PURCHASED A 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU IN DEC. 03 - ON FEB. 09, 2004 I WAS IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC ON THE BALTIMORE BELTWAY DURING MORNING RUSH HOUR. WHILE GOING ONLY ABOUT 7 MILES PER HOUR, I APPLIED MY BRAKES TO STOP AND MY CAR WOULD NOT BRAKE. I ENDED UP RUNNING INTO THE SUV IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE. NO DAMAGE TO THE SUV, HOWEVER THE FRONT END DAMAGE TO MY MALIBU WAS $3500.00. (AFTER POKING AROUND ON THE INTERNET I FOUND OUT THAT THE MALIBU RECEIVED THE POOREST RATING ON A LOW SPEED FRONT END IMPACT CRASH TEST) IT REALLY DOESN'T LOOK LIKE $3500 WORTH OF DAMAGES. NEEDLESS TO SAY I WAS FLOORED WHEN I RECEIVED THE NEWS. ANYWAY, ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER IN THE MAIL STATING THAT MY ABS SYSYEM NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED. IT ALSO STATED IN THE LETTER EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO ME ON FEB 9, 2004 WHEN MY CAR DID NOT BRAKE. I AM 100% CERTAIN THAT THIS IS WHAT CAUSED MY ACCIDENT. I PHONED GM AND TOOK MY CAR INTO THE DEALER. THEY INSPECTED MY VEHICLE AND REPROGRAMMED MY BRAKING SYSTEM. A REPRESENTATIVE FROM GM CALLED ME EARLIER THIS WEEK. HE STATED THAT THEY FOUND NO PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES IN MY 04 MALIBU. (SO WHY THE RECALL AND WHY DID THEY REPROGRAM THE ABS?) HE ALSO WENT ON TO SAY THAT GM WOULD NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES SUSTAINED FROM THIS COLLISION. I DISAGREE! I FEEL THAT GENERAL MOTORS SHOULD BE HELD LIABLE FOR MY DAMAGES. *AK