Problems with 1999 Chevrolet Malibu SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

When parking brake was applied, a load popping noise was heard. the left rear cable popped out of the parking brake equalizer since the part was rusted out. i am very concerned as i am well aware of the high mileage of this vehicle. it is still a popular car on the road today. *tr

While driving my 1999 chevrolet malibu my brake pedal fell to the floor no brakes fortunately i was close to my repair shop my mechanic found a rusted thru brake fluid line caused brake fluid to leak out loosing braking action a partial line was installed the remaining brake & gasoline lines are badly rusted. *tr

I bought this car from a private owner not a dealership. the only problem it had when we bought it was the fuel gauge did not work. now almost a year later i have multiple problems. the worst is while driving down the road at 65 mph my car just shuts off, no warning, the steering locks up and this happened with my 2 children in the car it was very scary. then while sitting at a red light when i got ready to drive it died on me again. each time i have had to pull over, sit for a few minutes, then try to restart and it usual does until dec. 2. it died and now it will not start. it will crank, the fuel pump is working and i have spark. other problems: while checking oil one day i leaned against car and it shocked me; brake lights work when they want to; cannot lock doors from drivers side; coolant has to be refilled every week (no leaks have been found); trunk is not wanting to open with button or key; radio/antenna gets 1 station; a/c worked when we got it and apparently the diode or something went bad but you cannot buy just the diode. i am tired of all of these problems and have read many others like these. my main concern is the car dieing while driving down road and locking everything up. *tr

Was driving about 30 mph and traffic stopped. i applied the brakes and the car failed to slow resulting in a three car accident. *tr

I purchased a 1999 chevy malibu in november 2003. i have replaced the brake pads at least 10 times ($20 each time), the rotors have been replaced 3 times ($70 each time). the brakes give you no warning they just quit suddenly which has almost caused several accidents. the abs light always comes on and when this happens you can guarantee the ignition switch is about to lock up on you. the rear windows quit working, i hear a weird popping noise coming from the rear of the vehicle while driving down the highway. the anti theft system has came on 6 or 7 times and will not allow me to crank the car(once it happened while my child was having an asthma attack and i was attempting to take him to the er). if you hit a bump in the road sometimes it sounds like a small explosion in the front end and causes the steering wheel to jerk uncontrollably for several miles. i have taken this vehicle to several mechanics who absolutely refuse to work on it because of the general fact that it is a 1999 malibu, now my ignition has completely quit, actually it hung in the start position and was making my starter grind and almost catch fire, this has happened several about 15 times, but usually after jiggling the key a few times it comes undone, but not this time. my dad had to take my battery off in order to make the engine die. so now my employer got so fed up with me being late or calling in because of my car problems that i was terminated. i am a single mom with 2 children, both have chronic asthma and have to be rushed to the er with severe asthma attacks all the time, and now i have no way to take them should the need arise. the parts are going to cost me $200 and the cost of labor and now i have no job. if you call chevrolet all they tell you is to take it to a dealer and let the mechanic look at it for a fee, and then they want to charge you more than i make in 2 months, and they never even ask you any personal info so there are no documented claims on your calls. *nm

Rotor replacement x 3. suspension - front replaced. calipers x3. tire wear and leaks - replaced annually. radio - bad wiring. a/c in dash wiring replaced twice. rear light assembly replaced twice. leaking in rear light assembly and trunk. coolant leak - 8/06 at 74000 miles. mechanic believes it is the water pump. a/c sensor replaced. *nm

Chevrolet malibu 1999. 84000 miles. in the last four years i had to replace the tail lights twice this is the entire unit which cost over $250 each i also had to replace the stop/brake light bulbs at least six times on each side. the socket that holds the bulbs keep melting and last december it melted to the point that i saw smoke coming out and when i opened the plastic socket was completely melted. as of now neither light is working. i checked in this site and nhtsa action number rq04005 indicates the following: gm in december 2004, gm will issue a special policy for my 1999-2000 alero, grand am and malibu vehicles not covered under recall 03v327. the policy covers turn signal/hazard flasher failure for a period of 10 years or 150,000 miles (whichever occurs first) to provide a no cost replacement of the hazard switch. gm will send letters to owners starting december 30, 2004. the actions taken by the manufacturer is sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation. the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that no safety-related defect exists. the agency reserves the right to take future action if warranted by the circumstances. i called gm as well as the local chevy dealer and they would not replace the light they claim the agreement was only for some of the 1999 chevy malibu and my vehicle [xxx] is outside the range they are covering. i was told by a gm customer service to wait and see if they recall other cars. i am very disappointed of the advice as this is a safety issue. also, the information and agreement posted on nhtsa (see above) does not indicate any exceptions. can someone investigate this please? in addition to this problem, the coolant was leaking and i had to have the manifold removed and a new gasket put in twice. replaced brake pads 5/6 times and rotors once. *nm updated 07/16/2012*js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Vehicle has just reached 62000 miles. most recent incident - all dashboard warning lights came on-car died and had to be towed to dealer. replaced alternator - supposedly "common" at this mileage. six weeks prior - coolant indicator keeps coming on. dealer replaced lower intake manifold gasket and water pump. also told common in this car at this mileage. brakes done also - rotors needed replacement - again supposedly common in the malibu. *jb

