2013 Chevrolet Malibu Body & Structure Problems

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle was rusted underneath at the midway point to the rear of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact referenced DTC: TPOA90, indicating a failure with the drive motor "A" performance. The contact called an independent mechanic. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE IN OUR 2013 CHEVY MALIBU WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, WHEN ABOUT 1/2 WAY INTO THE SPACE I EXPERIENCED AN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION BY THE VEHICLE. THIS CAUSED ME TO CRASH INTO A BOLLARD IN FRONT OF THE CONVENIENCE STORE CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF THE CAR. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSING ME TO HIT MY HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL. *DT ADD CPSC *JS

NOTICED MUSTY SMELL IN CAR. OPENED TRUNK TO FIND INTERIOR WET. LIFTED FLOOR OF TRUNK OUT AND FOUND SPARE WHEEL WELL OVERFLOWING WITH WATER. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE. DISCOVERY MADE WHILE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. PHOTOS TAKEN AFTER SHOPVACUUMING OUT AS MUCH WATER AS POSSIBLE AND LETTING TRUNK AIR DRY. WATER DAMAGE VISIBLE ON POROUS SURFACES. UNSURE IF WATER DUE TO FAULTY TRUNK DOOR SEAL (WATER DRIPS FROM SEAL WHEN TRUNK DOOR IS OPENED) OR IF WATER IS COMING IN ELSEWHERE.

FRONT RIGHT PASSENGER DOOR HITS THE BACK RIGHT PASSENGER DOOR CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE BACK PASSENGER DOOR EXTERIOR MOLDINGS. FRONT DEFROSTER DOES NOT WORK WHEN PUT ON, BLOWS ALOT OUT OF FRONT VENTS INSTEAD.

WINDOW TRIM THAT RUNS AROUND TOP POPS OFF AROUND ALL WINDOWS, STAYED WITH THE REAR DRIVER WINDOW, THEN PASSENGER FRONT

THE EXHAUST AND POWER HAVE ISSUES...CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON AND POWER TO SYSTEM IS REDUCED. FUEL ECONOMY HAS DECREASED SEVERELY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL NOT GO OFF. EXHAUST COMING FROM TAILPIPE EVEN AFTER CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING AWHILE. THIS ISSUE HAPPENS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING AND OPERATING. SECOND ISSUE IS THE TRUNK LATCH! THE VEHICLE HAS AN OUTSIDE TRUNK RELEASE BUTTON. WHEN VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY LOCKED, THE TRUNK WILL OPEN ON IT'S OWN! WE WILL COME OUT TO THE CAR WITH THE TRUNK WIDE OPEN WHEN WE KNOW WE HAVE LOCKED IT COMPLETELY. CHECKED, DOUBLE CHECKED, EVEN TRIPLE CHECKED BUT WE WILL STILL COME OUT TO A VEHICLE WITH THE TRUNK WIDE OPEN! THIS TRUNK OPENING ISSUE HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED AND OFF BUT, LOCKED!

BUBBLING/RUST SPOT LOCATED NEAR FRONT GLASS ON HOOD OF THE CAR. (ONLY 3 YRS OLD).

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD ABNORMAL NOISE FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT OBSERVED THAT THE REAR BUMPER DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE AND WAS LYING IN THE ROAD. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 83,000.

THE LEFT DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE OR INSIDE AND THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR THE DRIVER.

METAL PLATING ON THE PASSENGER DOOR HANDLE PEELING OFF AND IS EXTREMELY SHARP. HAVE HAD 2 PEOPLE SLICE THEIR HANDS/FINGERS ON THE DOOR, RESULTING IN A PAINFUL "PAPER-CUT" LIKE INJURY. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET SUGGESTS THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR GM VEHICLES IN THE PAST. CAR IS 2 YEARS OLD AND SHOULDN'T BE FALLING APART.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, A HUMMING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE. AS THE SPEED INCREASED, THE HUMMING WOULD GET LOUDER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL BEARING WAS FAULTY. THE WHEEL BEARING WAS REPLACED AND THE FAILURE WAS REMEDIED. APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS LATER, THE HUMMING NOISE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE WHEEL BEARING WAS FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000.

