1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

BRAKE PADS/ROTORS AND CALIPERS ARE PREMATURELY WEARING OUT, CAUSE UNKNOWN. *JG *AK

WENT TO SATURN TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED AND THEY SAID IT (AIRBAGS) WAS NOT COVERED IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. AND THEY FELT THAT IT WAS THE MANUFACTURER DEFAULT. AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AT A FULL STOP. NO ACCIDENT HAPPENED. CALLED GM COMPANY AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOTIFY ME IN 48 HRS. I CONTACTED THEM AND THEY (GM) SAID THEY NEED MORE TIME TO CONTACT THE SATURN TECH. MNG. THEY (GM) ARE SUPPOSED TO CALL ME TUESDAY AND TELL ME IF THEY CAN REPAIR MY CAR. THEY ARE GIVING ME THE RUN-AROUND. I FEEL THAT I DID NOT DO ANYTHING TO CAUSE MY AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY AND THAT GM IS FULLY RESPONSIBLE SINCE I HAVE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR 5 MTHS, AND THAT IT IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT.*AK

FRONT FENDER WHERE FRONT SENSOR WAS LOCATED WAS CRACKED. CONSUMER SUSTAINED CHEST AND KNEE INJURIES FROM STEERING AND DASHBOARD BECAUSE AIR BAGS DIDN'T GO OFF. ALSO, SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK UP. CONSUMER HAS NOT CONSULTED MANUFACTURER OR DEALER. *AK

I HAVE SPENT OVER $700.00 ON MY BRAKES THIS YEAR AND IT IS ALWAYS THE SAME PROBLEM. I UNDERSTAND FROM SEVERAL MECHANICS, INCLUDING MY OWN, THAT MY MALIBU IS NOT THE ONLY ONE CONTINUOUSLY HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES. IT IS GETTING RIDICULOUS. NOBODY SHOULD HAVE THIS MANY PROBLEMS AND NOT BE ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR THEY ARE PAYING FOR MORE THAN A COUPLE OF TIMES A WEEK. THE LAST TIME MY BRAKES GOT FIXED 10/08/2001 I DROVE THE CAR TWO DAYS BEFORE THE BRAKES QUIT WORKING AGAIN. I THINK GM SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS BEFORE THEY GET SUED. MY CHILDREN ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO ME AND I HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THEIR SAFETY EVERY TIME I PUT THEM IN MY CAR.*AK

THE ABS SYSTEM HAS BEEN A MAJOR PROBLEM SINCE WE PURCHASED THE CAR. ALL WE WANT IS FOR SOMEONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM & EXPLAIN TO US WHY THE ABS & BRAKE LIGHT KEEP COMING ON. *AK

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS SITTING AT AN INTERSECTION BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE AND CONSUMER THOUGHT VEHICLE WAS MOVING. SHE LIFTED FEET OFF BRAKES, HITTING VEHICLE IN FRONT. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DID DEPLOY, BUT HALFWAY. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, CONSUMER SMELLED SMOKE COMING FROM AIR BAGS. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

I NOTICED A ROUGH FEEL TO THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN MAKING SHORT TURNS.I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO INSPECT .THEY SAID I NEEDED A NEW STEERING GEAR AND THAT THE MECHANISM WAS LEAKING FLUID. WHEN I CONTACTED GM THEY TOLD ME THEY HAVE NO RECORD OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING MECHANISMS IN THEIR DATABASE. THEY DID OFFER TO SHARE THE COST 50-50(OVER $900!!) AS A GOOD WILL GESTURE AS THE CAR IS NOW OUT OF WARANTEE.(WOOPEE!!)I ALSO REPORTED MY TAIL LIGHTS GO OUT FROM TIME TO TIME BUT THE DEALER SAYS HE COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM.*AK

FOUR DIFFERENT MECHANICS GAVE ESTIMATES ON INTAKE GASKET REPLACEMENT. ALL STATED THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 3.1 LITRE GM ENGINES AND THEY WERE SURPRISED THAT GM HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL ON THESE ENGINES. ONE MECHANIC SUSPECTS IT MAY BE THE DEXTRON ANTI-FREEZE THAT GMC REQUIRES IN THERE VEHICLES THAT IS EATING AWAY AT THE GASKETS AND CAUSING THE COOLANT LEAKAGE. HE HAD A CHEVROLET LUMINA IN THE GARAGE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WHEN I GOT THE ESTIMATE. GM WOULD NOT COVER ANY OF THE REPAIR COST UNLESS WE PAID A GM DEALER TO EVALUATE THE PROBLEM WHICH OTHER GARAGES PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE. I HAVE A FORD AND HAVE RECEIVED EXCELLANT CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM FORD AND THEIR DEALERSHIPS. I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER GM PRODUCT.*AK

SEVERE BRAKE PULSATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, DIFFICULT TO CONTROL CAR. ROTORS REPLACED AT 18000 MI, ROTORS TURNED AT 33000 MI, NEED TO REPLACE AGAIN AT 46000 MI. REAR STOP LIGHTS KEEP BURNING OUT DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH PRINTED CIRCUIT. REPLACED LIGHT ASSEMBLY TWICE, REPLACE BULBS EVERY 5-6 MONTHS.*AK

BRAKE ROTORS WARPED CAUSING VEHICLE TO JERK WHENEVER BRAKES WERE APPLIED. WOULD BE VERY HARD TO MAINTAIN CONTROL WHEN IT HAPPENED. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND HAD ROTORS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY 1ST TIME. AT 38,000 MILES THE SAME PROBLEM OF WARPED ROTORS. DEALERSHIP WILL NOT REPLACE. CLAIMED ROTORS WERE TOO THIN TO BE TURNED.*AKDEALER TURNED ROTORS ON FOLLOW-UP VISIT, OEM FRONT BRAKE PADS WERE ALSO REPLACED, BOTH AT CUSTOMERS EXPENSE. *NLM