Abs pump leaking. noticed a leak about 1 year ago, but it stopped. started up again when i noticed break light come on. when brought it into the dealer they told me that the abs pump was failing. *nm

In july of 2005 i was involved in a accident due to the fact i was unable to stop this vehicle. i did not realize at the time that i had the ability to file a complaint to a federal safety organization. this vehicle has now had 5 brake jobs, the last being today. the front rotors had to be repaired because the vehicle was difficult to stop and had severe vibration during braking. the mileage on this vehicle is 101000 miles. at the last brake overhaul it was noted that the rear brakes were not working, ( the vehicle was delivered to me this way new) this problem was reported as repaired. i purchased this vehicle new from gamblin motors in apr 1999 and as i have stated 5 brake repairs in 101000 miles. in july 2005 the reason i rear ended a vehicle was i was unable to stop due to poor braking action. this vehicle has had 3 sets of front rotors and brake pads and the rotors have been turned (trued on 2 separate occasions). i have filed complaints with gm about this problem and it has been disregarded. this may be because the original complaint was because of coolant system leaks that caused damage to the engine. *nm

Searching your database model "malibu" was not on the list. i find that hard to believe with so many complaints. after several no stops and finally an abs that would stay on the cause turned out to be the passenger hub. you probably don't want to hear all the other stuff. *nm

. i bought car new. the rotors, calipers and brake pads on this car have been replaced 4 times. the passenger side tail lights have had to be replaced every year due to water getting into the assembly. the ac switch - blower resistor has had to be replaced. the first time i replaced the rotors - it only had 5000 miles on it. it has 61000 today.

Brakes and rotors have been replaced 3 times since 2002- a/c goes off and on- ignition switch replaced due to electrical failure- driver's side window don't roll down- alternator and battery replaced- intake manifold gasket and radiator replaced. *nm

Dt: the consumer stated four months after purchasing the vehicle with 7,000 miles on it the brakes failed. when stopping the vehicle felt as though the brakes were hitting on one side. the vehicle was taken to the dealership and they replaced the rotors. approximately nine months later the problem recurred. the vehicle was taken to the dealership and the rotors were replaced a second time. *ak (12/08/05) the brakes would pulsate when applied. *sc updated 12/07/05. *jb updated 11/20/2005. *nm

Have had to change brake pads 4 times since purchasing vehicle, due to the fact that the calipers are bad, specifically the right front. brakes make a creaking noise when stepping on them. *jb

The consumer smelled fuel while driving. she then observed fuel dripping onto the ground while parked, the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. it was determined that the fuel line was leaking at the fuel filter connector due to corrosion. the consumer feels the manufacturer should be 100% responsible for replacing the fuel line. the consumer has had other components fail on the vehicle. all four tires were replaced due to center tread wear. the front brake pads were replaced at 20000 miles and again at 41313. the driver's side sunvisor broke. both front wheel hub assemblies were replaced due to bearing failure at 41313 miles. both front brake rotors were replaced at 41313 miles. *jb *nm

I had frequent loss of coolant, and drips on my driveway surface. upon taking to dealer i was informed that intake gasket leaking. also i was told brakes were almost gone. at 53,000 miles this seemed excessive on both counts. the replacement of the intake gasket was about $700.00. replacing the pads and turning rotors cost $250.00. this makes the 3rd set of pads, and resurfacing of the second set of rotors since i bought the car new. shortly after the repairs the abs light started coming on whenever making a turn. brought the car into the dealer in may and was told that the front wheel bearing assy needed to be replaced. i was also told that this occurance had nothing to do with the recent brake job, even though there were no problems until i had the brake job done at their recommendation. the dealer, while acknowleding no blame paid 50% of the repair leaving me with a $200.00 bill. in little more that 30 days i have spent $1200 on critical part repairs for a well maintained car with only 53000 miles. *ak

36000 miles plus....ever since i purchased the car. was searching the web and found this site so i decided to add my two cents worth about my malibu. replaced front brakes (drivers side 3 times - due to caliper) and rotor twice. engine gasket problem - overheating. still have problem with fan motor control settings 1 and 2. engine misfiring - had injectors cleaned twice and replaced entire ignition system. have a rattle in the front for the last 20000 miles. car has failed to start around 8 times. engine has died multiple times after starting and sometimes while in motion. abs light and brake light problem. theft system light occassionally lights up. looking forward to a class action suit. would rather settle for an admission by chevrolet/gm and compensation for some replacement parts and labor. this is the worst gm product i've ever owned and due to the other complaints i've read on the internet, this volume of complaints is way to high. *ak

While driving 75 mph vehicle vibrated when applying the brakes. vehicle was taken to an independent shop, and mechanic determined rotors and pads needed to be replaced. *ak *mr

Ongoing problems since february 2004. seems to get worse as time passes. abs and emergency brakes lights warning comes up at the same time either during driving or 10-15 second after starting car. when this happen, power windows locked up. also, air conditioning power light went out and don't work. sometime restart cars several time to clear but doesn't always work. problems can last a few minutes to hours or until restart cars. only worry is when driving on highway on very hot days with windows close and ac on and problem locked windows and shut a/c down. had to do this once. had to pull over and restart car to open windows. not sure if this is related to a/c switch problem. a/c turn off/on at will. was fixed once before but problem reoccured. also have problem with brakes, ac smell, rotors warped... same reoccuring problems as many other 1999 malibu owners had. have problem check but technician unable to pull error codes from it. been to a few places to have problem checked, get charge for diagnostic but no one seem to know what causing it. because problem is intermittent, make it even harder. *ak

Since i've had the car, the brakes have been replaced twice, rotors replaced (also cleaned and other things-to the point they asked me to see if there was a recall on brakes and rotors). the right front passenger window will not work from the driver side to roll down but can still roll it up from there. the air conditioner button(resistor) needed replacing and then the vent button(resistor) needed replacing. also, had to replace tie rod end and wheel bearing . not to mention a water pump. we bought the car used from sawyer chevrolet with 38,000 miles on it. it now has 76,000. but within a year and a half of owning it, this is all the work we had to put into it. i've never had a car that needed all that repairing done before it reached 100,000 miles. plus we had to get new tires because they had firestone tires on them that were warping, etc. but sawyers refused to replace them and firestone did not get back to us in time before our vacation. so we put new tires on ourselves.

For over a year now, my 1999 malibu has had its check engine light on intermittently. it will stay on for months at a time and go off occasionaly. it was diagnosed by a chevrolet dealer to be the air pump which i had replaced for approximately $400. the light is still on. i have had it diagnosed again, but the mechanic cannot seem to find the problem. i am now told that there is going to be a new law passed which will prevent me from getting an inspection with my check engine light on. if the dealer can't figure it out, i do not understand why i should be penalized and have to spend additional money for them not to figure it out. i also have my abs light coming on constantly now for the past 6 months. the diagnosis showed it was the abs sensor which was replaced and the light is still on. i took it back and it was diagnosed again. i had to have both front wheel bearings replaced ($500) at 55,000 miles, which includes new sensors. the light is still on. i am now planning on taking it in for another diagnosis. *ak

Ltr re defective 1999 chevrolet malibu coolant system, requesting reimbursement for repairs and a recall investigation.*mr the intake gaskets and the water pump had to be replaced it cost the consumer almost $2000.00 for repairs. *cb also the brake pads were replaced. *jb

When depressing the brakes at any speed there was pulsation and severe vibrations throughout the steering column. also, there was extended stopping distance. dealer had vehicle three times, and replaced rotors/pads on both sides, and the left front coil spring.*ak

