1998 Chevrolet Malibu complaints

ROTORS KEEP FAILING PREMATURELY. CONSUMER HAS REPLACED 5 SETS OF ROTORS. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

LEFT FRONT ROTOR HAS BEEN REPLACED 10 TIMES SINCE PURCHASE OF VEHICLE, RUBBING ON PAD. *AK

BRAKE LIGHTS LIGHT BULBS POWER MELT PLASTIC OF COVER, CAUSING NO VISION FOR OTHER DRIVERS ON BRAKE LIGHTS. PLEASE ADD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*AK

FUSES FOR THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS CONTINUED TO BLOW. THEN, PASSENGER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER CRACKED AND BROKE, WHICH NECESSITED THE REPLACEMENT OF WIPER TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY. CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA RECALL 01V068000 DUE TO VIN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES THEY WERE MAKING NOISE. DEALER REPLACED PADS TWICE AND CALIPERS ONCE. BRAKES MAKING NOISE AGAIN AT THIS TIME. BRAKING DISTANCE IS NORMAL.*AK ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED. *SLC

BRAKES GO OUT EVERY 10,000 MILES.*AK

AT VARIOUS SPEEDS BRAKES APPLIED AND VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE, AND JERK STEERING WHEEL OUT OF DRIVER'S HAND. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP, AND HAD ROTORS REFACED/TURNED AND RESURFACED. ALSO, HAD NEW BRAKE PADS DUE TO WARPED ROTORS. *AK

AIR CONDITOIN PANEL HAS GONE OUT TWICE AND HAS BEEN REPLACED NOW IT IS GOING OUT A THIRD TIME. @ HAD REPLACE BRAKES TWICE IN ONE YEAR AND ALSO REPLACE THE ROTERS, REAR SUSPENSION MAKES A NOISE A CRAKING SOUNS LIKE THE SHOCKS ARE BAD. TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ,CAR WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OR CHANGE GEAR. IT HAS BEEN PUT ON THE COMPUTER 2 TIMES AND NO CODE IS SHOWING UP IN THE TRANSMISSION. PLEASE HELP I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR SINCE DAY ONE. AND I HAVE NO EXTENDED WARRENTY.*AK

FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS ARE PREMATURELY WEARING, CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK *JB

THE IGNITION LOCK WAS REPLACED IN OCTOBER OF 1999 BECAUSE THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN. IT JUST HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN ON 4/23/01 BECAUSE THE IGNITION LOCK WAS SO WORN OUT, IF YOU TOOK THE KEY OUT, THE CAR WOULD STILL RUN. THIS WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, BECAUSE IF I THOUGHT THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY OFF, AND LEFT IT IN A LOT OR IN THE STREET SOMEWHERE, AND IT TURNED OUT IT WAS ON, SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN REALLY HURT. ACCORDING TO TWO DIFFERNET GM DEALERSHIPS, AND AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO I CONSULTED ON THIS MATTER, THE IGNITION LOCK SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR, AND THIS IS THE THIRD ONE I HAVE HAD SINCE 1998. ANY ASSISTANCE YOU COULD OFFER WOULD BE MOST APPRECIATED. THANKS.

I HAVE HAD THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER 4 TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE ROTORS. MAY 99, 9800 MI, FEB 00, 18247 MI, MAY 00, 23,236 MILES AND NOW TODAY 35,500 MI. THE FIRST 2 TIMES THEY SHAVED THE ROTORS AND THE THIRD TIME THEY REPLACED THEM. HOWEVER THEY NEVER PUT ON NEW PADS. NOW TODAY THEY TELL ME I NEED NEW BRAKES. THEY CAR IS DOING THE SAME THING IT DID OTHER TIME. AT A SPEED OF OVER 50 MPH IT SHIMMIES. THERE SHOULD DEFINETLY BE A RECALL ON THE BRAKES. THE TIRES ALL HAD TO BE REPLACED AS THEY SPLIT. ALSO I HAVE WATER COMING INTO THE LEFT TAIL LIGHT AND PUTS OUT THE BULB.*AK( DOT NUMBER: )

