2009 Chevrolet Malibu

BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVE WAY THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE CALIPER LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT RELEASE THE ROTOR. UNDER WARRANTY THE DEALER REPLACED THE ROTOR, CALIPER, FLEXIBLE HOSE AND PADS. THE CAR WOULD MOVE FORWARD BUT FELT LIKE THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. AFTER A SHORT DISTANCE THE ROTOR HEATED UP AND WAS SMOKING. THIS SAME THING OCCURRED AGAIN ON 9/24/2012. MILEAGE AT THAT TIME WAS 37900. DEALER CURRENTLY HAS THE CAR AND IS TRYING TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *TR

ON OR ABOUT 9/5/12, I NOTICED THAT MY LEFT FRONT TIRE PRESSURE WAS SLIGHTLY LOW (28PSI). I PUT AIR IN AND THE PRESSURE WAS BACK TO 30 PSI PER MANUFACTURER'S SPECS. ON 9/6, WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, MY TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH AND THE PRESSURE WAS THEN AT 25 PSI. PRESSURE DID NOT FALL BELOW THIS LEVEL AND WHEN I GOT HOME, I PUT AIR IN TO GET IT BACK TO 30 PSI. I DROVE APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES TO THE GYM. APPROXIMATELY 1 1/4 HOURS LATER, I CAME OUT AND THE PRESSURE WAS AT 26 PSI. CAME HOME, PUT AIR IN AND THE NEXT MORNING, PRESSURE HAD BEEN MAINTAINED. TOOK THE CAR IN TO TIRES PLUS - LAKE MARY FL THE NEXT AM & THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE TIRE. DROVE 40 MILES WITH NO LOSS OF PRESSURE. CAME OUT TO MY CAR APPROXIMATELY 8 HOURS LATER & THERE WAS 12 PSI IN THE TIRE. CALLED AAA AND HAD THE SPARE PUT ON. TOOK THE CAR IN TO TIRES PLUS ON UNIVERSITY BLVD IN ORLANDO. THEY ALSO DID NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG, PUT A NEW VALVE STEM ON AND I DROVE HOME WITH NO LOSS OF PRESSURE. WHEN I WENT TO THE CAR THE NEXT MORNING, PRESSURE WAS AT 9 PSI. PUT AIR IN TO GET PRESSURE BACK TO 30 PSI & DROVE IT TO TIRES PLUS IN LAKE MARY AGAIN (9/9) & IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A PINHOLE IN THE RIM. SINCE HAVING THE NEW RIM PUT ON ONE WEEK AGO, I HAVE NOT HAD A FURTHER PROBLEM. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. I MET A GENTLEMAN EARLIER THIS WEEK WHO TOLD ME HE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH TWO WHEELS ON A 2009 MALIBU. I AM GOING TO ASK HIM TO FILE A COMPLAINT, AS WELL. *TR

I WAS HIT VERY HARD ON DRIVER FRONT AND SIDE PANEL. OTHER DRIVER IN TRUCK FAILED TO YIELD (TEXTING AND TALKING ON BLUETOOTH) WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN AND RAN INTO OUR CAR I WAS MOVING ABOUT 10-15 MPH NO ONSTAR CALL AND NONE OF THE BAGS DEPLOYED. 3 PEOPLE HURT AND STILL SORE MUST SEE DOCTOR FOR >12 TREATMENTS TO REALIGN AND STOP SORENESS. MY X-RAYS OF MY BACK LOOK AWFUL. WE ALL HAVE VERTEBRAE DAMAGE IN OUR NECKS INJURED NECK, SHOULDERS, ARMS/WRIST, HEADACHES, BACK, RIBS, KNEES, NUMBNESS IN FEET. HURTS VERY MUCH. M.D. STATED I WOULD HAVE BEEN LESS HURT IF BAG(S) HAD DEPLOYED. CALLED GM OUT OF CONCERN. THEY CALLED ME FOR INFO. LAST CALL, FRIDAY GM REP (FAITH) READ STATEMENT " IT MAY TAKE UP TO 120 DAYS TO INVESTIGATE AND DURING THAT TIME I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING FOR A CAR RENTAL, IF GM FINDS PROBLEM, THEY WILL PAY FOR THE RENTAL AND/OF OTHER AWARDS." I WAS IN BED SORE DURING THIS CALL AND I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING IMPAIRED THINKING SINCE THIS ACCIDENT. AFTER I HUNG UP I WAS VERY ANGRY ABOUT THIS. GM CAN AND PROBABLY WILL SAY "NOTHINGS WRONG" AND I'M STUCK WITH HUGE RENTAL BILL AND POSSIBLY A DEFECTIVE CAR. I CALLED BACK AND LEFT MSG W/FAITH AND HER BOSS ON ANSWERING SERVICE. I ASK "WHAT IF I DON'T AGREE TO THESE TERMS?" FAITH SAID THE FILE WOULD BE CLOSED. GM, THIS IS SERIOUS, YOU CAN'T OFFER A LOANER CAR? THE AVERAGE SMALL CAR RENTAL IS AROUND $27.00 A DAY. I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A CATCH-22 SITUATION. I HAD BEEN PLANNING SINCE LAST YEAR TO BUY THE CHEVY EQUINOX - FORGET THAT. BROUGHT CAR DURING THE GOVERNMENT REBATE TO TRADE OLD CAR IN WHEN GM. NOW I'M STUCK WITH A CAR I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE. I LIVE IN A CITY WHERE DRUNK DRIVING FATALITIES OCCUR DAILY WITH TEXTING AND OTHER CARELESS DRIVERS. CAR ALSO EMITS A STRONG SOUR SMELL WHEN STARTED BUT GOES AWAY AFTER THE WINDOWS ARE DOWN SOME MINUTES. I LOVED THIS CAR BUT, SADLY I HOPE ITS TOTALED - SERIOUSLY. *TR