This 1999 chevrolet malibu was purchased in july 2001 in had a water leaking problem took 3 tries before they found it needed thermostat gasket didn't even have one in it they sold it to me .this way with a promise it had been fixed. within the first year i had the car they had to replace both front wheel bearings & strut bushings. then the alternator went out & it cause my battery to go bad overcharged it they replaced alternator but refused to re-emburse me for the battery. then ignition switch caused problem with anti-theft system would not start. had that replaced in march 2002. then anti-lock brake system went out had to have it replaced window switch very slow had to be cleaned another one not working at all now, not covered under warranty, at this time also had to have anti theft system fixed again light on all the time another bad ignition switch. also had blower motor & relay switch for heater to go out over the summer most of the interior lights have long ago burnt out & had to be replaced lock out for trunk lid also broke not covered on warranty. hub caps have lug nuts made in them that screw onto your lug bolts stripped out when took for repairs by dealer refused to replace them because they cost $500.00 for a new set. so i purchased the lug nut part & repalced it myself at a dealership for $10.00 set of 5. november of 2002 brakes & rotors were replaced in jan. 2003 brake pads replaced again in march 2003 pads replaced again in july 2003 pads replaced once again then in sept. 2003 master cylinder replaced in oct. 2003 master cylinder replaced again now it's nov 2003 & master cylinder being replaced again tomorrow.these cars have a real brake problem that needs to be fixed it's costing a fortune.*ak

Within the past year we have had multiple system failures with our 1999 chevrolet malibu with 47,000 miles. the intake manifold gasket has leaked, the brake pads, rotors, and wheel cylinders were repaired, the theft deterrent system and abs warning lights come on repeatedly, and the alternator and water pump have failed. the passlock sensor and body control module have been replaced to address the theft system warning light and the harness and individual wheel speed sensors have been suggested for the abs warning light. chevrolet should be requred to recall the vehicle to address some or all of these problems.*ak

I experience constant brake grinding, and i had the rotors turned and the pads replaced twice over the past year. recently, the calipers seized and the brakes did not work. the dealer claimed that there's nothing wrong -- two days after the pads, rotors, and calipers were replaced. *la

It appears the left front brake line has rubbed through causing a brake fluid loss and loss of power brake function

I don't know where to begin with the complaints that i have for my '99 malibu. the brake system on this car is the worst. i can't count the number of times that i have replaced my brakes. i was reading the complaint board and could not believe the number of people that had similar brake problems. you would think that the government would see some kind of pattern and make gm do something about this. i think car manufacturers should take some responsibility for the products they put out and someone should make sure that they do. i am now going to have to replace my intake gaskets because of anti-freeze leaking into the engine. i have seen over 50 complaints about this on the complaint board. i will never again buy a gm made vehicle. from now on i'm buying nothing but foreign made cars. my car is still sitting in my driveway waiting go get fixed because right now i can't afford the $400+ it's going to take to fix it. *la

I have to do a front brake job on my 99 malibu about twice per year because of excessive vibration when brakes are applied. this started after the original brakes started doing this and has continued. this is caused by the brake rotors not wearing evenly.*ak

In march 2003 i had to have my rotors and pads replaced at 39,733 on my 1999 chevrolet. malibu. the rotors were warped and the pads were eaten away by the rotors. now, august 2003, my pads are eaten away again with less than 12,000 miles on them. i am afraid the rotors are warped again. i have heard many malibu owners and auto mechanics tell me there is a vehicle wide problem with the rotors and pads, yet gm (chevrolet) won't help correct the problem and help with the cost of repairing (again and again).*ak

Have had many problems with this car! bought car 2/17/2001.....-8/15/2001 had to replace alternator....2/24/2002 had intake manifold gasket replaced because of coolant leakage, cost was 600.00.....06/20/03 had to replace battery due to leakage and corrosion around positive cable.......7/24/03 had to replace brake pads and have rotors turned for the second time....i think that there should be a recall for some of these things!!!!! car now has 70,000 miles on it... thought i was buying a good car!! :)*ak

Problems with brake equipment on chevrolet malibu. *mr the consumer has had to replace the vehicle's brakes, calipers and rotors many times. the vehicle's struts were also replaced. *nm the consumer was made aware of other consumers with the same make/model that have experienced the same problem. *sc

Consumer stated that while driving at any speed, the anti lock brake light illuminated and remained on the entire time the vehicle was in motion. *ak the consumer stated the alternator failed. *jb

Intermittently abs warning light is on the dashboard. dealer notified. *ak

This vehicle has several problems. problem# 3: the brakes need new rotors and pads. the vehicle constantly needs work done to the brakes. *ak

