2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT THE VEHICLE MADE A VERY LOUD THUMPING NOISE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE STEERING RACK AND PINION AND CORRECTED THE FAILURE FOR 2 YEARS; HOWEVER, IT RECURRED. THE SECOND TIME THE STEERING COLUMN WAS REPLACED AND FAILED AFTER 8 MONTHS. THE STEERING SHAFT WAS ALSO REPLACED ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE CONTACT IS AWARE OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED DUE TO FREQUENT FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 27,927. UPDATED 09/11/09 *BF UPDATED 09/15/09.*JB

2005 MALIBU PURCHASED NEW. DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT/PARK/TURN SIGNAL MELTING THE AMBER BULB SURROUND AND DISCOLORING AND CRACKING THE OUTER HEADLIGHT LENSES. THIS CAR HAS NOT BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENT TO DATE. I HAVE REPLACED THE LEFT REAR TURN SIGNAL BULB TWICE OVER THE LIFE OF THE CAR. ALL FRONT LIGHTS ARE ORIGINAL AS PURCHASED. I'M CONCERNED THAT THE LIGHTS WILL CATCH FIRE AND SO NOW I TRY TO REMEMBER TO DISENGAGE THE DRL FEATURE WHILE DRIVING. I FEEL THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DESIGN PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. I STARTED TO REPLACE THE LIGHTS ON MY OWN WITH "EAGLE EYES" REPLACEMENTS UNITS BUT I HAVE FOUND THAT THESE ARE SUBJECT TO A NHTSA RECALL AS WELL. I WILL HOLD OUT TO SE IF A RECALL IS ISSUED BY NHTSA FOR THIS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

I NEED YOUR HELP. I BOUGHT A 2005 MALIBU FROM A LOCAL CAR DEALER. THE CAR HAD LOW MILES AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A SAFE AND RELIABLE CAR. SO SAFE, THAT I ALLOWED MY TEENAGE SON TO DRIVE MY CAR. WHILE HE WAS MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN FROM A 4-WAY STOP, HE HEARD A POP AND THEN HAD NO STEERING WITHOUT ANY WAY TO CONTROL THE CAR HE ENDED UP IN A FIELD. I THANK GOD HE WAS NOT GOING FAST, THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER CARS OR PEOPLE INVOLVED, AND HE WAS NOT HURT. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY MECHANIC WHO IS A CERTIFIED MASTER TECHNICIAN, WHO WORKED FOR GM AS A LINE TECH FOR 25 YRS. HE INFORMS ME THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED IN A CAR THAT IS ONLY 4 YRS OLD, AND FELT IT WAS DEFECTIVE. HE SAID THE FAILURE OCCURRED INSIDE THE STEERING RACK CAUSING THE PINION TO DISENGAGE RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL. I THEN HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A GM DEALER WHO?S MECHANIC SAID THE SAME THING BUT BECAUSE I DID NOT BUY THE CAR FROM THEM, THEY WOULD NOT HELP ME?.MY NEXT STEP WAS TO CONTACT GM?.THEY TOOK A WEEK TO INVESTIGATE?AND DECIDED THAT BECAUSE I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM A PRIVATE CAR DEALER, IT HAD 86K MILES ON IT AND IT WAS PAST THE FACTORY WARRANTY THEY FELT NO NEED TO DO ANY THING ABOUT THIS. NOT ONLY WAS THE STEERING RACK AND PINION DAMAGED, THE POWER STEERING UNIT UNDER THE DASH AND THE AIR BAG COILS WERE DAMAGED AS WELL. THE COST TO REPAIR THIS IS OVER $2000.00. IT?S NOT JUST THE COST TO REPAIR THE CAR THAT UPSETS ME; IT?S THE FACT THAT GM HAS NO CONCERN FOR SAFETY. I HAVE FOUND LONG LIST FOR CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ABOUT GM?S STEERING FAILURES. ?UNBELIEVABLE? AND THIS IS NOT THE ONLY SITE THAT HAS COMPLAINTS. I KNOW THERE WAS A RECALL TO ADDRESS THE STEERING DEFECT IN THE MALIBU. BUT THEY OBVIOUSLY DECIDED IT WAS OF NO BIG CONCERN TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING LOCKS WHENEVER HE STARTS HIS VEHICLE AND BEGINS DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE CANNOT AFFORD TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN AT THIS TIME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT SEPARATED FROM THE BASE AND CAME OFF TRACK. THE FAILURE OCCURRED IMMEDIATELY AFTER SHE SAT IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE POWER STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE COST OF $1,000. THREE YEARS LATER, WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE RACK AND PINION WAS FAILING. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $500. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT A COMPLAINT WAS FILED AND THAT HE WOULD RECEIVE A FOLLOW UP CALL ON THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,748 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 103,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHEN THE CONTACT SAT DOWN IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT, THE SEAT COLLAPSED AND SHIFTED TO THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE WELD THAT HOLDS THE SEAT IN PLACE PEELED OFF A PIECE OF THE METAL FROM THE METAL BAR, WHICH CAUSED THE SEAT TO DETACH FROM THE METAL TRACK. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD BE UNABLE TO MAKE THE REPAIRS AND THAT THE SEAT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. NO ESTIMATE WAS PROVIDED FOR THE PURCHASE OF A NEW SEAT. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT NO COMPENSATION WOULD BE PROVIDED DUE TO THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,000.

I STOPPED TO AIR UP A TIRE AND WASH MY CAR. I NOTICED SMOKE IN THE BACK PORTION OF MY CAR. I LOOKED IN THE TRUNK BUT COULDN'T TELL THE ORIGIN OF THE SMOKE. SMOKE CONTINUED TO FILL MY CAR FROM THE BACK AND I OPENED THE TRUNK AGAIN. I PLACED MY HAND ON THE LEFT FENDER AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED HOW HOT IT WAS. ANOTHER COSTUMER CAME OVER AND JERKED THE TRUNK LINER BACK TO REVEAL THAT THE FUSE PANEL WAS ON FIRE. *TR

FRONT DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS ARE GETTING HOT MELTING THEM. THIS IS CAUSING TURN SIGNALS TO BURN OUT AND NOT WORK PROPERLY. GOT PULLED OVER BY A STATE TROOPER TODAY BECAUSE OF THIS. *TR

I AM WRITING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE EXTERIOR HEADLIGHTS MELTING. IT COULD CAUSE A FIRE. IT SEEMS THAT THE AMBER LIGHTS HAVE MELTED THE CASING. THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE A RECALL AND THE DEALERS SHOULD REPLACE THE HOUSING FREE OF CHARGE. *TR