1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN FEBRUARY OF 2004 REGARDING THE LOWER RACK AND PINION STEERING. HE HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY FAILURES AT THE TIME; HOWEVER, HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. SIX MONTHS LATER, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. HE WAS ABLE TO PULL THE WHEEL BACK TO THE RIGHT AND STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DROVE HOME AND HIS FATHER, A MECHANIC, INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DECLARED THE CAUSE OF FAILURE TO BE THE LOWER RACK AND PINION. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE BECAUSE THE RECALL REPAIR HAD ALREADY BEEN PERFORMED. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 243,831. UPDATED 01/11/08. *LJ UPDATED *JB

I HAVE OWNED MY MALIBU SINCE IT WAS NEW IN 1997. IN ITS LIFETIME IT HAS HAD 4 OR 5 SETS OF ROTORS AND AT LEAST 7 SETS OF BRAKE PADS. IT IS NOW READY FOR A NEW SET OF ROTORS AND BRAKES. THE LAST TIME THESE WERE REPLACED ON THE CAR WAS 2 YEARS AGO. GM KNEW ABOUT THE BRAKE PROBLEM FROM DAY ONE. THE 1997 AND 1998 MODELS HAVE HAD NUMEROUS BRAKE PROBLEMS WITH THEM. THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE NO ONE HAS GOTTEN KILLED FROM THE PROBLEM. DO I HAVE TO DIE IN A WRECK BEFORE SOMEONE LISTENS?? 2 YEARS AGO WHEN I HAD IT FIXED I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE THE LAST TIME, BUT NO, THE BRAKES AND ROTORS STILL DON'T FIT MY CAR RIGHT OR THEY WOULDN'T WEAR LIKE THEY DO. GM NEED TO FIX THE PROBLEM ON MY CAR. THEY SEEM TO HAVE CORRECTED THE PROBLEM ON THE 2000 MODELS JUST FINE. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THE CONTACT SMELLED ANTIFREEZE AND NOTICED SOME ON THE ENGINE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS DEFECTIVE. THE FAILURE WAS REMEDIED AT APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MILES. THIRTY DAYS LATER THE SAME FAILURE OCCURRED. ONCE AGAIN, THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS DEFECTIVE AND PERFORMED THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS REPLACED ON TWO MORE OCCASIONS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 80,000 , AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. *AK

NOTICED A HOWLING NOISE COMING FROM FRONT WHEEL. NOISE GREW LOUDER AT HIGHER SPEEDS. DETERMINED IT TO BE THE WHEEL HUB/BEARING. THE HUB/BEARING WAS REPLACED. THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED 4 TIMES ON THIS VEHICLE 3 ON LF AND 1 ON RF WHEEL.*AK

MY FIANCE AND I HAVE HAD A 1997 CHEVY MALIBU FOR A YEAR AND A HALF. ABOUT A MONTH AFTER PURCHASING IT, THE VEHICLE STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE PASSLOCK THEFT SYSTEM THAT WOULD LEAVE US STRANDED FOR 10 MINUTES BECAUSE THE CAR WOULDN'T CRANK. GRADUALLY IT STARTED DOING IT MORE AND MORE. WE'VE HAD INCIDENTS WHERE THE THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT WOULD GO OFF AFTER 10 MINUTES BUT WHEN TRYING TO START IT AGAIN; IT WOULD DO THE SAME THING. I'VE ACTUALLY HAD TIMES OF BEING STRANDED FOR 2 HOURS BECAUSE IT WOULD KEEP DOING IT! RIGHT NOW OUR CAR IS AT MY FIANCE'S WORK BECAUSE IT WON'T CRANK AND WE GOT TIRED OF TRYING AFTER 3 HOURS. THIS IS SO ANNOYING! CHEVROLET SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES! I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM(NOT COUNTING ALL THE OTHER PROBLEMS LIKE THE BRAKES AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS). WITH SO MANY PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM..THAT MEANS THEY SHOULD RECALL IT AND FIX IT. WE DON'T HAVE MONEY LIKE THEY DO AND CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP PUTTING IT IN THE SHOP TO BE WORKED ON. I'M CURRENTLY A COLLEGE PELL GRANT RECIPIENT THAT IS GOING TO LOSE MY GRANTS BECAUSE OF THIS LEMON CAR! I WAS ADOPTED BY MY GRANDPARENTS THAT ARE ON SSI AND DISABILITY AND THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO SEND ME TO SCHOOL. I HOPE THE PEOPLE AT CHEVROLET ARE HAPPY WITH RUINING MY FUTURE! PLEASE HELP ME!!!I NEED MY CAR FIXED BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!*JB

PURCHASED THIS CAR FROM CENTENNIAL CHEVROLET, THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AT TIMES. TOOK IT BACK SEVERAL TIMES TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND NOTHING WRONG. EVEN AFTER A MECHANIC HAD IT PERSONALLY AFTER A FEW DAYS. TO THIS DATE IT IS SLIPPING DRAMATICALLY, AND SINCE THE CAR IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY IT HAS TO COME OUT OF MY POCKET TWICE! KNOW A FEW OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUES AND THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION FOR $2400. DOESN'T SEEM QUITE RIGHT TO ME. *JB

THE TURN SIGNALS ARE NOT RELIABLE THEY MIGHT WORK ONE TIME AND THE NEXT TIME THEY WONT WORK. THERE IS A LOT OF RATTLING SOUNDS COMING FROM THE REAR WHEELS, THE STEERING COLUMN MAKES A WEIRD SOUND WHEN BEING TURNED. *JB

I AM THE OWNER OF A 1997 CHEVY MALIBU. ONE DAY WHILE I WAS DRIVING AROUND TOWN, IT WAS RAINING, AND MY WINDSHIELD WIPER ARM FLEW OFF OF THE CAR. I LOOKED UP RECALLS ON YOUR SITE AND FOUND THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE PROBLEM I HAVE. I CONTACTED CHEVROLET AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NO SUCH RECALL FOR MY CAR. I DON'T FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR REPLACEMENT PARTS IF THERE IS A RECALL ON DEFECTIVE PARTS. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID # IS 01V068000

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED TO STEER FOR THE FIRST 10 MINUTES AFTER TURNING ON THE VEHICLE. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE STEERING RACK AND THE POWER STEERING PRESSURE HOSE WERE LEAKING. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL #03V527000, REGARDING THE STEERING: RACK AND PINION. THE SERVICE DEALER PERFORMED THE RECALL, HOWEVER THE GEAR ASSEMBLY WAS NOT REPLACED. UPDATD 01/30/07. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED, THE ANTI-THEFT DEVICE MALFUNCTIONED, KEEPING THE VEHICLE FROM RESTARTING UNTIL THE DEVICE WAS RESETS WHICH USUALLY TAKES 10 MINUTES OR MORE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC REPLACED THE PASS LOCK CYLINDER, TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. HOWEVER, THE MALFUNCTION CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND REFUSED TO REIMBURSE, OR REPLACE THE AFFECTED PART BECAUSE AN UNAUTHORIZED SERVICE MECHANIC HAD PERFORMED WORK ON THE DEVICE. THE CONSUMER WANTS THE DEVICE DISCONNECTED. UPDATED 08/14/06. *JB