NHTSA Complaint #10106455 — 1999 CHEVROLET MALIBU

I FIRST NOTICED THE LOW ANTIFREEZE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER THE CAR WAS SITTING FOR OVER 6 HOURS. AFTER STOPPING TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG, THE LIGHT WENT OFF. AFTER GETTING HOME, I LOOKED AT THE ENGINE AND NOTICED A COLLECTION OF ANTIFREEZE POOLING ON THE ENGINE, AND MUCH SLUDGE COLLECTED ON THE ENGINE. I REFILLED THE ANTIFREEZE RESERVOIR AND TOOK THE CAR INTO BOB MONTGOMERY CHEVROLET, LOUISVILE, KENTUCKY. THEY INDICATED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET NEEDS REPLACEMENT, WHICH IS WHAT I FIGURED AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE. APPARENTLY, THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED BEFORE BY OVER 1100 CAR OWNERS, AND IS A DESIGN FLAW WITH THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE. MOREOVER, SOME RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THE DESIGN HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED, AND THEREFORE CAN BE EXPECTED TO REOCCUR. MY PROBLEM FIRST OCCURRED DURING THE FIRST WEEK I OWNED THE CAR, FALL OF 2000. THIS INCIDENT WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY BY UEBELOR CHEVROLET, JASPER, INDIANA, AND HAS NOT RECURRED UNTIL NOW. THIS COMPLAINT SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE LARGE GROUP THAT CAME BEFORE IT. *JB