I purchased this vehicle in 2006 with 17,000 miles at the carmax superstore in naperville illinois and have had several serious issues since. The leaking sunroof with the innumerable failed attempts at repair. The leak has never been resolved and I have resorted to covering the vehicle with a tarp during inclement weather. The constant clicking noise in the steering when moving the steering wheel back and forth and the severe stiffness in the steering wheel when curb side parking between parked vehicles. The intermittent ignition failure, the vehicle will not turn over unless you depress the accelerator slightly. There were countless futile attempts at repair for all these defects through out the years of warranty and extended warranty coverage. The failed attempts of correctly diagnosing and properly repairing these defects by the englewwood auto group in englewood new jersey have left me unsatisfied and super frustrated. Today I am writing because the operators seat has now tilted to the right and is leaning against the center console. There was nothing of significance that occurred while driving that immediately alerted me of this problem, I was simply adjusting the seat when I noticed that the seat was rubbing against the center console. Upon inspecting underneath the seat I observed that the right rear corner does not rise when engaging the electric seat controls. The angle of the lean is so bad that it affects my posture and pains my lower back. I am also afraid that the seat will completely collapse while I am driving. When the seat is lowered all the way down it does level to its acceptable norm, but at 5 feet 4 inches tall I cannot operate safely that low to the floor. For a vehicle that is driven on average once a week it is plagued with some serious manufacturer defects that the dealerships' service department is unable or unwilling to repair.
2004 Chevrolet Malibu seats complaints
Page 3 of 3: complaints 41 to 69 of 69, newest first, as owners wrote them.
As I sat down in drivers seat the seat seemed to lean to the right and tilted back slightly. I looked under seat to see what was wrong and noticed a bar across front side of seat was broke away from it's original welded position. After removing seat I noticed that the bar had indeed broken free from weld. Not only was the weld broken but the bar which wasn't really a bar but a pipe slightly thicker walled than a piece of type m copper piping broke off with a piece missing. Also noticed same problem with the pipe that encases the bar at rear of the seat that allows the seat back to tilt back or forward. The pipe has also broken the weld and missing a piece of the pipe.we bought this car brand new and my wife is the primary driver .weight average 155 lbs. So I don't believe weight plays a part of this poorly designed work of failure. Mileage is less than 10,000 per year owned. This is extremely upsetting. Is chevrolet responsible or since warranty is over they can get away with this poor design and safety issue?
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that the driver seat leaned to the side when the driving. The contact stated that the bracket that held the seat to the frame was fractured and caused the seat to lean. The contact did not take the vehicle to a dealer or call the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 151,000.
Front driver's seat is completely loose on right side. Not secured down, cannot adjust and tilts when you make a turn or go around a curve. Have to drive with seat all the way down which is hard because I am a short person. When I get out of the car the whole seat acts like it is just connected on left side and comes up on right side. I had someone lift the seat while I looked underneath. Something is broke. Bracket will not hold seat up, just falls back down and seat will not stay in place. Also a safety issue with seat moving and not secure. In reading other complaints, I feel that I have the same issue of a broken frame which is a definite defect. I am not real heavy and that seat should not have broke. I have had this car for over three years and this has been my personal vehicle. However, I do not feel it is safe to drive like this, but have no choice! Oh! These are power seats. Thank you.
Safety issue with driver's seat. Tilts and leans, broken weld. This is a safety warranty and should be fixed by the manufacturer.
Was backing out of parking space and heard a metallic clank from under the driver seat. The seat tipped back and to the right, as if the right rear corner of the seat is no longer supported. The car is not safe to drive, as the seat moves around freely and would not be as safe in an accident. After a very short internet search, I found this is a very common problem to this model and year.
The driver's seat tilts to the right. If I pull the seat up before getting in the car it is okay until I hit the brakes or the gas, then the seat will just drop. Which can cause an accident if a less experienced person was driving. The seat has been like this for the last 5 years. I finally got fed and asked my mechanic to see if he could possibly put it back on track but he advised that the frame is broken. After going to ask.com, I find that this is a defect that is prevalent in the chevy malibu. I believe this is not only a defect but one that presents a safety issue.
Drivers seat broken. Appears a metal weld under the seat broke and causes the seat to lean back and to the right.
As I turned my 04 malibu to the lt my drivers side front seat broke on rt side causing me to lean hard to the rt and rearward almost loosing control of car. I have 81371 mi. On car. Appears to me to be a safety issue. I thought gm stood by their products. Looking at all the other complaints about this same issue and gm refusing to fix this safety issue,I am worried about how safe this car really is. I also had my heated seats come on all by their over 300 documented times while under warranty and said there was nothing wrong with it. The seats came on even when no one was sitting in the seat.
Drivers seat unstable. Dealer reports that two welds on seat rail are broken. Right side of seat tilts back when seat is raised above lowest position.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH the drivers seat snapped out of place and leaned to the right. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed a diagnostic test and stated the failure was caused by the drivers seat brackets. The VIN was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 102,000.
The driver's seat broke causing me to fall/rotate to my right and to the rear of the car. Seat failure was caused by a structural failure of 2 welds on the bottom seat frame. Welds located at the right bottom rear and right bottom front of the main support members. The seat frame has been replaced by a local service repair shop. I kept the frame after seeing what caused the seat to fail. I can provide pictures if you need them.
The drivers seat frame welds broke, leaving the seat unstable and leaning to the right. The vehicle had 50,000 miles on it and was driven primarily by one person and maintained well. The primary driver was @ 200 lbs.
