2005 Chevrolet Malibu Consumer Reviews

Horrible Car

Written by: cbourke on 11/12/2007

Vehicle

2005 Chevrolet Malibu LS 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 4A)

Review

I HATE this car! I bought it with only 2400 miles on it and have had it only 9 months. I have had more problems than I ever had with my 2001 Civic after 120K miles. I now have 19,000 miles and have had to get new rotors at 8,000 miles. I have been to the dealership 5 times because the car randomly turns off when I stop at redlights. The dealerships claims they can't duplicate the problem so they can't fix it. The car jolts real bad when driving at a steady 50 mph. Again the dealership "cant duplicate the problem" I demanded reprogramming of the computer and so far I have not had many problems, but then again it has only been a months since the reprogramming. Paint has also worn off radio.

Favorite Features

Auto lights.

Suggested Improvements

Make sure the car doesnt turn off when stopped before you put it on the market, make the paint stronger on radio buttons so it doesnt wear off after a short time, make the breaks last longer....

4 out 7 people found this review helpful

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Great car

Written by: will buy chevy again on 10/19/2007

Vehicle

2005 Chevrolet Malibu LS 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 4A)

Review

Bought this car in Feb and have put almost 11,000 miles on it and my wife and I love it. Great gas mileage and good power from the 3.5 liter engine. Thought I would never buy American after my '96 Oldsmobile but GM won be back over with this car.

Favorite Features

Great gas mileage, good power on demand, good looks, great bang for the buck.

Suggested Improvements

Not a huge fan of the electronic steering but it's not that big of a deal.

1 out 3 people found this review helpful

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Great Car

Written by: Safety Fan on 09/07/2007

Vehicle

2005 Chevrolet Malibu LS 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 4A)

Review

We bought out Malibu a little over a year ago and loved driving it on short and long trips. Great gas mileage for its size, lots of room for people and all the stuff we carry along, and pretty comfortable on the long rides too. But the best thing about it just happened a couple of weeks ago when my wife was in a head on collision. The whole front end was smashed in and she limped away with just a broken collarbone and toe. Front and side airbags and the seatbelt did their job and now we're taking the insurance check to buy an 06 Malibu.

Favorite Features

Power with the V6 - we tested the 4 cylinder and it was too hesitant. Roomy interior and lots of leg room. Message center to keep track of mileage, gas use etc comes in handy.

Suggested Improvements

Our only problem was a defective steering column that apparently was a recall item. Ours had to be fixed under warranty but there was still a little knock when you turned the wheel far enough. Hopefully its fixed for good in the 06.

0 out 1 people found this review helpful

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Disappointed, and Problems

Written by: Marty on 09/01/2007

Vehicle

2005 Chevrolet Malibu LS 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 4A)

Review

Sometimes the starter sticks, you may have to turn it off and restart it- sticks in the starting position. Tierods on both sides wear often-within 3000 miles. Bought car at 20000 miles and by 34000 miles had replace both tierods and steering rack. And at 37,000 miles tierods were popping again. Noise in the steering column was caused by a bad steering rack. Performance and milage excellent. Good stereo system. Bad design in frontend construction.

Favorite Features

Gas mileage, stereo, body design.

Suggested Improvements

Redesign frontend to prevent stress to tierod.

7 out 7 people found this review helpful

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A very solid car, great gas mileage

Written by: Wisconsin Driver on 06/10/2007

Vehicle

2005 Chevrolet Malibu LS 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 4A)

Review

This car replaced my Infinity I-30, and while I have lost some of the luxury, I have gained in dependability, gas mileage, and I do like that remote start. I drive ~150 miles per day, 90% highway, and I average 35 MPG (the on-board computer shows 36.8, which is too high). Power (200HP+) is more than adequate, and hadling is exceptional for this kind of car. Currently over 70,000 miles, and no problems with the car at all. Very, very solid car - much better than any of the late GM cars I have driven. Will buy the '08, I think, when it comes out.

Favorite Features

Power, simplicity, DIC, handling, gas mileage.

Suggested Improvements

Stability program, AUX audio input, better leather.

12 out 12 people found this review helpful

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Great car.

