NHTSA Complaint #10019020 — 2000 CHEVROLET MALIBU

I PURCHASED A NEW 2000 CHEVROLET MALIBU. SIX MONTHS AFTER OWNING THE CAR I BEGAN HAVING BRAKE PROBLEMS. UPON APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE ENTIRE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE TO VIBRATE AND THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK VIOLENTLY TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT. I TOOK MY 6 MONTH OLD VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP AND THEY ADVISED THE FRONT ROTORS WERE WARPED. THEY REPLACED THE ROTORS. LATER, THIS SAME DEFECT OCCURRED THREE MORE TIMES. CHEVROLET ONLY MADE TWO MORE REPAIRS. EACH TIME THEY SIMPLY REPLACED THE ROTORS AND PLACED A SHIM BETWEEN THE AXLES AND THE ROTOR. THIS SAME MANUFACTURERS DESIGN FLAW OCCURRED ON THE FLOWING YEAR AND MAKE VEHICLES: 1997-2000 CHEVROLET MALIBU 1997-1999 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS 1999-2000 OLDSMOBILE ALERO 1999-2000 PONTIAC GRAND AM I COMPLAINED TO CHEVROLET ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BUT NOTHING WAS DONE. THE DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE IN SAN ANTONIO SIMPLY TRIED TO AVOID ME. CHEVROLETS ON LINE COMPLAINT SYSTEM ALSO DID NOTHING. AGAIN, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS BRAKE PROBLEM. THE MAIN CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM IS DUE TO THE SMALL (THIN) SIZE OF THE BRAKE ROTORS, WHICH CAUSED A FAILURE TO DISPERSE HEAT ADEQUATELY. IF A DRIVER DRIVES INTO A RAIN STORM OR TO A CAR WASH AND THE HOT ROTORS COOL TOO RAPIDLY THEY WILL WARP. PLEASE SEE GM SERVICE BULLETIN # 00-05-23-002, DATED FEBRUARY 2000 FOR MORE INFORMATION. THE MADDENING THING ABOUT THIS SITUATION IS THAT CHEVROLET KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WHEN I PURCHASED MY CAR. CHEVROLET/GM FAILED TO RECALL ALL THESE VEHICLES, AND EVEN THOUGH THEY KNEW IT WAS A FLAW IN THEIR ENGINEERING AND DESIGN, THEY LEFT THE PROBLEM IN THE HANDS AND POCKET BOOKS OF THEIR CUSTOMERS. HOW MANY ACCIDENTS HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THIS TYPE OF CORPORATE IRRESPONSIBILITY. THIS IS A DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICE. *NLM