Greetings,
So you bought this car with 52,000 miles put on it in one year and you are
complaining about what? Let's take a look...
"jjoyner" wrote in message
> 2002 Malibu bought used in July 2003 with 52,000 miles on it.
>
> Here is the list of things fixed since then:
>
> - Bald tires on the car after 2 months of having the thing
On a one year old car with 52,000 miles on it they probably were the
original tires, but I figure you were lucky to get even the additional 2
months out of them. As a general rule I haven't found stock factory tires
that go much past 35,000 miles.
> - Catalytic converter clogged at 60,000
> - MAS replaced at 60,000
> - EGR Valve replaced at 60,000
> - Fuel Filter replaced at 60,000
Bad fuel. Heaven knows that with 52,000 miles on it it drank quite a few
gallons in that first year, and if this was a fleet car (which it sounds
like it was) then I can guarantee that it didn't get the highest quality
gas. Then again if this was the first time the fuel filter was replaced
then it was still 30,000 miles overdue.
> - Spark plugs replaced at 60,000 so they wouldn't feel out of place
> with all the NEW parts in the car. 
Big deal.
> - Brake pads worn out and left rotors out .07. Had them replaced at
> Firestone (the dealership we bought from went under). 2 months later,
> same old story
Tell me you were surprised by the brakes going bad after that many miles.
If they went bad again after only two months I'd have a strong word with the
Firestone dealership if I were you.
> - July of 2005, air conditioner STOPS working entirely. Air condenser
> went out and had to be replaced at the tune of $900.
Road debris. Sounds like you caught a rock - unfortunate but not unheard
of.
> - Now air conditioner flips between MAX air and AC on a whim.
Normal. The AC switches between Max (which is simply a recirc mode) and
Normal depending on interior and exterior temperatures to try to keep you as
cool as possible. Last time I checked it was still August...
> - Brakes barely work.
Go back to Firestone. They have some explaining to do.
> - Ever since the catalytic converter was replaced, engine lacks power
> (apparently a low backpressure cat system).
So what you're saying is that the cat was replaced with an incorrect one or
the work was incorrectly done? Am I the only one who sees this as an
oxymoron? Sounds like you are on the verge of answering your own question.
> -Now the thing won't crank. It turns over, but won't start. The
> battery doesn't have any juice to crank. I left it sitting with the
> key in ON to clear Passlock errors. It cranked ONCE yesterday and
> anytime immediately after that it would crank.
>
Did you have the alternator checked, or charged then tested the battery?
Either or both could be the culprit. I'd start there.
> Could someone describe the difficulty of replacing the ignition
> cylinder? Is this a possible reason for the car not working now? I
> am wanting to fix it and sell it before it's too late.
>
Well, I wouldn't be taking it back to that Firestone anytime soon to have
any more work done, that's for sure!
> BTW, can we not start some sort of group complaint to BBB or Consumer
> Affairs to get Chevy to take responsibility for these cars?! 
>
Chevy ain't got nothing to do with this, plus this car is most likely way
out of warranty (36,000 miles I believe). You can file complaints with the
BBB until the cows come home but you already said the dealer you bought it
from went belly-up. Sounds like now we know why.
Good luck - Jonathan
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