2000 CHEVROLET MALIBU Suspension Problems

SUBFRAME RUSTING AWAY ON THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT. CAN'T REPLACE DUE TO THEY DISCONTINUED MAKING THE PART. EVEN IF THE PART WAS FOUND IT WOULD COAST ABOUT $900.00 THEN THE TIRODS WOULD NEED REPLACING. IN ALL AFTER NEW TIRES AND ALL IT WOULD COAST $2000.00 TO FIX.

WHEN MAKING A TURN MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND COULD NOT CONTROL MY CAR I HAD TOWED TO A MECHANIC THAT TOLD ME THAT THE SUBFRAME TO RACK BRACKET WAS RUSTED OUT AND THAT THE SUBFRAME AND THE RACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE REPAIR COST WILL START AT ABOUT $2000.

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....

THE CAR WILL NOT TURN LEFT. IT MAKES A METAL ON METAL SOUND. MY MECHANIC SAYS THE ENGINE CRADLE IS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT, AND THE RACK AND PINION STEERING NEEDS REPLACING.HE SAID THE RUST IS CAUSED BY THE HOSE FROM THE AIR CONDITIONING DRIPPING ON THE ENGINE. HE SAID THAT HE SEES THE ENGINE CRADLES RUSTED OUT ALL THE TIME ON CHEVY MALIBUS. I HAVE MAINTAINED THIS CAR AND NEVER KNEW ABOUT THIS RUST UNTIL NOW. THE CAR HAS VERY LOW MILES FOR ITS AGE. THE BODY OF THE CAR IS PERFECT. I WOULD LIKE CHEVY TO REPAIR THIS. IT WOULD BE ABOUT $2000 OR SO TO GET THE CAR REPAIRED WITH A USED ENGINE CRADLE AND A USED RACK AND PINION. I SEE THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TOLD YOU ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

UPON MAKING A HARD TURN WITH THE STEERING WHEEL, THERE WAS A RUBBING NOISE. AFTER INSPECTION IT WAS FOUND THAT THE ENGINE CRADLE WAS COMPLETLY RUSTED IN TWO, CAUSING THE RACK TO DROP AND MAKE CONTACT. VEHICLE WAS ALWAYS MAINTAINED.

1) NOTHING ABNORMAL 2) LEFT FRONT SUSPENSION SPRING BROKE, BROKEN SPRING CUT THROUGH SIDE WALL OF TIRE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO LITERALLY DROP ONTO FRAME, LOOSING COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. LUCKILY, VEHICLE WAS ONLY GOING ABOUT 20 MPH AT THE TIME THE SPRING BROKE! I HAVE WORKED IN AUTO DEALERSHIPS FOR 30 YEARS, AND ALTHOUGH A BROKEN SPRING ISN'T ALL THAT UNUSUAL, THIS IS THE THIRD SPRING THAT HAS BROKEN ON THIS VEHICLE IN THE PAST YEAR. I HAD TO REPLACE BOTH PASSENGER SIDE SPRINGS LAST YEAR. 3) I REPLACED ALL FOUR SPRINGS ON THIS VEHICLE, AND FOUND THE EPOXY COATING (ON THE SPRINGS) IN VERY POOR CONDITION. UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T HAVE THE OLD SPRINGS. I HAVE ALSO READ ON CHEVY MALIBU MESSAGE BOARDS THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON OCCURRENCE. *TR

LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAK; BALL JOINT & FUEL PUMP; BRAKE PADS REPLACED 4 TIMES IN LESS THAN 3 YRS. *NM

WHILE BRAKING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD, AND THE STEERING WHEEL JERKED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.*AK

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED, THE BRAKES GRABBED SO HARD THAT THE ENTIRE VEHICLE VIBRATED SEVERELY. WHEN THIS OCCURRED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP IMMEDIATELY. THIS RESULTED IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE BRAKE ROTORS WARPED. ON ONE OCCASION THIS FAILURE CAUSED LOST OF CONTROL, IN WHICH THE CONSUMER ALMOST CRASHED INTO AN 18 WHEELER, BUT WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE MEDIUM. THE DEALERSHIP HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM, BUT WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, AND WAS NOW REFUSING TO WORK ON THE VEHICLE. *AK THERE WAS A RATTLE UNDER THE HOOD AT THE FIREWALL AREA WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, THE HOSE ASSEMBLY WAS FOUND RUBBING UNDER THE VEHICLE, BOTH FRONT ROTORS HAD WORE THIN, THE FUEL PUMP SENDER DID NOT HOLD THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF FUEL PRESSURE, THERE WAS AN OPEN CIRCUIT IN THE 24X CRANK SENSOR,...