I WAS HIT BY A TRUCK THAT STRUCK THE DRIVER FRONT END AND SIDE PANEL. I WAS MOVING ABOUT 1-15 MPH (?)DRIVER WAS TEXTING AND TALING ON BLUETOOTH DID NOT SEE US, CITED FOR FAILING TO STOP. OTHER DRIVER WAS DRIVING FASTER THAN 15 MPH MAKING A LEFT TURN. SHE NEVER PUT ON BRAKES. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. ONSTAR NEVER CALLED LIKE IN THE COMMERCIALS ON T.V. ALL PASSENGERS HURT ENOUGH TO HAVE TO SEE A CHIROPRACTOR 10XS FOR BACK, NECK, KNEES, HEADACHE - ALL OVER BODY PAIN. AWFUL X-RAYS... CHIROPRACTOR STATED I'D BEEN LESS HURT IF BAGS HAD DEPLOYED. I THE DRIVER HAVE TO SEE A MD TOMMORROW CAN'T STAND BACK PAIN . CALLED GM WAS TOLD IT MAY TAKE 120 DAYS TO CHECK CAR BUT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR MY RENTAL DURING THE PROCESS. GM CAN EASILY SAY NOTHINGS WRONG TO ME AND NOT PAY FOR RENTAL. GM REP SAID IF I REFUSE THE TERMS THEN CASE WILL BE CLOSED. CATCH -22. I FEEL THIS IS UNFAIR GM SHOULD PUT SAFETY FIRST AND OFFER LOANER CAR. TEXAS HAS HAD A HUGE PROBLEM WITH FATALITIES DUE TO DRUNKS, TEXTING OR CARELESS DRIVERS FROM SMALL CARS TO 18 WHEELERS. LOVE THE MALIBU BUT I'M EXTREMELY AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR. SADLY, I'M HOPING ITS TOTALLED. WHY IS GM TREATING CONSUMERS LIKE THIS. BROUGHT CAR DURING REBATE OUT OF LOYALTY TO HELP AMERICAN COMPANY/JOBS STAY AFLOAT. THANKS A LOT GM. I JUST WANT CAR FIXED OR ANOFFER TO BUY ANOTHER CAR - I WAS PLANNING TO BUY A CHEVY SUV PRIOR TO THIS ACCIDENT. MY MALIBU ALSO OFTEN HAS A STRANGE SOUR SMELL EMITTING FROM AIR CONDITIONER THAT GOES AWAY AFTER THE WINDOWS ARE LEFT DOWN FOR A FEW MINUTES - I JUST NEVER HAD TIME TO TAKE IT IN FOR THAT. I ALWAYS KEPT CAR IN GOOD MAINTENANCE AS SCHEDULED. SKIPPED ON FORDS NOW I'M ADDING CHEVY TO MY " DON'T BUY" LIST AND WILL SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE UNLESS THEY COME THROUGH WITH A BETTER WAY TO HANDLE SERIOUS PROBLEMS. NOW I KNOW HOW THAT TOYOTA DRIVER FELT. THANKS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE TURN SIGNALS AND THE HAZARD LIGHTS WOULD NOT FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE HAZARD SWITCH UNIT AND THE RELAY HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED AFTER THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE MECHANIC WHERE THE TURN SIGNAL UNIT AND IGNITION WERE REPLACED BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL FOR THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING BUT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN AND STOPPED ILLUMINATING WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT AFTER HAVING THE BRAKES, ROTORS, AND CALIBERS REPLACED AT THE DEALER, THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BECAUSE THE DEALER STATED THAT MOISTURE WAS PENETRATING THE BRAKE SYSTEM. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 41,000.

