general problems of the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu

Key does not shut off car can not shift gears.

Unable to steer turn wheel right car kept going foward.

Vehicle front end shakes/wobbles severely when under hard braking situations down hill. Loud low rumble noise and pedal vibrations are evident. Shaking and wobbling is present through vehicle steering wheel requiring more strength and directional corrections to steer and guide the vehicle properly. Down hill braking could be severely impeded in normal driving or while towing a trailer. Panic stops and light braking situations on level ground are normal straight and true. Brake fluid level check okay and is clean. Abs system operating normally. Parking brake operating normally. Vehicle brake system and abs warning lights check okay. Vehicle has 4 new tires mounted and balanced on original factory rims. Tires are sized and inflated to vehicle manufacturers specifications. Cold tire pressure 29 psi in front and 26 psi in rear. Front left and right rotor surfaces are smooth and within normal specifications. Vehicle diagnosed as having warped front rotors. Front rotors appear to warp prematurely under normal load. Vehicle has had front rotors repaired and or replaced 3 times. Has been suggested that front rotors are not large enough to handle the size and capacity of the vehicle. Vehicles with the six cylinder engine option displace more weight upon the front axle creating excessive heat and wear on undersized disc brakes. Vehicle presented with 69,000 original miles.

I was driving my vehicle at 35 pmh when I went over a small pot hole on father hurley blvd. My right knee smashed against my key ring on the front dash area. Thee car lost immediate power. I could not accelerate or steer my vehicle. I had to slowly coast over to the side of the road until I came to a complete stop. Vehicles around me had a difficult time avoiding me since this event happened as I was approaching a lane merging with mine as they exited a major freeway. When the vehicle had completely stopped I put on my hazard lights and put it in park. I noticed that the key was not fully engaged in the ignition so I pushed it all the way back into the ignition and turned the key over. The car immediately started up and I was able to drive home safely. This is the 3rd time an event like this (where my knee has bumped up against the key ring and the car lost power) has happened in my history of owning this vehicle.

I wanted to submit my complaint after receiving a recall letter about my former car. In December of 2013 I was driving on the road after it had rained. I lost control of the vehicle. Car went off the edge of the road. Was unable to control car through steering or braking. We slid down the hill fishtailing. Rear end hit signs which sent me into a spin and shattered the rear window. Front of car was stopped by several trees- cracking windshield/crushing front end. Deploying air bags. Car was totaled. My two children in the back seat had seat belt burn and cuts from glass. I had multiple bruises, cuts, burn from seat belt. Hit head and briefly lost consciousness. As a result it aggravated my chronic pain condition.

When driving the car it may stall,(and it has many times) which causes failure of power steering and brakes. The car also won't always start. You can turn the key but the dashboard lights don't come on,if they don't the car will not start. Also the battery won't keep a charge, unless you start the car and let it run at least every 2 days.

2002 Chevrolet Malibu. Vehicle has been recalled because of the key ring is carrying added weight and the vehicle may go off the road. Also, the power steering rack and lines were replaced.

The contact owns a 2002 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact has had to have repairs performed on the vehicle ever since the time of purchase. She lost control of the steering while driving various speeds. Two mechanics stated that the steering rack was defective. The contact put 18,000 miles on the vehicle within two years. The failure mileage was 94,000 and current mileage was 110,000.

Hearing popping noise in the front suspension whenever you make a turn in the vehicle and the rear stabilizing bar is bad. Back end swings.