I HAD THE CAR FOR 3 1/2 YEARS AND IT HAS GIVEN ME SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH MISFIRE SENSORS, CLICKING NOISE IN THE ENGINE, NOISE WHILE DRIVING OVER A BUMP OR HOLE, THIS IS BESIDES OTHER PROBLEMS LIKE WATER PUMP, FUEL PUMP, TRANSMISSION, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD AND MUCH MORE. *JB

NUMEROUS PROBLEMS: BRAKES MADE NOISE WHEN APPLIED, VEHICLE JERKED WHEN AT A COMPLETE STOP,THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN ON THE CONSUMER THREE TIMES, IT STARTED LOUD AND HARD, BOUNCED WHILE BEING DRIVEN AND A BOLT FELL OFF FROM UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT, HOWEVER THE DEALER STATED THE BOLT DID NOT BELONG TO THE VEHICLE. *PH ALSO THE REAR PASSENGER WINDOW WAS INOPERATIVE, AND THE BATTERY WAS WEAK. *JB

I HAVE ENCOUNTERED THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS IN THE YEAR SINCE I PURCHASED SAID VEHICLE: -SIGNAL &/OR HAZARD LIGHTS WORK PERIODICALLY -RADIO & LIGHTER SHORT OUT/BLOW FUSES -A/C NOT WORKING -A/C CUTS ON AUTOMATICALLY W/ RECIRCULATION BUTTON -VENT ONLY WORKS ON LEVEL 3 OR HIGHER -WATER PRESENT IN TRUNK -UNEVEN TIRE WEAR -ERRATIC GAS GAUGE READINGS -COOLANT RAN COMPLETELY OUT W/OUT REASON. *JB

THE PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED ARE AS FOLLOWED: DEFECTIVE/SHORTED TURN SIGNAL(REPLACED, CHECK ENGINE WARNING LAMP, 5 ATTEMPTED REPAIRS OF NOISES/KNOCKING IN THE FRONT END/SUSPENSION/STEERING (WHICH HAVE TSB'S), BRAKES/ROTORS, FAULTY IGNITION WIRES, POOR PERFORMANCE/STALLING, UNEVEN TIRE WEAR, INACCURATE FUEL GAUGE READINGS, AND NO CRUISE CONTROL OR HORN. THE DEALER COULD NEVER DUPLICATE ANY OF THE PROBLEMS. REFER TO ODI#10013971 MR SCC

FRONT/REAR SUSPENSION-SQUAWKING NOISE -GM WELL AWARE OF THIS ISSUE HAZARD LIGHTS - HAVE GONE OUT TWICE. FUEL INTEGRITY - ERRATIC FUEL READING - SHOWS 1/4 TANK - WHEN IN REALITY THERE IS NO GAS. I HAVE RAN OUT OF GAS APPROXIMATELY 7 TIMES - SEVERAL TIMES LATE AT NIGHT. NO CRUISE CONTROL - GM WOULD NOT REPAIR. BRAKES PADS/ROTORS - HAVE REPLACED 3 TIMES. MY LOCAL DEALER ROTOLO CHEVROLET AND GM CUSTOMER SERVICE WOULD DO NOTHING. IT WAS EXPENSIVE. PREMATURE TIRE WEAR - TWO SETS OF TIRES. CARS RUNS HOT - WOULD NEVER GO ON A TRIP - BECAUSE IT WOULD GET TOO NEAR OVERHEATING. I WAS AFRAID OF GETTING STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT. ENGINE TICKING NOISE - LOCAL DEALER SAID THIS WAS NORMAL. NOW, I FIND NONE OF THESE THINGS WERE NORMAL AND MANY, MANY MORE CAR OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME TYPE OF PROBLEMS. ALSO,...

DURING ROUTINE SERVICE DEALER'S TECHNICIAN INFORMED CONSUMER THAT RIGHT SPINDLE AND STRUT WERE BENT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

TIRES OUT OF BALANCE CAUSING SHIMMY WHILE DRIVING. NLM