NHTSA Complaint #10227243 — 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU

YOU CAN ADD MY NAME TO THE LIST OF INDIVIDUALS SHELLING OUT AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO REPLACE WHAT APPEAR TO BE DEFECTIVE PARTS AND/OR MANUFACTURING DESIGNS IN THE 2003 CHEVY MALIBU. WE PURCHASED THE CAR NEW IN FEB 2003 AND REPAIR COSTS TO DATE ARE IN EXCESS OF $2,000 AND THE CAR ONLY HAS 52,000 MILES ON IT. FIRST, THE BRAKES AND ROTORS NEEDED PLACED AFTER ABOUT 40,000 MILES (MOST OF WHICH WERE INTERSTATE DRIVING)...COST WAS OVER $300. NEXT, WE WERE GETTING THE CAR REPAIRED AFTER AN INCIDENT WITH A DEER AND THE MECHANIC INFORMED US THAT COOLANT WAS STARTING TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE BECAUSE OF A FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET...REPAIR COST ALMOST $1,000. FINALLY, MY WIFE WAS RECENTLY STRANDED BECAUSE THE FUEL PUMP FAILED...REPAIR COST $1,000. ALL OF THESE INCIDENTS OCCURRED WITHIN THE PAST 6 MONTHS. BY FAR THE MOST FRUSTRATION THING IS THAT ALL THESE ITEMS APPEAR TO BE VERY COMMON FAILURES WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL MADE BY CHEVROLET AND THERE HAS YET TO BE ANY RECALLS...VERY DISAPPOINTING. MY ENTIRE EXPERIENCE HAS CONTINUED TO SNOWBALL EVER SINCE WE HAD ISSUES WITH GETTING THE DEALERSHIP TO FIX ITEMS THAT WERE STILL UNDER WARRANTY. GENERAL MOTORS SEEMS TO BE MORE FOCUSED ON EARNING PROFITS THAT COMPETE WITH THE FOREIGN PRODUCERS RATHER THAN TAKING CARE OF THEIR CURRENT CUSTOMERS. IF THINGS DON'T CHANGE, THE COMPANY WILL HAVE VERY LIMITED REPEAT CUSTOMERS. *TR