2002 Chevrolet Malibu SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

OWN A 2002 CHEVY MALIBU. HAD BRAKES AND ROTORS REPLACED IN 2006. JUST HAD TO DO IT AGAIN 12/5/08. CHEVY SHOULD RECALL AND REPLACE THE BRAKES FREE OF CHARGE. I USE MY CAR DAILY. *TR

FROM THE FIRST DAY I HAD THIS CAR, THE BRAKES DO NOT ENGAGE COMPLETELY IN THE FIRST FEW USES OF THE BRAKES, ESPECIALLY IN WET CONDITIONS. I HAVE HAD MANY NEAR MISSES OF ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THE BRAKES NOT ENGAGING AND SOMETIMES NOT RELEASING-A THUMPING SOUND IS HEARD WHEN THE BRAKE CYLINDER PISTON RELEASES. *TR

I HAVE FILED A SAFETY COMPLAINT WITH CHEVROLET ON THE 2002 MALIBU I PURCHASED NEW. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES TWICE ONCE AT 33,378 MILES ON 5/5/2005 AND AGAIN AT 51,543 MILE ON 3/27/2007. THE CONSUMER COMPLAINT DEPARTMENT AND THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS REPAIR HAVE INFORMED ME THE REPLACING THE BRAKES AT 18,165 MILES ARE CONSIDERED ?ROUTINE MAINTENANCE.? FAILURE OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS FOUND WHEN THE CAR DID NOT ADEQUACY STOP PLACING ME AND MY FAMILY IN DANGER. THERE WAS NO AUDIBLE OR VISUAL INDICATOR OF THE BRAKING PROBLEM, INSTEAD I HAD TO RELY ON PERFORMANCE FAILURE WHILE ON THE ROAD. TO DATE THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALERSHIP FAIL TO RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEM. *TR

BRAKE ROTORS ON 2002 MALIBU FAILING EVERY 18000 TO 20000 MILES. (3 TIMES IN 4 YEARS) I HAD THE ROTORS AND BRAKES CHECKED 7 MONTHS AFTER THE LATEST REPLACEMENT BECAUSE OF VIOLENT SHIMMING IN THE FRONT END AND WAS TOLD BY DEALER EVERYTHING WAS FINE WITH MY ROTORS AND BRAKES. NOW 5 MONTHS LATER(AFTER THE PARTS WARRANTY EXPIRED) I AM TOLD I NEED NEW ROTORS AND BRAKES. GM KNOWS THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS BUT REFUSES TO ADDRESS IT. I HAVE HAD 5 NEAR ACCIDENTS ON THE FREEWAY BECAUSE OF THE VIOLENT SHIM WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES. ALL THE DEALERSHIP WILL SAY IS THEY CAN "SEE A PATTERN". I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY DEATHS WERE CAUSED BY THIS PATTERN! *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE FRONT PASSENGER HUB AND SPEED SENSOR. THE DEALER WAS ALERTED. THE VEHICLE IS A MALIBU. *AK

BOTH FRONT CALIPERS AND BOTH REAR CALIPERS LEAKING. PROBLEM COVERED UNDER MY FIDELITY EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT THE NEW BRAKES THAT I HAD ON THERE WERE RUINED BY BRAKE FLUID CAUSED BY THE LEAK. WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER BRAKES. I HAVE 3 FRIENDS WITH THE EXACT SAME VEHICLE AND THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS. *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED SINCE PURCHASE OF VEHICLE SHE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT COMPLETELY STOP. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY REPLACED THE PADS AND ROTORS. HOWEVER, THE CONSUMER IS STILL EXPERIENCING STOPPING PROBLEMS. SHE HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A SERVICE STATION TO HAVE THE PADS REPLACED. THEY HAVE TO BE REPLACED EVERY TWO TO THREE MONTHS. THUS FAR, THE PADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TEN TIMES. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN FIXED OR DIAGNOSED. *AK UPDATED 12/07/05. *JB

I JUST BOUGHT A USED MALIBU LS 2002. THREE DAYS LATER MY ABS BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON AFTER I HEAR SOME VIBRATING NOISE WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER AND HE SAYS THERE IS NO PROBLEM. NOW EVERYTIME I START UP MY CAR AFTER 5 MINUTES THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON.*AK

DT: FRONT LOADED CALIPERS ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. INBOARD PADS ARE WORN AT 100 PERCENT, AND THE OUTBOARD ARE WORN AT 50 PERCENT.TIRES WERE SQUEAKING WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED, AND THEN A CONSTANT SQUEEK WHILE DRIVING. CONTINUED DRIVING MAKES IT WORSE. CALLER IS CONCERNED ABOUT NOT GETTING A WARNING LIGHT TO TELL HER SHE HAS A PROBLEM. CALLER WAS TOLD A WARNING LIGHT WILL NOT COME ON FOR THE BRAKE PADS BEING WORN. IF CALIPER IS NOT FIXED THE PADS WILL BE WORN AT SAME RATE. TIRES PLUS TOLD HER THIS. DEALER TOLD CALLER THEY NEVER HEARD OF CALIPERS CAUSING BRAKE PAD PROBLEMS. MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. *AK

DC: HIS BRAKES DO NOT WORK CORRECTLY. WHEN YOU STOP THE ABS SYSTEM KICKS IN, THE PEDAL JERKS BACK AND FORTH. THE VEHICLE DOES NOT WANT TO STOP CORRECTLY. *AK

