1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

1. I CHECKED THE COOLANT LEVEL IN THE RESERVOIR AND NOTICED COOLANT WAS NEEDED. I PUT WATER INTO THE RESERVOIR (CAR WAS ON) AND EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE FINE. I DROVE THE CAR ABOUT 10 MILES. I STOPPED TO PUT GAS IN AND NOTICED WATER/COOLANT COMING FROM UNDER THE CAR. I REPLACED THE WATER AND DROVE TO A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT MY INTAKE GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED; HE SHOWED ME THE LEAKAGE COMING FROM THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE. HE ALSO STATED, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF CAR. SIMILAR COMMENTS HAD BEEN MADE TO ME IN THE PAST IN REGARDS TO THE INTAKE GASKET; MECHANICS, AUTO PART SALES MEN AND THE DEALER WHERE I GET MY CAR SERVICED HAD ALL BEEN CONCERNED IN THE PAST FOR THIS AREA OF MY CAR, BUT UNTIL NOW EVERYTHING HAD BEEN FINE; 2. FAILURE OF THE INTAKE GASKET PREVENTED THE ENGINE COOLANT FROM MAINTAINING THE PROPER COOLANT LEVEL, THE CONSEQUENCE WAS THAT I NEEDED TO TAKE TIME OUT OF MY DAY TO INQUIRE ABOUT THIS MATTER AND SEEK ADVICE IN PREVENTING FURTHER DAMAGE; 3. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO FIX THE PROBLEM ON TUESDAY (9/6/05). I WILL NOT HAVE MY CAR FOR A FULL DAY DUE TO THIS PROBLEM AND THE ESTIMATE TO FIX THE CAR WAS 550.00 TO 600.00 DOLLARS. *JB

1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU ENGINE STARTED RACING AT HIGH SPEEDS AND THE CONSUMER WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. *MR THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING ON HIGH SPEED UNTIL THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE. *SC TPS SENSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TT

LATELY THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM ONLY SEEMS TO BE WORKING TO KEEP ME FROM DRIVING. I HAVE ASKED EVERYBODY WHAT I CAN DO TO STOP THIS STUPID THING AND I COME UP WITH THE SAME ANSWERS. WE CAN CHANGE THE KEYS, PUT IN A NEW IGNITION, A NEW IGNITION SWITCH. ALL WITH THE SAME RESULTS. IT WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I DON'T SEE WHY CHEVROLET WILL NOT RECALL THE SYSTEM AND DISABLE IT SOME HOW. IT USED TO HAPPEN JUST ONCE IN AWHILE NOW IT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING ABOUT 2-3 TIMES PER MONTH. EACH TIME I AM STRANDED FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES BECAUSE THAT IS HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR THE THEFT SYSTEM TO CYCLE THROUGH. I CAN REMEMBER AT LEAST 3 TIMES THAT I HAVE BEEN STRANDED FOR OVER AN HOUR BECAUSE WHEN THE LIGHT WOULD GO OFF I WOULD TRY TO START IT AND THE THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT WOULD START BLINKING AGAIN. VERY FRUSTRATING. OTHER THAN THE STUPID THEFT SYSTEM THE CAR HAS BEEN GREAT.*JB