Written by: waggiecam on 06/02/2007

Vehicle

2005 Chevrolet Malibu LS 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 4A)

Review

I bought this car after test driving several Malibu's and I love it. The only driving that I do is in the city in stop and go traffic and I get 33 miles to the gallon with my air conditioning all the way up. I have never had a problem with anything on it and I will definitely recommend this to all of my friends.

Favorite Features

I love the menu that it has on the stereo that tells you information about the car.

Suggested Improvements

How can you improve perfection?

4 out 6 people found this review helpful

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My 2005 Malibu LS V6

Written by: Ethel on 04/24/2007

Vehicle

2005 Chevrolet Malibu LS 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 4A)

Review

I have had to have a new steering rack, new front exhaust, new sun visors, and a new ignition switch put on this car already. Thank God it is still in warranty. The tires that came with the car had trouble holding tire pressure so I had to buy 4 new tires also.

Favorite Features

This car is very smooth in it's performance. I like the peppy engine and it really does get great gas mileage, around 24 mpg which is excellent for a V6. The styling is beautiful. Mine has 6 airbags, so it is equipped with safety.

Suggested Improvements

Make the reliability of the vehicle better. Too many trips to the dealership gets really old. The mechanical issues should be way less on such a newer vehicle.

7 out 11 people found this review helpful

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Can we say Recall/Class Actio?

Written by: Karyn on 04/02/2007

Vehicle

2005 Chevrolet Malibu LS 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 4A)

Review

That noise you all here coming from the front end is your struts! I bought mine w/25k on it 10/2005 and within months had problems, had rattling since beginning, told it was nothing, now found out it was the strut (s) at 47k, had to replace all 4 brakes already, tires were shot at 40k. If it won't start just take the key out and try again, its a security feature, happens all the time! Now my tail light is not working apparently an Electrical problem! Gets good gas mileage only right after oil changes and with new tires! Better make sure you replace that air filter when it says too also! Front suspension shot, brakes shot, Electrical shot, seat fabric shot, get the hint, its a piece of junk!

Favorite Features

Pick up and go is great! Looks nice unless you leave water spots on chrome!

Suggested Improvements

Everything needs help! Since there are many complaints about the noice coming from the front maybe GM should figure it out and get it fixed!

7 out 11 people found this review helpful

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The perfect car

Written by: Wags on 03/31/2007

Vehicle

2005 Chevrolet Malibu LS 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 4A)

Review

I drive all city driving in my 2005 Chevrolet Malibu with a 3.5 Liter V6 and I am currently getting 30 miles to the gallon with only city driving. When I go on road trips I get about 39 freeway driving which just blows me away. I bought it thinking it would get 22 city and 32 highway but I am stunned at the great mileage I get especially with the very high gas prices. Did I also mention that I am constantly punching my gas petal to beat people off the line?

Favorite Features

Great power and great gas mileage. What more could you ask for?

Suggested Improvements

How could you improve perfection?

4 out 7 people found this review helpful

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Malibu LS

Written by: Hegs on 03/30/2007

Vehicle

2005 Chevrolet Malibu LS 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 4A)

Review

I just hit 48,000 on my Malibu and I have been very happy. For a V6 200hp I get very good mileage. I have been averaging about 30 in the summer and 25 in the winter. Some of the people that are claiming better gas mileage than this are going off of the inboard computer and the numbers are skewed a bit. I actually use a calculator and check my mileage based on my travel. I have noticed the computer is off about 2-3 mpg most of the time. The ride in the car is very good and a lot better than I thought it would be. I would replace the factory tires if you can. They aren't that great. I have had no problems with the car other than replacing the rear brake pads.

Favorite Features

Other people don't seem to like it but I love the steering. It is so easy to turn. I also like the power that the car has. It is not too weak nor is it too strong. I also love the safety in this car. I have never felt safer. I have side and front airbags. The room in the car is also great.

Suggested Improvements

I didn't like the factory tires. I was hydroplaning all of the time. I replaced them with Goodyear Assurance and they work well. I really hate the interior. It is extremely hard to clean. You can't even vacuum up a hair it is that bad. I also don't like where the oil filter is.

5 out 6 people found this review helpful

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