RoadVitals

1978 General Engine 6DOW Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
3
Latest Jun 8, 2004
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
2
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1978 General Engine 6DOW, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Other / unspecified360.0%
  • Engine240.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Other / unspecified

Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

MY 2000 MALIBU WHICH CURRENTLY HAS 50,000 MILES ON IT STARTED LOSING COOLANT AT ABOUT 48,000 MILES. I HAVE SPENT CLOSE TO $1,000 DOLLARS TRYING TO GET IT TO STOP LOSING FLUIDS. THE LAST REPAIR WAS A NEW GASKET SET PER SERVICE BULLITIN #03-06-01-010 DATED MARCH OF 2003. IS THERE ANY OTHER COURSE OF ACTION THAT I CAN TAKE. I CANNOT AFFORD ANY MORE EXPENSES ON IT. ALSO THE TURN SIGNALS SEEM TO FAIL WHEN MY CAR HEATER DOES NOT HEAT UP, THEY COME BACK IF I TURN MY EMERGENCY FLASERS ON AND THEN OFF. *AK

NHTSA ID 10075019 · filed Jun 8, 2004

THERE WAS A KNOCKING AND LOSS OF POWER IN THE MOTOR. I TOOK IT TO QUALITY CARE TO HAVE IT FIXED THEY TOLD ME IT NEEDS A NEW MOTOR. I GAVE THEM THE JOB. THEY INSTALLED A NEW [USED] ONE WHICH BLEW UP IN 2 DAYS. I TOOK IT BACK AND THEY PUT ANOTHER ONE IN. WHEN I GOT IT BACK THE BOLT HOLDING THE SPEEDOMTER CABEL WAS BROKE AND WAS LEAKING FLUID. AT THAT TIME I DIDN'T KNOW THE BOLT WAS BROKE. THEY TOLD ME NOT TO WORRY IT JUST SPILLED FLUID ON THE MOTOR. IT KEPT LEAKING SO I HAD MY HUSBAND LOOK AND HE SAW THE BROKING BOLT THAT HOLDS THE CABLE DOWN ALL THEY HAD HOLDING THE CLAMP DOWN WAS A TIE DOWN [GARBAGE TIE] THATS WHY IT WONT STOP LEAKING. WHEN MY HUSBAND POINTED IT OUT TO THEM THEY SAID IT BROKE WHEN THEY TOOK THE MOTOR OUT. HE ASKED WHY DID YOU LIE TO MY WIFE? YOU BROKE IT YOU SHOULD FIX IT. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THERE WERE MISSING BOLTS; AIRCONDITON WASN'T CHARGED AND BOLTS WERE MISSING ON THE SPLASH SHIELD BUT THEY DID USE THE SAME TIES THEY USED ON THE SPEED CABLE. THEY DID A SUBSTANDER JOB. USED PLASTIC TIES INSTEAD OF BOLTS. REFUSE TO FIX WHAT THEY BROKE AND IF IT IS NOT FIXED IT COULD CAUSE A BAD ACCIDENT.*AK

NHTSA ID 10074924 · filed Jun 7, 2004

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

MY 2000 MALIBU WHICH CURRENTLY HAS 50,000 MILES ON IT STARTED LOSING COOLANT AT ABOUT 48,000 MILES. I HAVE SPENT CLOSE TO $1,000 DOLLARS TRYING TO GET IT TO STOP LOSING FLUIDS. THE LAST REPAIR WAS A NEW GASKET SET PER SERVICE BULLITIN #03-06-01-010 DATED MARCH OF 2003. IS THERE ANY OTHER COURSE OF ACTION THAT I CAN TAKE. I CANNOT AFFORD ANY MORE EXPENSES ON IT. ALSO THE TURN SIGNALS SEEM TO FAIL WHEN MY CAR HEATER DOES NOT HEAT UP, THEY COME BACK IF I TURN MY EMERGENCY FLASERS ON AND THEN OFF. *AK

NHTSA ID 10075019 · filed Jun 8, 2004

RECENTLY A NUMBER OF GM CAR/VANS HAVE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE 3100 ENGINE. A GREAT NUMBER OF THEM HAVE A "LOW COOLANT" INDICATION WITH THE RESULT BEING A NEW INTAKE MANIFOLD WITH A COST OF $700 TO $1000. IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE. *JB

NHTSA ID 10062361 · filed Mar 16, 2004

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .