1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

FRONT OF CAR VIBRATES WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED FROM A SPEED OF 50 MPH OR MORE. THE PROBLEM WAS PREMATUE FAILURE OF THE FRONT DISC BRAKES AT 30400 MILES (16% OF WARRANTY REMAINING). MUNDAY CHEVROLET HAD TO TURN ROTORS AND REPLACE BRAKE PADS WHICH WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE NEW CAR WARRANTY. GM CUSTOMER SERVICE (CASE NO. 990384225) WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND THEY SAID IT WAS NORMAL MAINTENANCE. THERE APPEARS TO BE A DEFECT IN DESIGN, MATERIALS OR WORKMANSHIP. THE NHTSA CUSTOMER COMPLAINT DATA BASE CONTAINS NUMEROUS INCIDENTS OF PREMATUE 1998 MALIBU FRONT DISC BRAKE FAILURES. SOME OF THESE OCCURRED AT LESS THAN 10,000 MILES AND AS MANY AS THREE TIMES. GM DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THESE FAILURES AS COVERED UNDER THEIR WARRANTY. *AK

MY PROBLEM IS THAT MY ROTORS AND PADS CONTINUALLY WARP. THE DEALERSHIP WILL TURN MY ROTORS, AND HAVE REPLACED MY PADS ONCE, BUT AFTER EVERY LONG TRIP, THEY WARP AGAIN. CAUSEING ME SUBSTANTAL LOSS OF MY ABILITY TO BRAKE. I HAVE HAD THREE NEAR ACCIDENTS, ONE WHEN A SEMI PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME. THESE WOULD HAVE NOT EVEN BEEN A CONCERN IF MY BRAKES WOULD HAVE BEEN WORKING PROPERLY. BUT I WAS ONLY ABLE TO STOP FEET FROM THESE CARS WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YARDS. I'VE DONE ENOUGH DRIVING TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOOD BRAKES AND BAD. PLUS WHEN I APPLY MY BRAKES MY CAR SHAKES, AND MY STEERING WHEEL JUMPS IN MY HAND. *AK

PULSATING BRAKES IN FRONT. REQUESTED THEY BE "REPLACE" DENIED BY DEALER....THEY WERE FIXED..."ROTORS WERE RESURFACED" I FEEL THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED THAT THE ROTORS ARE DEFECTIVE? PLEASE ADVISE... 2 FLATS IN REAR..ONE TIRE REPLACED THE OTHER PLUGGED. AGAIN THIS IS A NEW CAR? ADVISE. THANKS. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEE AND , MAKING A TURN, THERE IS SOME A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING. ALSO, WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THEY ARE VIBRATING. *AK

THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS HAVE BECOME WARPED 2 SEPARATE TIMES, THE ROTORS HAVE BEEN TURNED AND REPLACED, THE FAULTY ROTORS CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO PULL AND SHAKE ESPECIALLY ONCE THE CRUISE CONTROL IS DISENGAGED. *SLC

ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED 5 TIMES ON THIS VEHICLE AND IT HAS LESS THAN 20,000 MILES.

ROTORS OUT OF ROUND AT 7000 MILES RESULTING IN A SEVERE AND DANGEROUS SHAKING OF THE FRONT END UPON APPLICATION OF BRAKES, ROTORS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, FAILED AGAIN AT 15000 MILES, ALSO FRONT PADS WORN OUT BY 15000 MILES

I REALLY NEED TO TALK TO SOMEONE FOR A BETTER DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF MY PROBLEM. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY.

WE BOUGHT A 98 MALIBU IN FEB 99 W/20K MILES. SOON AFTER WE NOTICED A SLIGHT VIBRATION IN BRAKING.I HAD IT CHECKED AND ROTORS ARE WARPED. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS COMMON IN MALIBUS AND THAT THE PROBLEM HAS EXISTED SINCE THEY CAME OUT IN 97.THIS WAS FROM THE SERV. DEPT MGR AT ADAMS CHEVROLET IN RAYTOWN, MO HE SAYS HE SEES SEVERAL MALIBUS EVERY WEEK FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, AND THAT IT WASN'T COVERED BY WARRANTY OR MANUF. RECALL. ONLY IF THE PROBLEM BEGINS WITHING 12K MILES. IT WAS AS IF I WAS JUST SUPPOSED TO ACCEPT THIS..EVEN THOUGH WE PAID $14,000 FOR THIS CAR. GM BRAGS THAT THE CAR CAN GO UP TO 100K MILES WITHOUT A TUNEUP , BUT THEY FORGET TO TELL YOU YOU'LL HAVE TO HAVE THE ROTORS TURNED EVERY YEAR . *AK

MFG CONTACTED, DENIES PROBLEM EXISTS, SAYS "GO AWAY". NO SAFETY DEFECT INDICATED IN SUMMARY. *AK