VEHICLE MAKING SQUEAKING NOISE WHEN COMING TO A STOP, CONSUMER WAS ADVISED BY TECHNICIAN THAT FRONT BRAKE PADS WERE DUE FOR REPLACEMENT AND FRONT ROTORS WERE WORN OUT, LUBED CALIPER SLIDES AND SET CALIPER CLEARANCE, INSPECTED CLEANED AND ADJUSTED REAR BRAKE SHOES. *JB

FRONT WHEELS DEVELOPED GRINING NOISE. DEALER SAYS ITS WORN OUT HUBS AND BEARING ON BOTH SIDES AND CLAIMS ITS FROM POTHOLES. I DON'T HIT MANY POTHOLES. I MAKE A CONSCIENCE EFFORT TO AVOID POTHOLES. REPAIR IS COSTING ME $1000. I THINK I'M BEING TAKEN.*AK

I'M WAITING FOR PAPERS TO BE SENT TO ME FOR THIS COMPLAINT. WINDSHIELD WIPERS BROKE FROM THE SNOW, AND MY WIFE HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES WHILE PULLING OVER CAUSE SHE COULDN'T SEE.*AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SAME DEFECT AS LISTED IN RECALL 01V068000 CONCERNING WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGE: PIVOT: DRIVE ASSEMBLY CRACKING DUE TO SNOW AND ICE. WINDSHIELD WIPER STOPPED OPERATING. DEALER REPAIRED DEFECT AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE, AND DID NOT RECOGNIZE RECALL. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING ENGINE WOULD STALL, AND WAS LEFT WITH NO POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES. *AK THE ENGINE STALL SUDDENLY ON HIGHWAY. *YH

WHEN TRAVELING AND APPLYING BRAKES, THEY MAKE A GRINDING NOISE WHEN MAKING A TURN. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK TRANSMISSION MOUNTS WERE REPLACED. SAFETY BELT FIXED 2 TIMES. POWER STEERING HOSES AND LINES REPLACED, PARTS WERE MISSING FROM STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY. *SLC

FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS ARE PREMATURELY WEARING,CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK THE DEALER REPLACED THE BRAKES FREE OF CHARGE BUT COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY THE BRAKE FAILURE KEEP ON HAPPENING. THIS WAS THE THIRD FAILURE. *YH

I HAVE REPORTED TO THE DEALER OF MY R/F CALIPER PROBLEM. THE BRAKE PADS ON THE R/F SIDE ARE ALL THE WAY TO THE WARNING TAB OF THE BRAKES. I FEEL THE PADS SHOULD BE REPLACE BECAUSE THE CALIPER WORE THEM DOWN PREMATURLLY.*AK

PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT IS JAMMED WITHIN RETRACTING MECHANISM AND WILL NOT RELEASE, CAUSING SEAT BELT TO BECOME INOPERABLE. *AK THE SEAT BELT BECAME INOPERABLE AT LOW MILAGE AND THE CONSUMER WANTS REIMBURSMENT OF COST OF REPAIR. *YH

RECURRING WARPED ROTORS AFTER TIRE ROTATIONS; ONLY ~38,000 MILES AND PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES ALREADY; FIRST 2 TIMES, DEALERS REPLACED ROTORS AND PADS; 3RD TIME (VEHICLE OUT OF WARRENTY) DEALER SAYS BAD TIRES ARE THE CAUSE, BUT RESURFACES ROTORS ANYWAY- SYMPTOMS DISAPPEAR WITH NO CHANGE TO TIRES (ONLY DIFFERENCE IS RESURFACED ROTORS), SO HOW CAN IT BE BAD TIRES. PROBLEM SYMPTOMS ARE ALWAYS THE SAME; SEVERE PULSATION WHEN APPLYING BRAKES ABOVE ~60-65MPH, AND SEVERE VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL. BRAKES ARE AN IMPORTANT SAFETY COMPONENT ON AUTOMOBILES. PLEASE TAKE SOME ACTION REGARDING THIS PROBLEM -- OBVIOUSLY I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE EXPERIENCING THESE PROBLEMS, AND AT LEAST SOME DEALERS DO NOT APPEAR TO BE BEING COMPLETELY HONEST HERE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 45 MPH WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE. DEALER SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL, RECALL ANNOUNCED IN MARCH 2001, NO NOTIFICATION SCHEDULE YET. *AK CONSUMER STATED AN ACCIDENT WAS ALMOST CAUSED DUE TO THE FAULTY WIPERS. *SLC

THE ABS SYSTEM ATTEMPTS TO MODULATE AFTER APPROX 5 MILES OF DRIVING. THIS MODULATION LASTS FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF ABOUT 15-20 SECONDS AND HAPPENS ONLY WHILE BRAKING. THIS CREATES A PERIOD OF POOR BRAKING AND EXTENDED BREAKING DISTANCE, RESULTING IN SEVERAL NEAR MISSES. AFTER THE EXTENDED MODULATION, THE ABS INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON AND THE ABS SYSTEM IS DISABLED. ONCE THE VEHICLE IGNITION IS TURNED OFF THE SYSTEM CLEARS AND THE LIGHT GOES OUT. THIS HAS HAPPEND 10-15 TIMES WITH INCREASED FREQUENCY.SED. *AK

ENGINE GASKET FAILURE IN A 3 YEAR OLD, 52000 MILE CAR---SPOKE WITH SEVERAL MECHANICS--APPARENTLY IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE. WHY NO RECALL?*AK

THE STRUT AND SHOCKS DAMAGED, AND VEHICLE NOCKS AND WOBBLES CAUSE OF LOOSENESS IN FRONT RIGHT DRIVE SHAFT. *AK

FOUND COOLANT LEAKING FROM CAR CHECKED OUT AND THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING COOLANT. DEALER TO PAY FOR REPAIR.*AK

ENGINE TICKS AT COLD STARTS THEN ENDS ONCE WARMED UP. DEALER NOTIFIED, HAS NO EXPLANATION, NO IDEA WHAT REPAIRS WILL COST IF EXTENDED WARRANTY DOESN'T COVER IT. *AK

BRAKES FAILED TO WORK PROPERLY WHEN THEY WERE APPLIED. TIRES WOULD GO FLAT EVERY 3 DAYS. HAD THEM CHECKED FOR HOLES OR CUTS, NOTHING WAS FOUND. ENGINE HAD STALLED OUT WHILE DRIVING DUE TO BLOWN HEAD GASKETS.*AK

CONSUMER HAD ROTORS RESURFACED, THEN REPLACED. CURRENTLY, ROTORS NEED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. WHEN APPLYING BRAKES FRONT END SHAKES. *AK

CAR STILL MADE NOISE AFTER HUB/BEARINGS REPLACED. 2ND TIME HUB/BEARING REPLACED NOISE WAS LOUDER. GOT 2ND OPINION, WAS BACK PLATE RUBBING AGAINST ROTOR. DID I EVEN NEED MY HUB/BEARING REPLACED. 3/23/01 SAID I NEED ROTORS RESURFACED, 2ND OPINION - ROTORS FINE. CHEVY IS RIPPING ME OFF. CHARGED ME FOR NEW SERPENTINE BELT & NEVER REPLACED IT. MOISTURE IN HEADLIGHTS.

PASSENGER STOP LIGHT GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY, CONSUMER BELIEVES IT TO BE STOP LAMP ASSEMBLY OVERHEATING. *AK

I HAVE A ANTI-THEFT LOCK THAT CAME WITH THE VEHICLE,I HAVE BEEN STUCK SEVERAL TIMES DUE TO THE ANTI-THEFT GOING ON AND I CANNOT START THE CAR FOR ATLEAST 20 MIN. AT A TIME. I HAVE BEEN LATE FOR WORK AND APPOINTMENTS ALSO. I NEED TO KNOW SHOULD I TRY TO TAKE VEHICLE IN TO REMOVE ANTI-THEFT,IF POSSIBLE, IF I THE OWNER WITH THE KEY CANNOT START THE CAR I GUESS A THEFT WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME ALSO. SO IN ONE WAY I LIKE THE FEATURE. WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS IS A STANDARD FEATURE IN THESE VEHICLES? AND IF IT IS WORTH HAVING?*AK

CAR SOUNDED LIKE AN AIRPLANE PROPELLER AND SQUEALING AND SQUEAKING IN THE BACK END. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON, AND BRAKES GOT HARD. IT WAS HARD TO STOP AT 45 MPH. TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID ACID WAS DRIPPING ONTO BRAKE LINE AND IT CORRODED ANTI-LOCK VALVE. CONSUMER HAS REPLACED BRAKES AND DRUMS NUMERUS TIMES BEFORD FINDING PROBLEM WAS WITH THE DRIPPING OF ACID. *AK

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM FRONT OF VEHICLE, DEALER FOUND WHEEL BEARINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ON RIGHT FRONT. *AK

RETURNED TO SELLING DEALER 06/13/2000, 18121 MILES FOR REPAIR OF BRAKE PULSATION, ESPECIALLY VIOLENT AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS. BRAKE ROTORS WERE RESURFACED AND PADS DEGLAZED AT MY EXPENSE. COMPLAINED TO SERVICE MANAGER ABOUT BEING CHARGED FOR REPAIR ON A CAR WITH 3/36 BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY. WAS TOLD BRAKE WARRANTY WAS ONLY 12/12000. CALLED CHEVROLET AND LODGED A COMPLAINT, FOLLOWED BY A LETTER ON 06/16/2000. CHEVROLET REP GAVE ME A COMPLAINT FILE #, C00624109. NOW AT 26000 MILES, BRAKE PULSATION HAS RETURNED. I HAVE NO REASON TO THINK THIS WILL NOT BE CONSTANTLY REOCURRING. AT HIGHWAY SPEED THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. THE STEERING WHEEL WILL SHUDDER VIOLENTLY. I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT SOME REENGINEERING IS POSSIBLE AND SHOULD BE REQUIRED. *AK

THE BRAKE LINES COME OUT OF THE MASTER CYLINDER AND GO TO A HYDRALIC VALVE ON THE ANTILOCK BRAKE VALVE WHICH IS LOCATED UNDER THE BATTERY AND CORROSION HAS GOTTEN INTO AND ON THIS VALVE ASSEMBLY WHICH HAS CAUSED REAR BRAKE FAILURE THE VALVE IS LOCATED IN A VERY BAD PLACE TO CONTROL SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE OPERATIONS OF A VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BEFORE THERE IS FAILURES OF BRAKES ON THESE VEHICLES. WHEN THE ACID HAS BEEN THERE LONG ENOUGH IT WILL EAT AWAY AT THE BRAKE LINES COMPLETLY AND CAUSE MAJOR ACCIDENTS WHITH THE LOSS BEING MORE THAN MONEY OR PROPERTY.*AK

WITH 58000 MILES, THE ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED FOUR TIMES AND I'M NOW ON THE THIRD SET OF BRAKE PADS. BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELS ALMOST TO THE FLOOR, AND EVEN AT A STOP, WITH BRAND NEW PADS AND ROTORS, THE CAR STILL LURCHES FORWARD A BIT AS IF THE BRAKES CAN'T COMPLETELY STOP IT. CHEVROLET AGREED TO REPLACE THE ROTORS FOR 100000 MILES BECAUSE I FILED A FORMAL COMPLAINT, HOWEVER THIS TIME I TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE WHO PUT HEAVY DUTY ROTORS ON TO SEE IF THAT WILL HELP. EVEN THAT MECHANIC STATES THAT THE BRAKES DO NOT SEEM ADEQUATE FOR THE CAR.*AK

MY MALIBU HAS HAD BOTH FRONT BRAKE SHOES REPLACED TWICE. THE ROTORS AND CALIPARS REPLACED THE ALTINATOR REPLACED. NOW THE COOLANT SYSTEM IS LEAKING ALL OVER THE ENGINE. THE PASSENGER WINDOW WILL NOT ROLL DOWN EVERYTIME. THE DASHBOARD IS LOOSE AND RATTLES. MY A/C LIGHT IN CAR CLICKS ON AND OFF. THE LEFT TAILIGHT BURNED OUT TWICE. THAT'S ALL THAT I CAN THINK OF RIGHT NOW.

HAVE HAD 4 PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES SINCE I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR. I TALKED TO MANUFACTURER AND GOT NO WHERE WITH THEM.*AK

THE BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING THEM TO MAKE SQUEALING NOISE, THE FRONT PADS WERE REPLACED, ROTORS MACHINED AND CALIPERS SERVICED, THE CONSUMER REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT. NLM

PREMATURE WEAR ON BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED THERE WAS A LOUD GRINDING SOUND. DEALER HAS REPLACED ROTORS AND PADS.*AK

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES VEHICLE DRAGS. ALSO, FUEL INJECTOR BLEWOUT. HAD TO BE REPLACED FROM DEALERSHIP.

SQUEAKING NOISE CAME FROM STEERING, DEALER REPLACED STEERING RACK ASSEMBLY AND POWER STEERING HOSES. RIGHT FRONT SHOULDER BELT WOULD NOT ADJUST UP OR DOWN, SEATBELT STOP BUTTON WAS MISSING, LEFT SIDE DRIVER'S SHOULDER BELT RETRACTS SLOWLY, RIGHT FRONT SHOULDER BELT RETRACTS SLOWLY AND JAMS AT TIMES. REAR BUMPER COVER AT LEFT SIDE AT TAIL LIGHT OPENING HAS POOR FIT. EXCESSIVE WIND NOISE AT THE LEFT FRONT DOOR GLASS OPENING WHILE TRAVELING HIGHWAY SPEEDS. STEERING SHIMMIES WHILE BRAKING, DEALER FOUND WARPED ROTORS. IDLE QUALITY IN GEAR AT STOP IS POOR, TRANSMISSION MOUNTS WERE WEAK, ENGINE RUNS ROUGH AT TIMES. FRONT HEAD LIGHT FOGGED UP, DELAER FOUND INSIDE LENS CRACKED. RATTLE NOISE HEARD UNDER VEHICLE WHILE TRAVELING ON ROUGH ROADS. *SLC

WAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AND WENT TO APPLY BRAKES, ABS BRAKING SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON, AND BRAKES DIDN'T GRAB. DEALER WILL BE NOTFIED TOMORROW.*AK

EVERY 7000 MILES VEHICLES BRAKES CAUSE EXCESSIVE VIBRATION. DEALER REPLACED ROTORS AND PADS AT LEAST 6 TIMES, AND PROBLEM KEEPS OCCURRING. *AK

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES VEHICLE WILL VIBRATE. ROTORS WERE REPLACED. BECAUSE ROTORS WERE WEARING OUT, BRAKES HAD TO BE REPLACED EIGHT TIMES.*AK

WHEN HITTING BRAKES CAR SHAKED. IT HAS BEEN REPAIRED ONCE, AND CURRENTLY, IT'S DOING IT AGAIN. *AK

WHEN STEEPING ON BRAKES CAR SHAKED. FIXED IT ONCE, BUT PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN. *AK