1997 Chevrolet Malibu Tires & wheels Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH THE VEHICLE WAS SHAKING AND VIBRATING ON THE REAR DRIVER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER TIRE SHOP AND AFTER INSPECTING IT THEY FOUND THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE WAS WARPED AND HAD TREAD SEPARATION. THE BRAND NAME WAS LARAMIE, MODEL, PERFORMER HP, SIZE 235/60R15. THE DEALER WHERE THE TIRE WAS PURCHASE WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED AND CONFIRMED BASED ON THE DOT NUMBER THAT THE TIRE WAS NOT ON RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 159,598.

NHTSA ID

10361180

Incident

Oct 3, 2010

Mileage

159,598 mi

I WOULD LIKE TO GET A REPLACEMENT,DISCOUNT OR FREE SERVICE ON MY 1997 MALIBU. I'VE HAD MY CAR SINCE 2004 AND HAD TO GET ANOTHER MOTOR IN 2005 WHICH IS NEEDED NOW .THIS CAR HAS PUT ME DOWN A LOT NOT ONLY PROBLEMS WITH THE MOTOR BUT THE IGNITION LOCKED UP AND I HAD TO REPLACE THAT AS WELL AS THE BRAKES AND ROTORS THAT LAST ABOUT 2 OR 3 MONTHS. I ALSO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE LIGHTS NOT WORKING PROPERLY THEY ONLY WORK ON HIGH BEAM. I CAN'T FIND A MORE REASONABLE MECHANIC THAT'S WILLING TO REPAIR THE MOTOR THAT I CURRENTLY HAVE DUE TO THE TYPE WHICH IS A 2.4 AND A USED MOTOR COST ABOUT HALF THE PRICE OF A NEW ONE. PLEASE HELP! *TR

NHTSA ID

10227398

Incident

Mar 1, 2008

Mileage

74,000 mi

I BOUGHT A 1997-MALIBU LS BRAND NEW. BEFORE IT TURNED 14,000 MILES HAD TO HAVE WORK DONE ON BRAKES. BEFORE EVEN TURNING 30,000 MILES I HAD TO REPLACE A COMPLETE BRAKE JOB, (2ND SET) TIRES, WATER PUMP, WHEEL CYLINDERS, MY HEAD LIGHTS POP ON, AND I HAVE A LITTLE OVER 33,000 MILES.THE DEALER WERE I BOUGHT THE CAR SAID UNLESS THEY SEE THE LIGHTS POP ON.THEY COULD DO NOTHING. GM SENT OUT A RECALL. WHICH I DID TAKE MY CAR INTO DEALER. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM A FEW TIMES.I MOVED BACK TO INDIANA AND TOOK IT TO COYLE CHEVROLET IN NEW ALBANY. I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR.BOTH DEALERS SAID THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO AS A CONSUMER..I AM MAD AS HELL-AND FEEL I WAS RIPPED OFF, AND WILL NOT RECOMMEND TO NO ONE TO EVER BUY A MALIBU. I HAD ONE IN 1969. AND, IT WAS THE BEST CAR. WHEN YOU PAY AROUND $25,000.00 FOR A NEW CAR-YOU WOULD THINK YOU WOULD NOT HAVE ALL THE BRAKE TROUBLE. I TO THIS DAY DO NOT FEEL SAFE WITH THESE BRAKES. I AM A SINGLE WOMEN AND THOUGHT BY BUYING A NEW CAR I WOULD FEEL SAFER. PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS. AS SOON AS I CAN AFFORD TO GET RID OF THIS CAR I PLAN TOO. I HAVE SPENT SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS ON OUT OF POCKET REPAIRS. BATTERY-2 BRAKE JOBS-ABS BRAKES-WHEEL CYLINDERS-ROARIES-WATER PUMP. *LA

