NHTSA Complaint #10257123 — 1999 CHEVROLET MALIBU

1999 CHEVROLET MALIBU SEDAN WITH ABOUT 70,000 MILES ON ODOMETER. A SIMILAR PROBLEM TO THAT DESCRIBED IN YOUR NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PE03031. WITHIN A FEW HUNDRED YARDS OF STARTING UP THE CAR AND LEAVING MY HOME, THERE WAS A AUDIBLE BANG AND THE PASSENGER SIDE MACPHERSON STRUT COIL SPRING SUDDENLY FRACTURED AND THE BROKEN SPRING END PENETRATED THE FRONT TIRE INSIDE SIDEWALL LEADING TO A BLOWOUT. I DID NOT TRAVEL OVER ANY KIND OF BUMP OR POTHOLE. FORTUNATELY I WAS TRAVELING AT A LOW SPEED AND THE LOSS OF CONTROL DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. IT WAS WINTER CONDITIONS (SALTED ROADS) WITH AN AIR TEMPERATURE OF AROUND 20 DEG.F. I FEEL THAT THIS WAS A DESIGN FLAW STRUCTURAL FAILURE IN THE SUSPENSION THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED AS IT COULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. I AM HAVING BOTH FRONT STRUT ASSEMBLIES AND A TIRE AND RIM REPLACED AT CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE. *TR