MY 2002 CHEVY MALIBU (3 YRS OLD, JUST OUR OF FACTORY WARRANTY) WITH 33,000 MILES HAD THE FRONT LEFT BRAKE SEIZE UP. I LIMPED IT TO THE DEALER, HALF A MILE AWAY FROM MY HOUSE. BY THE TIME I GOT THERE, THE FRONT LEFT BRAKES WERE SMOKING. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CALIPER SEIZED UP BECAUSE THE PADS WERE TOO WORN. ALSO THAT THE PADS ON THE LEFT WERE WORN ALSO. THE CHEVY DEALER SAID I NEEDED TO HAVE ROTORS TURNED ON BOTH WHEELS, CALIPERS REPLACED ON BOTH WHEELS, AND NEW PADS & CALIPER BOLTS. TOTAL COST $784 NOT COVERED BY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT I PAID $1250 FOR WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR. THE WEAR INDICATORS GAVE VERY LITTLE WARNING THAT THE BRAKES WERE WARN. I HAD THE BRAKES INSPECTED A YEAR AGO (9000 MILES AGO) AND WAS TOLD THEY WERE FINE. I CAN UNDERSTAND TURNING THE ROTORS. I EXPECT TO PAY FOR PADS. BUT REPLACING THE CALIPERS ON BOTH WHEELS? DID I JUST GET TAKEN FOR A RIDE BY MY CHEVY DEALER? I HAVE SEEN LOTS OF REPORTS ABOUT PREMATURE BRAKE WEAR ON MALIBU. WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS? I HAVE ALREADY PAID FOR THE REPAIR. *JB

WHILE DRIVING, (ABS) BRAKING LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED ABS BRAKE MONITOR NEEDED REPLACEMENT. *AK

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

PULSATING AND GRINDING NOISES AT 10,000. DEALER REPLACED ROTORS AND PADS UNDER WARRANTY. SAME THING AT 21,000. NOW AT 31,000, SAME PROBLEM. NOW DEALER SAYS THEY CAN ONLY TURN ROTORS UNDER WARRANTY AND I HAVE TO PAY FOR PADS AND LABOR. REPLACING ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS EVERY 10,000 MILES IS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM ON THESE CARS. GM NEEDS TO FIX THE ROOT OF THIS PROBLEM ON THE MALIBU.*AK

WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED HARD. THE VEHICLE IS NOW ON IT'S THIRD REPAIR FOR BRAKE ROTORS. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *JB

BRAKES 2001 MALIBU CHEV. 35,000 MILES BRAKES AND ROTORS REPLACED 4 TIMES. *LA

VEHICLE STARTED PRODUCING A HIGH PITCHED SQEAK/SQUEAL WHEN TURNING TO THE LEFT AFTER 26000 MI. TOOK CAR TO DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE PADS NEEDED TO BE REPOLACED AND THE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE TURNED. DEALER ADVISED THAT THE BRAKE PADS WENT DUE TO MY DRIVING HABITS, HOWEVER NONE OF THE OTHER NEW VEHICLES I'VE OWNED IN THE PAST 10 YEARS HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE PADS REPLACED UNTIL AT LEAST 50000 MI. DEALER DISAGREED AND TOLD ME THAT I HAD TO PAY FOR THE ENTIRE JOB, I ARGUAED AGAIN AND FINALLY GOT THE DEALER TO AT LEAST PAY FOR THE TURNING OF THE ROTORS. WORK HAS NOT BEEN DONE YET DUE TO SCHEDULING PROBLEM.*AK

THE VEHICLE HAS A NONCONFORMITY, THE FRONT BRAKES. (NAR) *PH PREMATURE WEAR OF THE BRAKE PADS CAUSED THE ROTOR TO WARP. DEALERSHIP HAS ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THIS MALFUNCTION, BUT FAILED. *CB *JB

PREMATURE BRAKE AND ROTOR WEAR ON 2002 MALIBU , FRONT BRAKES REPLACED TWICE IN 2 YEARS AT ABOUT 17,000 AND 34,000 MILES. *JB

BRAKES ON 2002 MALIBU PADS WEAR UNEVEN ROTORS WORN UNEVEN CALALIPERS ARE NOT WORKING RIGHT. CHEVY WON'T TAKE CARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

BRAKE ROTORS WERE SO THIN AFTER LESS THAN 30K COMMUTER MILE THAT THEY HAD TO BE REPLACED. DEALERSHIP JUST TOLD ME THAT ROTORS WERE CONSUMABLES.

INSIDE DISC PADS WORE OUT AT 21000 MILES. HAD PADS REPLACED AND ROTORS CHECKED. CALIPER IS NOW STICKING AGAIN AND INSIDE PAD IS RUBBING*AK

2002 MALIBU. ROTORS AND PADS HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED 3 TIMES AND PADS ALONE ONCE IN 35000 MILES. CHEVROLET CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. 3 DIFFERENT SERVICE DEPARTMENTS HAVE TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MALIBU'S AND GRAND AM'S. BRAKES WILL BE COMPLETELY REDESIGNED FOR 2004. WHY REDESIGN IF THERE IS NO PROBLEM?? *JB

THERE WAS A SEVERE PULSATION EVERY TIME I USED THE BRAKES. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. THE ROTORS WERE WARPED AND THE PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. MY CAR ONLY HAS 20133 MILES ON IT. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THE ROTORS TO BE WARPED AND I KNOW THAT PADS LAST A LOT LONGER THAN 20000 MILES. *JB

THE BRAKES FAILED AT 13000 MILES CREATING A SAFETY ISSUE FOR MYSELF AND FAMILY. THEY WERE DEFECTIVE AND WORN DOWN TO NOTHING, CREATING AN UNSAFE STOPPING CONDITION FOR MYSELF AND FAMILY. *NLM