1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED, CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK. A KNOWN PROBLEM ON THIS CAR, CHEVROLET SHOULD RECALL IT. MINE WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY LUCKILY. ROTORS REPLACED ONE WEEK AFTER PURCHASE, AGAIN, A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. *AK

DEAR MS. RADLEY AND CHEVY, I AM QUITE SURE THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF THE NUMEROUS CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM OF THE 1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU, BUT JUST IN CASE I WILL EXPOUNDED ON THE ISSUE. MY WIFE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM YOUR DEALERSHIP ON 22 AUG 98. SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE NOTED SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES GRINDING AND SQUEAKING. THE FOLLOWING ARE DATES THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN FOR BRAKES PROBLEMS: 02/04/99 - 8K MILESMS. RADLEY, THAT MAKES A GRAND TOTAL OF TEN TIMES THE CAR HAS HAD NOTED BRAKE PROBLEMS WITH NO RESOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. THERE IS A DEFINITE MANUFACTURING PROBLEM WITH THESE BRAKES THAT I EXPECT FIXED. I HAD EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER THIS ISSUE WHEN THE BRAKES AND ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 20K MILES, APPARENTLY NO ONE CARED THEN AS NOW. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH CHEVROLET CONSUMER COMPLAINT DIVISION, JEFF MERRITT AND IKE CHRIS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AT LENGTH AND I MUST SAY THE TOTAL LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY GROWS MORE EVIDENT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD EVERYTHING FROM DRIVING HABITS TO LACK OF SERVICE. THIS PATRONIZATION IS INFURIATING. THE BOTTOM LINE IS CHEVROLET KNOWS FULL WELL THAT THEY PLACED A BRAKING SYSTEM DESIGNED FOR A CHEVY CAVALIER ON THE MALIBU. DO NOT TRY AND TELL ME THAT IT IS NORMAL FOR ROTORS TO WARP AND GO BAD EVERY 20K MILES; I DO NOT ACCEPT THAT ANSWER. WHEN I CALLED SEVERAL GARAGES AND ASK WHAT VEHICLE REQUIRES THE MOST BRAKES SERVICE AND REPLACEMENT ROTORS  THE ANSWER WAS MALIBU AND ALERO. I CALLED SEVEN DIFFERENT SHOPS IN THE AREA AND TWO OTHER CHEVY DEALERSHIPS AND RECEIVED THE SAME ANSWER AT EACH PLACE. YOU MAY WANT TO NOTE THE FOLLOWING COMPLAINTS FILES AT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION, CONSUMER COMPLAINTS DATABASE. AS OF WHEN I RESEARCHED THE DATABASE I DISCOVERED 865 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS 365 OF WHICH ARE BRAKE RELATED.*AK

DEALER DECLARES CAR " UNSAFE TO DRIVE ". I FEEL TRANSMISSION MOUNTS SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN 40,000 MILES.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE DO NOT WORK PROPERLY THE CONSUMER HAS REPLACED THE BULB SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. CONTACTED DEALER.*JB

WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED RIGHT SIDE BRAKE LIGHT DIDN'T WORK. HAD FUSE AND BULB CHECKED, NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM.*AK

ROTORS "DEFECTIVE". "OUT OF ROUND". FIRST REPORTED 7/5/99, "PULSATION" NOTED WHEN BAKES APPLIED,(FIRST NOTED ABOUT 3-4 MONTHS PREVIOUS?) DEALERSHIP DID NOT REPLACE, "CUT ROTORS"..2ND INCIDENT, "PULSATION " IN BRAKES WHEN BRAKING AT HIGH SPEEDS?, 16,090 MI..5/23/00.."ROTORS REPLACED"...3RD INCIDENT NOTED IN JUNE 2001, 26,000 ("NO WORK DONE" DEALERSHIP DID NOT FIND "PROBLEM") BRAKES PULSATING..ROTORS CUT AGAIN! AT 32,969, 5/21/02, "WOULD NOT REPLACE"..COST $83.00..REPORTED TO GMAC..800 222 1020. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, APPLIED BRAKES AND WITHOUT WARNING BRAKES FAILED. CONSUMER HAD TO REPAIR BRAKES TWICE UNDER 15000 MILES.*AK *YH

BACK UP LIGHT WENT OUT. CONSUMER REPLACED LIGHT, AND IT WON'T COME ON. THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL COMING FROM BRAKE LIGHT. CONSUMER HAS NO BRAKE OR BACK UP LIGHTS. CONSUMER PULLED BRAKE LIGHT OUT AND IT WAS MELTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

BUSHINGS ON BOTH LOWER FRONT CONTROL ARMS ON FRONT SUSPENSION WOR OUT AT 16K MILES, CAUSING THUMPING AND BANGING NOISE THAT GETS INCREASING WORST WITH MORE MILES PUT ON THE CAR--DEALER SAYS IT IS SAFE TO DRIVE THE CAR. *AK

FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION MAKE LOUD SQUEAKY NOISES. THE NOISE IS CONSISTANT WHILE DRIVING OVER ROUGH AND BUMPY ROADS. DEALER CONFIRMS THAT SUSPENSION IS BAD. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK *SLC