1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

THEFT PREVENTION LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY, UNABLE TO START VEHICLE AT THAT TIME. DEALER REPLACED PASSENGER'S LOCK SENSOR/CYLINDER, AND SWITCH TWICE. AT THIS TIME LIGHT COMES ON WHILE DRIVING. *AK DEALER HAS ALSO REPLACED THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM AND OXYGEN SENSOR. *JB

WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25MPH WHEN VEHICLE STARTED PULLING TO THE RIGHT. VEHICLE SOUNDED AS IF IN NEUTRAL. NO CONTROL OF VEHICLE. MANAGED TO PULL OVER AND PARKED. CHECKED VEHICLE. NOTICED RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL CAVED INWARDS. TOWED TO DEALER. WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT RACK AND PINION HAD SNAPPED COMPLETELY IN HALF.*AK

THIS INTAKE VALVE HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE ALREADY ON MY CAR IN MARCH OF 2000, NOW LESS THAN TWO YEARS LATER I AM HAVING TO HAVE IT REPLACED AGAIN AT A COST OF 650.00, I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY THE DEALERS SERVICE DEPT. THAT CHEVROLET IS NOW MAKING A BETTER INTAKE VALVE BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM IN THE MALIBUS, IF THIS IS THE CASE THEY SHOULD HANDLE SOME OF THIS COST IF NOT ALL. THANK YOU

I BOUGHT IN AUGUST OF 2000 FOUR MONTS AFTER I HAVE HAD THIS CAR MY PROBLEMS BEGAN SINCE THEN THE CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP AT LEAST 10 TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THE CAR SHAKES AND STALLS OUT.PADDOCK CHEVROLET HAS GIVEN ME FALSE HOPE ABOUT THE CAR THEY SAID THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM FROM FUEL FILTERS FUEL INJECTORS BUT THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS THEY HAD EVEN AFTER TIME ADMITTED THEY CAN NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. RECENTLY THE PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN WORSE I HAVE A DAUGHTER WHO JUST TURNED A YEAR AND ALL I WANT IS TO FEEL SAFE ON THE ROAD I HAVE MISSED WORK A COUPLE OF TIME BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE. *AK

MY ABS FAILURE LIGHT COMES ON A LOT SIGNIFYING THAT MY ABS IS NOT FUNCTIONING. ONCE I TURN OFF THE CAR AND RESTART IT, THE LIGHT IS OFF, BUT THIS IS HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY LATELY. MY CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, AND GIVEN THE "GREAT" SERVICE I HAVE HAD IN THE PAST WITH CHEVY DEALERS AND THE BRAKES ON THIS MALIBU, I WILL NOT TAKE IT TO THEM.*AK

SAME PROBLEM THAT MANY HUNDREDS OF OTHERS HAVE REPORTED TO NHTSA IN THE PAST (INCLUDING MYSELF ON A PREVIOUS OCCASION). JUST OUT OF CURIOUSITY, HOW MANY REPORTS DO YOU HAVE TO GET BEFORE SOME ACTION IS TAKEN? THERE IS A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE BRAKES ON THE VEHICLES FROM 1997-2001 (AT LEAST -- SEARCH YOUR DB). AFTER HAVING ANY SERVICE WORK DONE THAT REQUIRES REMOVAL OF THE TIRES, THE ROTORS WILL WARP AFTER ABOUT 6 OR 10K MILES AND BOTH ROTORS AND PADS NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES EXCESSIVE BRAKE PULSATION AND SHAKING (VIBRATION) IN THE FRONT END. MAINTAINING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHEN TRYING TO STOP FROM A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED (AT OR ABOVE 45MPH) WITH THIS VIBRATION IS CHALLENGING AT BEST. MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY NOW, SO CHEVROLET WILL NOT DO ANYTHING. THE LAST TIME I TOOK IT IN FOR THIS, THE DEALER BLAMED IT ON MY TIRES, TURNED THE ROTORS AND THAT WAS IT. I GOT NEW TIRES AS HE SAID, AND I STILL HAVE THE PROBLEM. HIS REASON FOR NOT REPLACING THE ROTORS AND PADS AT THAT TIME WAS BECAUSE I WAS ALMOST OUT OF WARRENTY AND HE KNEW THE PROBLEM WOULD OCCUR AGAIN AND HE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. IF NHTSA CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, PLEASE DIRECT ME TO SOMEONE WHO CAN. THANK YOU.*AK

I LOST ALL BRAKING AND HAD TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY SHIFTING INTO LOWER GEARS AND THEN PARK. HAD THIS HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, I AM SURE A COLLISION WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. FORTUNATELY, IT OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON SURFACE STREETS AT SLOWER SPEEDS. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A CHEVROLET DEALER AND FOUND OUT THAT THE BRAKE LINE RUNNING FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE HAD BEEN RUBBING ON THE ENGINE, AND THE ENGINE HAD RUBBED A HOLE IN THE LINE. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. I AM CONCERNED THAT IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN TO ME, OR TO SOMEONE ELSE WHO MAY BE DRIVING AT HIGHER RATES OF SPEED. SOMEONE COULD BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED IF THIS PROBLEM OCCURS ON OTHER MALIBU'S.*AK

COOLING FLUID WAS LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE FROM A FAILED LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. I ONLY HAVE ABOUT 52000 MILES AND LESS THAN 4 YEARS ON MY CAR. I BELIEVE THE GASKET SHOULD HAVE A MUCH LONGER LIFE. THE SERVICE AGENTS AT THE DEALER TOLD ME THE FAILURE IS NOT UNCOMMON, BUT SAID THE $699 REPAIR BILL WOULD NOT BE REIMBURSED OR COVERED BY GM UNLESS I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. I HAVE TALKED TO OTHER MALIBU OWNERS AND SOME HAVE SEEN THE SAME PROBLEM OR HAVE NOTICED SIGNIFCANT AND 'UNEXPLAINED' (I.E., NO VISIBLE LEAKS FROM HOSES OR RADIATOR) COOLANT LOSS, EVEN AT LOWER MILEAGE THAN MY CAR. THESE 'UNEXPLAINED' LOSSES HAVE THE SAME SYMPTON AS I NOTICED WITH MY CAR, WHICH IS A BUILD UP OF A GREENISH-BROWN GEL-LIKE SUBSTANCE ON THE INSIDE OF THE OIL FILL CAP AND VALVE COVER, WHICH INDICATES COOLING FLUID LEAKS INTO THE ENGINE.*AK

SINCE I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR I HAVE HAD TO CHANGE THE BRAKES 10 TIMES. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE ROTORS TWICE. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE CALIPERS ON BOTH SIDES IN THE FRONT AND THE WHEEL BEARING ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE ONCE I HAVE HAD REPEATED PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES SINCE I PURCHASED THIS CAR. IN AUGUST OF 2001 I HAD TO REPLACE THE HEAD GASKETS AS ANTI-FREEZE WAS LEAKING INTO MY OIL. MY ANTI-LOCK BRAKE LIGHT WILL COME ON OUT OF THE BLUE WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS OF 50 MPH I AM BECOMING VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS MATTER. I HAVE SPOKE TO ABOUT 35 MALIBU OWNERS AND THEY ARE ALL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. ONE OWNER HAD ONLY 10K MILES ONE HER CAR AT THE TIME HER BRAKES FAILED.

BRAKE PADS ARE WARPED ON LEFT FRONT SIDE OF VEHICLE. ALSO, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK