1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

I BOUGHT A 1997-MALIBU LS BRAND NEW. BEFORE IT TURNED 14,000 MILES HAD TO HAVE WORK DONE ON BRAKES. BEFORE EVEN TURNING 30,000 MILES I HAD TO REPLACE A COMPLETE BRAKE JOB, (2ND SET) TIRES, WATER PUMP, WHEEL CYLINDERS, MY HEAD LIGHTS POP ON, AND I HAVE A LITTLE OVER 33,000 MILES.THE DEALER WERE I BOUGHT THE CAR SAID UNLESS THEY SEE THE LIGHTS POP ON.THEY COULD DO NOTHING. GM SENT OUT A RECALL. WHICH I DID TAKE MY CAR INTO DEALER. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM A FEW TIMES.I MOVED BACK TO INDIANA AND TOOK IT TO COYLE CHEVROLET IN NEW ALBANY. I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR.BOTH DEALERS SAID THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO AS A CONSUMER..I AM MAD AS HELL-AND FEEL I WAS RIPPED OFF, AND WILL NOT RECOMMEND TO NO ONE TO EVER BUY A MALIBU. I HAD ONE IN 1969. AND, IT WAS THE BEST CAR. WHEN YOU PAY AROUND $25,000.00 FOR A NEW CAR-YOU WOULD THINK YOU WOULD NOT HAVE ALL THE BRAKE TROUBLE. I TO THIS DAY DO NOT FEEL SAFE WITH THESE BRAKES. I AM A SINGLE WOMEN AND THOUGHT BY BUYING A NEW CAR I WOULD FEEL SAFER. PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS. AS SOON AS I CAN AFFORD TO GET RID OF THIS CAR I PLAN TOO. I HAVE SPENT SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS ON OUT OF POCKET REPAIRS. BATTERY-2 BRAKE JOBS-ABS BRAKES-WHEEL CYLINDERS-ROARIES-WATER PUMP. *LA

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT AND THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE BEEN TO A REPAIR SHOP ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, AND THE PROBLEM HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. VEHICLE HAD ITS GAS TANK CAP REPLACED, AND THE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS OVERHAULED. BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET TWICE ON THE CAR ALREADY. THE LAST REPAIR WAS IN MARCH OF 2004. IT IS ONLY THREE MONTHS FROM THE LAST REPLACEMENT, AND IT IS LEAKING ANTI FREEZE AGAIN. I WOULD REPAIR THE CAR, BUT APPARENTLY IT IS NOT GOING TO DO ANY GOOD. EACH REPAIR WAS OVER FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS. THERE HAS GOT TO BE SOME KIND OF MAJOR DEFECT WITH THIS PART. I HAVE ONLY OWNED THE CAR FOR FOUR YEARS AND IT ONLY HAS 81,000 MILES ON IT, AND YET THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THE GASKET HAS FAILED.*AK

NHTSA RECALL 03V527000 CONCERNING STEERING GEAR BEARING. THREE WEEKS AFTER HAVING RECALL REPAIRS PERFORMED THE LOWER PINION BEARING FAILED WHILE TURNING LEFT AND CONSUMER LOST POWER STEERING. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE LOWER PINION BEARING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

THE DEALER WOULD NOT HONOR RECALL #03V527000 CONCERNING THE LOWER PINION BEARINGS. THE DEALER CLAIMED THAT THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE. *AK *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING ACCELERATOR CABLE BROKE. CONSUMER PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK. *AK *NM

APRIL 2000, THE PASS LOCK THEFT SYSTEM STRANDED ME THE FIRST TIME WITHIN 30-DAYS OF PAYING CASH FOR MY 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU LS. THE FIRST 30-DAYS THE CAR SPENT MORE TIME IN THE DEALER SHOP THAN IN MY POSSESSION. I WAS TOLD BY DEALERSHIP MANAGEMENT THAT THEY HAD PUT TOO MUCH MONEY IN CAR ALREADY, NOT GOING TO FIX THEFT SYSTEM AND BRAKES, WHICH WERE COMPLAINTS WITHIN THE 30-DAY WARRANTY. TWO YEARS WITH THEFT SYSTEM DISABLING CAR NUMEROUS TIMES, FINALLY WOULDN'T START AT ALL, I TOOK TO CHEVROLET DEALER IN ONTARIO OREGON, THEY REPLACED IGNITION ASSEMBLY. LESS THAN TWO YEARS LATER I AM STRANDED ONCE AGAIN, IT WOULD NOT START FOR 3-DAYS, WENT TO DEALER IN PAYETTE IDAHO WHERE I PAID CASH FOR THE CAR, THEY AGAIN DIDN'T WANT TO PUT ANY MORE MONEY INTO THE CAR. ON 5/30/2004 CAR SPENT THE NIGHT IN PARKING LOT, WOULDN'T START. ALSO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH BRAKES, IN LESS THAN 4 YEARS 2-COMPLETE BRAKE ASSEMBLIES (ROTORS, PADS, CALLIPERS, ETC.), 6-SETS OF BRAKE PADS, ALL LES SCHWAB WORK. I'VE POURED ALMOST AS MUCH MONEY INTO THE CAR SINCE OWNERSHIP, THAN I PAID FOR THE CAR. I HAVE 3 CHILDREN, WE'VE BEEN STRANDED, LATE FOR SCHOOL, MISSING SCHOOL, LATE FOR WORK, LOST JOBS BECAUSE OF LOST HOURS. I LEAVE THE CAR RUNNING NOW, BECAUSE I'M SCARED THAT MY FAMILY WILL BE STRANDED. I'M SOOO FRUSTRATED WITH CHEVROLET, NO ONE CAN ANSWER ANY OF MY QUESTIONS, CHEVROLET OF BOISE, SAID THAT I DIDN'T HAVE A THEFT SYSTEM, WOW THIS HAS ALL BEEN MY IMAGINATION! I HAVE 3-CHILDREN THAT HAVE BEEN LATE FOR SCHOOL, MISSED SCHOOL, I HAVE LOST JOBS BECAUSE OF MISSING HOURS, EVERYTIME I GET IN IT I'M NOT SURE IF IT WILL START. I HAVE RUN OUT OF MONEY TO CONTINUE TO FIX THE SAME THINGS EVERY FEW MONTHS, LEAVE THE CAR RUNNING AT $2.09 PER GALLON, MY CHILDREN ARE SCARED OF GOING ANYWHERE AS AM I. PLEASE HELP!!*AK

MY FIRST ISSUE IS WITH THE LIGHTS ON THE MALIBU. MY LIGHT DEVELOPED CONDENSATION IN THEM WHICH IN THE REAR CAUSED THE LIGHT TO GLOW DIM, AND CAUSED E TO GET PULLED OVER ON A NUMBER OF TIMES. IN THE FRONT IT HAS CAUSED THE GLASS SHIELD TO FOG CAUSING ME TO FAIL VEHICLE INSPECTION. THERE HAVE ARE MANY OTHER ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS ON MY CAR SUCH AS THE THEFT LOCK SYSTEM, THE POWER MOON ROOF, THE MANUFACTURER'S CD PLAYER, THE HEADLIGHT CONTROL SWITCH. THEN IT HAS A PROBLEM WITH EMISSIONS. THE HEADLINER IS FALLING OFF THE CEILING. *NM

WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE GAUGES BECAUSE THE LIGHTS SHUT OFF INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH CONSUMER LOST STEERING POWER. COASTED VEHICLE TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. CONSUMER TURN OFF THE VEHICLE, AND RESTARTED IT. THEN, DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT WHILE TURNING THE STEERING COLUMN IT WAS HARD TO STEER, AND THAT THE STEERING SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO WORN OUT PARTS. *AK