1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

I HAVE HAD TO CHANGE THE FRONT DISC BRAKES AT LEAST 5 TIMES AND THE ROTORS TWICE IN THE 2 YEARS SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE. THE AIR BAG SENSOR HAS NOT BEEN FUNCTIONAL SINCE 1 MONTH AFTER I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. IT ALSO HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS SYSTEM, CAUSING THE BRAKES TO WEAR SO FAST. I BELIEVE THE SYSTEM SHOULD BE RECALLED DUE TO SAFETY ISSUES. I HAVE CHECKED ON THE INTERNET WITH OTHER OWNERS AND MOST OF THEM HAVE THE SAME ISSUES WITH THE BRAKES AS I DO.*AK

THESE CARS ARE A CONSTANT REPAIR BILL AND DANGEROUS TO OPERATE BECAUSE THE TAIL LIGHTS WILL BLOW BULBS AND WITHOUT TAIL LIGHTS YOU ARE DUE FOR A REAR COLLISION.THE BRAKES ARE AWFUL AND THE RACK AND PINION DIDN'T GIVE ANY WARNING BEFORE IT FAILED(LOCKED UP) GM WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY OF THESE AND NUMEROUS OTHER DEFECTS IN THE CAR PLEASE HELP!*AK

RENEE BORSTAD, DIRECTOR/SUPERINTENDENT OF THE BOARD OF CHOSEN FREEHOLDERS WRITES ON BEHALF OF PARKER FLORES, " WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE HOME, SERIOUS VIBRATIONS BEGAN NECESSITATING IT BE BROUGHT IN FOR REPAIRS. *JG

THE VIN NUMBER OF CAR FELL INTO RECALL BUT SINCE CAR IS IN MISSOURI GM SAYS IT DOESNT QUALIFY FOR RECALL. THE CAR WAS FROM ST. LOUIS MISSOURI WHICH BORDERS ILLINOIS . ILLINOIS BY THE WAY IS IN RECALL. WE FEEL GM KNOWS ABOUT DEFECT AND IS AVOIDING FIXING IT. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

CONSUMER STATES INTERMITTENTLY THE VEHICLE ANTI-THEFT LIGHT WOULD COME ON WHILE DRIVING, WITHIN A FEW SECONDS IT WOULD START TO FLICKER ON/OFF, WHEN THIS OCCURS THE VEHICLE WOULD CUT OFF, DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *JB ALSO, CONSUMER STATES DEALER REPLACED FUSE, MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH, DOME LAMP WIRING, IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER, POWER STEERING HOSE, FUEL PUMP, ENGINE MOUNT, HEATER, LEFT DOOR WINDOW SWITCH, RIGHT FRONT SEAT BELT, LEFT FRONT DOOR HANDLE COVER, AND LEFT FRONT DOOR LOCK SWITCH.*YD

WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS THREE TIMES SINCE FEB. 11 2000. THE MILEAGE WAS 34,000. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 62,000 MILES AS OF TODAY APRIL 30, 2002. WITH THE RECEIPTS WE KEPT THE COMBINED TOTAL FOR BRAKE WORK IN THE PAST TWO YEARS EQUALS $800. OUR MACHANIC DID SOME OF HIS OWN INVESTIGATING AND CAME UP WITH THE CONCLUSION THAT THE ROTORS ARE TOO THIN, AND THE CALIPERS WERE TOO LIGHT FOR THE HEAT DISPERSMENT CAUSING PREMATURE BRAKE FAILURE.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE RIGHT BRAKE LIGHT KEEPS GOING OUT. THE DEALER HAS RULED OUT THE FUSE OR BULB. WHEN BULB IS WIGGLED LIGHT COMES BACK ON. THE DEALER HAS NO REMEDY. NLM

BRAKE LIGHTS WENT OUT AT UNKNOWN TIME TO DRIVER RESULTING IN REAR END COLLISON BY ANOTHER AUTOMOBILE. INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT BLACK AND EMITTED A BLACK SMOKE RESULTING IN UNOPERATIVE USE OF ANY FAN/HEAT/DEFROST..MAIN INSTRUMENT OF POWER WINDOWS ON DRIVER SIDE OPERATED ENOUGH TO ROLL DOWN WINDOWS BUT NOT ROLL UP DRIVERS SIDE RESULTING IN ICE/SNOW/RAIN BUILDUP. ALTERNATOR WENT OUT 4 TIMES RESULTING IN POWER FAILURE ON HIGHWAY RESULTING IN CRASH INTO GUARD RAIL. PLEASE PROVIDE US WITH ANY INFORMATION TO PROTECT OUR FAMILY AND PREVENT ANY FUTURE ACCIDENTS..THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NLM

