2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

WHEN THE VEHICLE HIT A BUMP THE IT STALLED. THE DEALER CHANGED THE IGNITION SWITCH BUT THE PROBLEM RE-OCCURRED. *NLM WHEN THE VEHICLE HIT A BUMP THE IT STALLED. THE DEALER CHANGED THE IGNITION SWITCH BUT THE PROBLEM RE-OCCURRED. *MR

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AND WHEN ROAD CONDITION VARIES (SUCH AS A BUMP IN THE ROAD), VEHICLE SHUTS OFF AS IF DEACTIVATING THE CAR, E.G. CAR DOORS UNLOCK, NO RPM, GAS NEEDLE IMMEDIATELY DESCENDS TO E, IMMEDIATE DECELERATION. *JB

AFTER RESEARCHING THE SERVICE BULLETINS SECTION OF THIS WEBSITE, I HAVE COME TO REALIZE THAT I HAVE COMPLAINED/HAD SERVICED ABOUT 85% OF THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT ARE LISTED ON YOUR DATABASE. I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW, FROM EVERETT CHEVROLET, WA IN 2000. SINCE THE PURCHASE. DATE, I HAD CHEVY DO THE FOLLOWING: NEW BRAKES (ALL THE WAY AROUND - ONCE, FRONT ROTORS/PADS - TWICE), ALL NEW PISTONS, TRANSMISSION REPLACED, MISS ON #1 CYLINDER - REPLACED 1 FAILED SPARK PLUG, LEFT REAR DOOR SQUEAKS WHEN OPEN/SHUT - LUBED (HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES NOW), FRONT LEFT NOISE FROM STRUTS/BRAKES - NOT ABLE TO VERIFY AS OF YET (POSSIBLE STRUT PROBLEM/LUBE), FAN IN DASHBOARD HAS A SOUND IN THE MIDDLE (JUST ABOVE THE CD PLAYER/RADIO) LIKE THERE IS A PIECE OF PAPER CAUGHT IN THE HOUSING (CONFIRMED AFTER 4 COMPLAINTS, FAULTY FAN MOTOR), PASSENGER FRONT SEAT SQUEAKS WHEN OCCUPIED (DEALERSHIPS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE./FIX), REARVIEW MIRROR RATTLES WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (TIGHTENED, STILL DOES IT IN HOT WEATHER). BOTTOM LINE, THIS IS MY FIRST NEW CAR PURCHASE AND I AM HAVING SERIOUS DOUBTS ABOUT KEEPING THE CAR - AS IT ONLY HAS 21,405 MILES ON IT. WITH THE 3/30 WARRANTY. COMING UP IN OCT. 2003, I AM VERY MUCH AFRAID THAT I HAVE PURCHASED A LEMON AND NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO SPENDING ANYMORE TIME/$$$ ON THIS VEHICLE. ANY SUGGESTIONS? *JB

THE BRAKES PADS WERE REPLACED 4 TIMES, HOWEVER THEY CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCED UNEVEN WEAR. *JB ON FOUR OCCASIONS THE BRAKE ROTORS WERE MACHINED, AND ON TWO OCCASIONS THEY WERE CLEANED, LUBED, AND CALIPER SLID. SCC

THE BRAKE CALIPER WAS DESIGNED, THE CALIPER PISTON OVER HEATED, WHICH CAUSED THE PISTON TO EXPAND. *JB

EXCESSIVE BRAKE REPAIR:FRONT AND REAR SINCE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ON 9/12/01 TO 3/31/03: BRAKES SERVICED ON 12/14/01-MACHINE FRONT ROTORS AND REAR DRUMS, 3/14/02-REPLACE FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS MACHINE REAR DRUMS, 8/12/02 R&R REAR DRUMS & MACHINE R&R REAR BRAKE SHOES & LUBE BACKING PLATE, 3/31/03 FRONT BRAKES NEEDED CLEAN AND ADJUST REAR BRAKES. MILEAGE WAS RESPECTIVELY: 5836, 12450, 21975, 33533. ALL BRAKE WORK DONE BY DEALER. INDEPENDENT BRAKE INSPECTION ON 4/3/03 SHOWS FRONT BRAKES NEEDED AND 20/1000THS LEFT ON REAR DRUMS. THIS WILL BE THE THIRD SET OF BRAKES PUT ON THIS VEHICLE BEFORE THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY EXPIRES. ALSO REAR DRUMS ARE WITHIN 20/1000THS OF DRUM SPEC DISCARD PRIOR TO MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY EXPIRATION.