NHTSA ID

10080895

Incident

Sep 15, 1997

Mileage

14,000 mi

MY FIRST ISSUE IS WITH THE LIGHTS ON THE MALIBU. MY LIGHT DEVELOPED CONDENSATION IN THEM WHICH IN THE REAR CAUSED THE LIGHT TO GLOW DIM, AND CAUSED E TO GET PULLED OVER ON A NUMBER OF TIMES. IN THE FRONT IT HAS CAUSED THE GLASS SHIELD TO FOG CAUSING ME TO FAIL VEHICLE INSPECTION. THERE HAVE ARE MANY OTHER ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS ON MY CAR SUCH AS THE THEFT LOCK SYSTEM, THE POWER MOON ROOF, THE MANUFACTURER'S CD PLAYER, THE HEADLIGHT CONTROL SWITCH. THEN IT HAS A PROBLEM WITH EMISSIONS. THE HEADLINER IS FALLING OFF THE CEILING. *NM

NHTSA ID

10073144

Incident

Apr 22, 2004

SEAT BELT NOT WORKING, ALL FOUR TIRES ARE CRACKING ALL AROUND THE TREAD AND SIDEWALL. LOWER CONTROL ARM REPLACED AND HOOD CABLE DEFECTIVE.

NHTSA ID

9005502

ALL FOUR TIRES ARE SPLITTING IN THE GROOVES. TIRE SIZE P215/60R15 , DOT# W2MWAAA278 CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED THE TIRES ARE DRY ROTTING.*AKIT IS 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU 4 DR. *ET

NHTSA ID

896986

Incident

Sep 26, 2001

SERVICE BULLETIN #00-03-10-003B. NO SAFETY DEFEC TMENTIONED. *AK (TIRESIZE: P215/60R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P215/60R15 )

NHTSA ID

746703

Incident

May 30, 2001

TIRS HAVE CRACKS IN BETWEEN TREADS. *AK

NHTSA ID

746662

JAN 7, 2001 WE WERE DRIVING BETWEEN 45 TO 50MPH. MY HUSBAND SAID TO PULL OVER BECAUSE WE HAD A FLAT TIRE. TWO MONTHS AGO WE BOUGHT THE MALIBU USED. SO I WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD THOSE TIRES PUT ON. WE NOTICED A WEEK LATER THAT THE FRONT TIRES NEEDED TO BE ROTATED, WE DID SO. SO 3000 MILES LATER WE HAD THIS BLOWOUT. THE RIGHT-REAR TIRE CAME APART. USUALLY WHEN YOU GET A FLAT TIRE THERES A PUNCHER OR SLOW LEAK. PIECES OF THE TIRE CAME OFF. I LOOKED AT THE OTHER TIRE YESTERDAY AND I CAN SEE SOME CRACKS ON IT. AND THOSE TIRES AREN'T BALD BUT WORN. THE FRONT TIRES ARE FIRESTONE BUT NEWER. I KNOW THESE TIRES AREN'T ON THE RECALL LIST, BUT THERE IS SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THESE TIRES. I THINK FIRESTONE SHOULD REPLACE MY TIRES.*AK (TIRESIZE: P215/60RIS)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P215/60RIS )

NHTSA ID

738995

WE WERE TOWING OUR MALIBU BEHIND A MOTORHOME, HAD JUST PULLED ON TO I75 AFTER AN HOUR STOP AT A TRUCK STOP. WE WALKED AROUND THE VEHICLE BEFORE LEAVING THE TRUCK STOP AND ALL TIRES APPEARED TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION. FORTUNATELY TWO PASSING VEHICLES MOTIIONED US TO PULL OVER. THE TIRE WAS COMPLETELY REMOVED FROM THE RIM. WE TOOK A PHOTOGRAPH. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P215/60R15 )

NHTSA ID

736996

Incident

Nov 5, 2000

FIRESTONE AFFINITY TIRES (P215 60 R15) EXPERIENCED A BLOWOUT OF THE SIDEWALLS AND TREAD SEPARATION. *SLC

NHTSA ID

556441

Incident

May 8, 2000

UNANTICIPATED BLOWOUT ON INTERSTATE ACCESS RAMP. TIRE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND HAD THE APPEARANCE OF THOSE SHOWN ON TV RELATED TO THE SUV TIRE PROBLEM.*AK (TIRESIZE: P215/60R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P215/60R15 )