PLEASE SEE BELOW. THIS IS A COPY OF THE EMAIL SENT TO GM AND DEALERSHIP THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED IN 2014. THIS SAME SCENARIO HAS HAPPENED IN 2015 AND GM REFUSES TO REPAIR THIS TIME. ATTACHED YOU WILL SEE PHOTOS OF MY VEHICLE WITH PARTS OF THE CAR LITERALLY FALLING OFF. APPROX. A WEEK AGO I NOTICED THAT IT WAS BECOMING HARD TO OPEN AND CLOSE MY DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. I FIGURED THAT I WOULD GET IT LOOKED AT WHEN I DROPPED MY VEHICLE OFF FOR ITS OIL CHANGE. FAST FORWARD TO SUNDAY 2/2. I ATTEMPTED TO ENTER MY VEHICLE WHEN COMING OUT OF THE STORE AND AND UPON OPENING THE DOOR, THE CHROME PIECE FROM THE TOP OF MY PASSENGER REAR WINDOW POPPED RIGHT OFF. NOW, SEEING THAT THE NEXT DAY WAS MONDAY, I TRIED NOT TO GET TOO UPSET BY THIS, BUT AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WHEN A PERSON IS IN THE PROCESS OF PAYING OVER $20K FOR A VEHICLE THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING FOUR MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE. MONDAY MORNING, I WENT TO GET INTO THE VEHICLE, AND THE PLASTIC PART BETWEEN THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOOR STARTED TO CRUMBLE AT THE TOP, SO MORE FRUSTRATION SET IN. I EMAILED MY SALESPERSON AND WAS ADVISED TO BRING THE CAR IN. NOW I AM STARTING TO BELIEVE THAT THE ISSUE COMES WITH THE STRUCTURE OF THE VEHICLE FROM THE FACTORY AND THE FACT THAT THE DEALERSHIP PROBABLY DID NOT INSPECT THIS CAR PROPERLY. YESTERDAY EVENING I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE PLACE OF PURCHASE ELCO CHEVROLET. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE CAME OUT TO VIEW THE VEHICLE. AFTER CONFIRMING THAT THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN AN ACCIDENT (BY THE WAY I TOOK OFFENSE TO THIS) IT WAS ADVISED TO ME THAT THE DRIVER'S DOOR LOOKS AS THOUGHT IT WAS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY, AND NOW IT IS MORE AJAR WHICH IS WHY THE ISSUES ARE HAPPENING. NOW OF COURSE THIS IS NOT ONLY UPSETTING, BUT ALSO CONCERNING TO ME BECAUSE THIS IS NOW A SAFETY ISSUE. I COULD HAVE BEEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE DOOR FALLS OFF WITH ME ATTACHED TO IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE SUN BEAMS ON THE SHINY INTERIOR TRIM IT WOULD IMPAIR THE CONTACTS VISION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100...UPDATED 10/01/14 *BF

I HAD AN INCIDENT WHERE THE AFTER THE CAR WAS PROPERLY PARKED, THE CAR SETTLED AND THE FRONT BUMPER CAUGHT THE PARKING STOPPED. I IMMEDIATELY RETURNED THE CAR, AND LEARNED FROM THE HERTZ AGENT THAT IT WAS THE UNDERCARRIAGE. I UNDERSTAND FROM OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT THE CAR DEALER WILL NOT EVEN COVER THE DEFECTIVE FLIMSY FRONT BUMPER LIP. THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ARE REGARDING THE POOR ASSEMBLY QUALITY....UPDATED 11-06-13 *BF

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ENTERING A DRIVEWAY, THE WIND DEFLECTOR RUBBED AGAINST THE GROUND AND BECAME DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

WENT TO TEST DRIVE 2013 CHEVY MALIBU. AS ALWAYS, I ADJUST MIRRORS BEFORE DRIVING. I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THAT BECAUSE THE ROOFLINE IS SO LOW-SLUNG FOR AERODYNAMIC REASONS, THAT THE REAR VIEW MIRROR IS ALSO VERY LOW. AS A RESULT, THE MIRROR WAS BLOCKING ALMOST 25% OF MY VIEW! I'VE HEARD OF BLINDSPOTS ON VEHICLES BUT THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD? I'M ONLY 5'10' TALL, BUT I HAD TO DUCK MY HEAD TO SEE UNDER THE MIRROR. DIDN'T BUY THE VEHICLE FOR THAT REASON ALONE. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I NEVER EVEN WENT FOR THE TEST DRIVE AS IT WAS OBVIOUSLY DANGEROUS. *TR