2000 Chevrolet Malibu suspension problems

“SUBFRAME RUSTING AWAY ON THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT. CAN'T REPLACE DUE TO THEY DISCONTINUED MAKING THE PART. EVEN IF THE PART WAS FOUND IT WOULD COAST ABOUT $900.00 THEN THE TIRODS WOULD NEED REPLACING. IN ALL AFTER NEW TIRES AND ALL IT WOULD COAST $2000.00 TO FIX.”

“WHEN MAKING A TURN MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND COULD NOT CONTROL MY CAR I HAD TOWED TO A MECHANIC THAT TOLD ME THAT THE SUBFRAME TO RACK BRACKET WAS RUSTED OUT AND THAT THE SUBFRAME AND THE RACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE REPAIR COST WILL START AT ABOUT $2000.”

“WHILE PARKING I HEARD A NOISE IN THE FRONT END AND UPON TURNING THE WHEEL HARDER THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I COULD BARELY TURN THE WHEEL. LATER IN THE DAY PUT IN MORE POWER STEERING FLUID THINKING THAT WAS THE PROBLEM BUT HAD THE SAME ISSUE. I THOUGHT THE POWER STEERING WAS GOING OUT AS I WAS HEARING A GRINDING TYPE NOISE IN THE FRONT END. THE NEXT DAY I COULD FEEL SOMETHING UNDER THE DRIVER FLOOR BOARD AND LOUDER NOISES WHEN TURNING HARD. TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD SUB-FRAME IS RUSTED AND NEEDS REPLACED AS WELL AS THE RACK AND PINION; THIS WILL START OUT AS A $2000.00 REPAIR AND COULD GO UP TO $4000.00 DEPENDING ON WHAT ELSE THEY FIND WHEN THEY WORK ON IT. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND SHOULD BE FIXED BY GM AS THEY USED SHODDY MATERIALS BUILDING THIS VEHICLE. MY MECHANIC SAID I SHOULDN'T DRIVE IT AS I MAY LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THIS CAR WAS KEPT IN A GARAGE FOR THE FIRST 10 YEARS I HAVE OWNED IT AND HAS ONLY BEEN PARKED OUTSIDE FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS. AT ONLY 89,000 MILES I AM DISGUSTED AT THE WAY THIS VEHICLE WAS BUILT. I HAVE ALSO REPLACED THE HEAD GASKET, NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE! *TR”

“THE CAR WILL NOT TURN LEFT. IT MAKES A METAL ON METAL SOUND. MY MECHANIC SAYS THE ENGINE CRADLE IS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT, AND THE RACK AND PINION STEERING NEEDS REPLACING.HE SAID THE RUST IS CAUSED BY THE HOSE FROM THE AIR CONDITIONING DRIPPING ON THE ENGINE. HE SAID THAT HE SEES THE ENGINE CRADLES RUSTED OUT ALL THE TIME ON CHEVY MALIBUS. I HAVE MAINTAINED THIS CAR AND NEVER KNEW ABOUT THIS RUST UNTIL NOW. THE CAR HAS VERY LOW MILES FOR ITS AGE. THE BODY OF THE CAR IS PERFECT. I WOULD LIKE CHEVY TO REPAIR THIS. IT WOULD BE ABOUT $2000 OR SO TO GET THE CAR REPAIRED WITH A USED ENGINE CRADLE AND A USED RACK AND PINION. I SEE THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TOLD YOU ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR”

“UPON MAKING A HARD TURN WITH THE STEERING WHEEL, THERE WAS A RUBBING NOISE. AFTER INSPECTION IT WAS FOUND THAT THE ENGINE CRADLE WAS COMPLETLY RUSTED IN TWO, CAUSING THE RACK TO DROP AND MAKE CONTACT. VEHICLE WAS ALWAYS MAINTAINED.”

“1) NOTHING ABNORMAL 2) LEFT FRONT SUSPENSION SPRING BROKE, BROKEN SPRING CUT THROUGH SIDE WALL OF TIRE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO LITERALLY DROP ONTO FRAME, LOOSING COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. LUCKILY, VEHICLE WAS ONLY GOING ABOUT 20 MPH AT THE TIME THE SPRING BROKE! I HAVE WORKED IN AUTO DEALERSHIPS FOR 30 YEARS, AND ALTHOUGH A BROKEN SPRING ISN'T ALL THAT UNUSUAL, THIS IS THE THIRD SPRING THAT HAS BROKEN ON THIS VEHICLE IN THE PAST YEAR. I HAD TO REPLACE BOTH PASSENGER SIDE SPRINGS LAST YEAR. 3) I REPLACED ALL FOUR SPRINGS ON THIS VEHICLE, AND FOUND THE EPOXY COATING (ON THE SPRINGS) IN VERY POOR CONDITION. UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T HAVE THE OLD SPRINGS. I HAVE ALSO READ ON CHEVY MALIBU MESSAGE BOARDS THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON OCCURRENCE. *TR”