Because the guys at the Chevy dealership don't know what's wrong with my car!

Please, don't get my wrong, I LOVE my Malibu. Comfort, looks and GREAT GAS MILEAGE to boot!

However, in the last 30 days, the following problem has occured 5 times. My car has 12,500 miles on it. Bought it certified pre owned with 9900 miles (just moved cross country).

Anyways, back to the problem.

Traveling at speeds over 60, the front vibrates and rattles. The first time I thought I had blown a tire and was riding on the rims. Go to brake, and the brake pedal jumps and the steering wheel feels like it's going to shake out in my hand. Loud vibrating noise. Bring the car to a complete stop, let it sit for a minute, and the problem is gone!

I've brought it to our Chevy dealership twice. One of the guys test drove it, but he said it runs smooth. It happened the very next day, so I brought it in again and told him it happened again and it HAS to be fixed! The dealership is very nice and easy to work with, but they don't know what the problem is. All diagnostics turn out fine. Onstar reports show everything is perfect.

Can anyone point me in the right direction? I refuse to pick this car up without something being fixed. I love the car, but am scared to death to drive it!

 

If it only does it when the brakes are applied my guess would be a warped rotor, it will be more previlant when it heats up as you appliy the brake and be worse at highway speeds, I suppose if it is bad enough it MAY cause it to shake a little while just driving....

check forbalance tires but I would think the TECH would catch this.....he may not catch a rotor if he did not get it up to highway speeds...take the tech for a ride when it does it....

Older Bus and Grand ams were brutal on Rotors...

 

Make the dealership keep the car for awhile. I have a friend who works for Ford.....I know, I know, I said the "F" word...........anyway, he works there and is a master tech, and when a car comes in with the same sort of issue as yours does...as in, when you bring it in, the car doesn't do what it was doing, he keeps it for a week and drives it as his own, until he finds out the problem. Maybe your tech could do the same? I know that my dealership down here in Langley would do that.

Just a thought.

 

but then they would need a loanr for a week, and most dealerships dont provide loaners...and if its the brakes it wont be warranty so GM wont pcik upthe tab either.

A week to diagnose something anyhow is ludacris.....sounds liek someone is joyriding...lol

 

Liz, go to the Impala section of this forum to a post entitled "another late Impala (2007) with warped rotors". Under that section, at post #6, is a very long detailed decription of what your GM dealer should do to find the problem with your new Malibu. I'd make a copy and take to them. Mr. Jones, who posted this, is ASE certified and has a long history with GM. He posted this to shut me up and it sure worked. I'msure he knows his stuff. Secondly, my daughter has a 2005 Malibu with similar problems. Her's was a combination of a bad "intermediate steering shaft" and a bad "rack & pinion". All this is just guessing however. Get a good mechanic/technician to find this trouble. The dealershipsusually have this highly qualified person around, you justhave to ask. It can be fixed if you persist. Stay in touch and let us know what happens. Thanks.

 

if it is under 30,000km in Canada anyhow the rotors and brakes are warrantied, over and its not.....just take it in and TAKE the tech for a ride and make the car do it, not the mechanic, the service writer who checks your car in, however IF its over the milage for brakes your better off at a regular garage it will be cheaper.

 

Why don't you ride with the mechanic when he test drives the car?

 

I'm seconding this - I had the same problem with my '04 Malibu: steering shaft, outer tie-rods. It's worth your while to be observant while driving.