2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

VEHICLE HAS FAILED TO START AFTER DRIVING AND THEN PARKING. FIRST TIME HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO S REPAIR SHOP. THEY REPLACED FUEL PUMP AND INSTALLED A NEW FUEL FILTER. VEHICLE STILL DID NOT START. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ON THE WEB. I FOUND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS . I FOUND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE VEHICLE ANTI- THEFT DEVICE. IT MALFUNCTIONS AND SHUTS THE FUEL INJECTORS DOWN. I FOUND A FIX ON THE WEB, YOU HAVE TO TURN THE KEY ON FOR 10 TO 15 MINUTES UNTIL THE VEHICLE THEFT LIGHT QUITS BLINKING TURN KEY TO THE OFF POSITION REMOVE THE KEY WAIT 1 TO 2 MINUTES AND THEN START VEHICLE IT WORKS. THIS IS A TEMPORARY FIX IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME TWO MORE TIMES. I CALLED THE LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP AND INQUIRED TO SEE IF THEY HAD HEARD OR HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 2002 AND THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RE-CALL FOR THE PROBLEM. I CALLED CHEVROLET AND INFORMED THEM OF THE PROBLEM. THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP GM HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE PROBLEM FOR YEARS. AND THEY HAVE NOT DONE A THING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. ACCORDING IT WILL COST $500.00 TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PARTS. THIS IN MY OPINION IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. THIS IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD PUTTING PEOPLE IN DANGER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN FIRST STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SEIZE AND THERE WAS A SEVERE RESISTANCE IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. A FEW MONTHS LATER THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF A MANUFACTURERS VOLUNTARY RECALL FOR VEHICLE WITH 100,000 MILES OR FEWER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVER THE MILEAGE LIMITATION AND WHEN CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURER, NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,000.

THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT A FEW TIMES EACH WEEK ON THIS 2005 MALIBU WITH THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING. IT STARTED HAPPENING ONLY OCCASIONALLY, BUT NOW MUCH MORE FREQUENTLY. I RESET IT BY TURNING OFF ENGINE AND RESTARTING WHEN I AM ABLE TO STOP. IT USUALLY HAPPENS FAIRLY SOON AFTER STARTING WHEN COLD. SOMETIMES IT TAKES 2 OR 3 RESTARTS TO KEEP IT WORKING. IN ADDITION, THE PROBLEMS THAT MANY OTHERS ARE EXPERIENCING ARE ALSO PRESENT... LIKE THE DRIFT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, AND THE CLUNKING SOUNDS IN THE FRONT END. SO FAR, THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN HELPFUL. THEY JUST WANT TO REPLACE PARTS AND CHARGE AROUND $800 TO REPAIR. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE ON THE MALIBU AS WELL AS OTHER MODELS (LIKE THE COBALT) WHICH ALREADY HAVE RECALLS ISSUED FOR THESE PARTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TURN SIGNAL WAS NOT FUNCTIONING. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE HEADLIGHT BULB APPROXIMATELY FIVE TIMES. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE BULB BECAME EXTREMELY HOT, CAUSING THE AMBER HOUSING UNIT WIRES TO MELT. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE AMBER HOUSING UNIT. AFTER THE REPAIR, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TURN SIGNAL HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND WOULD NOT ACTIVATE WHEN ENGAGED. THE CONTACT CHANGED THE BULB BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THE WIRING WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,000. UPDATED 11/16/11 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED DUE TO A SERVICE BULLETIN THAT WAS ISSUED. IT REQUIRED CUTTING OUT THE TURN SIGNAL BULB SOCKET AND SPLICING IN A NEW SOCKET, BECAUSE THE OLD ONE OVERHEATED. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE ELECTRICAL POWER STEERING WAS AN ISSUE ON THE VEHICLE AS WELL. UPDATED 11/18/11*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD EXHIBIT AN ABNORMAL CLICKING WHEN THE CONTACT WAS TURNING LEFT. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE I-SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,127 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 72,500. UPDATED 01/20/12*LJ

I'M THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR ABOUT 5 1/2 YEARS AND HAVE ALMOST 85K MILES ON IT. I'M 185LBS. AND MY WIFE IS A LOT LESS :-) THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY DRIVER SEAT SUDDENLY DROPPED ABOUT 2 OR 3 INCHES WHILE MY WIFE WAS MAKING A TURN WHILE DRIVING MY CAR. LUCKILY SHE WASN'T MOVING TOO FAST AND HAD PLENTY OF ROOM TO MANEUVER. THE SEAT WOULD THEN ROCK DEPENDING ON WHICH WAY SHE TURNED THE CAR. I TOOK IT TO A GARAGE AND THEY TOLD ME THE SEAT FRAME WELD WAS BAD AND THE FRAME HAD TO BE REPLACED. I SEARCHED ONLINE AND HAVE FOUND OVER A DOZEN COMPLAINTS ALMOST ALL IDENTICAL. TWO OR THREE COULD BE COINCIDENCE, BUT OVER A DOZEN? ESTIMATED COST WAS $800 BUT THE MAIN CONCERN IS THAT THIS DEFECTIVE PART COULD GET SOMEONE KILLED. AND DOES MY "NEW" PART HAVE THE SAME DEFECT? *TR

FUEL LEVEL SENSOR FAILED CAUSING THE FUEL GAUGE TO BE ERRATIC..ALSO CAR WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION BECAUSE OF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEING ON..I SEE OTHER GM CARS OF DIFFERENT MODELS HAVE HAD RECALLS ON THIS PARTICULAR PART. THE REPAIR WILL COST ME $600 FOR THE CAR TO PASS INSPECTION. *TR

IN BOTH FRONT HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES, THERE IS AN AMBER PLASTIC COVER WHICH COVERS THE BULB THAT IS ALWAYS ON, AS PART OF THE REGULAR RUNNING LIGHTS, AND ALSO FOR TURN SIGNALS. THE LIGHT HAS BURNED A HOLE, ABOUT 1 1/4 INCH IN DIAMETER, IN THE TOP OF THE AMBER LENS. THE EDGE OF THE LENS IS BLACK ALL AROUND FROM THE BURNING. IS MY CAR UNIQUE? HAVE THERE BEEN ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS? AND MOST IMPORTANT, IS THERE ANY DANGER OF A FIRE STARTING?

DRIVER SEAT FRAME FAILURE. THE FRONT DRIVER SEAT STARTED TILTING TO THE RIGHT ON 10/7/2011. NEXT DAY IT WAS WOBBLING BACK AND FORTH WHILE DRIVING. THEN IT FELT AS THOUGH SOMETHING BROKE UNDERNEATH. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. IT COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN TO ANY OF THE CARS I HAVE OWNED. (TOYOTA COROLLA, BUICK CENTURY). I BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM CARMAX WITH 30000 MILES ON IT. I AM NOT AN AGGRESSIVE DRIVER AND TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF MY CARS. I DO NOT THINK SOMETHING LIKE THIS SHOULD HAPPEN. WHEN WILL THERE BE A RECALL ON THE THESE SEATS. IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS FIXED. I READ WHERE ONE OWNER HAD TO HAVE HIS SEAT FIXED TWICE. WHICH COST HIM OVER $1000 BOTH TIMES. I CANNOT AFFORD THIS. PLEASE ASSIST IN GETTING A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. *KB