Well, It would seem my vibrations are actually getting worse. I noticed today that if I accelerate at 65 to 75 mph that the vibration gets much worse. I am thinking I may want to dump the Bu before it gets any worse... Test drove a 2004 BMW 545i 6speed today, it only has 30K miles and the price seems really reasonable at 20K. Looked at the 3-series but they are just too small for my taste. I really like the looks of the Bu and the size. Really wish they could figure out this vibration thing. The worse it gets the more I think it has something to do with the torque converter...

If you are that unhappy I say dump it before it looses even more value. But I would not get a used car. Especially a 2004 BMW that will cost a TON to fix. Since it seems you want a 4-door sedan, what about a Fusion, or Mazda 6? I saw a '11 6 at the dealer last week, it is really nice and the V6 is quicker then the Malibu.

If you are that unhappy I say dump it before it looses even more value. But I would not get a used car. Especially a 2004 BMW that will cost a TON to fix. Since it seems you want a 4-door sedan, what about a Fusion, or Mazda 6? I saw a '11 6 at the dealer last week, it is really nice and the V6 is quicker then the Malibu.

I have decided that the bimmer probably would not be the most practical choice for my daily driver (though it was real fun to drive). I have not driven the new 6's but the older ones were much louder on these crappy roads than the Malibu. I may look at a Nissan Maxima next but after looking at the trade-in for the BU I will likely just run it until the warranty is gone and then look at what is available.

You have to be very careful buying any BMW that is outside of the factory warranty and service period. I am a member of the BMW club and get their monthly magazine Roundel. There is a BMW maintenance column in the magazine and the author complains about BMWs maintenance program every month. He claims it destroys the cars since the maintenance isn't often enough and doesn't provide for service of some things that need to be serviced. He routinely advises people not to buy BMWs that are over 4 years old unless the previous owners followed the earlier BMW maintenance schedule (the one they had before the company started paying for maintenance during the warranty period). By the way the 5 Series cars seem to have some very high maintenance costs.

Here is a link to one of his comments in the November issue. Just zoom in on the BMW without a warranty question that is on page 104. It is quicker to get to by hitting end in the viewer and then paging backwards until you get to 104.
http://roundel.imirus.com/Mpowered/book/vrd10/i11/p1

Bill

You have to be very careful buying any BMW that is outside of the factory warranty and service period. I am a member of the BMW club and get their monthly magazine Roundel. There is a BMW maintenance column in the magazine and the author complains about BMWs maintenance program every month. He claims it destroys the cars since the maintenance isn't often enough and doesn't provide for service of some things that need to be serviced. He routinely advises people not to buy BMWs that are over 4 years old unless the previous owners followed the earlier BMW maintenance schedule (the one they had before the company started paying for maintenance during the warranty period). By the way the 5 Series cars seem to have some very high maintenance costs.

Here is a link to one of his comments in the November issue. Just zoom in on the BMW without a warranty question that is on page 104. It is quicker to get to by hitting end in the viewer and then paging backwards until you get to 104.
http://roundel.imirus.com/Mpowered/book/vrd10/i11/p1

Bill

WOW, Interesting article... Maybe I will save my pennies, buy a new one and maintain it myself... Even with sythetic oil, there is no way oil changes should be stretched to 15K miles. Obviously, these practices are taking a toll on BMW reliability. I think I will stick with the devil I know and hold on to the Bu for a while longer. At least I know how it is being maintained. Thanks for all the input!

I would advise against the Maxima. The CVT tranny in those things sucks. Next year I think we are gonna trade the wife's in for a Mazda 6 V6. The new ones are real nice.

My oldest sister and her husband just traded their 08 Malibu for a New Hyundai Genesis. They like it a lot, they said it has a lot of power and is very comfortable . They were just not happy with the Malibu! Sad to say but looks like even Hyundai are making better cars than our Malibu’s. “GM Cars”

They have been a true GM customer for many years and have bought one GM vehicle after another! They usually keep their vehicles to at least 100,000 miles then trade for new. They were in their extended warranty and they couldn't wait to get out of the Malibu because of some personal dislikes/ issues, the Steering issues being #1 reason! Now this comes from one of my own family members and really sucks to hear this because I really like the Malibu, “Just Not The Issues.” We will see how my Malibu continues to treat me since I have got some of my issues fixed and along with my son’s experience with his Malibu! I am hoping for a positive outcome with our cars and hope I am not forced to get rid of the Malibu. My fingers are crossed because I think the styling design of the Malibu is just beautiful !

PS. I love the Jewel Red Tintcoat Color!

take to dealer have wheels balanced,,,i would go back there when they are doing the balance and make sure it is balancing out correct.You may have a bad tire,slipped belt or etc....have tires rotated while they are doing that.....it should be supper smooth...good luck

Sounds like tire need balancing to me as well. I have an '06 that only vibrates at speed when the tires need balancing....I have had an instance where a brake rotor was so warped it would throw the wheel off balance, but that was 15 years ago on another brand of car.

