My 2007 malibu is making terrible noise. I drove yesterday during they day and all was fine. In the evening, I started the car and it stalled immediately. Then I started again and it has been making this noise. I don't know what happened and we are presently without a working vehicle. I have attached a recording of the sound.

Is that just idling? Need to hear it when you step on it or. Sounds like a rod or main bearing but not sure with just that to go by. A snap throttle will tell me if it'* in the lower end.

I agree with carfixer007 ^^^^^^^

Have you checked fluids?

How many miles between oil changes?

How many miles on this oil?

6000km , 5w30 synthetic on the oil. oil was in the bottom 1/4 of the range on the dip stick. Would something like rod or bearing not get worse over time ? This happened all of a sudden at time of starting. I had driven the car just 30 minutes before and it ran very smoothly at that time.

Jumped time? Need to so some testing.

Jumped time ..How do I check?

Compression test or pull the cover.

I think I can pull the valve cover..Then what do I look for (loose chain, mar
kings on chain with sprockets or something else) ?

I was just able to listen to it. It almost sounds to me like the timing chain tensioner has failed or isn't getting oil pressure.

Is the check engine light on?

Are there any current or pending codes stored?

No check engine light. no codes
previously there was an evap code that I had cleared