1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

THE FRONT ROTORS ON MY MALIBU HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE -- 1ST @ 7,047 MILES; 2ND @18,936 MILES. AT 28,028 THE 3RD SET IS WARPED AGAIN, BUT CHEVROLET WILL NOT REPLACE THEM UNDER WARRANTY. 7,000 TO 12,000 MILES OUT OF A SET OF ROTORS IS NOT NORMAL FOR PREDOMINANTLY HIGHWAY DRIVING. OUR PAST EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN 60,000 - 70,000 MILES ON OTHER GM PRODUCTS. AS TO SAFETY ISSUES, WITH THE WARPING WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF PULSATING & I BELIEVE THIS IS AFFECTING STOPPING DISTANCE.

AT 11K MI WHEN BRAKES APPLIED AT 50+ MPH FRONT TIRES SEVERELY SHIMMIED, DEALER MACHINED AND REINSTALLED FRONT DISC, AS OF 8/8/99 SYMPTOMS HAVE RETURNED. AT 14K MI A THUMPING NOISE BEGAN IN THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE, DEALER REPLACED BOTH LOWER CONTROL ARMS. AT 3K MI HEATER BLOWER MOTOR STARTED MAKING A LOUD NOISE, DEALER REPLACED BLOWER MOTOR. AT 9K MI HEATER BLOWER MOTOR STARTED TO AGAIN MAKE A LOUD NOISE, DEALER REMOVED AND REINSTALLED BLOWER FAN, MOTOR STILL MAKES A LOUD NOISE.

3 TIMES PASS SIDE REAR BRAKE LIGHT OUT AND NOTICED NUMEROUS OTHER VEHICLES OF SAME MAKE AND MODEL WITH SAME BULB OUT. MANUFACTURE HAS NO BULLITENS ON THIS REPAIR BUT APPEARS TO BE HAPPENING TO MORE FOLKS THAN JUST ME AS I NOTICED IN TRAFFIC A LOT OF THEM WITH THIS VERY SAME BRAKE LIGHT OUT ON SAME MAKE AND MODEL. 3 TIMES HAVE REPLACED BULB AND ITS OUT AGAIN FOR NO APPARENT REASON. NO WATER GETTING THERE , NO LOOSE CONNECTIONS ETC.

FRONT BRAKE ROTORS HAVE FAILED AND BEEN REPLACED TWICE DUE TO WARPING AND VIBRATION. NLM

UPON HITTING THE BRAKES WHILE GOING 60MPH THE WHOLE FRONT END SHAKES.CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER. *AK

VEHICLE DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY SHIFT PAST 20 MPH. AFTER STOPPING VEHICLE DOESN'T PICK UP SPEED. VALVE BODY WAS FOUND TO BE FAULTY AND CAUSED PROBLEM. *AK

WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED THE VEHICLE VIBRATES, RESULTING IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. THE DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE THREE TIMES. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK *ML

BRAKES PULSATE WHEN APPLIED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHICH CAUSES THE STEERING WHEEL TO SHAKE SEVERELY. COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. ROTORS WERE PITTED AND WARPED.

THIS CAR HAS A DIRECTIONAL STABILITY PROBLEM ON THE HIGHWAY. IT WANDERS BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE DRIVING LANE AND YOU CONSTANTLY HAVE TO CORRECT THE STEERING WHEEL. IF YOU RELAX OR LOOK AWAY FOR A MOMENT, SUCH AS AT A HIGHWAY SIGN, YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE THE CAR WILL BE IN THE LANE. ON LONG TRIPS IT FATIGUES YOU TERRIBLY. THE DEALER HAS TRIED TO REMEDY THE SITUATION WITH A NEW TIRE, NEW ALIGNMENT, TIRE ROTATION, TIRE PRESSURE, ETC., BUT NOTHING WORKS. I NOTICED THIS PROBLEM DRIVING THE CAR HOME AFTER PICKING IT UP NEW. THE DEALER HAD ME DRIVE ANOTHER MALIBU WITH APPROX THE SAME MILEAGE, AND IT DROVE THE SAME. THE LOCAL CHEVY DEALER SERVICE MGR. SAYS HIS DRIVES THE SAME WAY. I HAVE CONTACTED CHEVROLET AND THEY NOTED THE PROBLEM, BUT OFFERED NO SOLUTIONS. I RETIRED FROM THE AUTO COLLISION BUSINESS WHERE I SPECIALIZED IN HEAVY COLLISION REPAIR AND DRIVEABILITY. I HAVE WORKED FOR EVERY GM CAR LINE AT A DEALERSHIP. I KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT, WHEN I SAY THIS CAR HAS A DESIGN PROBLEM. IT IS THE WORST DRIVING GM CAR I HAVE EVER DRIVEN. IT IS MY WIFES CAR AND I WORRY ABOUT HER ON THE HIGHWAY. PEOPLE SHOULD BE WARNED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. IT IS THE PERFECT COMMUTER CAR AROUND TOWN, BUT I AM AFRAID THIS PROBLEM WILL CONTRIBUTE TO HIGHWAY CRASHES AND DEATHS. FOR MY WIFES SAFETY, I THINK I WILL BE FORCED TO GET RID OF THIS CAR. *AK

RADIO HAS BEEN REPLACED, STILL WILL NOT PICK UP LOCAL STATIONS, AND A THUMPING NOISE IS COMMING FROM MY CAR. IT'S MOST NOTICEABLE AT 35MPH AND UNDER. DEALER REPLACED PARTS OF SUSPENSION, DIIDN'T HELP, AND NOW THEY SAY THATS ALL THEY CAN DO. THEY HAVE NOT BOTHERED TO SEE WHERE THE SOUND IS COMING FROM. *AK