This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu maxx. The contact stated that his drivers side seat was defective. The dealer repaired the seat previously, but the failure recurred. The current failure was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 45,000 and the current mileage was 85,000.
The drivers front seat leans to right when tilted have to keep all the way down so it doesn't wobble. The weld on the seat frame broke causing it to lean to the right and be unstable. Also power steering will randomly stop working in the middle of driving. You have to shut the car off and turn it back on to get power steering back. Dealer said they recalled the issue before we bought the car and it is back again same issue now its apparently not covered since they said they fixed it been happening for a few years now.
While sitting in the driveway was adjusting the seat for me to drive then the seat dropped down and now leans to the right and rocks back and forth when going over any bumps at any speed. Front weld of the driver seat broke, causing the seat to sometimes lean towards the front right. We took it to Chevy, asked them to check the seat and do a state inspection. They said that they didnt know what it was and had to pull the seat out. They then told me that it would be $1,000 to repair the seat, then told me it would not pass inspection without repairing the seat. When I picked up the car, more welds had broken and the seat wobbled a lot. They told me that if I put the seat in the totally down position that it would not wobble. Now I am looking online and see that there are a lot of complaints about broken welds on the seat. I hope that there will be an investigation into this issue. I believe this is a safety issue and could cause serious damage to the driver if car was in an accident.
Bought 2004 Malibu maxx brand new. Switch in ac first to go at just under 10000 miles. 18000 miles brakes and rotors had to replace cost almost $800. Headlights burned up replace wiring harness on both another $1000. Replaced both head lights could not see through either of them another $385 check engine light kept coming on and come to find out there was not a fuse in the emission spot. Replaced that another $400 when they found the problem. Leaks in the hatch when it rains or car is being washed. Check engine light on will not reset. Driver seat supports are broken and everyone that I know that has this car has the same problem and no recall has been issued on this, guess when there is an accident and someone really gets hurt then something will be don. It is ashamed that you pay so much for a vehicle and this is what you go through. I am a firm believer in oil changes and general maintenance and no one from the company seems to care about problems that is fault of the manufacturing of this car and it seems that no one wants to replace what is wrong.
- Newellton, LA, USA
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Broken drivers side car seat frame to a 2004 Chevy Malibu. Broken frame causes seat to rock up and down and lean to one side.this frame broke under normal use. To repair this you need to buy a new seat for one thousand dollars from a Chevy dealer or you can try to weld the frame back together. The main problem is the poor design and engineering of the size of metal used to build the frame.
My 2004 Malibu maxx has a broken weld of the seat component. The car is out of warranty, has approximately 55,000 miles on it, and the repair is close to $1000 as the entire seat frame has to be replaced. There are numerous complaints by others on the same car, same year, same model, same make. See
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu maxx. While driving approximately 10 mph over a speed bump, the front driver seat collapsed three to four inches into a tilted position. The contact adjusted the power seat to the lowest level to secure the seat and the contact was able to resume driving the vehicle with caution. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the dealer where they informed the contact that the driver seat mounting bracket was fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu maxx. The drivers seat frame that supports the seat was broken since 2008. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed him that it would cost him $1000 for repairs. The vehicle was never repaired. The manufacturer was never notified. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 40,000 and the current mileage was 100,000.
Date: 11/15/10. 2004 Malibu maxx lt. While exiting a limited access highway at 25 mph, the driver's seat suddenly dropped two or three inches down and to the right, nearly causing the operator to crash into the safety barrier. Once the vehicle was stopped, an inspection revealed the seat frame weld had separated. Research shows this is a problem that has been reported to the NHTSA on a number of occasions without corrective action. The dealer has inspected the damage and claims this is a recurring issue. Repair is over $1,000. The resulting litigation will run in the 10's of millions as the dealership notes that in a collision the seat may not stay anchored. The safety restraint is also attached to the seat, so it will be ineffective as well. Investigate and issue the recall!
I noticed the driver seat was "rocking" to the right when I sat down. When I looked under the seat I noticed that the crossbar was broken at the weld joint on the right side of the seat.
Front weld of the driver seat broke, causing the seat to sometimes lean towards the front right. We took it to Chevy, asked them to check the seat and do a state inspection. They said that they didn't know what it was and had to pull the seat out. They then told me that it would be $1,000 to repair the seat, then told me it would not pass inspection without repairing the seat. When I picked up the car, more welds had broken and the seat wobbled a lot. They told me that if I put the seat in the totally down position that it would not wobble. We complained to the manager, and he has agreed to call GM to see about getting an allowance to get it repaired. Now I am looking online and see that there are a lot of complaints about broken welds on the seat. I hope that there will be an investigation into this issue.
2004 Chevy Malibu maxx - 55K miles, driven by small woman in her 70's. crossmembers in the driver's seat frame failed, along with welds on both sides of the rear crossmember. The seat tilted significantly to the right, preventing the driver from sitting properly & safely. After failure, the seat would shift noticeably in turns, and the repair shop said in the event of an accident, it was highly unlikely the seat would remain anchored. The fact that the driver's seat belt was anchored to the seat caused further concern, as it would not stop a driver from being thrown forward in the event of an accident. Cost to repair is $1000 - outrageous for what is clearly a manufacturer defect, given it is such a common problem. Chevy should be recalling these vehicles or offering to repair the problem at no cost to the vehicle owner.
Front drivers seat. 2004 Malibu maxx. Seat became 'pitched' to the right. Dislodged of assembly. We took to dealership and were told that it was 'broken' and needed to be replaced.....this happened 2 times totaling $1200. Upon research this appears to be an all to common problem with the Malibu seat assembly.
2004 Chevrolet Malibu max - the driver's seat frame has failed at the bottom resulting in the seat leaning to the right, moving around during cornering, and the seat generally being not anchored entirely to the floor of the car. The vehicle has less than 41000 miles and this failure was not due to any incident other than normal driving. Currently awaiting backordered parts from the dealer at significant cost. Continuing to drive car in unsafe condition. Other owners report similar issues on several websites. This appears to be a manufacturers defect.
Front and rear crossmembers in the driver's seat frame failed, along with welds on both sides of the rear crossmember. The seat tilted significantly to the right, interfering with the opening of the rear seat entertainment unit and placing a strain on the seat adjustment motor. After failure, the seat would shift noticeably in turns, and the repair shop said in the event of an accident, it was highly unlikely the seat would remain anchored. The fact that the driver's seat belt was anchored to the seat caused further concern, as it would not stop a driver from being thrown forward in the event of an accident. Several local GM dealers said that they have no recourse and that the seat is no longer available. I had to have the seat completely stripped down and have several parts and welds replaced at a local metal shop.
Driver's seat frame broke at right front weld joint. Seat then leaned to the right and moved forward and backward. This occurred under normal driving conditions at low speed. Mechanic said this is a significant safety issue since during hard braking or impact the seat would not hold and would likely break entirely loose and slam the driver into the steering wheel. $850 to replace the seat frame. GM would not pay to fix this obvious design/manufacturing defect.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Ansonia, CT, USA