1996 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO Complaints

I OWN A 1996 Z34 WITH 78000 MILES ON IT. IN THE LAST MONTH MY ANTI LOCK LIGHT KEPT COMING ON IN THE DASH ALSO THE LOW TRACK WOULD COME ON SOMETIMES I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER YESTERDAY 5-2-03 TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT, THEY FOUND COMPUTER SCAN BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH OPEN. LEFT REAR SENSOR, LEFT REAR EXCESSIVE SPEED VARIATION, LEFT REAR OPEN SHORT THEY ORDERED A LEFT REAR HUB AND SENSOR AT MY COST I HAD TO PAY UP FRONT 469.19 FOR THE PART TO BE ORDERED ALSO 65.00 FOR THE LABOR PLUS WHEN THE PART COMES IN I HAVE TO PAY ANOTHER 130.00 FOR R/R THE LEFT REAR HUB . ABOUT A MONTH AGO WHILE PULLING OUT OF THE PARKING LOT AT WORK THE LEFT REAR WHEEL LOCK UP AND STARTED TO SKIP MY FELLOW EMPLOYEES CAME OVER TO MY CAR AND ASK WHAT HAD HAPPENED AN IF I WANTED THEM TO FOLLOW ME HOME AFTER MOVING ANOTHER 10 FEET IT UNLOCKED IT SELF IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHO KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS EXPERIENCE WITH THE 1996 CHEVROLET Z34 ABS. *JB

BRAKING PROBLEMS: I OWN A 1996 CHEVY MONTE CARLO AND I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN EXPERIENCING BRAKING PROBLEMS. THE LOW TRACK LIGHT COMES ON PERIODICALLY AND I LOSE ALMOST ALL OF MY BRAKES. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP AND I FEEL THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED, IT SEEMS THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY CONSUMER WITH BRAKING CONCERNS AND PROBLEMS. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET KILLED. *JB

I WAS RECENTLY DRIVING MY 1996 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO LS (VIN # [XXX]) ON THE HIGHWAY DURING A HEAVY RAINSTORM. I KEEP NOTICING THAT THE BRAKES FELT LIKE THEY WERE NOT WORKING WHEN I APPLIED BRAKE PRESSURE. AFTER A SHORT WHILE THE BRAKES WOULD BEGIN TO FEEL AS THOUGH THEY WERE FUNCTIONING AND THE CAR WOULD SLOW DOWN. AFTER NOTICING THIS PROBLEM, I SEARCHED FOR RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE AND CONTACTED MY DEALER. THE DEALER'S RECORDS SHOWED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE. HOWEVER, THE NHTSA WEB SITE INDICATED TWO PROBLEMS. ONE WAS A RECALL, WHICH APPLIES ONLY TO VEHICLES MANUFACTURED DURING A SPECIFIC TIME PERIOD. THE OTHER NOTICE WAS FOR A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN (APPARENTLY DIFFERENT FROM A RECALL). THE NHTSA NUMBER FOR THIS CAMPAIGN IS 011014000. THE NHTSA WEBSITE STATES THAT THIS CAMPAIGN ONLY APPLIES TO THE Z34 VERSION OF THE 1996 MONTE CARLO. THE PROBLEM THAT IS DESCRIBED IS EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED WHEN DRIVING MY LS MONTE CARLO IN WET CONDITIONS. IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE Z34 AND THE LS VERSIONS OF THE 1996 MONTE CARLO HAVE IDENTICAL FENDER WELLS AND LINERS AND WOULD EXPERIENCE IDENTICAL WET BRAKING PROBLEMS, THEREBY REQUIRING THE SAME FENDER LINER MODIFICATION. THUS, THIS SAFETY PROBLEM IS NOT LIMITED TO THE ONLY Z34 MODEL AND THIS CAMPAIGN SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO ALL 1995-1999 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO VEHICLES. I WOULD LIKE THE MANUFACTURER TO MODIFY MY VEHICLE SO THAT I WILL NOT EXPERIENCE WET BRAKE FADING AND BE ABLE TO PROPERLY STOP MY CAR WHEN DRIVING IN WET CONDITIONS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