I PURCHASED MY 1998 MALIBU, IT'S HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR IN NOVEMBER OF 2001 WITH IN LESS THAN A WEEK OF PURCHASING I HAD TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO DEALER AND HAVE THEM FIX A PROBLEM BECAUSE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON, I AM UNSURE OF THE EXACT PROBLEM BUT I DO KNOW THE CAR DID NOT PASS EMISSIONS AND IF I HAD TO PAY FOR IT, IT WOULD HAVE COST ME OVER 500 DOLLARS, I HAVE REPLACED MY FRONT BRAKES ON 3 OCCASIONS, I HAVE FIXED THE LEAKING TRANSMISSION 2X, I HAVE REPLACED THE TAIL LIGHT BULBS ABOUT 4X, I REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AND THE LINING IS COMING OFF THE TRUNK. THESE ARE ALL PROBLEMS I HAD IN LESS THEN 2 YEARS OF OWNING THE VEHICLE. SINCE MARCH 2004 I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE. I HAVE REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP, WATER PUMP, 2 OF THE INJECTORS AND THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER SMALL REPAIRS HERE AND THERE. EVERY TIME I FIX SOMETHING WITHIN LESS THEN A WEEK OF DRIVING IT THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE WRONG I AM UNABLE TO REPAIR IT UNTIL I CAN SAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PUT MORE INTO IT. I AM CURRENTLY REPLACING THE INJECTORS WHICH I HAVE ALREADY PAID 600 DOLLARS AND HAVE 4 MORE TO GO. I AM WORRIED THAT AFTER I PUT THIS MONEY INTO IT I WILL STILL HAVE MORE PROBLEMS, I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE IS SOME ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IN THE DASH BUT THEY ARE UNSURE EXACTLY WHAT IT IS BECAUSE THE CAR WILL NOT RUN LONG ENOUGH TO FIGURE OUT. NOBODY CAN TELL ME EVERYTHING THAT IS WRONG WITH BECAUSE I NEED TO FIX ONE PROBLEM BEFORE THEY CAN BE SURE OF THE NEXT. THIS CAR WAS THE WORST PURCHASE I HAVE MADE. I WAS UNABLE TO REGISTER MY VEHICLE LAST YEAR DUE TO ALL THE PROBLEMS. I HAVE BEEN ON SEVERAL WEB SITES AND ABOUT THIS CAR AND EVERYONE IS HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND PUTTING OUT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN REPAIRS. *NM

WHEEL BEARINGS KEEP FAILING, RESULTING IN ME HAVING TO GET NEW OR RESURFACED ROTORS, PADS, CALIPERS, BEARINGS OBVIOUSLY, ETC. THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME IN A YEAR AND A HALF! I CAN'T AFFORD TO DRIVE AN UNSAFE VEHICLE, BUT I CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP SHELLING OUT $500-600 EVERY SIX MONTHS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, EITHER. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, AND TALKING TO A FEW MECHANICS, I'M APPARENTLY NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. ALSO, MY POWER STEERING HOSE HAS A HABIT OF BLOWING OFF THE LINE FOR NO REASON, RESULTING IN ME HAVING TO RE-ATTACH IT. BUT I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY BRAKE SYSTEM. *JB

WE DROVE OUR CAR TO OUR CAMP WHICH IS 60 MILES AWAY. THE NEXT DAY WE WENT TO MOVE OUR CAR WHEN THE FRONT END ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WENT DOWN WITH A HARD AND LOUD BANG. AT FIRST, WE THOUGHT IT WAS THE TIRE SINCE IT WAS FLAT, BUT WHEN WE LOOKED UNDER THE CAR IT LOOKED LIKE THE SPRING HAD BROKEN OFF AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE. WE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO OUR DEALERSHIP. THEY TOLD US THAT THE SPRING WAS BROKEN AND THE STRUT AND THE MOUNT WERE ALSO BLOWN OUT. THEY REPLACED THE RIGHT FRONT STRUT, MOUNT AND THE SPRING. THEY ALSO REPLACED THE LEFT FRONT SPRING TO THE VEHICLE TO EVEN IT OUT. BOTH FRONT TIRES ALSO HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE TOTAL COST WAS $1171.43 WE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED, IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY. WE HAD TAKEN OUR TWO GRANDSONS TO CAMP WITH US. (AGES 2 & 4) IT IS SCARY TO THINK WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO THEM, IF WE HAD BEEN IN A CRASH. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE JUST MOVING THE CAR A FEW FEET. *JB

