FYI. I recently got my intake gaskets replaced on my 2002 malibu LS v6 3.1 .... I had a coolant leak(small drips only) for 6 months and i thought it was just the radiator. Luckily it didn't leak into the engine oil system. Midas said they replaced it with a better engineered gasket than the factory one. A few other places I got quotes from said the same. The better part added a couple hundred to the already high bill.

But they said it'd last for 150-200k miles. I doubt the rest of the car will survive that long. I'm already at 95k.

Alarming was the fact that several mechanics said its normal issue on alot of 3.1 engines from GM (malibu, cutlass, pontiac) and also some of the V8s (suburbans, tahoes, trucks). Anyone aware of this? That the cheap gasket should be replaced with a metal gasket(with sealant).

I noticed the car missing slightly after the fix and after return trip to Midas (they said) it was the plugs/wiring. I just replaced them with Boshe Platinums 2 and new wires. It starts/runs smooth and perfect now. Probably runs like it did when new.

Let's see how long it'll last.....although I'm itching to get one of them new Malibus! Its slick.