1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONTAL AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHILE PULLING THE VEHICLE INTO THE DRIVEWAY AT 5MPH. THERE WAS NO IMPACT OR WARNING PRIOR TO THE DEPLOYMENT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED AND MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN ALERTED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE IT FAILED TO START AND THE THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT ILLUMINATED. ONCE THE VEHICLE STARTED IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED THE PASS LOCK SENSOR, WHICH REMEDIED THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. UPDATED 06/16/06. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS ANTIFREEZE ON THE GROUND UNDER THE ENGINE. AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THE INTAKE GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

I OWN A CHEVROLET MALIBU,1997 MODEL AND EVERY TIME I GO OUT TO START IT, I VEHICLE WILL START AND THEN DIE. I WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO START IT AT LEAST 6 TIMES BEFORE IT WILL START AND STAY RUNNING. I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO MECHANICS AND THEY DON'T SEEM TO KNOW WHAT IS THE PROBLEM. THE LAST MECHANIC I TOOK IT TO CALLED A GM GARAGE AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS THE THEFT LOCK SYSTEM. I KINDLY SUGGEST THAT THIS PART BE RECALLED, BECAUSE IN TALKING WITH THE GM GARAGE THEY MENTIONED THAT THEY WERE SEEING A LOT OF THE SAME PROBLEM.*AK

WE BOUGHT THIS 1997 MALIBU FROM MY DAD LESS THAN A YEAR AGO FOR MY SON TO DRIVE TO COLLEGE. MY DAD IS METICULOUS IN CARING FOR HIS VEHICLES SO ALL THE SCHEDULED AND ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WORK HAS BEEN DONE AND IT STILL ONLY HAS 70XXX MILES ON IT. MY COMPLAINT IS THIS : LAST NIGHT MY SON WAS PARKING THE CAR WHEN IT SUDDENLY BECAME VERY HARD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. HE FINISHED PARKING, BUT A SHORT TIME LATER AS HE STARTED TO DRIVE HOME, HE REALIZED THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS COMPLETELY GONE. THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY INCIDENTS LIKE THIS ONE THAT THERE WAS FINALLY A SAFETY RECALL ISSUED IN 2004. THE PAPERWORK I HAVE STATES THAT THE DEALER "REPLACED STEERING GEAR PINION BEARING AND RESET TOEIN". OBVIOUSLY,THAT REMEDY FAILED SINCE THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT ANYWAY. I'M SO THANKFUL THAT NO ONE WAS HURT, THAT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN WHILE HE WAS DRIVING TO OR FROM SCHOOL, AND THAT HE WAS HOME FOR CHRISTMAS BREAK WHEN IT HAPPENED. WE'LL BE TAKING THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER ON TUESDAY AND, BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY OF THESE INCIDENTS IN THE '97 MALIBU (AND OTHER '97 GM MODELS) THAT THEY HAD TO ISSUE THE RECALL, I EXPECT THEM TO FIX IT FREE OF CHARGE. *NM

DT: ON 07/19/2005 THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM BEHIND WHICH CAUSED IT TO NOSE DIVE INTO A DITCH. UPON IMPACT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW HOW FAST THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THE IMPACT OF THE CRASH BENT THE VEHICLE'S DOORS AND BUSTED HE WINDSHIELD. *AK *NM

THEFT LIGHT COMES ON WHILE DRIVING, THEN NEXT TIME I TRY TO START CAR IT FLASHES AND I CAN START CAR FROM 10 MINS LIKE OWNERS MANUAL SAYS TO TRY AFTER 10 MINS AFTER LIGHT STOPS FLASHING. I DO THIS AND THE LIGHT STARTS FLASHING. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE NOT BEING ABLE TO START A CAR LEAVING A MOTORIST STRANDED WHERE EVER THEY TURN THERE CAR OFF FOR HOURS AND IN MY CASE 1 1\2 DAYS WITH NO CELL SERVICE TO CALL FOR REPAIR I HAD TO SLEEP IN MY CAR UNTIL ANOTHER MOTORIST PASSED THE FOLLOWING DAY. I UNDERSTAND THAT NORMAL EQUIPMENT FAILURE IS AN ISSUE OF ITS OWN THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THERE NO FIX FOR THE PROBLEM BUT TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED EVERTIME TO THE SHOP TO BE REPROGRAMMED WHICH HAPPENS EVERY 2-3 MONTHS. *JB

THIS IS A FOLLOW-UP TO MY REPORT OF THE FAILURE OF THE FLASHING OF THE TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS (OID#10121781). I REPLACED THE HAZARD WARNING SWITCH IN THE DASH ON JUNE 4, 2005, AND THIS FIXED THE PROBLEM. THIS IS THE SAME PART THAT IS UNDER A RECALL FOR THE 2000 AND 2001 MODELS OF THIS SAME CAR (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V327000). AS SUGGESTED PREVIOUSLY, I THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO EXTEND THE RECALL TO THE 1997 MODELS, SINCE IT IS THE SAME DEFECTIVE PART.

THE TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD SIGNALS SUDDENLY STOPPED FLASHING. INTERMITTENTLY, THEY FLASH RAPIDLY WHEN ACTIVATED, BUT THEY TYPICALLY JUST STAY ON CONTINUOUSLY. THIS APPEARS TO BE THE SAME PROBLEM WHICH LED TO A RECALL ON THE 2000 AND 2001 MODELS OF THIS SAME CAR (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V327000): "EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS:SWITCH". I THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO EXTEND THE RECALL TO THE 1997 MALIBU MODELS.

STEERING WHEEL MADE AN IRRITATING SOUND WHEN TURNED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED. UPON INSPECTION THEY INDICATED THAT THE STEERING GEAR HAD AN INTERNAL FAULT, AND REPLACED IT. CAUSE OF THE INTERNAL FAULT WAS NOT DISCLOSED TO THE CONSUMER. *AK RECALL CAMPAIGN# 03V527000. THE STEERING WAS REPAIRED. A YEAR LATER THE ENTIRE STEERING ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THE CHECK EMISSIONS LIGHT WOULD COME ON INTERMITTENTLY. THERE WERE NOISES WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED LEFT DUE TO THE STEERING GEARS INTERNAL FAULT AND THE GEAR WAS REPLACED, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE HAD A STEEL BELT SHOWING ON THE INSIDE. *SC *JB