NHTSA ID

734949

Incident

Jun 14, 2000

I WAS PASSING ANOTHER CAR, WHEN MY CAR,STARTED GOING OUT OF CONTROL, I MANAGED TO GET OVER TOP THE RIGHT LANE AND ON TO THE SHOULDER,WHEN I ,GOT OUT TO CHECK OUT WHAT WAS WRONG . I NOTICED ,T HERE WAS'NT ANY RUBBER ON THE RIM ACCEPT, ON SIDE AND PIECES OF STEEL WAS STICKING OUT ALL OVER. A CAR ACROSS THE 4-LANE INTERSTATE ,HAD TO STOP & PICK UP THE HUNK OF TIRE, TO GET IT OFF THE ROAD. THE TIRE DAMNAGED THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR FENDER, WHEN IT CAME APART. THE DEALER WHERE ,I BOUGHT MY CAR ,REPLACED THAT TIRE AND REPAIRED THE DAMAGE TO THE CAR,AS IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY . *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P215160R15 )

NHTSA ID

731327

Incident

Jun 28, 1998

FRONT 2 TIRES WORE OUT PREMATURELY, ONLY HAD 25, 756 MILES AND WAS ROTATED 5-6000 MILES. *AK( DOT NUMBER: UNKNOWN TIRE SIZE: P215/6015 )

NHTSA ID

731208

Incident

Jun 19, 2000

SPARE TIRE RUBS BRAKE CALIPER. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )

NHTSA ID

719076

Incident

Dec 24, 1999

THE TIRES ARE 80,000 MILE TIRES THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED AT 35000 DUE TO PREMATURE WEAR ON THE CENTER RIB. THE CENTER RIB IS BALD, BUT THE OUTER RIBS HAVE WELL OVER HALF OF THE ORIGINAL TREAD LEFT. THIS WAS FIRST NOTICED AT ABOUT 12000 MILES, SO WE RAN THE TIRES AT 25PSI TO TRY TO CORRECT CENTER WEAR. THE INFLATION SPECS ON THE CAR DOOR CALL FOR 29PSI FRONT, 26PSI REAR. WE HAVE KEPT THE TIRES ROTATED AND AIR PRESSURE CHECK AT REGULARLY SCHEDULED TIMES. THE TIRES ARE BECOMING UNSAFE, AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER WILL NOT WARRANTY THE TIRES, AND FIRESTONE CLAIMS THAT THE TIRE IS ONLY A 40,000 MILE RATED TIRE. THE FIRESTONE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP STATED THAT THE OEM AFFINITY TIRES WERE ONLY 40,000 MILE TIRES, BUT IF I WERE TO BUY NEW AFFINITY TIRES FROM A FIRESTONE DEALER, I WOULD GET AN 80,000 MILE RATED TIRE. THE DEALER CHECKED THE CAR FOR PROPER FRONT AND REAR ADJUSTMENT, AND CLAIMS THAT THE CAR IS NOT AT FAULT. WE WERE GIVEN A 98 MODEL MALIBU TO DRIVE WHILE THEY CHECKED OUR CAR THAT HAD 17,600 MILES, AND WE NOTICED THAT THE FRONT TIRES ON THIS CAR WERE WORSE THAN ON OUR CAR, BUT THE BACK TIRES WERE NOT QUITE AS BAD. IT LOOKED AS THOUGH THE TIRES HAD NEVER BEEN ROTATED ON THIS CAR. OF COURSE, THE DEALER STATES THAT IF WE HAD BROUGHT THE CAR IN 20,000 MILES SOONER, HE COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING FOR ME.OF COURSE HE COULD SAY THAT NOW THAT IT IS ALREADY PAST. GM AND FIRESTONE BOTH THINK IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OTHER TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TIRES. FURTHERMORE, THE DEALER'S SERVICE DEPT SUGGESTED I RUN THE TIRES AT 35PSI AND TRIED TO SEND ME HOME WITH THE TIRES INFLATED TO THAT AMOUNT OF AIR PRESSURE. THE TIRES ARE BECOMING UNSAFE, AND NEED TO BE REPLACED.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P215/60R15 )

NHTSA ID

711966

Incident

Sep 24, 1999

THESE WERE ORIG. 80,000MI. TIRES THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT 35,560MI DUE TO EARLY TREAD WEAR. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )

NHTSA ID

705086

Incident

Mar 19, 1998

TIRESFAILURE. *AK

NHTSA ID

859810