I AM STATIONED OVERSEAS IN THE MILITARY. WHILE DRIVING ON BASE, THE STEERING WHEEL JERKED VIOLENTLY OUT OF MY HANDS AND I STARTED INTO THE DITCH, LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO STOP BEFORE HITTING A POLE. I WAS ABLE TO BACK UP AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED. UPON EXAMINATION BY THE GARAGE ON BASE, THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THE STEERING GEAR AND PINION HAD FAILED AND THAT IT NEVER SHOULD HAVE OCCURRED. I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING WITH GENERAL MOTORS FOR OVER 2 MONTHS NOW TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT 2 SEPERATE MECHANICS HAVE TOLD THEM, THAT THE STEERING GEAR IS BAD AND THAT THE FAILURE SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURED. THEY BOTH SAID THAT HAD THE FAILURE OCCURED WHILE TRAVELING AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED, THE CRASH WOULD HAVE BEEN FATAL AT THE EXPENSE OF ME AND MY WIFE AND 2 CHILDREN. GM OVERSEAS KEEPS TRYING TO SAY THAT THE MILEAGE IS TOO HIGH AND THAT IT IS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. I GUESS TO THEM IT IS NORMAL TO CRASH YOUR CAR. THEIR TECHNICAL DEPT ALSO SAYS THAT I SHOULD HAVE NOTICED A GRADUAL LOOSEING OF THE STEERING. I DID NOT, IT HAPPENED SUDDENLY AND AS THE MECHANICS TOLD GM, THIS IS NO FAULT OF THE CUSTOMER! I CANNOT GET GM TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY OF THIS PROBLEM, WHICH I GUESS IS WHY IT IS STILL SITTING AT THE GM DEALERSHIP(SCHWARZKOPF) IN AMBERG GERMANY. IT HAS BEEN SITTING THERE FOR OVER A MONTH AND BEFORE THAT A MONTH AT THE GARAGE ON BASE, 2 MONTHS WITHOUT MY CAR. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WILL DO ANY GOOD TO WRITE THIS, BUT I GUESS THAT WHAT IT WILL TAKE IS FOR SOMEONE TO CRASH THEIR CAR BEFORE CHEVROLET ACKNOWLEDGES A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING GEAR. THIS CAR HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED SINCE I BOUGHT IT NEW, SO MAINTENANCE IS NOT THE ISSUE HERE. I HOPE THAT SOMEONE CAN HELP ME WITH THIS MATTER. I HAVE PROVIDED AN ADDRESS AND PHONE # IN THE U.S. FROM MY IN-LAWS, AND HERE IS MY ADDRESS AND PHONE # OVERSEAS: CMR 414 BOX 1228, APO AE 09173. PH #011-49-9493-902717. THANK YOU FOR ANY ASSISTANCE YOU CAN GIVE REGARDING THIS MATTER.*AK

I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE SINCE THE DAY I FINANCED IT. I UNDERSTAND BUYING A USED CAR IS RISKY BUT NOT LIKE THIS. I HAVE HAD MY COMPLETE BRAKE SYSTEM REPLACED AND STILL HAVE MAJOR PROBLEMS. I PURCHASED THE VECHICLE FROM FOLSOM LAKE USED CAR OUTLET AND ALL THEY CAN DO IS POINT THE BLAME TOWARDS ME. THEY TELL ME IT IS THE WAY THAT I DRIVE, I RIDE THE BRAKES, I DRIVE WITH TWO FEET. EXCUSES MAINLY. INSTEAD OF SAYING WE DON'T HONESTLY KNOW WHAT IS WRONG FINGERS ARE BEING POINTED. I HAVE GONE THROUGH 6 SETS OF PADS, 4 SETS OF ROTORS DUE TO HOT SPOTS, A SET OF CALIPERS, AND NOW EVERYTHING NEEDS REPLACED AGAIN. I HAVE NOT HAD THE CAR 1 YEAR YET. PRETTY MUCH MY BRAKES FAIL EVERY MONTH TO MONTH & 1/2. WHEN THE DEALERSHIP FIRST PUT MY VEHICLE IN THE SHOP IT WENT TO THE ORIGINAL DEALER 2 WEEKS AFTER HAVING IT, FOR BLOWN HEADGASKETS & COOLIANT PROBLEMS. THE BRAKE PROBLEM WAS THERE BUT WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM WANTED TO FIX THE PROBLEM THEMSELVES. I HAVE A 4 YEAR OLD SON, AND I LOOK AT IT AS WHAT IF THE BRAKES TOTALLY FAIL. I GUESS IT IS NO ONES PROBLEM UNTIL SOMEONE GETS HURT AND A MAJOR LAW SUIT IS BRUNG AGAINST THE DEALER. THAT MAKES PEOPLE THEN OPEN THEIR EYES AND THINK HOW THE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. I DO NOT BRING ALL THE BLAME AGAINST CHEVY BECAUSE WHEN A DEALERSHIP SELLS A VEHICLE NEW OR USED SAFETY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. AND I DON'T HAVE THAT SAFETY IN MY VEHICLE. PLEASE SOMEONE CAN YOU HELP ME IN MY SITUATION. *AK