2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

DT: THE CONSUMER RENTED A VEHICLE FROM ALAMO RENTAL IN ORLANDO, FL AT THE AIRPORT. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT WITHOUT WARNING HE WAS JUST DRIVING AT 35 MPH AND THE VEHICLE JERKED TO THE LEFT. HE SAID THE STEERING WHEEL WAS NOT TURNED AND HE LOST CONTROL AND ALMOST FLIPPED OVER IN THE MEDIAN WHERE IT ALSO DISMOUNTED THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE FROM THE RIM. THE CONSUMER SAID THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE WAS INSERTED ABOUT 6 INCHES LIKE IT WAS TURNED IN TOWARDS THE VEHICLE. ALAMO WAS CALLED AND THEY OFFERED TO FIX A FLAT BUT THE CONSUMER WANTED A DIFFERENT VEHICLE BECAUSE OF SAFETY REASONS. MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. CALLER FEEL THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT. *JB

(1) NONE (2) LOSS OF STEERING AT 65 MPH: CAR CATAPULTED RIGHTWARDS INTO 2 VEHICLES, VAN AND SEMI, AND ULTIMATELY OFF FREEWAY PERSONAL INJURIES SUSTAINED. (3) RECOVERED FRACTURED PART OF VEHICLE AT SITE OF COLLISION 2 DAYS LATER.PART IDENTIFIED BY CHEVROLET DEALER AS ENGINE MOUNTING BRACKET BELONGING TO MY MAKE AND YEAR OF CAR.

MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH 2005 CHEVY MALIBU. 1.) KEY STICKING IN IGNITION. RETURNED CAR TO DEALER 3 TIMES. TWO OF THESE TIMES THE KEY COULD NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED AND PARK CABLE ADJUSTED TWICE. 2.) TRACTION CONTROL (T/C), ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON AT ENGINE START UP. A SENSOR WAS REPLACED IN RIGHT REAR WHEEL HUB AND BEARING. IN ADDITION, THE EBCM COMPUTER TO THE BREAK SYSTEM HAS BEEN REPLACED. VEHICLE IS NOW IN FOR SERVICE FOR THE 6TH TIME. ALL 3 LIGHTS ARE ON AGAIN. I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH GENERAL MOTORS ON 6/13/05 WITH MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO FOLLOW UP ON MY FILE #1-34200114 BUT HAVE NOT HAD A RESPONSE OTHER THAN THEY ARE RESEARCHING MY CONCERNS.

IGNITION PROBLEM. SOMETIMES THE CAR WILL NOT CRANK OVER ON THE FIRST TRY TO START CAR. HAVE TO WAIT A FEW SECONDS AND TRY AGAIN. THEN IT WILL START.

THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A POWER STEERING PROBLEM. WHICH MALFUNCTIONED INTERMITTENTLY. THE OWNER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHERE IT IS CURRENTLY BEING SERVICED. *AK THE STEERING COLUMN WAS REPLACED. *SC *JB

AT APPROX 5 MPH, AND OUR BACK SEAT PASSENGER RESTED HIS ARM AGAINST THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE DOOR, THE DOOR SWUNG OPEN (LATCH FAILURE). THE DOOR WOULD NOT RE-LATCH DESPITE APPROXIMATELY 50 ATTEMPTS TO CLOSE THE DOOR. WE ROTATED THE LATCH ASSEMBLY TRYING TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG AND IT WOULD STILL NOT LATCH. IF THIS WAS A CHILD OR IF I WAS TRAVELING AT A HIGHER SPEED THIS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN INJURY OR DEATH. FINALLY WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE DOOR TO STICK CLOSED HALFWAY, THE WHOLE DRIVE HOME IT RATTLED AND DOOR AJAR WAS LISTED. IT WAS 9 DEGREES F ACCORDING TO THE ONBOARD COMPUTER AT THE TIME. THE NEXT MORNING, AT 22 DEGREES,WE OPENED IT AND IT LATCHED PROPERLY ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT. ON JAN 21, ALSO AT 9 DEGREES, I OPENED THE REAR DOOR AND ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE IT. THIS WOULD NOT LATCH AT ALL, AND AFTER 30 MINUTES OF TRYING, I DROVE 5 MILES TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH MY HAND EXTENDED TO THE BACK SEAT, HOLDING THE DOOR CLOSED MANUALLY SO THAT IT WOULD NOT SWING OUT AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. THE SERVICE MANAGER LOOKED AT THIS, AND DUPLICATED THE PROBLEM FOR APPROX 5 MINUTES, AT WHICH TIME THE CAR WAS WARMED UP SLIGHTLY DUE TO IT BEING INDOORS, AND IT CLOSED PROPERLY. THE DEALER ASKED IF I HAD ANY CHILDREN AND WHEN I SAID NO, THEY RELEASED THE VEHICLE TO ME AND SAID THEY'D BE IN CONTACT WITH GM ABOUT THIS AND MY SUSPENSION ISSUE AND CALL ME MONDAY. *NM

