2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

I WAS HAVING INTERMITTENT TROUBLE WITH THE TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD LAMPS. THEY WILL STOP WORKING WHEN YOU MOST NEEDED THEM. MY MECHANIC CHANGED THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH BUT THAT DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. AT THAT POINT I SAW THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON HAZARD SWITCH PERTAINING TO SAME TYPE OF PROBLEMS. I CONTACTED GM, THEY TOLD ME MY CAR IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL, AND REFERRED ME TO A DEALER. I WENT BACK TO MY MECHANIC, AND HE FIGURED OUT THAT THE HAZARD SWITCH WAS THE PROBLEM. AS THAT IS WHERE ALL THE POWER IS DISTRIBUTED TO REST OF THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING, AND IT WILL FAIL PARTICULARLY ON A HOT DAY WHEN IT WAS HOT, AND THE AIR CONDITION WAS TURNED ON. HE REPLACED THE HAZARD SWITCH, AND THE CAR HAS NOT HAVE THAT TROUBLE FOR LAST ONE MONTH. CAN SOMEBODY TELL ME, HOW IS THIS PROBLEM DIFFERENT THAT THE PROBLEM EXPLAINED IN THE RECALL? ALSO, HAVING TROUBLE WITH STARTING OF THE CAR. ONCE IN A WHILE THE CAR DOESN'T START, AND THE IGNITION MAKES A WIERD NOISE. THE ORIGINAL TIRES THAT THIS CAR CAME WITH,M WERE A JOKE. THEY WORE UNEVENLY, AND MADE THE CAR SHAKE AND RATTLE. HAVE PUT NEW MICHELINS ON, AND THAT HAS SOLVED THAT PROBLEM.*AK

FALSE FUEL GAUGE READING; NHTSA TSB #031103, 3/11/2003. MY 2001 MALIBU RAN OUT OF GAS WITH FUEL GAUGE SHOWING 1/2 FULL. THE ENGINE STOPPED, POWER STEERING & POWER BRAKES WERE LOST WHEN MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING AT 55MPH. LIGHT TRAFFIC VOLUMES PREVENTED THIS FROM BEING A POTENTIALLY FATAL SITUATION. THE FUEL GAUGE CONTINUES TO GIVE FALSE READINGS, CHEVROLET HAS DECLINED TO CORRECT THE FAILED FUEL GAUGE BECAUSE THE CAR IS OVER THE MILEAGE WARRANTY LIMITATIONS. I HAVE REPORTED THIS FUEL GAUGE FAILURE TO GM/CHEVROLET (CASE #1-151341797). GM/CHEVROLET HAS ISSUED A TSB #01-06-04-008D TITLED "FUEL SYSTEM - INACCURATE FUEL GAUGE READINGS" ON APRIL 2003 DUE TO THE HIGH FAILURE RATE OF THEIR FUEL GAUGES. I FEEL THAT A RECALL MAY BE WARRANTED DUE TO FALSE FUEL GAUGE READINGS WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT THE NET RESULT OF RUNNING OUT OF FUEL CAUSES THE SEVERE REDUCTION OF STEERING AND BRAKING CAPABILITIES. THANK YOU RAYMOND E KEATON [email protected] *LA

THE TURN SIGNALS OPERATED INTERMITTENTLY DUE TO A MALFUNCTION IN THE HAZARD WARNING SWITCH. DEALER REPLACED THE HAZARD WARNING SWITCH. *AK

AS AN AUTO-TECH FOR MANY YEARS, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN A VEHICLE'S STARTER NEEDS TO BE "BUMPED OVER'' OR SHORT CRANKING TIME, TO ASSIST IN TESTING. SOME OF THE NEWER GM CARS, (1999 AND NEWER), HAVE A FEATURE THAT IS DANGEROUS FOR A TECH. THAT IS TO SAY, ONCE THE START POSITION IS REACHED BY THE IGNITION SWITCH, THE COMPUTER CONTINUES TO CRANK THE CAR, WHETHER OR NOT THE IGNITION IS HELD OVER OR RELEASED. THIS WAS UNEXPECTED AND COULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR TECHNICIANS. I DO NOT KNOW THE REASON BEHIND THIS FEATURE, BUT IT WAS A RUDE AWAKENING. *LA

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A TIRE BLOW OUT.*MR THE TIRE HAD A NAIL IN IT WHICH CAUSED IT TO GO FLAT. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP PATCHED THE TIRE INSTEAD OF REPLACING IT WITH A NEW ONE PER CONSUMER. TWELVE MILES LATER, THE SAME TO BLEW AGAIN. A SHERIFF WHO WAS DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE TOLD THE CONSUMER TO RETURN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND DEMAND A NEW TIRE. THE FAILED TIRE WAS IN SHRED'S. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THEY DIDN'T HAVE A NEW FIRESTONE TIRE COMPATIBLE WITH HER VEHICLE IN STOCK. CONSUMER FOUND THIS HARD TO BELIEVE AND THOUGHT SHE MAY QUALIFY FOR THE FIRESTONE TIRE RECALL. IN ADDITION, CONSUMER FELT BUYERS SHOULD HAVE A CHOICE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT A DOUGHNUT OR A NEW TIRE AS A SPARE. *PH *JB *JB

PROBLEMS WITH BRAKES ON 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU.*MR BRAKES WERE REPLACED TWICE ALONG WITH RESURFACING THE ROTORS AND REPLACING THE RIGHT FRONT CALIPER. THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A METAL-TO-METAL SOUND AND THE BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN APPLIED. IN ADDITION, CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKES SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE REPLACED (7855 MILES) AFTER THE INITIAL REPLACEMENT. *PH *JB

CAR RAN FINE THE NIGHT BEFORE. THE FOLLOWING MORNING VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. BATTERY IS GOOD, ALL LIGHTS AND RADIO WORK. STARTER IS NOT TURNING AT ALL. CAR IS 2001 MALIBU WITH 32000 MILES. *LA

MY TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD SIGNALS DO NOT WORK PROPERLY. SOMETIMES THEY COME ON, BUT MOST OF THE TIME THEY DON'T. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS NEAR MISSES IN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS AND ON THE HIGHWAYS. I AM AFRAID SOMEONE, INCLUDING MYSELF AND MY CHILDREN, WILL BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR EVEN KILLED. *LA

THE BRAKE ROTORS WARPED WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SHIMMY WHILE APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. *AK CONSUMER HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE DUE TO COST. THE CONSUMER'S FRIEND STATED THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH ALL CHEVROLET MALIBU'S. *PH *NLM

WHEN DRIVING OR WHEN VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND RUNNING ENGINE WOULD MAKE A KNOCKING NOISE. THE OWNER MADE CONTACT WITH DEALER. *AK