1999 Chevrolet Malibu

HAVE TO REPLACE BRAKE PADS/ROTORS EVERY 5,000 MILES. I'VE SPENT MORE MONEY ON THE BRAKES ON THIS CAR THAN GAS. I'VE ALSO GONE THROUGH 5 SETS OF TIRES. REPLACED WHEEL HUB BEARINGS, AND STILL, AFTER REPLACING ITEMS, THE VIBRATION, SHAKING, INSTABILITY COMES BACK. ALSO, PROBLEM WITH ABS. LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON. I'VE HAD IT LOOKED AT 6 TIMES AND DEALER CAN'T FIND PROBLEM. EACH TIME AFTER SEEING DEALER, IT GOES OUT. BUT THEN COMES BACK ON AGAIN IN A FEW DAYS. HAVE PROBLEMS BRAKING. I'VE HAD TO STOP QUICKLY, AND THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, AND CAR WON'T SLOW DOWN. IT'S AS IF I'M TRYING TO SLOW DOWN ON A SHEET OF ICE, AND I LIVE IN FLORIDA!!! BACK TAILLIGHTS CONSTANTLY MELT AROUND BULBS. I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES IN BOTH. IS CHEVROLET GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS?? I'VE READ THAT A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING THESE SAME PROBLEMS. DOES IT TAKE A FEW PEOPLE'S DEATHS TO FINALLY GET THEM TO CARE? COME ON CHEVROLET, I USED TO BELIEVE IN YOU, BUT NOW I'M QUESTIONING THE CARS. THIS IS THE 6TH CHEVROLET CAR I'VE OWNED. STRONGLY THINKING OF NEVER BUYING A CHEVY AGAIN. *JB

I HAVE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE BRAKE SYSTEM OF MY VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR JUST OVER A YEAR NOW AND I HAVE HAD 3 WHEELBEARINGS DONE, THE BRAKES CHANGED TWICE, THE ROTORS CHANGED AND TURNED, THE CALIPERS CHANGED AND MORE. THE CALIPERS CONTINUE TO MAKE A HORRIBLE CRUNCHING NOISE AND NO ONE WANTS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. THE DEALER SAYS ITS A MANUAFACTURING DEFECT AND CHEVY SAYS IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY WHEN I BOUGHT IT, 12 DAYS, AND IT WAS NEVER BROUGHT INTO A CHEVY DEALERSHIP SO THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO. WELL, ITS CRAP AND I KNOW THERE ARE AT LEAST A HUNDRED OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM SO IF YOU HAVE A 1999 CHEVY MALIBU WITH DEFECTS CALL ME AND LETS SUE IN A CLASS ACTION SUIT BECAUSE THEY SHOULD NOT GET AWAY WITH THIS. 607-397-1782

VEHICLE HAD CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND ALTERNATOR GO OUT COMPLETELY WITHIN 10K OF EACH OTHER. ONCE THE CAT HAD GONE BAD, IT CAUSED THE VALVE SEALS ON THE ENGINE TO NEED TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, A $1300 JOB NOT COVERED BY EXTENDED WARRANTY. ALSO HAVE HAD BREAK PAD PROBLEMS WITH THEM WEARING UNEVENLY. THE VEHICLE WAS AT A CHEVROLET DEALER FOR ALMOST A WEEK BEFORE THEY GUESSED THE PROBLEM-NO ONE ACTUALLY LOOKED AT MY ENGINE TO VERIFY THAT THE SEALS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, I WAS SO ANNOYED WITH WAITING FOR A DIAGNOSIS, I HAD ANOTHER MECHANIC COMPLETE THE WORK AND REPLACE THE CAT. THESE PROBLEMS ALSO RESULTED IN A MIDNIGHT TOW TWO HOURS AWAY FROM HOME SINCE MY CAR WOULD NOT START, TAKING MORE TIME AND MONEY OUT OF MY HECTIC SCHEDULE. *AK

AIR CONTROLS SWITCH BACK & FORTH FROM FRESH TO RECIRCULATE. CAR HAS REFUSED TO START TWICE & ANTITHEFT SYSTEM ACTIVATED. INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAK UPPER AND LOWER. I HAD THE GASKET REPLACED AND GM CANADA PAID FOR THE LABOR AND I PAID FOR THE PARTS, APPROX $180 CANADIAN. I BELIEVE THERE WAS 78000 KM (48,000 MILES) ON THE CAR AT THE TIME. SEATBELTS ARE SLOW TO RETRACT. CLUNKING NOISE IN FRONT END, THEY CAN'T IDENTIFY OR FIX. RECALL ON ROTORS CAUSED PADS TO FAIL.