His issue is not balance, tire or wheels related. Many Gen 7 Malibus have vibration issues. There is a sticky thread all about it....

Silver is right on... I have had the tires balanced and rotated etc... This is most definitely coming from the transaxle. You can feel the vibration become more pronounced when you accelerate. My feeling is that it is the torque converter has a shudder. Another appointment this week, we will see what they tell me this time.

Silver is right on... I have had the tires balanced and rotated etc... This is most definitely coming from the transaxle. You can feel the vibration become more pronounced when you accelerate. My feeling is that it is the torque converter has a shudder. Another appointment this week, we will see what they tell me this time.

And just to clarify even from the sticky, this is very noticable correct? Like, if I was having a similar issue and have been driving at 20, 40, 60, and 80MPH all for good distances, I would know that this is a problem? It isn't subtle, correct?

Good luck on the decision, i know it will be a tough one but I agree ditch the witch before it's 60K and no recourse OR value

I would know that this is a problem? It isn't subtle, correct?

Yes, I started feeling the vibration on smooth roads between 55-60 mph. It wasn't that big of a deal for me since I rarely drive at that range. Normally either I am in town traveling at 30-40 or on the highway traveling at 70-80 mph. Unfortunately it has gotten worse since the dealer updated (flashed) the transmission. Now I am getting the vibration worse and it is from 55-75 mph. I am now getting more concerned. Since the vibration is getting worse and now it is in the range I normally drive. .

Dropped it off again tonight. This time I took the Technician for a ride. Actually I made him drive. He felt the vibration right off the bat. The interesting part (I cna't believe I didn't try this) while it was vibrating at around 60mph he dumped into N. The vibration did not change. I think if this was a drivetrain issue it should have had an affect on the vibration. He is convinced that the vibration is from the tires/wheels. They are going to rotationaly force balance the tires and see how this affects the vibration. If this does not work I guess they will keep working on figuring out the cause. He also felt the steering knock but we were not able to duplicate the whine from the front right when I turn left. He said they would try again tomorrow to duplicate the turning noise. Wish me luck!

Dropped it off again tonight. This time I took the Technician for a ride. Actually I made him drive. He felt the vibration right off the bat. The interesting part (I cna't believe I didn't try this) while it was vibrating at around 60mph he dumped into N. The vibration did not change. I think if this was a drivetrain issue it should have had an affect on the vibration. He is convinced that the vibration is from the tires/wheels. They are going to rotationaly force balance the tires and see how this affects the vibration. If this does not work I guess they will keep working on figuring out the cause. He also felt the steering knock but we were not able to duplicate the whine from the front right when I turn left. He said they would try again tomorrow to duplicate the turning noise. Wish me luck!
The wife's has some vibs, worse in the warmer weather I notice too. It isn't that bad, but I can notice, and it drove me nuts when I was using the car. The dealers tried everything, reflashes, road force balancing, checked the chassis, I got new wheels, and tires. Nothing stopped it, thankfully it wasn't that bad in our car. She doesn't really notice, and only has a 2 mile commute, thankfully, and loves the car. Myself, I grew tired of it in less then a year and half. I was gonna trade it in, until the wife said she wanted it, and we traded in her car. Funny thing is, the Speed3 is much stiffer, has performance tires, is more raw, but IMO rides better. Go figure....

My point is that when mine was dropped in neutral it still did it, even AFTER I got the 20's. Even after I had totally different wheels/tires and it still did it. This is why I really don't think it is for sure a drivetrain issue. I am starting to think it is just a harmonic vibration issue in some cars. Some cars do it alot, some a little, some don't at all. This has soured me on GM, and I hate to say that after owning like 10 GM cars. Thankfully the Camaro after 10 years has been rock solid.

Good luck!

Do me a favor, if they find out what that steering knock is.....please see if you can get some details on the issue. It has come back on mine and I am way past the 36K.

Well, here is an update... (Mods let me know if I am too far off topic I can start a new thread or move over to the Vibration thread) During the Rotational Force Balance of the wheels the mechanic found a bad rim. They are replacing the rim and we will see if this works. Not sure if they have had a chance to look at the steering yet. I will get another update tomorrow when they get the new rim balanced and installed. Still have my fingers crossed... the Bu is almost paid off, I don't want anymore payments.

Don't trade your car, go get high quality rims and tires for the fraction of the money you would be paying for the taxes of the new car.
I still think the issue is your tire(s).

The dealer force balanced the tires and found a bad rim that would not balance. They replaced the rim but I have not had a chance see if this made an improvement since they are still working on the forntend knock and the squeeky brakes. Should get it back this week we will see what they come up with. If they tell me this is normal I will have to tjink long a hard about sinking too much more money into the Bu. The new 535i has been calling my name... LOL