1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

THIS CAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT A NIGHTMARE FOR ME. AND TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, THE LOCAL CHEVY DEALER SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. (THOUGH IT DOESN'T STOP THEM FROM CHARGING ME FOR ALL THE EXPENSIVE REPAIRS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE) THIS CAR HAS MANY, MANY ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. I PURCHASED THIS CAR AS A "CERTIFIED GM" BACK IN JULY 2001. THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY ISSUES TO LIST ON THIS FORUM. MOST RECENT, WAS COMING HOME LAST NIGHT WITH MY SON IN THE CAR. FOR NO REASON AT ALL THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED, LEAVING ME W/ 1 FOG LAMP AS THE OTHER WENT W/ THE HEADLIGHTS. ON A GRAVEL ROAD, W/ NO LIGHTS. FOUND OURSELVES IN THE DITCH. STILL WAITING FOR THE TOW TRUCK TO PULL THE PIECE OF CRAP OUT. SON GOT A NICE GOOSE EGG OUT OF THE ORDEAL FROM HITTING HIS HEAD ON THE DOOR ON THE BUMPY RIDE DOWN THE DITCH. I AM SO FED UP WITH THIS CAR. *NM

VEHICLE WAS IN A LOW SPEED, LOW IMPACT COLLISION. HOWEVER, THE FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. VEHICLE WAS MOVING ABOUT 10 MPH. *AK

A LOUD POPPING NOISE CAME FROM THE FRONT AND REAR. CONSUMER DROVE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE LEFT AND RIGHT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO WARPING. *AK

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS SUDDENLY FAILED WHILE DRIVING IN THE STORM. THE CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON A 1998 CHEVY MALIBU. *BF RESPONDED TO PREVIOUSLY VIA E-MAIL REFER TO ODI#10093392. *SC

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT, MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS THE SECOND INCIDENT. I HAVE HAD IT REPLACED ONCE BEFORE. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT MY VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. D.F.*AK

CONSUMER COMPLAINT CONCERNING UNSATISFACTORY TRANSACTION WITH GMC, CRUISE CONTROL FAILED THEN AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THAT SHE SHOULD BE FULLY COMPENSATED FOR HER REPAIRS AND A RECALL SHOULD BE SENT OUT. *TC

ENGINE LOCKED UP WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED(70MPH) DUE TO FAILED INTAKE GASKET ON 1998 MALIBU 3.1 . ONE FLICKER OF OIL LIGHT (OIL HAD JUST BEEN CHANGED THAT MORNING BY MYSELF (EXPERIENCED AUTO TECHNICIAN) .ENGINE HAD 52,000 MILES, WAS 600 MILES FROM HOME(APPR), COST $750 TO TOW HOME, UPON DISASEMBLY FOUND FAILED INTAKE GASKET, PURCHASED USED ENGINE,$600, $800 TO HAVE INSTALLED. GM CONTACTED IN EVERY FORUM AVAIL. REFUSED TO HELP IN ANY WAY. INSTALLED NEW GASKET ON USED ENGINE BEFORE INSTALLING, GM PARTS, NOW 37,000 MILES LATER HAVE INTAKE GASKET LEAK AGAIN.*AK

COOLANT LEAK .. AGAIN IN MY 1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU! I HAD MY INTAKE GASKET REPLACED APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS AGO DUE TO CAR OVER HEATING AND A COOLANT LEAK. MY EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERED IT AT THAT TIME BUT NOT WITHOUT A STRUGGLE. I HAVE SINCE BEEN TOLD IN THE PAST MONTH THAT THIS SAME REPAIR NEEDS TO BE DONE AGAIN AND THAT I'M LOOKING AT ANYWHERE FROM $600.00 - $1000.00 FOR THE REPAIR AND THIS WILL COME OUT OF MY POCKET. FROM THE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS THAT I'VE READ ON THE INTERNET AND THE SERVICE BULLETIN OUT ON THE SPECIFIC PROBLEM, GM OBVIOUSLY KNOWS THAT THIS IS IN ISSUE. WHY AREN'T THEY FORCED TO PUT OUT A RECALL? THIS COULD BE A DANGEROUS PROBLEM.*AK

CLOGGED FUIL INJECTORS P0300 CODE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH GM CARS GM CAME OUT WITH A BULLETIN TO CLEAN THE INJECTORS SHORT TERM FIX I HAVE SEEN MANY VEHICLES DAILY WITH THIS PROBLEM MANY INJECTORS REPLACED.SOME GM CARS DONT HAVE THIS PROBLEM CORVETTE PRIZM BOTH CARS USE A DIFFERENT STYLE INJECTOR THEY DONT CLOGGE GM SAYS GAS IS THE PROBLEM WELL CORVETTE AND PRIZM USES THE SAME GAS.THIS IS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM GM NEEDS TO STEP UP AND COME OUT WITH A BETTER INJECTOR AND RECALL THE CARS.I HAD MY INJECTORS CLEAND MANY TIMES AND ALL THE INJECTORS REPLACED.*AK

UPON SETTING UP CRUISE CONTROL IT FAILED TO SET, AND THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THIS WAS DUE TO A FAILURE IN THE AIR BAG WARNING HARNESS CONNECTION. THESE PARTS WERE CURRENTLY ON BACK ORDER.*AK WRONG PART SENT. *TC