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. WITH LESS THAN 16000 MILES THE CONSUMER HAS REPLACED THE PADS AND ROTORS THREE TIMES. THE MANUFACTURE AND DEALER WERE CONTACTED AND CHANGED THE PADS AND ROTORS ONE TIME FOR FREE BUT THE OTHER TWO TIMES THE CONSUMER HAD TO PAY. *NLM

IN 2001 WE PURCHASED A NEW CHEVROLET MALIBU. AFTER JUST 17,000 MILES WE WERE INFORMED IT WOULD NOT PASS A SAFETY INSPECTION BECAUSE THE BRAKES HAD WORN OUT. GM REPLACED THE BRAKES FOR US. 13,000 MILES LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED. AFTER MUCH COMPLAINING AND LETTER WRITING, GM REPLACED THE BRAKES AGAIN. I INSPECTED THE BRAKES IN BOTH INSTANCES AND NOTICED THAT ONLY THE INNER BRAKE PAD WAS WORN, THE OUTER PAD LOOKED BRAND NEW. THE CALIPER IS CAST ALUMINUM AND IT BENDS WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED MUCH LIKE A CHEAP "C" CLAMP THAT YOU MIGHT FIND IN A DOLLAR STORE. THERE ARE TWO MAJOR CONCERNS I HAVE ABOUT THIS CONDITION. FIRST AND FOREMOST IS THE SAFETY OF THIS SYSTEM. WITH THE CONSTANT FLEXING I AM CONCERNED THAT THE CALIPER MAY FRACTURE AT SOME POINT DOWN THE ROAD. IN ADDITION TO THE FLEXING, I BELIEVE THE INNER PAD IS OVERHEATING, SINCE IT IS DOING ALL OF THE WORK, AND THIS COULD CAUSE BRAKE FADE. THE CALIPER ALSO APPEARS TO BIND ON THE GUIDE PINS WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. WHEN THE CASTING BENDS, IT CAUSES A MISALIGNMENT OF THE GUIDE PINS AND CONSEQUENTLY THE CALIPER THEN BINDS. THE SECOND ISSUE I HAVE IS WITH THE LIFE OF THE BRAKES. GM SAYS THE BRAKES SHOULD ONLY LAST BETWEEN 8,000 AND 12,000 MILES. IF THE CALIPER DIDN'T FLEX AS MUCH AND THE PADS WERE WEARING EVENLY THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF THE BRAKES WOULD GO UP SIGNIFICANTLY. IN EITHER CASE GM BLEW IT WITH THEIR CHOICE OF THESE CALIPERS ON THIS VEHICLE. AT THE VERY WORST, THEY ARE PUTTING PEOPLE AT RISK. I WONDER HOW MANY ACCIDENTS INVOLVING THESE VEHICLES COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE BRAKES, AND ARE PEOPLE EVEN LOOKING AT THE BRAKES AS A CAUSE? AT BEST, GM IS SHAFTING THEIR CUSTOMERS. PEOPLE ARE PAYING NEEDLESSLY FOR SERVICE WORK THEY DON'T NEED. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SERIOUS INJURY RESULTING FROM THIS. IT ALSO SPEAKS TO GM'S INTEGRITY AND ETHICS, ALLOWING AN INFERIOR BRAKE SYSTEM TO BE USED ON ITS VEHICLES. *NLM

WHEN THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES THE PEDAL WENT TO THEE FLOOR CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO EXPERIENCE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *NLM

BRAKES PADS HAD TO BE REPLACED AND ROTORS TURNED AT 25K MILES. PREMATURE WEAR BUT DEALER WOULD NOT REPLACE UNDER WARRANTY. NOW AT 46K MILES CAR IS AGAIN IN NEED OF BRAKE PADS. *JB