1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, I BOUGHT A 1998 CHEVY MALIBU, 2.4 L, 4 CYL, SEDAN. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE I BEGAN HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS LIGHT COMMMING ON AND MY BRAKES WERE GRINDING REALLY BAD. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER THAT I BOUGHT IT FROM THE DAY MY WARRENTY WAS TO RUN OUT. THEY SUPPOSIDLY RESET THE ABS SYSTEM BECAUSE IT DID THROW THEM A CODE. THE FOLLOWING DAY THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURED. I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THE ABS SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I'VE ALSO BEEN HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE AIR COMPRESSOR. IT MAKES AN AWFUL NOISE. THE DEALER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM ALSO SUPPOSIDLY REPLACED THE COMPRESSOR WITH A USED ONE. THE COMPRESSOR IS STILL MAKING THE SAME NOISE AS IF THEY NEVER REPLACED IT. BUT THESE REPAIRS WERE DONE ON MY LAST DAY OF MY WARRENTY SO THE DEALER WILL NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE PROBLEMS ANYMORE. I LOVE MY VEHICLE, IT IS PERFECT FOR THE SIZE FAMILY THAT I HAVE AND IT IS A VERY BEAUTIFUL VEHICLE BUT THE ISSUES I AM HAVING WITH IT ARE ALMOST NOT WORTH DEALING WITH. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET, MALIBU. THE FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE. THERE WAS NO SHIELD GUARD, AND IT CAUSED THE RIGHT FRONT CV SHAFT TO BREAK. ALSO, HAD TO DO OTHER REPAIRS. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC VEHICLE COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF SHE DROVE THE VEHICLE AFTER THE COIL SPRING BROKE. THE COIL SPRING COULD HAVE GONE THROUGH THE FRONT TIRE, CAUSING CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *AK

MY THEFT LIGHT CAME ON AS I WAS DRIVING THE CAR. I BROUGHT IT INTO VILLAGE CHEVROLET AND THEY SWITCHED OUT THE IGNITION SWITCH. (THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 12 TO 15 TIMES). THEY HAVE REPLACED THE IGINITION SWITCH AT LEAST 4 TIMES, THE BODY CONTROL MODULE ONCE. AT LEAST FIVE OF THOSE 12 TO 15 TIMES, I WASN'T DRIVING ANYWHERE AND I WAS USING THE ORIGINAL KEY THAT I GOT WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR BRAND NEW, I WAS ATTEMPTING TO START THE CAR AND THE THEFT LIGHT CAME ON SOLID. I CALLED GM, AND THEY TOLD ME TO PUT THE KEY IN THE ON POSITION FOR 15 TO 20 MINUTES TO RESET ITSELF. I LIVE IN MN, AND THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE SINCE WE HAVE WEATHER EXTREMES AND I AM A SINGLE WOMAN, AND THIS IS MY ONLY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION. THE LAST TIME THAT I BROUGHT IT IN FOR THIS, THEY CUT A NEW KEY FROM MY VIN TO SEE IF THAT WOULD HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEM. IT HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 2 MORE TIMES SINCE THAT. I HAVE CALLED GM REPEATEDLY, AND THEY TELL ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO. I AM PRETTY SURE THAT THERE IS A SHORT BETWEEN THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE STARTER. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE???

I PULLED OUT INTO THE STREET WHEN I HEARD A POP. THINKING IT WAS MY POWER STEERING I DROVE ON AND WITHIN A MILE MY TIRE BLEW. UPON REMOVAL OF THE TIRE, THE COIL SPRING ON THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE HAD SNAPPED. THERE WAS NO RUST, ONLY A COMPLETE BREAK IN THE COIL SPRING.

