2001 Chevrolet Malibu Brakes Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ABS SENSOR ILLUMINATED AND A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD EACH TIME THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V400000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE A SPECIFIC DATE FOR WHEN THE PART WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 11 OUR DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING OUR 2001 MALIBU ON I-75 AT 70 MPH IN THE RAIN. THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE SEIZED AND SHE WENT INTO A 180 DEGREE SPIN, HIT THE GUARD RAIL AND RESTED FACING ONCOMING TRAFFIC. ABOUT ONE YEAR AGO THE IDENTICAL THING HAPPENED ON I-275, ALSO IN THE RAIN. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WAS THAT SHE SPUN TO THE RIGHT AFTER THE BRAKE SEIZED. WE TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC ONE YEAR AGO AND HE SAID THE PROBLEM WAS THE HEAT SHRINK CONNECTOR ON ONE OF THE POWER WIRES GOING TO THE CALIPER. HE WAS CERTAIN HE HAD REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO HAVE SOMEONE LOOK AT THE BRAKES SINCE THE ACCIDENT 2 DAYS AGO, BUT THE CAR ACTED THE SAME WAY. WE WANT TO BE SURE SOMEONE DOES NOT GET KILLED FROM SIMILAR PROBLEMS. IT WAS A MIRACLE THAT OUR DAUGHTER ONLY RECEIVED A SERIOUS FRIGHT BOTH TIMES. *TR

IN THE PAST 3 YEARS WE HAVE HAD TWO SETS OF FRONT CALIPERS LOCKE DON THE 2001 CHEVY MALIBU. BOTH OF THESE HAVE CAUSED REPLACEMENTS OF BOTH THE CALIPERS AND THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. *AK

BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED 4 TIMES IN LAST YEAR. THERE HAVE BEEN CONTINUAL FAILURES WITH THE ROTORS AND CALIPERS. WHEN BRAKING IT APPEARED THAT THE ABS SYSTEM THAT WAS DESIGNED TO ELIMINATE BRAKING LOCK UPS WAS ENGAGING WHEN IT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO. BRAKES WERE WEARING AT AN EXTREMELY HIGH RATE , WHICH WAS WARPING THE ROTORS WHICH HAVE BEEN INSTALLED BRAND NEW. PULSATING NOISE WAS COMMON ALONG WITH SCRAPING AND SPONGY BRAKE PEDAL. IN RESEARCHING IT APPEARED THAT THE MALIBU HAD AN EXTENSIVE HISTORY OF BRAKE FAILURES IN A SHORT TIME. SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS DUE TO BRAKE FAILURE. THESE CARS NEED TO BE RECALLED AND FIXED BEFORE ANY FURTHER INJURIES OR DEATH OCCUR. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE GETTING AN INSPECTION, THE REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS WERE LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO REPLACED THE REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS. THE FRONT BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED. UPDATED 11/03/06*JB

MY ABS LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF, AND MY BRAKES GIVE OUT WHEN I AM TRYING TO STOP.

2001 MALIBU HAS HAD FRONT BRAKE DISC AND BATTERY REPLACED, 16804 MILES ON VEHICLE.. MECHANIC HAS NOW INFORMED CONSUMER THAT IGNITION SWITCH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *TS *JB

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT BRAKES ON HIS 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU (50000 FAILURE MILEAGE) HAD TO BE REPLACED EVERY SIX MONTHS FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT ANTIFREEZE LEAKS INTO THE OIL. THIS WILL BE THE THIRD TIME THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET HAS HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO A MECHANIC SIX TIMES CONCERNING THESE ISSUES. THE BRAKE AND MANIFOLD PROBLEMS STILL EXISTS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

ABS SYSTEM FAILURE ABS ACTIVATES WITH OUT WARNING EVEN IF THE BRAKES ARE NOT APPLIED

AT 36,370 MILES HAD TO REPLACE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND GASKET ON 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. *BF THE FRONT ROTORS WERE REPLACED AT 28,000 AND THE BLOWER ONLY WORKED ON HIGH SPEED. *JB

I HAVE HAD THE BRAKES AND ROTORS REPLACED TWICE SINCE BUYING THE CAR IN APRIL OF 2001. I TOOK THE CAR TO JIM BUTLER CHEVROLET FOR THE TURN SIGNAL/FLASHER PROBLEM WHICH WAS LATER RECALLED AND I WAS REIMBURSED. I TOOK IT TO DON DARR CHEVY WHICH FIXED A FAULTY SWITCH OPERATING THE AIR CONDITIONER/SWITCHING TO OUTSIDE AIR. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO DOBBS WHEN IT WOULD NOT START, THEY SAID IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP AND ASSEMBLY MODULE. TODAY,JIM BUTLER CHEVROLET REPLACED THE LOCK CYLINDER AND IGNITION SWITCH BECAUSE OF THE THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT AND THE CAR NOT STARTING.BUT WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS NOT WORKING. OH! BUT THEY NOTICED A RECALL ON THE HAZARD LIGHTS AND REPLACED IT. THEY WERE THE ONE WHO REPLACED IT THE FIRST TIME. I ALSO TOLD THEM OF THE OVER CRANK/GRINDING NOISE AFTER THE CAR IS STARTED, HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY. THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE, SO NO REPAIR. I AM NOT HAPPY WITH THIS CAR OR CHEVY BECAUSE OF ALL THE PROBLEMS AND THE EXPENSE IT HAS CAUSED AND COST ME. I USED TO HOLD CHEVROLET IN HIGH REGARD, BUT CAN NO LONGER RECOMMEND ANYONE OWNING ONE.*AK

THE TAHOE BRAKE ROTORS WERE BADLY GROVED, AND THE VEHICLE BRAKES WERE LIKE NEW. DEALER SAID THE VEHICLE STOPPED OKAY, BUT WHEN I HAD THE ROTORS AND BRAKES REPLACED, THERE WAS A WORLD OF DIFFRENCE AS HOW THE VEHICLE STOPPED.I KEPT THE BRAKES AND ROTORS FOR PROOF. VEHICLE WOULD NOT PASS STATE INSPECTION.*AK

CONSUMER STATED WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. A LOUD GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE FRONT. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

THIRD REPLACEMENT OF ROTORS AND BRAKES WITHIN 3 YEARS OF OWNING CAR. *JB

THE FRONT DISC BRAKE ROTORS WERE WARPED TO THE POINT WHERE THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS APPROXIMATELY 8K MILES APART. *NM

WHILE BRAKING VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THE PROBLEM 5 TIMES BEFORE, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK *NM

FRONT BRAKES WORE OUT PREMATURELY, DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

PREMATURE BRAKE FAILURE - 29,000 MILES AND CAR NEED NEW ROTORS AND PADS. VERY LIGHT USE, HIGHWAY DRIVING, NO STOP AND GO DRIVING. *AK

MULTIPLE REPAIRS ON BRAKING SYSTEMS OF 2001 CHEVY MALIBUS. *JB

AT 47,000 MILES MY BRAKES BEGAN TO PULSATE VIOLENTLY WHEN PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. ALSO THE ABS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. A METAL ON METAL SOUND COULD ALSO BE HEARD. THIS CAR WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE ROTORS WERE TURNED, NEW PADS WERE INSTALLED AND THE ABS LIGHT WAS RESET. AT 90,000 MILES THE EXACT SAME THING OCCURRED. THIS TIME THE ROTORS AND PADS WERE REPLACED, NEW CALIPERS WERE INSTALLED (THEY WERE BINDING) AND THE ABS LIGHT WAS AGAIN RESET. *JB