NHTSA complaint: 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
FOR YEARS, CAR STALLS WHILE DRIVING AND CAN NOT BE RE-STARTED, OR MORE FREQUENTLY, JUST WON'T START. NO WARNING EXCEPT A FINE, DIM RED ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT WHICH IS UNLIKELY TO BE NOTICED AT ALL, AND CERTAINLY NOT IMMEDIATELY. CAN HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES PER DAY, OR CAN GO TWO WEEKS WITHOUT A PROBLEM. SHORT TERM REMEDY IS RELIABLE IF INCONVENIENT AND IN SOME SITUATION, DANGEROUS; WITH CAR IN "PARK," TURN OFF ALL SYSTEM, TURN ON IGNITION SWITCH BUT DO NOT START, DO NOT DISTURB FOR AT LEAST EN MINUTES. SYSTEM WILL THEN BE RESET. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT THIS PROBLEM HAD MULTIPLE CAUSES. GOT PARTIAL, TEMPORARY IMPROVEMENT (LESS FREQUENT FAILURE) BY REPLACING DEFECTIVE DS LOCK SWITCH, WHICH IS ALSO USED TO PROGRAM THAT LOCKING SYSTEM FEATURES. BECAUSE THE USERS IS SUPPOSED TO INITIATE LOCKING SYSTEM PROGRAMMING BY HOLDING THE SWITCH CLOSED, AND THE LOCK WAS STICKING CLOSED AND OPENING UNPREDICTABLY, IT WAS SURELY CREATING INPUTS NOT ANTICIPATED BY THE SYSTEM'S PROGRAMMERS. I BELIEVE THE IGNITION SWITCH SYSTEM, INCLUDING THE INTERFACE WITH THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR SYSTEM, IS STILL CAUSING THIS PROBLEM, AND FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE INCREASES. HAVE NOT FOUND SATISFACTORY SOLUTION. CAN'T AFFORD THE $400 DEALER SAYS IT WILL COST FOR (POSSIBLE) FIX, AMBIGUOUS EXPLANATIONS MAKE ME DOUBT THE DEALER REALLY UNDERSTANDS THE CAUSE. NO ACTUAL PROPERTY DAMAGE OR CRASH YET, BUT OBVIOUSLY RISK IS HIGH WHEN CAR SUDDENLY STALL IN TRAFFIC. *TR
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation