NHTSA Complaint #10587580 — 2000 CHEVROLET MALIBU

WHILE PARKING I HEARD A NOISE IN THE FRONT END AND UPON TURNING THE WHEEL HARDER THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I COULD BARELY TURN THE WHEEL. LATER IN THE DAY PUT IN MORE POWER STEERING FLUID THINKING THAT WAS THE PROBLEM BUT HAD THE SAME ISSUE. I THOUGHT THE POWER STEERING WAS GOING OUT AS I WAS HEARING A GRINDING TYPE NOISE IN THE FRONT END. THE NEXT DAY I COULD FEEL SOMETHING UNDER THE DRIVER FLOOR BOARD AND LOUDER NOISES WHEN TURNING HARD. TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD SUB-FRAME IS RUSTED AND NEEDS REPLACED AS WELL AS THE RACK AND PINION; THIS WILL START OUT AS A $2000.00 REPAIR AND COULD GO UP TO $4000.00 DEPENDING ON WHAT ELSE THEY FIND WHEN THEY WORK ON IT. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND SHOULD BE FIXED BY GM AS THEY USED SHODDY MATERIALS BUILDING THIS VEHICLE. MY MECHANIC SAID I SHOULDN'T DRIVE IT AS I MAY LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THIS CAR WAS KEPT IN A GARAGE FOR THE FIRST 10 YEARS I HAVE OWNED IT AND HAS ONLY BEEN PARKED OUTSIDE FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS. AT ONLY 89,000 MILES I AM DISGUSTED AT THE WAY THIS VEHICLE WAS BUILT. I HAVE ALSO REPLACED THE HEAD GASKET, NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE! *TR