NHTSA Complaint #10107720 — 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX

CAR HAD LEFT PULLING PROBLEM AT DELIVERY. SELLER SUGGESTED CAR HAVE 1000+ MILES BEFORE ATTEMPTING ALIGNMENT. CAR "REPAIRED" AT ANOTHER IN-TOWN DEALER UNDER WARRANTY. WITHIN 6-8 MOS., PROBLEM SET IN AGAIN, ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE SIMPLY CRUISING FOR HOURS AT HIGHWAY SPEED. (NO "TORQUE STEER" OR "COUNTRY CROWN ROADS.") AFTER 3 HOUR DRIVE, COMPLAINED TO SELLING DEALER WHO REPLACED SENSOR (WHICH REQUIRED NEW COLUMN AND REPROGRAMMING SEVERAL MICROPROCESSORS ACCORDING TO MOST RECENT BULLETINS.) CAR SEEMED FINE FOR 1-2 MONTHS. AGAIN, STEERING SEEMS NOT TO CENTER ACCURATELY, AND GENERALLY PULLS LEFT. TIRES BEEN ROTATED, BALANCED, W/GOOD PRESSURE, ETC. SINCE I DRIVE TYPICALLY LEFT LANE WITH LEFT HAD (RIGHT HAND ON CELL PHONE OR MATERIALS) I NOW SUFFER "TENNIS ELBOW" AND HAVE HAD TO FAVOR MY LEFT--BEEN WEARING SPLINTS/ELBOW BRACES FOR 3 WEEKS. USED GM SATISFACTION PROCEDURE TO TALK TO ZONE REP. DEALER OPS MGR CALLS ME AND BECAUSE I ALLUDED TO DISCOMFORT AND MENTIONED KEEPING A PAPER TRAIL FOR MY ATTORNEY, THE ZONE REP REFUSES TO SPEAK OR ACT UPON THE MATTER "UNTIL WE HAVE INITIATED OUR LEGAL ACTION!" I JUST ASKED THEM TO FIX OR REPLACE THE CAR, WHICH I USE DAILY FOR BUSINESS. NOW I'VE BEEN CHALLENGED TO A LEGAL TUSSLE, AND THE CAR ISN'T RIGHT. *JB