NHTSA Complaint #10067875 — 1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU

I DO NOT HAVE ANY ACCIDENTS OR INCIDENTS TO REPORT, BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT ONE COULD OCCUR, IF NOT TO ME, TO SOMEBODY ELSE WHO MAY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. NO PROBLEM STATED OR COMPONENT LISTED IN THE SUMMARY. *AK I HAVE A 1998 CHEVY MALIBU, WITH A 3.1L V6 ENGINE. I HAVE BEEN RECENTLY DIAGNOSED WITH A LEAKING LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. MY MECHANIC SAYS THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE, IN THE 50K TO 80K MILE RANGE. I HAVE 89,500 MILES ON MY MALIBU. REPAIR COST IS $600-800. I DID SOME CHECKING AROUND, AND 2 OTHER MECHANICS I SPOKE TO ALSO SAID THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. I ALSO LOOKED ONLINE, AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF OTHERS OUT THERE WITH THE EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS AND PROBLEMS. GM CONTINUES TO DENY THERE IS A PROBLEM, HOWEVER I ALSO BECAME AWARE THAT GM CANADA IS PROVIDING 50/50 DEALS FOR THE CORRECTION OF THIS VERY PROBLEM. CAN'T GM HERE IN THE U.S. ADMIT THERE WAS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE PLASTIC GASKETS THEY USED, AND OFFER A RECALL? THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM IS TOO COMMON FOR IT TO BE NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR...ESPECIALLY WHEN GM CANADA IS OFFERING TO FIX IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.