NHTSA Complaint #10470431 — 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU

WE BOUGHT THIS CAR 4 YRS AGO IN AUG 2008 AT ONLY A FEW YRS OLD WE WERE VERY OPTIMISTIC THAT THE $ WE WERE SPENDING ON IT WOULD BE WORTH THE LESS UPKEEP THAN THAT OF THE 1994 CROWN VIC THAT WE TRADED IN (& MY HUSBANDS 78 OLDS THAT HAS ALWAYS REQUIRED MORE WORK THAN IT PUT OUT SINCE HE PURCHASED IT WHEN WE MET BACK IN 06). SINCE IT WAS A FEW YRS OLD WE THOUGHT THAT EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO WARRANTY ON OUR NEW "USED" CAR, WE WOULD BE OK. WE WERE WRONG. THE FIRST PROBLEM WE NOTICED WAS THE ALIGNMENT WHICH MAKES THE CAR SHAKE/VIBRATE AT SPEEDS 60+ & OUR FIRST VACATION WE TOOK IT ON WHICH WE ONLY DROVE 4-5 HRS THERE & WE ENDED UP WITH 2 FLAT TIRES ON THE WAY. THEN THE HEADLIGHTS & BLINKERS HAD TO BE REPLACED (FULL UNITS) BC BOTH OF THEM KEPT GIVING OUT & THE BULBS WEREN'T THE PROBLEMS & I KEPT GETTING TRAFFIC TICKETS BC I WASN'T ALWAYS AWARE WHEN ONE WOULD GO OUT. OUR 2 BIGGEST PROBLEMS TO DATE HAVE BEEN OUR FUEL SENSOR/ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WHICH QUIT WORKING AFTER 1 YR & I HAVE RUN OUT OF GAS 10 TIMES BC IT ISN'T EASY TO KEEP UP WITH MILES/DATES & I HAVE KIDS SO FILLING UP EVERY DAY ISN'T EASY EITHER AS WELL AS THE LOCKS/BUTTONS ON THE DRIVERS DOOR THAT DO NOT WORK & I HAVE TO OPEN MY TRUNK WITH A KEY & HAD TO PAY $ TO GET AUTO LOCK SO THAT I DON'T HAVE TO MANUALLY LOCK THE DOORS W/ THE KEYS & THE TRANSMISSION/MOTOR WE HAD TO PAY $2750 TO REPLACE BC THE LAST ONE COMPLETELY GAVE OUT RESULTING IN THE CAR NOT BEING ABLE TO RUN WHATSOEVER & MY HUSBAND HAVING TO LITERALLY PUSH MY NEUTRAL CAR WITH HIS BC WE DIDN'T HAVE THE $ AT THE TIME TO FIX IT.. BESIDES THESE PROBLEMS THERE ARE THE SEATS (PLASTIC PANELS) FALLING/CRACKING APART, WE HAD TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD BC ANYTIME IT RAINED OUR SEATS WOULD BE COMPLETELY SOAKED.. & MANY OTHER PROBLEMS I STILL DEAL WITH. KEEP IN MIND FOR THE 4 YRS I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR I HAVEN'T WRECKED IT & MY HUSBAND KEEPS IT UP (CHANGES OIL, BRAKES,ETC). *TR