1999 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO Complaints

THE CONSUMERS SON WAS DRIVING, WHEN AL L OF A SUDDEN THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND DID NOT RELEASE. *JB

1. ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM - WARNING LIGHT CAME ON - MECHANIC CHECKED SYSTEM DETERMINED THE SYSTEM SHUT DOWN DUE TO CORROSION OF THE ABS RELAY IN THE FUSE BLOCK --- 2. BRAKE SYSTEM WORKED, ABS DID NOT ----- 3. REPLACED ABS RELAY SWITCH, FUSES, AND FUSE BLOCK

WE WERE PREPARING TO TAKE A LONG TRIP AND TOOK OUR 1999 MONTE CARLO INTO OUR MECHANIC FOR A PRE-TRIP ONCE-OVER. HE JUST CALLED AND INFORMED US THAT THE RADIATOR WAS ALMOST EMPTY AND THAT THERE IS A LEAK IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, IT CAN (AND WILL) BE FIXED FOR A COST OF $750.00. OUR MECHANIC HAS A SMALL SHOP AND HE HAS FIXED THE SAME PROBLEM AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH ON GM PRODUCTS WITH A 3.1 LITER ENGINE, HE JUST HAD A BUICK LAST WEEK WITH THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM. DOESN'T ANYBODY ELSE SEE THIS AS AN ISSUE THAT GM NEEDS TO TAKE SOME KIND OF ACTION ABOUT?? WE WOULD HAVE BEEN LIVID IF THIS CAR HAD BROKEN DOWN IN THE DESERT ON THE WAY TO LAS VEGAS!! WE WERE REALLY HAPPY WITH THIS VEHICLE, BUT NOW PLAN TO SELL IT AND WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING WITOUT A RECURRING PROBLEM OF THIS MAGNITUDE! *AK

REAR BRAKE LIGHTS WILL OCCASIONALLY NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. AT TIMES ONLY THE CENTER SAFETY LIFT WILL BE FUNCTIONAL WHILE THE TWO REAR BRAKE LIGHTS WILL NOT WORK. I AM TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM IS IN THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH. THIS WEEK I ALSO SEEN A CHEVROLET TRAIL BLAZER WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE NOT HAD THE PROBLEM FIXED, YET. *NM

THERE IS A FLUID CALLED DEX/COOL WHICH IS LIKE ANTI-FREEZE. HOWEVER, IT EATS AWAY AT THE GASKET. CONSUMER HAS HAD TO HAVE THE GASKET REPLACED. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE INTAKE GASKET WAS LEAKING. LOSS OF RADIATION FLUID AT 77000 MILES. *TC

MY 1999 MONTE CARLO STATED LEAKING ANTIFREEZE DIPS AT A TIME. THEN THE NEXT THING I KNOW THERE WAS PUDDLES OF ANTI-FREEZE UNDER MY CAR. I TOOK THE CAR TO A SHOP AND THE MECHANIC SAID I NEEDED A INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET AND THAT'S GOING TO BE $450.00. I DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY SO I HAD THE CAR PUSHED HOME AND NOW I AM WAITING TO GET THE CAR FIXED WHEN I CAN COME UP WITH THE MONEY. *JB

IN WET WEATHER YOU CAN'T STOP CAR, ON THE HIGHWAY IF YOU STEP ON THE BRAKE PEDAL IT IS VERY HARD. OFTEN CAR WILL GO 200 YARDS OR MORE WITHOUT ANY BRAKES BEFORE THEY ENGAGE. THERE IS A SPECIAL POLICY ON THIS BUT DIDN'T HELP.*AK

THIS COMPLAINT IS FOR THE 1999 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO. A PULSATION WAS BEING FELT WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED (EVEN ON DRY PAVEMENT). THE FEAR IS THAT THIS DEFECT MAY CAUSE A FUTURE CRASH. WHAT I EVENTUALLY DISCOVERED IS THAT THE RINGED GEARS THE WHEEL SPEED SENSORS DETECT VEHICLE SPEED WITH HAD CRACKED. FIRST THE LEFT SIDE NEAR 50000 MILES; LATER THE RIGHT SIDE NEAR 68000 MILES. THE GAP FROM THE CRACK IS SENDING THE ABS COMPUTER FALSE SPEED SIGNALS. THE ABS COMPUTER DOES NOT GIVE A WARNING CODE FOR THIS. IT "ACTS" AS IF TRYING TO STOP ON ICE, EVEN THOUGH THE PAVEMENT IS DRY (I.E. PULSATIONS IN PEDAL). MY TEMPORARY FIX FOR THE MOMENT WAS TO DISCONNECT A CONNECTOR FOR THE ABS SYSTEM TO CAUSE THE ABS TO SHUT DOWN AND ALLOW NON-ABS BRAKING. SINCE THE FIX WILL BE IN THE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS, I'M HOPING FOR A SAFETY RECALL. THE RINGED GEAR IS CLEARLY A DEFECTIVE PART.*AK

INTAKE MANIFOLD COOLANT LEAK ON 3.1 ENGINE, WITH A COST OF $ 650.00 FOR THIS REPAIR. SEEMS TO BE A COMMON OCCURENCE WITH ALL THE 3.1 LITER ENGINES. MAYBE IT'S TIME GM STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE, AND TOOK A LOOK AT THIS PROBLEM. NO WONDER IMPORTS ARE BECOMING MORE POPULAR!!!*AK

WHEN DRIVING AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED CONSUMER HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED. *AK