DRIVER SIDE REAR DOOR DID NOT LATCH PROPERLY WHEN CLOSED. NO DOOR AJAR LIGHT WAS INDICATED AND DOOR SWUNG OPEN UPON TURNING A CORNER EVEN WITH DOORS LOCKED. WE WERE EXPERIENCING A COLD SNAP AT THE TIME BUT THIS HAS HAPPENED ANOTHER TIME WHEN THERE WAS COLD WEATHER. NO ONE WAS INJURED BUT AN UNBUCKLED CHILD OR PASSENGER COULD HAVE BEEN THROWN FROM THE VEHICLE. I AM NOT SURE IF THIS IS A DEFECT WITH THE LATCH MECHANISM. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY ADVISED THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY A FROZEN LOCK. THEY TREATED IT WITH SILICON SPRAY AND LUBE. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM BUT I AM NOW WORRIED THE DOOR WILL OPEN AGAIN. THIS IS A 2005 CAR WITH ONLY 700 MILES. *NM

FAILURE WAS A SIDEWALL BLOWOUT. CAUSE WAS A SLIGHT CURB STRIKE. THIS 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU HAS 1200 MILES. THIS IS THE SECOND TIRE FAILURE, THE FIRST ONE HAPPENED AT 850 MILES.

THE SMELL OF FUEL PROMPTED THE CONSUMER TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE MANUFACTURE AND THE DEALER SINCE THERE WAS A FUEL TANK RECALL. THE CONSUMER LOCATED A CRACK ON THE FUEL TANK. *AK

PICKED UP NEW FLEET VEHICLE AT DEALERSHIP 10 11 04 AND DROVE HOME APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES. BEGAN APPRAISAL ROUTE 10 12 04. IT BECAME IMMEDIATELY APPARENT THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOOSE ON THE STEERING SHAFT AND WAS BECOMING INCREASINGLY LOOSE WITH EACH MOVEMENT OF THE STEERING WHEEL. IN LESS THAN 40 MILES OF TOTAL DRIVING SINCE PICKING UP THE NEW CAR, THE STEERING WHEEL HAD SO MUCH PLAY (ROCKED 3/4 OF AN INCH FRONT TO BACK AT EITHER SIDE AND COULD BE PUSHED IN AND GENTLY PULLED BACK AT LEAST 1/2" ON SPLINED SHAFT) THE CAR WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. SINCE I DID NOT HAVE NEARBY ACCESS TO DEALER, I HAD A BODY SHOP OWNER AT MY FIRST STOP LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. TO GET RIGHT TO THE POINT, AFTER REMOVING THE PLASTIC STEERING COLUMN COVERS AND ADJACENT COVER ON COLUMN SIDE OF STEERING WHEEL, THE RETAINING NUT FOR THE STEERING WHEEL COULD BE TURNED WITH A FINGER AND WAS NEARLY OFF THE END OF THE STEERING SHAFT. THE SHOP OWNER WAS ABLE TO ACCESS THE NUT WITH AN OPEN END WRENCH AND MADE AT LEAST 4 FULL TURNS ON THE NUT BEFORE IT BEGAN TO OFFER RESISTANCE. THE NUT WAS TIGHTENED 1/8 TURN AT A TIME DUE TO LIMITED ACCESS, BUT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, MY CONCERN IS THE SPEED AT WHICH THE NUT BACKED OFF INITIALLY WHILE DRIVING. I NOTICED NO SUCH FREE PLAY ON MY TRIP HOME FROM THE DEALER ON 10 11 04. MOST OF THE LOOSENING OF THE NUT SEEMS TO HAVE OCCURRED WITHIN THE NEXT 5 MILES OF DRIVING, WHICH WAS MOSTLY STOP AND GO RESIDENTIAL WITH LOTS OF TURNS. CLEARLY,IF THE AVERAGE CONSUMER WERE PRESENTED WITH THIS SITUATION, HE/SHE MAY HAVE ELECTED TO TRY TO RETURN TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE CAR, WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. I MEAN, THE WHEEL BECAME SO LOOSE THE CAR WAS UNDRIVEABLE IN LESS THAN 40 MILES FROM NEW. *NM