I have had my rotors reground numerous times over the past one and a half years as well as have had both bearings replaced in the front. i had all valves replaced on the coolant system and it continues to leak still. there is a strong oder that comes in through the airconditioning vents. there is also a strong vibration when braking or traveling at higher speeds which makes the vehicle difficult to control.*ak

All malibu's seem to have the same problems, low miles high miles, ect brakes are replaced at least three to four times a year with minimal miles each time, head gasket leaks, alternator replaced twice, battery twice, electrical shorts twice, ignition switch handles terrible, not safe, car was suppose to have high ratings, lying to get people to buy junk. *nlm

1999 malibu with enging cooling problems and fan does not work on position 1 and 2. had to have intake gasket replaced and one month later entire engine went out and had to be replaced. i really like my malibu, but hate the problems that i have had. i, too, have had brake problems and coolant leakage problems.*ak

Continual brake problems. three complete front brake services including rotors and pads each time at 20,000 , 36,000 , and 55,000 miles. all service was performed by chevrolet dealers. after each service i have noticed a "grinding" noise, faint, at first but worsens gradually until replacement. last dealer (simms chevrolet ortonville michigan) strongly suggested i call gm (which i have on the last two occasions) but they claim it is normal. i leased the vehicle for my wife to drive to work, but she will no longer drive it as she is afraid of a total failure. *jb

Air conditioning control problems dealer insisted nothing wrong never repaired tires; worn out at 16000 dealer insisted that that was normal fought to get them to replace only 2 tires engine: intake manifold gasket went out never experienced the problem in all the cars i ever owned 978.00 later. engine 3 months later presently engine has serious internal engine rattle, lose of power don't know what is wrong yet there was no indication of problem oil was clean no temp problem just blew last week towed to the house brakes; had to change both front calipers could not re use them needed new ones when doing brake job would never buy a chevy product ever again!!!!

The consumer had to replace the abs bearing 3 times. the light had come on twice, one replaced then the next one. the third time the vehicle made a funny noise. *ak *sc

1999 malibu keeps eating front brake pads. rear brakes never wear. pedal is always soft. have been told by a former mr. goodwrench that this an ongoing issue. have tried to get gm to respond but they will not!!! i am afraid that the majority of the braking is occurring in the front and that in an emergency stop-full braking on all four wheels may not occur. thanks. *nlm

Brake seals failed causing brake system failure. had to have calipers replaced as well as disc/pad & drum/shoe repair/replaced. *ak

Air controls switch back & forth from fresh to recirculate. car has refused to start twice & antitheft system activated. intake manifold leak upper and lower. i had the gasket replaced and gm canada paid for the labor and i paid for the parts, approx $180 canadian. i believe there was 78000 km (48,000 miles) on the car at the time. seatbelts are slow to retract. clunking noise in front end, they can't identify or fix. recall on rotors caused pads to fail.

Failure to inspect safety features more than once. dt

3/18/03 - malibu is diagnosed with an intake manifold gasket failure. the vehicle was losing coolant, but there was never any signs of leakage on the driveway. an independant shop diagnosed the problem. a little research on the internet revealed that very many other gm owners were experiencing the same problem. we attempted to get assistance in paying for the repair from gm, but they refused. the design of the gasket system combined with dexcool coolant appears to be faulty. we also have a cronic problem with the braking system on this vehicle. about every 12000 miles the brakes need to be replaced, the rotors are warped and the pads are bad. so far, gm is picking up all those costs because the problem was reported while it was still under warranty. through the internet we also discovered that many malibu owners have the same problem.

I have numerous complaints regarding the brake system of my vehicle. i have had my car for just over a year now and i have had 3 wheelbearings done, the brakes changed twice, the rotors changed and turned, the calipers changed and more. the calipers continue to make a horrible crunching noise and no one wants to take responsibility for it. the dealer says its a manuafacturing defect and chevy says it was under warranty when i bought it, 12 days, and it was never brought into a chevy dealership so there's nothing they can do. well, its crap and i know there are at least a hundred other people with the same problem so if you have a 1999 chevy malibu with defects call me and lets sue in a class action suit because they should not get away with this. 607-397-1782

While driving 55mph rotors cause car to shake .*ak

Abs light illuminated intermittently. vehicle was taken to the dealer , who was unable to determine the problem. now while driving and applying brakes consumer could hear noise from "left front" of vehicle and anti-brake system (abs) engaged itself. this caused the car to "coast" and almost collided with another vehicle. vehicle is on its third set of pads and second set of rotors. *ts *tt *nlm. *ak