Bought my 2004 chevy malibu in june of 2010 and just recently the support beam on the right side of the seat gave way. I don't jerk around in my seat I just get in and drive my car. Never had this happen before and I was heavier when I bought the car! I have a warranty which I hope covers it. However, I have noticed other people have made complaints about this very same thing happening on the right side of the seat and documented it online. I want it to be checked out as a safety issue for possible recall by chevy.
One day, I was adjusting the power seat while sitting in it and the seat suddenly dropped down on the right side, so that I was tilting back and right. The frame weld had broken, so now adjusting the seat up/down only affects the left side. Since the seatbelt is attached to this frame, it strikes me as a serious safety hazard; in a crash, more stress would be put on the intact left weld and if it failed then the seat would come free from the rest of the car... I have not sought to get this fixed yet as I am weighing my options on a potential $1,000+ repair/replacement.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that the steering column would become loose while driving at any speed and the wheel would sporadically shake when driving over 50 MPH. In addition the power steering warning light was illuminated when the failure would occur. The contact stated the failure was the second occurrence and the steering column was replaced in 2007. The vehicle was not inspected or repaired for the recent failure. The failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 115,000. The consumer stated the vehicle made a clunking, knocking and rattling sound when driven at a low grade speed and when the steering wheel was turned. The vehicle also shook violently. The driver seat didn't to stay on track and was difficult to adjust forward and backward. The horn and cruise control were inoperative. The brake and accelerator pedals no longer adjusted. The safety locks did not latch at times when the button was pushed and the gas cap continued to open after it was locked causing the engine light to illuminate. Updated 02/01/12
Chevy malibu driver side seat frame broken welds. The welds in the frame have broken causing the seat to become unstable. If the car was involved in a minor accident the seat would fall apart. I am average size and weight and believe this is a factory defect.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. While driving 75 MPH the right drivers seat detached from the metal base. The vehicle will be taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The manufacturer filed report 71937106775 but would not assist with the repair cost, because of the age of the vehicle and since the warranty expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 131,000. Updated 07/08/11*lj the consumer stated the weld broke on the driver's side seat while driving 75 MPH. The seat tilted back to the right rear. Updated 07/20/11
My front seat broke on one side causing me to sit lop sided while driving. My mechanic repaired 3 times and said it had to be replaced. The front and rear blinkers continuosly go out. The bulbs are fine the connection is just loose.
Broken weld on drivers side front seat.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that while sitting in the driver seat, she noticed a discomfort and that the seat would move as she was driving. She took the vehicle to an authorized dealer who advised her that the welding had fractured and that she needed to replace the entire driver side seat. The manufacturer was contacted and advised her that they would not assist due to the mileage on the vehicle. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. Updated 04/15/11*lj the consumer contacted gm and was informed that due to the mileage on the vehice, they would not cover the cost. Updated 10/12/11
2004 chevy malibu driver side seat frame broken welds. The welds in the frame have broken causing the seat to become unstable. Given that the welds are breaking under normal use and that the seat restraints are anchored to this frame causes safety concerns. If the vehicle owners are unaware of a defective weld and the seat should break under crash impact the safety restraint could fail possibly causing greater harm. I have experienced this problem under normal conditions and can see that the integrity of the seat and safety restraint could be compromised. I subscribed to some car forums and was surprised to see the number of people with the same problem on the 2004 and 2005 chevy malibu models which indicates some form of defect. I am of average height and weight and did not misuse the seat in anyway.
The welding under the driver seat is broken causing the seat to tilt to one side and sometimes rock. If a collision occurs the seat will not hold the driver securely in the seat.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet malibu. While traveling at 5 MPH, the driver side seat suddenly shifted backward without warning. The dealer re-welded the driver side belt frame to the base. There were no prior warnings of the failure. The current and failure mileages were 74,000.
Driver's side power seat. Steel frame is broken causing seat to rock front to back and side to side. Noticeable rust. Unable to weld, only fix is to replace seat. Not a safe seat if there is an accident.
2004 chevrolet malibu lt sedan failure: weld under driver seat broke in two places. Causes seat to set lower on one side placing driver at awkward position to controls. If a collision occurred, the seat would fail causing the driver to be thrown who knows where. Correction: seat removed for inspection, must be replaced as unable to repair.
My electric drivers seat was not working properly, so I set it to my position and left it that way for over a year. My wife complained about it so I removed it to find the bad motor ( assumed) but found the main cross member weld broke. If I had been in an accident, I may have gone through the windshield. Contacting gm and the local dealer resulted in no correction. I personally repaired the weld, but since the tubing was also torn, it may not hold. My concern is that others are not aware of this weld issue and believe like me that it is an electric failure.
I have not been able to drive my 2004 chevy malibu due to the supports under the drivers seat breaking on one side. It is a 6-way power seat and the breakage is causing the one side of the seat to "float." it is not secure when you have the seat raised off the floor. The seat will move when you shift in your seat, make a turn, or go over any bumps. New parts to fix the seat cost $500 (not including labor), for a few screws and some metal bars. Searched junk yards for a replacement seat and noticed the same issue starting to occur on several seats that were there. Also inquired with a mechanic who stated that this is a common occurrence in the 2004 and later malibu sedans, he knew the exact part numbers that needed to be replaced without even seeing the car. I would like for chevrolet to recognize this as a real safety concern.
2004 malibu customer has had problems with loss of electric power steering and wants out of the lease without penalty**cc the radio was inoperative, the cruise control was inoperative at times, it would turn off, but not engage. The PCM was replaced. The passenger side directional lights and brake lights were inoperative. The dealer replaced the bulbs. The heated seats came on by themselves. The intermediate shaft was replaced, because the consumer stated there was a noise when turning the steering wheel. The transmission cooling lines were leaking, the rear defogger on the passenger side was inoperative. When the windshield wipers were on intermittent, they would go full speed by themselves.
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