MY INTAKE MANIFOLD IS LEAKING. I UNDERSTAND FROM THE DEALERSHIP THAT THIS IS EXTREMELY COMMON BUT UNFORTUNATELY HAS NOT LEAD TO A RECALL YET. TS

TRANSMISSION SLIPS. WHEN TRYING TO ENTER THE FREEWAY, THERE IS NO PULL, I'VE NEARLY BEEN HIT TWICE BECAUSE OF THIS. TOLD THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE PROBLEM SO THEY WOULDN'T FIX IT. EVERYONE I KNOW WHO OWNS THIS SAME YEAR AND MODEL HAS EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. ONE PERSON COMPLAINED ENOUGH THAT THE DEALERSHIP SAID YES THERE WAS A RECALL ON A PART IN THE TRANS.MISSION,AND THEY REPLACED IT. I CAN'T GET G.M. TO VERIFY THIS. ALSO, THE TRUNK LID HAS NO HYDRAULICS TO KEEP THE LID UP AND IF THE WIND IS BLOWING JUST RIGHT, IT SLAMS SHUT. IT HAS HIT ME IN THE HEAD TWICE AND ONCE ON THE BRIDGE OF MY NOSE AND ALSO, IT HAS COME DOWN ON MY BROTHERS NOSE. I SURE HOPE YOU CAN HELP.*AK

WHILE DRIVING STARTED TO SMELL EXHAUST FUMES IN VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS CHECKED, AND DETERMINED THAT MANIFOLD IS CRACKED ALL THE WAY AROUND.*AK

WHEN I PURCHASED THIS CAR, IT WAS THE CAR OF MY DREAMS. I HAD IT FOR LESS THAN 2 WEEKS, WHEN I NOTICED SLUDGE IN THE OIL AND AROUND THE CAP. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS CONDENSATION! IT WASN'T. IT WAS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. WHEN I FIRST COMPLAINED TO SUNSHINE FORD, WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR, IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. WHEN IT FINALLY BLEW, THANK GOD 10 FEET FROM MY DRIVEWAY, IT WAS 300 MILES OVER THE WARRANTY. I HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS TRYING TO GET THEM TO FIX IT. THEY DIAGNOSED IT WRONG TO BEGIN WITH! IT ENDED UP COSTING ME AROUND 250.00. TWO WEEKS AFTER I GOT THE CAR BACK I WAS DOING 65 ON THE HIGHWAY, WHEN SOMETHING BIG DROPPED OUT FROM UNDER MY CAR. IT WAS THE COMPUTER AND THE FRONT GUARD! THEY CHARGED ME FOR THAT TOO. NOW, I STARTED UP THE CAR THE OTHER DAY AND HEARD A MUFFLER NOISE IN THE FRONT DOWN IN THE ENGINE. MY DRIVERS SIDE MANIFOLD IS CRACKED ALL THE WAY AROUND! NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS IS ANOTHER $6-700.00 I HAVE TO PUT IN THIS CAR! ALSO, MY STEERING COLUMN, TURN SIGNALS SHORTED OUT, WERE REPLACED, BUT I STILL GET SURGING IN MY LIGHTS. I AM NOT AT ALL HAPPY WITH THIS CAR, OR CHEVY. OH! AND LET'S NOT FORGET THE SNAPPED FRAME ON THE FRONT DRIVER SEAT!*AK

WHILE DRIVING, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEWOUT CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE LEFT FRONT FENDER, NO SPECIFIC TIRE INFORMATION WAS GIVEN, OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT #10-90-582. *SLC

THIS CAR ALSO HAS BRAKE AND INJECTOR PROBLEMS. I HAD TO REPLACE THE REAR STRUTS IN JUNE TOO. THIS CAR HAS LOW MILEAGE AND I THINK IT IS HIGHLY UNUSAL TO HAVE THESE PROBLEMS.

THE FUSE BOX UNDER THE HOOD IS GETTING WET AND KEEPS CORRODING. MY HEADLIGHTS KEEP GOING OUT,HORN,LIGHTER .THEY SHOULD HAVE PUT IT IN A BETTER PLACE.THANK YOU!. *AK