1999 CHEVROLET MALIBU Steering Problems

IT'S BEEN HAPPENING FOR A WHILE & IN RECENT TIMES MORE REGULARLY. WHILE DRIVING YOU CAN FEEL THE STEERING TOUGHENING IT UP MAKING TURNING DIFFICULT. ONCE CAR IS PULLED OVER STEERING RETURNS TO NORMAL. PARKING GETS TOUGH. FLUIDS ARE FINE. CAR IS RIDDLED WITH ENGINEERING GREMLINS THAT REAR THEIR HEADS IN THE MOST INOPPORTUNE TIME. MOST HAVE SIMPLE & STRAIGHT FORWARD SOLUTIONS (BLEEDING THE ANTIFREEZE SYSTEM) BUT LACK OF THE DOCUMENTATION CAN MAKE THINGS UNNECESSARILY DIFFICULT. *TR

TL-THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND RESUMED TO NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000. DJR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL. NO MATTER WHICH WAY HE TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL, THE VEHICLE WOULD HEAD IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FRAME THAT HOLDS THE RACK AND PINION HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED AWAY. HE FURTHER STATED THAT IT WAS VERY RARE FOR THAT TO OCCUR TO A VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAS NOT NOTIFIED GENERAL MOTORS; HOWEVER, THE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED AND IS CURRENTLY USING A USED FRAME. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 184,000.

MY 1999 CHEVY MAILBU HAS HAD MANY PROBLEMS. I WILL START WITH THE 2 FUEL INJECTERS REPLACED 2 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING. THE CAR BEGIN TO RUN ROUGH THEN WOULD HAVE PROBLEMS STARTING. THEN THERE WAS THE ALTANATOR, THE THERMOSTAT, THE HEAD AND INTAKE GASKETS AND THE NUMUROUS ELECTICAL PROBLEMS. THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS STILL CANNOT BE SOLVED AFTER NUMROUS TRIPSTO THE REPAIR SHOP. MOST OF THE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN CORRECTED ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. AS A CONSUMER I HOPE YOU WILL HELP US MALIBU OWNERS WHO ARE IN DESTRESS. I KNOW THE AUTO COMPANIES ARE IN FINANCIAL TROUBLE BUT THAT STILL DOES NOT EXCUSE MAKING AN UNSAFE AUTO. I AM AFRAID ENOUGH NOT TO DRIVE MY CAR. I FEEL I PUT MY FAMILY AND MYSELF IN DANGER TAKING THSI CAR ON THE ROAD. I HOPE YOU WILL HELP CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. I FEEL MY ONLY NEXT OPTION IS TO CONTACT...

CAR FAILS TO START MORE THAN FREQUENTLY. WAS TOLD TO REPLACE IGNITION SWITCH, A COST OF $254.00. DON'T THINK CAR SHOULD ALREADY NEED IGNITION REPLACED. CAR HAS DIED COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE NUMEROUS TIMES. ALSO HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH IF DASH LIGHTS COME ON OR JUST THEFT DETERRENT LIGHTS. DAY RUNNING LIGHTS ARE EQUAL TO REG HEADLIGHTS, ALL SYSTEM LIGHTS TURN ON WHEN CAR IS STARTED, NO NEED TO EVEN TURN SWITCH ON, COULD THIS BE NORMAL? MECHANIC INSTALLED A SWITCH UNDER HOOD THAT CONNETS DIRECTLYTO MY STARTER SO WHEN CAR FAILS TO START I PUSH SWITCH AND SHE STARTS RIGHT UP, HE SAID SOMETHING IN COLUMN BUT HE NOT ABLE TO PINPOINT. STEERING COLUMN DOESNOT LOCK, EVER! *JB

WHEN THE CONSUMER MADE A LEFT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. *JB

WHILE TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME HARD TO TURN. *NLM THE SERVICE DEALER FOUND A LEAK IN THE RACK AND PINION. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO LEAK AND HAD GIVEN THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE CONSUMER. (THE RACK AND PINION WAS REPLACED) THE AC WAS FOUND INOPERATIVE DUE TO THE SUCTION AND DISCHARGE HOSE LEAKED, THE ENGINE RACED BUT DIDN'T MOVE DUE TO LOW TRANSMISSION FLUID, AND THE LEFT REAR TAIL LAMP SEAL HAD FALLEN APART. *SCC

WHEN A TURN WAS MADE, THE VEHICLE MADE NOISE, AND THE STEERING WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN. *JB

WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED BUT THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM WAS UNKNOWN. *TS *NLM

WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN THE VEHICLES STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

THE CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE WILL VIBRATE. THE CONSUMER TAKES THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER EVERY 4000 MILES FOR THE SAME VIBRATION/SQUEAKING AND THEY JUST REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS, AND TRIMMED THE ROTORS. THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS EVERY 3,000 TO 4,000 MILES. *JB THE CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VIBRATION IMMEDIATELY CAUSED THE ALIGNMENT TO GO BAD AND GETS VERY HARD TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE IF DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. *JB *SCC

FRONT WHEEL STARTED TO SQUEAK. THIS WAS THE FOURTH SET OF FRONT WHEEL BEARING CONTACTED DEALER ,AND DEALER STATED JUST KEEP CHANGING WHEEL BEARINGS . *AKGLOVE BOX DOOR DOES NOT CLOSE, HEADLIGHT BRIGHER THAN OTHER, FOG LAMP FELL OFF WHILE DRIVING, FOGLAMP ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED, PASSENGER REAR DOOR QUEEKS WHEN OPENED / CLOSED, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKS, BRAKES NOISY / SQUEEKING WHEN BRAKING, VEHICLE SQUEEKS WHEN STERRING RIGHT, CONSUMER ALSO STATES FAILURES WITH STRUTS AND STRUT CAPS. *TT CONSUMER COMPLAINS THAT ALL FOUR TIRES WORN OUT TOO FAST, WHIRRING NOISE FROM FL TIRES. NO TIRE INFORMATION GIVEN. *TT

WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE THE RPM GAUGE STARTED TO SHOW MAX RPM READINGS TO 0 AND CHANGING RAPIDLY. THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN TO THE REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE THIS CHECKED WHEN AT A INTERSECTION THE VEHICLE JUST CUT OFF. THE ENGINE DID NOT STOP BUT THE CAR COULD ONLY BE MOVED VERY SLOWLY UNTIL A MINUTE OR TWO PAST THEN THE SPEED WENT UP A BIT. THE REPAIR FACILITY FOUND A CRANKSHAFT SENSOR AND THE COMPUTER TO BE THE FAULT. CURRENTLY THE VEHICLE RUNS GOOD, BUT THE GAS MILEAGE IS ONLY ABOUT 17-18 MPG. WILL TURN IT BACK INTO THE GERMAN DEALER TO HAVE THIS CHECKED. *AK