1999 Chevrolet Malibu

IT'S BEEN HAPPENING FOR A WHILE & IN RECENT TIMES MORE REGULARLY. WHILE DRIVING YOU CAN FEEL THE STEERING TOUGHENING IT UP MAKING TURNING DIFFICULT. ONCE CAR IS PULLED OVER STEERING RETURNS TO NORMAL. PARKING GETS TOUGH. FLUIDS ARE FINE. CAR IS RIDDLED WITH ENGINEERING GREMLINS THAT REAR THEIR HEADS IN THE MOST INOPPORTUNE TIME. MOST HAVE SIMPLE & STRAIGHT FORWARD SOLUTIONS (BLEEDING THE ANTIFREEZE SYSTEM) BUT LACK OF THE DOCUMENTATION CAN MAKE THINGS UNNECESSARILY DIFFICULT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL. NO MATTER WHICH WAY HE TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL, THE VEHICLE WOULD HEAD IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FRAME THAT HOLDS THE RACK AND PINION HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED AWAY. HE FURTHER STATED THAT IT WAS VERY RARE FOR THAT TO OCCUR TO A VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAS NOT NOTIFIED GENERAL MOTORS; HOWEVER, THE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED AND IS CURRENTLY USING A USED FRAME. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 184,000.

MY 1999 CHEVY MAILBU HAS HAD MANY PROBLEMS. I WILL START WITH THE 2 FUEL INJECTERS REPLACED 2 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING. THE CAR BEGIN TO RUN ROUGH THEN WOULD HAVE PROBLEMS STARTING. THEN THERE WAS THE ALTANATOR, THE THERMOSTAT, THE HEAD AND INTAKE GASKETS AND THE NUMUROUS ELECTICAL PROBLEMS. THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS STILL CANNOT BE SOLVED AFTER NUMROUS TRIPSTO THE REPAIR SHOP. MOST OF THE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN CORRECTED ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. AS A CONSUMER I HOPE YOU WILL HELP US MALIBU OWNERS WHO ARE IN DESTRESS. I KNOW THE AUTO COMPANIES ARE IN FINANCIAL TROUBLE BUT THAT STILL DOES NOT EXCUSE MAKING AN UNSAFE AUTO. I AM AFRAID ENOUGH NOT TO DRIVE MY CAR. I FEEL I PUT MY FAMILY AND MYSELF IN DANGER TAKING THSI CAR ON THE ROAD. I HOPE YOU WILL HELP CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. I FEEL MY ONLY NEXT OPTION IS TO CONTACT A LAWYER OVER MY LEGAL RIGHTS.

I PURCHASED A 1999 CHEVY MALIBU IN NOVEMBER 2003. I HAVE REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS AT LEAST 10 TIMES ($20 EACH TIME), THE ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES ($70 EACH TIME). THE BRAKES GIVE YOU NO WARNING THEY JUST QUIT SUDDENLY WHICH HAS ALMOST CAUSED SEVERAL ACCIDENTS. THE ABS LIGHT ALWAYS COMES ON AND WHEN THIS HAPPENS YOU CAN GUARANTEE THE IGNITION SWITCH IS ABOUT TO LOCK UP ON YOU. THE REAR WINDOWS QUIT WORKING, I HEAR A WEIRD POPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. THE ANTI THEFT SYSTEM HAS CAME ON 6 OR 7 TIMES AND WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO CRANK THE CAR(ONCE IT HAPPENED WHILE MY CHILD WAS HAVING AN ASTHMA ATTACK AND I WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKE HIM TO THE ER). IF YOU HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD SOMETIMES IT SOUNDS LIKE A SMALL EXPLOSION IN THE FRONT END AND CAUSES THE STEERING WHEEL TO JERK UNCONTROLLABLY FOR SEVERAL MILES. I HAVE TAKEN THIS VEHICLE TO SEVERAL MECHANICS WHO ABSOLUTELY REFUSE TO WORK ON IT BECAUSE OF THE GENERAL FACT THAT IT IS A 1999 MALIBU, NOW MY IGNITION HAS COMPLETELY QUIT, ACTUALLY IT HUNG IN THE START POSITION AND WAS MAKING MY STARTER GRIND AND ALMOST CATCH FIRE, THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL ABOUT 15 TIMES, BUT USUALLY AFTER JIGGLING THE KEY A FEW TIMES IT COMES UNDONE, BUT NOT THIS TIME. MY DAD HAD TO TAKE MY BATTERY OFF IN ORDER TO MAKE THE ENGINE DIE. SO NOW MY EMPLOYER GOT SO FED UP WITH ME BEING LATE OR CALLING IN BECAUSE OF MY CAR PROBLEMS THAT I WAS TERMINATED. I AM A SINGLE MOM WITH 2 CHILDREN, BOTH HAVE CHRONIC ASTHMA AND HAVE TO BE RUSHED TO THE ER WITH SEVERE ASTHMA ATTACKS ALL THE TIME, AND NOW I HAVE NO WAY TO TAKE THEM SHOULD THE NEED ARISE. THE PARTS ARE GOING TO COST ME $200 AND THE COST OF LABOR AND NOW I HAVE NO JOB. IF YOU CALL CHEVROLET ALL THEY TELL YOU IS TO TAKE IT TO A DEALER AND LET THE MECHANIC LOOK AT IT FOR A FEE, AND THEN THEY WANT TO CHARGE YOU MORE THAN I MAKE IN 2 MONTHS, AND THEY NEVER EVEN ASK YOU ANY PERSONAL INFO SO THERE ARE NO DOCUMENTED CLAIMS ON YOUR CALLS. *NM

