THE CONSUMER SAID THAT SHE WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE PASSENGER WINDOW BLEW OUT, FOR NO REASON. THE FLYING GLASS NICKED AND GOUGED THE PAINT ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER FEELS THAT THE WINDOW OR THE VEHICLE IS DEFECTIVE. *SCC
2002 Chevrolet Malibu complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2002 record →
I PURCHASED A NEW 2002 CHEVY MALIBU ON AUGUST 1, 2002. FOUR DAYS AND 250 MILES LATER THE FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW "EXPLODED" WHILE I WAS TRAVELING ALONE DOWN I-90 AT 75 MILES AN HOUR. I FEEL THERE WAS A DEFECT IN THE WINDOW OR THE CAR ITSELF TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN FOR "NO APPARENT " REASON. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR WINDOW REPLACD AND THE RIGHT EXTERIOR OF THE CAR REPAINTED FROM THE FLYING GLASS NICKING AND GOUGING THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR. I HAD BROKEN GLASS IN BOTH THE FRONT AND BACK SEATS. THE WINDOW AND PAINTING WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY THROUGH THE DEALERSHIP. WHEN I PICKED THE CAR UP FROM GETTING IT REPAIRED I NOTICED THEY (BODYSHOP) HAD SNAPPED BOTH REAR SEATBELTS. WHEN I GOT THE CAR HOME, I UNSNAPPED THE SEAT BELTS AND NOTICED THEY WOULD NOT RETRACTED BACK IN, BUT INSTEAD, JUST HUNG DOWN ONTO THE SEAT. I CALLED CORY PETERSON, HEAD OF SALES, AND TOLD HIM ABOUT THE SEATBELTS, AND HE TOLD ME TO TAKE THE CAR IN THE NEXT DAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH, TO HAVE THEM CHECKED. MY HUSBAND AND I TOOK IT IN, AND DAVE HALLAND LOOKED AT BOTH SEAT BELTS AND SAID, "THEY ARE WORN OUT." I SAID "WORN OUT! THE CAR IS A MONTH OLD!" HE DID NOT HAVE REPLACEMENT PARTS THAT THAT TIME AND SAID HE WOULD ORDER THEM AND SET US UP FOR AN SEPTEMBER 20TH APPOINTMENT. I TOOK IT BACK ON THAT DATE, AND WAS TOLD THE PARTS WERE NOT IN. HE HAD ANOTHER MAN CHECK OUT THE SEAT BELTS AT THIS TIME AND HE SAID THE "RETRACTORS" WERE DEFECTIVE AND THE ENTIRE SEAT BELTS HAD TO BE REPLACED. DAVE HALLAND AGAIN TOLD ME HE WOULD HAVE TH
WHILE DRIVING, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT, CAUSING CONSUMER TO SWERVE OFF THE RAOD AND STRIKING A MEDIAN WALL, CONSUMER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. NO OTHER TIRE INFO GIVEN. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT #10-90-494)*JB
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE & VIBRATE WHILE DRIVING. DEALER NOTIFIED AND INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THE FRAME WAS CRACK. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.
ROTORS HAVE WARPED ALREADY WITHIN A FEW MONTHS OF PURCHASE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK
VEHICLE HESITATES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (65-70 MPH).*AK
AUTO WAS RENTED FROM AVIS AT THE AIRPORT IN ORLANDO. WHILE PROCEEDING NORTH ON ROUTE 436 FROM THE AIRPORT AND SLOWING FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT AT HANGING MOSS DR., THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG PREMATURELY DEPLOYED AFTER THE DRIVER HEARD A BRIEF SOUND LIKE A "HSST". THE DEPLOYMENT STARTLED MY WIFE, THE DRIVER AND WAS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG, OBSCURING HER VISION. BEFORE SHE COULD BRAKE TO A STOP SHE IMPACTED AN OLD PICKUP TRUCK IN FRONT OF HER WHO WAS ALSO SLOWING FOR THE TRAFFIC LIGHT. DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED BY THE MALIBU BUT NO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED BY THE PICKUP TRUCK. MY WIFE CALLED FOR THE POLICE AFTER BOTH THE PICKUP AND SHE MOVED THE VEHICLES TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO AVOID IMPEDING TRAFFIC. THE DRIVER OF THE PICKUP PROCEEDED TO LEAVE THE SCENE WHILE MY WIFE WAITED FOR OVER 2 HOURS FOR THE POLICE TO ARRIVE. A REPORT WAS FILED WITH THE POLICE AND WITH AVIS ABOUT THE PREMATURE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAGS BUT WITH NO "OTHER VEHICLE PRESENT" THE POLICE COULD DO NOTHING BUT FILE A REPORT ON THE INCIDENT. MY WIFE WAS NOT CITED. AVIS IGNORED THE PREMATURE DEPLOYMENT ISSUE AND CHARGED OUR INSURANCE COMPANY THE $2,600. FOR REPAIRS AS IF A COLLISION CAUSED THE PROBLEM. MY WIFE SUSTAINED A MINOR BURN MARK ON HER ARM FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG.*AK
AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, APPLIED GAS, VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. CONTACTED DEALER. TIE ROD BOLT HAD FALLEN OFF.*AKCONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MANUEVER THE VEHICLE TO A NEARBY GAS STATION. THE WORKER AT THE SERVICE STATION NOTICED THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS TURNED SIDEWAYS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. CONSUMER ASKED FOR A REPLACEMENT BUT WAS TOLD THE ONLY RECOURSE WAS TO REPAIR IT. *JG
WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED THEY DIDN'T HOLD, CAUSING VEHICLE TO REAR END ANOTHER VEHICLE.CONTACTED DEALER. *AK
IN A FRONTAL COLLISON NONE OF AIR BAGS DEPLOYED ON IMPACT.*AK
THE CAR JERKS AT 70 MPH, DEALER COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS STUCK IN THE ON POSITION WHEN STARTING THE CAR (WAS NOT ACTIVATED), DEALER COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. THE CAR FEELS UNSTABLE AND SHACKS AT 50+ MPH (SINCE THE TIME OF PURCHASE THE TIRE PRESSURE HAS NOT BEEN ADJUSTED), THE DEALER SAID THE TIRE WAS OVER INFLATED, TIRE PRESSURE WAS CORRECTED, BUT THE SHACKING HAS BECOME WORSE.
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE HESITATES BETWEEN 65-70 MPH. THE DEALER CANNOT FIND A PROBLEM.*JB
NEW CAR WITH 13136 MILES. TRIP TO FL. BRAKES GROUND WHEN CAUGHT IN SLOW X-WAY TRAFFIC IN LOUISVILLE KY. HAD TO REPLACE FRONT BRAKE PADS, TURN ROTORS AT CHV DLR. COST $242. WARRANTY NO GOOD. THEY BLAMED IT ON LIVING (1 MILE) DOWN A DIRT ROAD WHICH PREVENTED BRAKES FROM WORKING. REPORTED COMPLAINT TO HOME DLR. THEN NEEDED ROTORS TURNED AGAIN AT 16000 MILES. THE SAID THAT BRAKES DON'T ALWAYS LAST LONG, BUT WERE ABLE TO GET SRV. REP. TO REFUND $185. DLR AGREED TO REPLACE ROTORS IF I HAD MORE TROUBLE W/ BRAKES IN NEXT 10,000 MI. THAT MEANS I COULD HAVE A WHOLE BRAKE JOB AT 28,000 AT MY EXPENSE. I AM NOT HAPPY. A COMMONLY HELD IDEA IS THAT BRAKES SHOULD LAST MUCH LONGER. I DON'T RIDE MY BRAKES AND TRAVEL TO WORK ON PAVED RURAL ROADS WITHOUT MUCH TRAFFIC. I DO LOTS OF X-WAY DRIVING AND DON'T TAILGATE. TRADED IN A 1998 MALIBU DUE TO TROUBLE WITH MANIFOLD GASKET, AIR-CON ODOR. PREVIOUSLY HAD WARPED ROTORS AND A NEED TO REPLACE BRAKES MUCH MORE OFTEN THAN 6 PREV. CARS ON SAME DIRT ROAD. HAVE SINCE READ THAT MALIBU BRAKES HAVE A HISTORY OF PROBLEMS. I THINK GM IS IGNORING THE PROBLEM. THEY SHOULD RE-ENGINEER THE BRAKES AND GIVE CONSUMERS A QUALITY PRODUCT.*AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT STEER ITSELF STRAIGHT. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. NLM DEALER WAS UNABLE AND UNWILLING TO FIX, CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE WILL BE TRADED SOON. TT *SLC
WHEN DRIVING REARVIEW INTERIOR MIRROR WOULD VIBRATE, CAUSING A VISIBLE DISTORTION. HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES AND HAD MIRROR TIGHTENED, BUT NOT REPLACED. ALSO, THIS HAPPENS WHEN RADIO IS TURNED ON. OUTSIDE EXTERIOR MIRRORS DO NOT VIBRATE. MECHANIC INDICATED PROBLEM IS NORMAL.*AK DEALER SWITCHED MIRRORS, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXIST. *TT
TIRES, ESPECIALLY THE ONES IN FRONT HAD DEVELOPED WEAR OUT IN MIDDLE WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT STATE WHAT HAD CAUSED WEAR JUST ON FRONT. FIRESTONE, P-215/60R15. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK
WHEN INSTALLING CAR SEAT AND PUTTING SEAT AROUND VEHICLE BUCKLES WOULD LOCK INTO SEAT BELT. CONTACTED DEALER AND THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. *AK CONSUMER STATED THAT THE CHILD CAR SEAT DOES NOT FIT WITH THE VEHICLE'S NEW LATCH SYSTEM AND THE REAR SEAT BELT DOES NOT LOCK PROPERLY. *YH
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu → · Every Malibu year → · How the figures are calculated →