DT CONSUMER STATED HER SON WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN HE HEARD A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS A LOUD BANG. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED IT WAS FOUND THAT THE COIL SPRING SNAPPED, THE FRONT RIGHT STRUT BROKE AND CAUSED THE COIL SPRING TO SLIT THE TIRE WHICH LEAD TO A BLOW OUT OF THE TIRE. *JB

IN MARCH OF '05 TOOK CAR IN FOR SEVICE ENGINE WAS TICKING WHILE IDLE AT ONE POINT ONCE CAR WAS WARMED UP THE TICKING STOPED BUT NOW THE TICKING IS STILL HEARD WHILE DRIVING AND AT ACCELEARTION. TOOK CAR IN THE BOB MCGUIRE CHEVROLET IN BORDENTOWN, NJ WAS TOLD THAT I HAD A HEAD GASKET LEAK THAT HAD ALREADY MIXED WITH THE ENGINE OIL. HAD EVERYTHING FIXED AND THEY EVEN PUT IN HEAVY DUTY LIFTER CLEANER TO CLEAN THE LIFTERS ACCORDING TO MECANIC THAT WAS WERE THE TICK WAS COMING FROM BUT WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR THE ENGINE WAS STILL TICKING WHEN IDLE AND THE NOISE HAD GOTTEN WORSE. WHEN I ASKED WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO FIX THE TICKING I WAS TOLD THAT THE WHOLE JOB THAT WAS JUST PERFORMED ON THE CAR HAD TO BE PERFORMED AGAIN IN ORDER TO FIX THE LIFTERS THAT IS CAUSING THE TICKING.

DT: THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT HE HEARD A LOUD THUD WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 20 MPH. A COUPLE MINUTES LATER AFTER GOING PROBABLY 50 FT HE HEARD SOMETHING ROLLING UNDER HIS VEHICLE. HE PULLED OVER AND EXITED THE VEHICLE. HE SAW WHAT LOOKED LIKE A PIECE OF COIL SPRING AND PICKED IT UP. HE LOOKED UNDER THE CAR AND SAW WERE THE COIL SPRING SLIPPED OFF FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. HE CALLED THE MECHANIC BUT HAS NOT HAD ANY WORK DONE TO THE VEHICLE. HE ALSO TOOK THE ACTUAL PIECE OF THE COIL SPRING TO HIS DEALER. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT HE HAD SOLD SEVERAL COIL SPRINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. THE ROAD WAS BRICK PAVED ROAD AND THERE WAS NO WARNING PRIOR TO THE FAILURE EXCEPT FOR THE NOISE. *NM

WHILE DRIVING,THE VEHICLE STALLED. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED MORE THAN ONCE AND HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE FUEL PUMP HAS BEEN FIXED FOUR TIMES BUT THEY CONTINUE TO FAIL. *BF *NM

CONSUMER HAS TWO SEPARATE ISSUES WHICH INVOLVED BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS BREAKING. THE FIRST TIME CONSUMER NOTICED A RUBBING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT WHEEL. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE, AND RUBBED AGAINST THE TIRE. THE SECOND TIME WAS AFTER THE CONSUMER DROVE 50 MILES TO TAKE A FRIEND TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL. AFTER GETTING INTO THE VEHICLE TO RETURN HOME CONSUMER FELT TENSION ON THE RIGHT TIRE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE REPAIR SHOP, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED FOUND THAT RIGHT COIL SPRING BROKE. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL.*AK

1) NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, MOSTLY HIGHWAY. 2) FAILURE OF THE HUB ASSEMBLY. VERY NOISY, REDUCED NOISE AROUND CORNERS. 3) THIS HUB HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES AND IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. I HAVE SEARCHED FOR ANY RECALLS ON THIS AND COULD NOT FIND ANY. IT HAS BEEN 25000 MILES SINCE IT WAS REPLACED LAST AND THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND EXPENSIVE. WAS TOLD THAT CONTINUED DRIVING COULD CAUSE MORE DAMAGE INCLUDING ABS SYSTEM. INCIDENT DATE BELOW CORRESPONDS TO THE LASTEST TIME HUB FAILED. HAVE NOT HAD IT REPLACED YET, SO PART IS STILL AVAILABLE.*AK