1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

THE COOLANT WAS LEAKING INTO MY ENGINE. I WAS TOLD THE ENGINE BLOCK WAS CRACKED, AFTER BEING WITHOUT MY CAR FOR 4 DAYS, THEY TOLD ME IT WAS JUST A GASKET LEAKING. THEY THEN "AS GOOD CITIZENS" REPAIRED MY CAR UNDER WARRENTY AND CHARGED ME $73.95 FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND FUEL FILTER BECAUSE THESE THINGS HAD TO BE DONE WHILE THEY WERE INVESTIGATING THE LEAK. I HAD JUST RECENTLY HAD MY OIL CHANGED. WITHIN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS OF HAVING MY CAR I NOTICED SERVERAL PROBLEMS THAT I REPORTED TO THE DEALER AND WAS WAVED OFF SEVERAL TIMES. I EVEN RODE WITH A SERVICE MANAGER WHO EXPLAINED THAT THE TICKING IN THE ENGINE, THE WHINNING MY WINDOW MADE WHEN ROLLING IT UP OR DOWN, THE SQUEEKING IN THE FRONT AND BACK OF CAR WERE ALL NORMAL BECAUSE MY CAR WAS SETTLING LIKE A HOUSE DOES. THESE NOISES AND SQUEEKS ARE NORMAL!!! SHORTLY THERE AFTER, MY WHEEL BEARINGS WERE REPLACED, MY WINDOW FAILED TO ROLL UP WHILE ON MY WAY TO WORK WHEN IT BEGAN POURING RAIN. THE TICKING NOISE WAS EXPLAINED THREE YEARS LATER, SINCE THE COOLANT WAS LEAKING INTO MY ENGINE. I HAVE REPLACED BREAK PADS, AND MY ROTARS AND AM ON MY WAY TO REPLACING BOTH AGAIN AT 36,000 MILES. THE TICKING NOISE IN MY CAR IS STILL PRESENT AND NOW THE AIR CONDITIONER GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. I REPLACED THE LAMPS IN MY BREAK LIGHTS TWICE BEFORE ANOTHER MALIBU OWNER TOLD ME IT WAS A PROBLEM IN THE CIRCUIT BOARD. I AM NOT HAPPY WITH THIS VEHICLE AND CAN'T WAIT UNTIL I CAN AFFORD TO GET RID OF IT. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER CHEVY UNLESS THE CHOOSE TO RECTIFY THIS SITUATION. AFTER READING THE OTHER COMPLIANTS I NOW SEE I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON TO EVER REPORT THE LEAKING OF THE COOLANT AND AM FRUSTRATED SINCE I WAS TOLD THIS WAS NEVER SEEN BEFORE!!!*AK

HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY DON'T COME ON AND GO OFF WHEN IN USE. PROBLEM HAS TO DUPLICATE BY ITSELF FOR DEALER TO FINED A SOLUTION. *AK

VEHICLE WOULD OVERHEAT AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WOULD STAY ON WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEED. VEHICLE WOULD NOT OVERHEAT WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

INTERMITTENTLY STEERING BECAME HARD TO STEER. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE CAUSE. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WARPED FRONT ROTORS REPLACED FOR THIRD TIME AT 35000 MILES. CHEVY HAS COVERED THE REPAIRS BUT WILL NOT PROVIDE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE. THEY STATE THAT THIS IS THE EXPECTED LIFE FOR ROTORS (APPROXIMATELY 12000 MILES) BASED ON LOCAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. ROTORS ON MY PREVIOUS CARS HAVE LASTED 40000 MILES OR MORE. I FOUND DOZENS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS IN THE DATABASE. THERE SEEMS TO BE A GENERAL PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM THAT CHEVY SHOULD RECOGNIZE AND CORRECT BEFORE THE FAULTY BRAKES CAUSE ACCIDENTS. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR NEW ROTORS EVERY 12000 MILES.*AK

THE INVALID VIN IS THE CORRECT ONE ON THE CAR. WE HAVE CHECKED IT SEVERAL TIMES. THE STALLING STARTED THE FIRST TIME WHEN THE CAR HAD LESS THAN 12000 MILES ON IT , AS DID THE BRAKES. I DO NOT HAVE THE EXACT DATES OF THE OTHER STALLINGS. THE LAST TIME FOR EXAMPLE, WAS IN APRIL 2001, MY SISTER WAS GOING THE SPEED LIMIT, WITH HER GRANDDAUGHTER IN THE BACK, AND THE CAR STALLED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. NO WAY TO GET OUT OF THE ROAD. SHE NARROWLY MISSED GETTING HIT BY A TRANSFER TRUCK. ALSO, THE BRAKES HAVE NEVER WORKED RIGHT. SHE HAS HAD THEM WORKED ON SEVERAL TIMES. THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND IS NOT CHEAP.*AK

THE DEALER WON'T PAY FOR THE PARTS BECAUSE MY VIN# DON'T COME UP. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED AND IS REGISTERED IN NEW YORK ONE OF THE SNOW BELT STATES AFFECTED. ORIGINALLY, THE CAR WAS SOLD AND DELIVERED IN FLORIDA, AND THAT'S WHY MY VIN# ISN'T COMING UP. SOMEONE HAS TO TELL THEM THIS CAR WAS BOUGHT IN NY AND ISN'T BEING USED IN FLORIDA. MY WIFE ALMOST LOST CONTROL WHILE DRIVING BECAUSE THE DEFECTIVE PARTS BROKE WHILE THE WET SNOW CAME DOWN.I'VE JUST FOUND OUT THAT A PERSON AT MY INSURANCE CO, JUST GOT THERE RECALL AND THEIRS DIDN'T BREAK YET, WHILE MINE DID. PLEASE HELP. SINCERELY, [XXX]. *AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

ABS SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY, AND THERE IS EXTENDED STOPPING WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. *AK CONSUMER STATES THE BRAKES GIVE, CAUSING THE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *SLC

VEHICLE IS SLIPPING OR GIVING WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. WHEN STARTING UP ABS LIGHT FLASHES ON AND OFF. BRAKE PEDAL GOES FURTHER TO THE FLOOR THAN NORMAL. ALSO, PADS WERE REPLACED 6 MONTHS AGO. PROBLEM HAS BEEN INTERMITTENT FOR 1YEAR.*AK

REPLACED 2 FRONT TIRES, DUE TO CRACKING BETWEEN TREAD. *AK (TIRESIZE: P21560R15)