Faults:

Front struts squeak consistently since 11,000. Tops must be oiled and strut adjusted to be quiet for a few weeks.

Front control arms replaced at 24,000.

Rear suspension greased to eliminate squeaks at 24,500.

Brake rotors turned at 29,000.

Rattles in the dash; attempted to be fixed by the dealer at 29,000, 30,000, and 33,000.

Loud tapping of the valves heard at 30,000. Dealer will replace the valves if the car is still under warranty.

New tires installed at 30,000.

Anti-freeze added to the reservoir because the low fluid light came on at 44,000.

Seams along the bottom of the driver's doors were ground down and repainted at 55,000.

Front driver's headlight assembly was replaced at 57,000.

Rotors and front pads were replaced at 57,000 and 84,000.

Wiper bracket on the passenger side was replaced at 79,000.

General Comments:

Malibu owners should go to the alldata.com website to get a list of the things GM will replace if you complain with a warranty still valid on your car.

This car is poorly designed and engineered. GM is unwilling to repair the numerous faults with these vehicles thru recalls. Preferring to issue advisories, that most individuals never see, to tell its dealers to repair these faults for any customer who complains and has a valid warranty.

Faults:

The alternator bearing became noisy (faulty part) at about 5000 miles. The dealer replaced the whole alternator the same day and gave me a rental car for the repair time.

Recently the CD player started skipping on some disks. I used the lense cleaner disk, and it fixed the problem.

General Comments:

As an engineer, and having over 25 years of driving record, I evaluate any car primarily from the mechanical point of view.

I am sure, the most important units in a vehicle are the engine, the transmission and the chassis. And it is my strong opinion, which is confirmed by the Consumer Review's statistics, that Malibu LS has one of the industry's best engines, transmission and suspension. Though the pushrod is not the latest technical breakthrough, it has proved its reliability, low fuel consumption, abd high torque starting at low rpm.

The car accelerates beautifully for a family sedan: 8.5 sec 0-60. As an engineer (sorry to appear un-modest) I think, the two-valve per cylinder engine is more suitable for a family sedan, than a four-valve one. The former has a better torque curve at low rpm which is important for city driving. And at highway speeds Malibu's engine makes only 2000 rpm, hence a long potential trouble-free life.

And it has an excellent fuel economy: on my recent trip for 600 miles with an average speed 55 mph (taking into account stops at gas stations and cafes, with long city rides) I made 33.75 mpg.

The fully independent suspension provides responsive and accurate handling, the seats are really comfortable even for a whole day trip.

The trunk is big enough.