(1) FRONT PASSENGER SHOCK SPRING BROKE IN TWO PLACES, I BEGAN TO HEAR A SLIGHT GRINDING NOISE (2) SPRING BROKE PUNCTURING THE TIRE AND FORCING THE WEIGHT OF THE CAR ON THE FRAME AND TIRE RIM (3) CAR WAS TOWED TO A GM DEALER, THE SPRING WAS REPLACED. TOW TRUCK DRIVER ADVISED THAT THIS IS THE FOURTH INCIDENT FOR THIS DEFECT THAT HE HAS SEEN. *JB

I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY GARAGE WHEN THE FRONT END OF THE CAR DROPPED DOWN WITH A HARD BANG. IT FELT LIKE THE WHEEL FELL OFF. THERE WAS A TERRIBLE NOISE WHEN I TRIED TO BACK OUT OF THE GARAGE. I LEFT THE CAR IN MY DRIVEWAY. THE NEXT DAY I CALLED FOR A FLAT BED TOW TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THE FRONT SPRING HAD BROKEN IN HALF AND DAMAGE THE STRUT. THE DEALER SUGGESTED THAT I HAVE BOTH SPRINGS AND BOTH STRUTS REPLACED AT A COST OF $1391.64 WHICH WAS PAID TO THE DEALER WHEN THE CAR WAS READY FOR PICKUP ON JUNE 24, 2005. ON JUNE 22, 2005 I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH GENERAL MOTORS. I CONTENDED THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR WORSE IF THIS HAPPENED ON A HIGH SPEED HIGHWAY WHICH IS WHERE I WAS GOING AT THE TIME. FORTUNATELY, THIS HAPPENED WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY GARAGE. I EXPLAINED TO GENERAL MOTORS REP. THAT THE SPRINGS SHOULD NEVER BREAK IN HALF AND THAT GENERAL MOTORS SHOULD ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE COST OF THE REPAIRS. AFTER 2 WEEKS, GENERAL MOTORS WOULD ONLY GIVE ME A $500 CREDIT TOWARDS A NEW CAR. I TOLD THEM THAT I AM NOT PLANNING TO BUY A NEW CAR AND THAT I WOULD LIKE SOME FINANCIAL RELIEF FOR THE COSTS OF THE REPAIRS. THEY REFUSED.

THE ABS WARNING LIGHT HAS BEEN GOING ON OCCASIONALLY SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW IN 1998. RECENTLY, THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FREQUENTLY, ALMOST EVERY TIME, SHORTLY AFTER STARTING THE CAR AND USUALLY DURING THE FIRST TURN. TURNING OFF THE ENGINE AND THEN RESTARTING TURNS THE ABS LIGHT OFF, AND IT THEN STAYS OFF. ALSO, IN THE PAST MONTH OR SO, THE CAR HAS SLID FORWARD JUST AS IT IS COMING TO A STOP. THIS CAUSES ME TO SLIDE ABOUT ONE FOOT BEYOND WHERE I INTENDED TO STOP, WHICH COULD BE DANGEROUS. I HAVE TAKEN TO STOPPING WELL BEHIND THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME TO ALLOW FOR THIS EXTRA SLIDE. AT THE TIME OF THE SLIDE, I FEEL THE PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL SUDDENLY DROP, AND THEN I HAVE TO PUSH REALLY HARD TO STOP. THIS FAILURE ONLY SEEMS TO HAPPEN IN THE FIRST FEW TIMES I STOP AFTER STARTING THE CAR. I BROUGHT THE CAR TODAY TO WILKIE CHEVROLET IN PHILADELPHIA TO HAVE THIS DEFECT CHECKED OUT.

THE ENGINE LEAKED COOLANT AND OIL FROM THE BLOCK, WHICH IS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. MY CAR THEN OVERHEATED ON THE ROAD WHICH LED TO MY COOLANT BURSTING OUT OF THE OVERFILL TANK. THE ENGINE THEN STARTED TO STEAM, AND ALL THE COOLANT LAID THERE ON THE ROAD. I WAS TOLD BY 3 DIFFERENT SHOPS THAT IT WAS THE HEAD GASKET THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, WHICH COST ME $1000 IN PARTS AND LABOR.