1999 Chevrolet Malibu: broken coil spring

Filed Mar 12, 2009 · Suspension · 123,440 miles · PA

Front passenger side coil suspension spring broke without warning severly damaging tire. Heard a loud bang sound and then saw a lot of smoke coming from front passenger side tire. Bottom of front passenger side coil suspension spring broke and lodged into tire without warning.

Filed Feb 1, 2009 · Suspension · 70,000 miles · MA

1999 chevrolet malibu sedan with about 70,000 miles on odometer. A similar problem to that described in your the federal safety agency action number pe03031. Within a few hundred yards of starting up the car and leaving my home, there was a audible bang and the passenger side macpherson strut coil spring suddenly fractured and the broken spring end penetrated the front tire inside sidewall leading to a blowout. I did not travel over any kind of bump or pothole. Fortunately I was traveling at a low speed and the loss of control did not cause an accident. It was winter conditions (salted roads) with an air temperature of around 20 deg.f. I feel that this was a design flaw structural failure in the suspension that should never have happened as it could have been extremely dangerous. I am having both front strut assemblies and a tire and rim replaced at considerable expense.

Filed Oct 2, 2008 · Suspension · 133,200 miles · PA

Noticed left rear of '99 malibu lower than right while parked in a filling station on the evening of 9/24/08. While hoisted for an oil change on 10/01/08, the technician showed me the left rear coil spring was completely ruptured. (in august of 2005, the front left coil spring ruptured. I paid to replace it with a new one.) the right spring coils are original to this day.

Filed Aug 26, 2008 · Suspension · 88,013 miles · IN

On august 24, 2008 my 1999 chevrolet malibu was driven less than a mile and the passenger side front coil spring broke. On august 25, 2008 I took the vehicle to bob sumerel tire co. For repair. The spring appeared to have broken at the top first ring. The spring was replaced. I have the remainder of the broken spring. The top part that broke off has been lost. I noticed there are at least two other reported instances of this that were previously investigated by the federal safety agency but no recall was issued. This could have resulted in severe tire damage and accidental injury.

Filed Apr 24, 2008 · Suspension · 105,000 miles · WI

Coil springs breaking on 1999 chevrolet malibu. I was standing outside one morning last year when I heard a large bang. Front coil spring broke and was rubbing up against the tire. Replaced it with a used strut. Last week found a broken spring in the rear while rotating tires. I went on-line and did a search and found that this has happened to many people and what is scary is that it has happened to some while driving, which immediately blows out the tire. Contacted a friend of mine that is a gm service manager, he had just gone through this problem with his nephews 1998 car. He told me that gm had no recalls on this. This is my sons car and I don't want him to become a statistic, to resolve it this safety issue.

Filed Apr 14, 2008 · Suspension · MI

Front right coil spring broke on my 1999 chevrolt malibu wondering if there may be a recall on said part?

Filed Feb 28, 2008 · Suspension · 103,290 miles · IN

The right front coil spring on our 1999 chevy malibu broke while we were driving. The strut assembly dropped & punctured the new tire we had gotten less than a month before. The car was not drivable & had to be towed & repaired. I researched this problem online & found that there have been a lot of complaints about this same problem with 1999 chevrolet malibus, while chevrolet has no consequences for having defective parts. This is dangerous & someone could be killed by the defects. We still have the broken coil spring with the part number on it. We should be reimbursed for the cost of the repairs, the new tire that was ruined & the mental anguish of having come so close to a possibly fatal accident. Does someone have to die before defective parts will be recalled & replaced at the manufacturer's expense?

Filed Jan 15, 2008 · Suspension · MA

1999 chevrolet malibu front end coil spring failed. Consumer states that the front end of the vehicle fell onto the tire due to the failed coil spring. She states that gm should have recalled this problem.

Filed Jun 29, 2007 · Suspension · 90,100 miles · WI

Failure of front strut springs. No notification either time they broke / passenger's side front spring broke about 6 months ago. I did not think too much of it because dealer stated they have seen this happen before. 6-27-07 my driver's side strut spring broke. I was now told that this could have caused an accident by the way this had broke. I contacted another dealer per recall or any notification out there regarding this safety issue. I was told by dealer that they replaced them often enough that they even stocked them. I felt that in this year the production defect required intervention by you. I again had no indication until I heard a clung. Which at that time I was not driving very fast. I work in a repair shop, and have never seen a spring break on any vehicle. The shop I work for deals with vehicle with lots of miles on them. My 99 malibu only has 85,000-90,000 miles on it and both my springs broke within 6 months of each other. Thanks for taking the time to read my concern. Please let me know if you have heard of anymore issues that may relate to my concern.

Filed Jan 19, 2007 · Suspension · 90,000 miles · IA · crash

Right front coil spring broke damaging strut and damaging tire. Break was due to rust. Vehicle was making a turn when break occurred causing wheel to be "stuck" in the turn position due to parts rubbing on tire. Mechanic says many of gm products are and have experienced said problem.

Filed Jun 5, 2006 · Suspension · 140,000 miles · MI

Front driver side coil springs failed causing vehicle control to be reduced. The spring failed after its first winding down from the top, it appears during compression the spring end contacts the winding below which probably induced a crack and ultimately propagated a stress failure. The part failed while backing out of a driveway with the steering wheel near full right turn. During the turn the spring failed. The passenger spring was also replaced and looked as failure was immanent based on a marks in nearly the same spot as the failed spring. The failed spring is currently in my possession.

Filed Mar 17, 2006 · Suspension · WI

I was driving on the highway to work in the morning on a clear and dry day. All of a sudden my vehicle jerked to the left and it was out of control. I managed to pull off to the side of the highway and my tire was ruptured. After getting the car towed, the dealer let me known now that the left front spring broke and punctured the tire. Not only was this a very dangerous situation, but the repair is very costly, not to mention I had just gotten new tires a few thousand miles prior to the incident. I have heard this complaint before and now wonder if this could or should be a recall item??