2003 Chevrolet Malibu

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH HER VEHICLE. THE TURN SIGNALS WOULD OPERATE WITHOUT INITIALIZATION AND THE POWER DOOR LOCKS WERE ALSO INOPERABLE. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL; HOWEVER, THERE WERE NO OTHER FAILURES. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER COULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIRS BECAUSE THERE WERE NO RECALLS AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 87,000.

REGARDING MY PREVIOUS COMPLAINT ABOUT MY 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU THAT WOULDN'T START, DOORS WERE LOCKING THEMSELVES,AND WARRANTY WAS UP... I CARRIED THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT NEW AND UPON CHECKING THE CAR AND FINDING A CODE FOR A PROBLEM THAT SHOWED UP WITH MY BODY CONTROL MODULE WHILE THEY HAD IT ON THIER COMPUTER, THE SERVICE MAN INFORMED ME THAT HE WAS ORDERING A NEW BODY CONTROL MODULE AND WAS GOING TO COVER IT FOR ME UNDER WARRANTY. *AK

I DROVE MY 2003 MALIBU TO A FRIENDS HOUSE AND PARKED IT FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES. COULD NOT RESTART THE CAR. IT WOULD TURN OVER AND SOUND LIKE IT WANTED TO CRANK, BUT WOULDN'T START. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED. MECHANIC SAID THAT IT WAS SOME SORT OF BODY COMPUTER PROBLEM AND THE ANTI THEFT SYSTEM WASN'T LETTING THE CAR START. SAID THAT IT HAD SHORTED OUT INTERNALLY. THE MECHANIC RESET THE THING BUT AFTER CRANKING THE CAR 4 TIMES, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. MECHANIC SAID COMPUTER WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF ABOUT $500. AT JUST OVER 41,000 MILES, THE WARRANTY IS NO GOOD ON MY CAR ANYMORE. HOWEVER, I TOLD THE SERVICE MEN AT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED MY CAR MONTHS AGO THAT THE DOORS WERE LOCKING BY THEMSELVES AFTER I'D EXITED THE CAR AND WALKED ABOUT 12 FEET AWAY. TOLD THEM THAT IT HAD HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AND ASKED IF THEY'D HAD ANY OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. HE JUST LOOKED AT ME, LAUGHED AND SAID THAT HE'D NOT HEARD ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE. IF A SHORT IN THE BODY COMPUTER IS CAUSING THE ANTI THEFT TO ACTIVATE SO THE CAR WON'T START, THEN IT SEEMS LIKELY TO ME THAT THE SAME SHORT COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSING MY DOORS TO LOCK. INSTEAD OF CHECKING THAT PROBLEM OUT AT THE DEALER WHEN I FIRST TOLD THEM ABOUT IT,AND MY WARRANTY WAS STILL GOOD, THE SERVICE MAN JUST TOLD ME THAT I WAS PROBABLY HITTING THE BUTTON ON MY REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY. I DON'T EVEN HAVE KEYLESS ENTRY ON MY CAR AND I TOLD HIM THAT. STILL ALL I GOT THEN WAS A LAUGH AND A SHOULDER SHRUG. IF THE PROBLEM WITH THE DOOR LOCKS HAD OF BEEN CHECKED OUT, THEN THE PROBLEM THAT I'M HAVING NOW MAY HAVE ALREADY BEEN DETECTED WHILE MY WARRANTY WAS STILL GOOD. BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW AND FEEL LIKE THE DEALER OR THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD COVER COSTS OF PARTS AND REPAIR. WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE ARE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND HOW THEY'VE BEEN HANDLED. *NM