TOOK CAR INTO SHOP OVER A YEAR AGO BECAUSE BAD ODORS WERE COMING OUT OF THE CABIN AIR SUPPLY. THE CHEVROLET SHOP CLEANED OUT THE A/C - TOOK CAR BACK 8-9 MONTHS LATER, SMELLY ODORS COMING FROM AIR VENTS IN CAR. THEY CANNOT FIX - THESE CARS ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH CABIN AIR FILTERS...IN 2009 BUT - ARE NOW IN 2012. I HAD BRONCHITIS AND NEAR PNEUMONIA FOR A YEAR AND A HALF. A MONTH AGO, I WAS TOLD THAT I HAVE ASTHMA. THESE HEALTH ISSUES ARE SERIOUS - I'M 64. I NOW NEED INHALERS, ETC. THE CAR SEEMS NOW TO FUNCTION OKAY WITH THE INSIDE A/C BUTTONS BUT THE FUMES ARE THERE WITHOUT THESE BUTTONS. I'LL AGAIN NEED HEAT IN THE WINTER AND SUSPECT THE PROBLEM TO RETURN. ALSO, I DON'T ALWAYS NEED A/C BUT HAVE TO DRIVE WITH THE WINDOWS UP BECAUSE OF THE HORRID NORTHERN VA TRAFFIC. THERE IS NO WORK AROUND AND I CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY ANOTHER CAR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE TRACTION CONTROL AND ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL LIGHTS BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE INTERMITTENTLY. THE CRUISE CONTROL FEATURE THEN FAILED. THE BRAKE INDICATOR ALSO FAILED, AS IT INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BRAKING WHEN IT WAS NOT. THE INDICATOR ALSO DISPLAYED A MESSAGE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT BRAKING WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 37,000.

THE POWER LOCKS ON THE CAR WOULD NOT UNLOCK THE DOORS, LEAVING THE PASSENGERS TRAPPED INSIDE. WE WERE UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOORS MANUALLY, ELECTRICALLY OR EVEN WITH INSERTING THE KEY INTO THE DOOR. PASSENGERS HAD TO CRAWL OUT OF THE WINDOWS. AFTER TRYING THE KEY AND REMOTE NUMEROUS TIMES THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR UNLOCKED BUT WOULD NOT RELATCH WHEN THE DOOR WAS CLOSED OR EVEN AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE AND PLACING THE TRANSMISSION IN GEAR. THE LOCKS SOUND LIKE THEY ENGAGE AND DISENGAGE LEAVING ONE TO THINK EVERY THING IS OKAY BUT, IT IS NOT. THIS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD AND ONE THAT COULD BE LIFE THREATENING. *TR

INTERMITTENTLY, THE BRAKE LIGHT WILL COME ON AND REMAIN LIT SOLIDLY UNTIL THE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED, THEN IT GOES OFF -- ACTING OPPOSITE OF THE WAY IT SHOULD. AT NIGHT, THE LIGHT IS VISIBLE IN THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR AND WE CAN SEE IT COME ON. WE THEN DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT WILL REMAIN ON TAIL LIGHTS ONLY FOR A FEW MINUTES, THEN IT GLOWS BRIGHTLY AGAIN AS THOUGH THE DRIVER WERE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. WHEN THE LIGHT IS ON TAIL LIGHTS ONLY, THE BRAKE LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE CORRECTLY WHEN THE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED AND THE BRAKES APPEAR TO BE EFFECTIVE. THERE IS AN OCCASIONAL "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL" AND "SERVICE ESC" LIGHT THAT APPEARS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. WHEN THE FAULT CODES ARE SCANNED WITH AN ABS BRAKING SYSTEM CODE READER, IT YIELDS A C-0131 ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM PRESSURE CIRCUIT MALFUNCTION. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS PRETTY PREVALENT WITH LATE MODEL CHEVROLET VEHICLES FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET, BUT THE REPAIR PROCEDURE IS NOT CLEAR TO ANYONE WHO IS EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. SOME SAY THAT IT IS A $1,000.00+ DEALER REPAIR ITEM AND THAT THE PROBLEM TENDS TO OCCUR AT THE END OF THE 36,000 MILE WARRANTY PERIOD, JUST LIKE OURS DID. IT IS EXTREMELY ANNOYING AND DISTRACTING TO OTHER DRIVERS, SOME OF WHOM PULL ALONGSIDE AND SAY THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT IS WORKING "OPPOSITE" OF THE WAY IT SHOULD. THE BRAKES SEEM EFFECTIVE, BUT IN CASE OF A LOSS OF TRACTION, SKID, ETC., I AM NOT SURE WHAT THE RESULT MIGHT BE TO THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL OR THE TRACTION CONTROL -- BOTH OF WHICH WE KEEP TURNED OFF TO MINIMIZE ANY PROBLEM UNTIL I CAN LOCATE AN APPROPRIATE FIX. IT SEEMS THAT A RECALL OF THESE VEHICLES IS IN ORDER. *TR