CAR FAILS TO START MORE THAN FREQUENTLY. WAS TOLD TO REPLACE IGNITION SWITCH, A COST OF $254.00. DON'T THINK CAR SHOULD ALREADY NEED IGNITION REPLACED. CAR HAS DIED COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE NUMEROUS TIMES. ALSO HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH IF DASH LIGHTS COME ON OR JUST THEFT DETERRENT LIGHTS. DAY RUNNING LIGHTS ARE EQUAL TO REG HEADLIGHTS, ALL SYSTEM LIGHTS TURN ON WHEN CAR IS STARTED, NO NEED TO EVEN TURN SWITCH ON, COULD THIS BE NORMAL? MECHANIC INSTALLED A SWITCH UNDER HOOD THAT CONNETS DIRECTLYTO MY STARTER SO WHEN CAR FAILS TO START I PUSH SWITCH AND SHE STARTS RIGHT UP, HE SAID SOMETHING IN COLUMN BUT HE NOT ABLE TO PINPOINT. STEERING COLUMN DOESNOT LOCK, EVER! *JB

CHEVROLET MALIBU LS 1999, FRONT END LOOSE, REPLACED 2 BOLTS. *BF WHILE DRIVING THE ENTIRE STEERING RACK CRACKED FOR NO REASON. LESS THAN A YEAR LATER, THE ENGINE CRADLE RACK CAME APART FROM THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THE FRONT BRAKES, LOWER INTAKE GASKET AND WATER PUMP WERE ALL REPLACED. THE ABS AND POWER STEERING PRESSURE HOSE WAS REPLACED. THE BRAKE LIGHT BULBS HAD BURNED OUT. *JB

LOST OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT INTO ONCOMMING TRAFFIC. ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS MY CHEVY MALIBU HAS LOST CONTROL WHILE CHANGING LANES FROM THE RIGHT LANE TO THE LEFT LANE. THE BACK END HAS SWUNG OUT AND CAUSED THE CAR TO WOOBLE FROM RIGHT TO LEFT OUT OF CONTOL. THE FIRST TIME WAS AT 40 MILES PER HOUR AND I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONROL OVER THE VEHICLE. THE SECOND TIME WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AT 55 MILES PER HOUR AND I HIT A GUARD RAIL WITH ONLY SMALL DAMAGE TO THE BUMPER. THE LAST TIME WAS A WEEK AGO AND WAS THE MOST SERIOUS. I WAS CHANGING LANES FROM THE MIDDLE TO FAST LANE OF A THREE LANE HIGHWAY GOING ABOUT 65. THE VEHICLE BACK END BROKE LOOSE AGAIN AND SKIDDED BACK AND FORTH 3 OR 4 TIMES BEFORE I LOST ALL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I HIT A TRUCK AND CAUSED UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK AND $3000.00 OF DAMAGE TO MY CAR. I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT NO ONE WAS HURT. I HAVE REPLACED THE TIRES FOUR TIMES AT CHEVY DEALERSHIPS RECOMENDATION. EACH SET HAS PRODUCED THE SAME EFFECT, PULL TO THE LEFT. I HAVE HAD FOUR ALIMENT JOBS. EACH TIME THE REPAIR SHOP HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE PULL WAS STILL THERE. ROTATED TIRES EIGHT TIMES. NO EFFECT AT ALL. I HAVE EVEN HAD A PROFESSIONAL BODY SHOP LOOK AT THE VEHICLE TO CHECK FOR PREVIOUS ACIDENT DAMAGE EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW. THEY FOUND NO ACCIDENT DAMAGE, BUT SAID THE ENGINE CRADLE MIGHT NOT BE IN THE VEHICLE STRAIGHT AND COULD NOT FIX IT. AT THIS POINT I AM READY TO SELL THE CAR AND BUY A SAFER VEHICLE. *JB