NHTSA Complaint #757087 — 1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU

MY 1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU HAS JUST OVER 40,000 MILES ON IT AND I JUST HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS FOR THE THIRD TIME (THE FIRST TIME WAS IN SEPTEMBER,1999 AND THE SECOND WAS IN APRIL, 2000). THIS FEELS EXCESSIVE TO ME, BUT CHEVY SAYS IT'S NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR (STRANGE THAT IN HAVING CARS FOR THE LAST 18 YEARS I'VE NEVER REPLACED THEM). I'VE TRIED TO APPROACH THIS THROUGHT THE DEALER AND GM AS WELL, BUT I GET THE BLOW OFF EACH TIME. IT TOOK 3 PHONE CALLS TO CHEVY TO FIND OUT ABOUT YOUR WEBSITE. THEY KEEP SAYING THERE'S NO PROBLEM WITH THE MODEL, BUT YOUR SOMEWHAT "SECRET" WEBSITE LISTS 123 PEOPLE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. IF I CALL TO HAVE THE CAR SERVICED FOR BRAKE PROBLEMS, THE SERVICE REP HAS EVEN GUESSED BEFORE ME SAYING, "LET ME GUESS...A 1998 MALIBU?" OBVIOUSLY THE PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES ARE WIDESPREAD IF THEY CAN GUESS THE MAKE OF MY CAR. ALTHOUGH NOBODY IN MY FAMILY HAS BEEN HURT YET, I HOPE SOMETHING IS DONE BEFORE THAT POINT IS REACHED. KRIS FITZ. *AK