AIR CONDITIONING - ELECTRICAL FAILURE, WOULD FLICKER ON AND OFF. ENGINE - HEAD GASKET, FAULTY. WAS REPLACED. POWER WINDOW - REGULATOR AND MOTOR FAULTY, THE WINDOW JUST STOP ROLLING UP AND DOWN, DID NOT SHOW SIGNS OF FAIURE TILL IT HAPPENED. IN SHOP RIGHT NOW, NOT COVERED UNDER MANUFACTURER WARRANTY. OTHER - COOLING SYSTEM, USES THE INFAMOUS DEX-COOL COOLANT. THE ENGINE GETS HOT EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT. HOT MEANING TWO BARS ABOVE MIDDLE. IT USUALLY RESIDES IN THE MIDDLE. THE RADIATOR CAP HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND THE HEAD GASKET WAS ALSO SUSPECTED OF BEING A PROBLEM RELATED TO THIS. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS AND IS GOING TO THE DEALER TOMORROW FOR ANOTHER INSPECTION. THE WORST TIME IT OCCURRED WAS AFTER THE HEAD GASKET HAD BEEN REPLACED. THE VEHICLE RAN FINE FOR TWO MONTHS. WE TOOK IT ON VACATION TO LAKE POWELL WHEN THE PROBLEMS OCCURRED AGAIN. THE ENGINE STARTED TO GET HOT. I TURNED OFF THE A/C AND TURNED ON THE HEAT. THIS WAS ABLE TO GET THE ENGINE DRIVEABLE WITHOUT CAUSING DAMAGE TO IT. MY WORRY IS THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN TO MY WIFE ON THE FREEWAY OR DRIVING HOME TO SEE HER PARENTS. HAD THIS OCCURRED THE FIRST TIME WITH JUST HER IN THE CAR SHE WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN WHAT TO DO AND WOULD HAVE BEEN STRANDED.

WINDSHIELD: WHISTLES WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS. TAKEN IN FOR REPAIRS NUMEROUS TIMES AND TOLD THAT MECHANIC DOESN'T HEAR ANYTHING WRONG. ONGOING PROBLEM. BRAKES: NEED TO BE REPLACED EVERY YEAR. CAR SEEMS TO CHEW THEM UP. REPLACED WITH HIGH QUALITY BRAKES FROM AUTO ZONE. LIFETIME GUARANTEE, AND REPLACED BY MYSELF. TRANSMISSION: WHEN CAR GOES FROM REVERSE INTO DRIVE, CAR REVS UP AS IF IN NEUTRAL. FINALLY KICKS INTO GEAR, BUT IS JERKY FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES AFTERWARDS.

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILS. THE DEXCOOL COOLANT LEAKED INTO THE OIL. THE BEARINGS ON THE GASKET ARE DAMAGED. I WAS TOLD THAT I REALLY NEED A NEW ENGINE, BUT THAT I COULD TRY REPLACING THE GASKET, BUT THERE ARE NO GUARANTEE THAT WILL WORK. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR MOST GM CARS FROM THAT TIME FRAME AND STARTING AROUND 40,000 AND THAT GM HAS EVEN MADE A NEW PART FINDING THE ORIGINAL DEFICIENT.

3/18/03 - MALIBU IS DIAGNOSED WITH AN INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS LOSING COOLANT, BUT THERE WAS NEVER ANY SIGNS OF LEAKAGE ON THE DRIVEWAY. AN INDEPENDANT SHOP DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM. A LITTLE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET REVEALED THAT VERY MANY OTHER GM OWNERS WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. WE ATTEMPTED TO GET ASSISTANCE IN PAYING FOR THE REPAIR FROM GM, BUT THEY REFUSED. THE DESIGN OF THE GASKET SYSTEM COMBINED WITH DEXCOOL COOLANT APPEARS TO BE FAULTY. WE ALSO HAVE A CRONIC PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE. ABOUT EVERY 12000 MILES THE BRAKES NEED TO BE REPLACED, THE ROTORS ARE WARPED AND THE PADS ARE BAD. SO FAR, GM IS PICKING UP ALL THOSE COSTS BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WAS REPORTED WHILE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THROUGH THE INTERNET WE ALSO DISCOVERED THAT MANY MALIBU OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.