NHTSA complaint: 2010 CHEVROLET MALIBU — ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
ELECTRIC POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING ON MATCH 18, 2019. I WAS TURNING RIGHT ONTO BUSY 4 LANE CITY STREET FROM A PARKING LOT, SPEED < 5 MPH. COULD NOT TURN INTO RIGHT LANE, STRUGGLED TO SWING CAR INTO LEFT LANE W/O CROSSING MEDIAN. IT WAS NOT SIMPLY A LOSS OF POWER STEERING. I'VE DRIVEN OLD CARS THAT NEVER HAD POWER STEERING AND THIS WAS 10 TIMES MORE DIFFICULT TO STEER. I THINK I STRAINED A MUSCLE IN MY SHOULDER. TURNING DID NOT GET EASIER AS I ACCELERATED, EVENTUALLY TO ABT 40 MPH. STRUGGLED THROUGH 3 MORE HAIR RAISING TURNS (ALL TURNS MADE) BEFORE PARKING IT AT HOME. THE ESC/TCS INDICATOR CAME ON IN THE PARKING LOT AND STAYED ON. ERROR MSGS DISPLAYED WERE POWER STEERING, SERVICE ESC, SERVICE AIR BAG. I HEARD NO CHIMES. WE GAVE MY DAUGHTER THIS USED CAR IN 2015. SHE HAD COMPLAINED A COUPLE OF WEEKS PRIOR THAT STEERING SOMETIMES BECAME DIFFICULT. A SEARCH BY VIN SHOWS NO INCOMPLETE RECALLS. IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY USEFUL TO KNOW IF THIS CAR WAS PART OF A RECALL(S) AND THEN REPAIRED. IF IT WAS, IT WAS REPAIRED INCORRECTLY, NOT ALL PROBLEMS WERE RESOLVED, OR THE PARTS USED HAVE A SHORT LIFE SPAN. IF GM ISN'T COVERING THIS SITUATION, THAT'S A CRIME. ALSO, IF NOT COVERED BY GM I'LL TAKE IT TO OUR REGULAR MECHANIC SINCE HIS WORK IS MORE RELIABLE THAN THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP'S. IF MY BABY HAD BEEN HURT IN THIS DEATH TRAP, HEADS WOULD'VE ROLLED - METAMORPHICALLY OF COURSE. I'LL ALSO BE CONSULTING A LAWYER.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation