2003 Chevrolet Malibu

YESTERDAY I WAS DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT ROAD WITH A FEW TURNS IN A RURAL COMMUNITY. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT STARTS FLASHING, MY SPEED DROPS BY FORCE, MY STEERING WHEEL TIGHTENS, AND THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF. THANKFULLY THE DRIVER BEHIND ME WAS NOT UP TO SPEED AS HE HAD JUST TURNED ONTO THE STREET AFTER ME. OTHERWISE, HE WOULD HAVE SLAMMED INTO THE BACK OF MY CAR. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND STARTED MY ROUTINE OF TRYING TO GET THE IGNITION TO TURN OVER. THIS PROCESS CALLS FOR ME TO PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNTION, TURN IT TO THE RIGHT, AND WAIT FOR THE BOARD TO LIGHT UP. ONCE IT IS LIT, THE CAR USUALLY STARTS AGAIN. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN WHEN THE THEFT LIGHT STARTS TO BLINK. IN THE PAST I HAVE HAD TROUBLE GETTING THE CAR TO START WHEN THE LIGHT COMES ON. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL IGNITION SWITCHES REPLACED AT THE SUGGESTION OF THEIR CHEVY TECHNICIANS BUT EACH SPRING/SUMMER I CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS COSTLY PROBLEM. THE MANAGERS AND TECHNICIANS SEEM TO THINK THAT THIS IS NOT A BIG ISSUE AND THAT I WILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCHES BECAUSE THE CAR THINKS THAT I AM STEALING MY OWN CAR. THE ONLY WAY FOR ME TO GET THE CAR TO START UP AGAIN IS TO PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND TURN IT TO THE RIGHT WITHOUT ACTUALLY STARTING THE CAR. AFTER 5-10 MINUTES THE ELECTRICAL BOARD LIGHTS UP AND THEN I AM ABLE TO START THE CAR. WHILE THIS CAR IS A 2003 MODEL, I HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE SINCE THE CAR WAS NEW BUT GM REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE ONLY THING THEY HAVE DONE IS TO REPLACE THE KEY FOBS BUT THAT OBVIOUSLY IS NOT THE ISSUE FOR MANY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS.

VIN: [XXX] I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE INVOLVING "POSSIBLE UNINTENDED KEY ROTATION" AND ON MAY 11, 2017 I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CHEVY DEALER IN SANFORD, FL. BOTH OF THE KEYS WERE FITTED WITH A "PLUG" AND TWO RINGS WERE ADDED,. ON MY WAY HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP, ON I-4 AT ALMOST 70 MPH, I HAD TO BRAKE WHEN DEBRIS BEGAN FLYING UP AHEAD. THE BATTERY AND OIL LIGHTS CAME ON AND I FELT THE CAR LOSE POWER AND THE STEERING BEGAN TO LOCK. THE OTHER CARS BRAKED & I COASTED TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND STARTED IT UP AGAIN. APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES LATER, AS I EXITED THE RAMP IN DELTONA, THE CAR DID EXACTLY THE SAME THING. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP FROM THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND ASKED WHY THE CAR HAD NEVER DONE THIS UNTIL THE RECALL FOR THE KEY ISSUE HAD BEEN COMPLETED AND I WAS TOLD TO COME BACK AND THEY WOULD DO A DIAGNOSTIC. I DROVE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC & BASED ON THE SYMPTOMS DETERMINED IT WAS THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THEY ALSO PURGED THE SOLENOID, COSTING $366. TODAY, MAY 23, 2017, I WAS TRAVELING ON I-4 AT ABOUT 65MPH WHEN IT BECAME NECESSARY TO BRAKE. THE STRETCH OF ROAD IS ROUGH, AND WHILE BRAKING I SAW THE TWO LIGHTS COME ON AND FELT THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. I WAS IN THE PASSING LANE WITH EASY ACCESS TO THE EMERGENCY LANE, AND ONCE AGAIN THE CAR STARTED UP AND I CONTINUED ON MY WAY AND BACK HOME. I DROVE IN THE RIGHT LANE THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP DOWN AND BACK SO I COULD BAIL OUT IF NEEDED. ON THE DAY OF THE ORIGINAL REPAIR, AFTER THE CAR SHUT DOWN TWICE ON THE WAY HOME, I CHECKED THE GOVERNMENT RECALL PAGE TO SEE IF THERE WERE OTHER RECALL ISSUES AND I LEARNED THAT THE FOB IS NOT RECOMMENDED TO BE ATTACHED TO THE KEY. I REMOVED THE FOB FROM THE KEY AND ATTACHED IT TO A LANYARD, BUT APPARENTLY THAT DOES NOT HELP THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP RETURNED BOTH "CORRECTED" KEYS TO ME ON THE FOB, WITH A SECOND RING ON EACH. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

MY SON WAS DRIVING THE 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE THEFT PROTECTION SYSTEM SUDDENLY KICKED IN AN SHUT OFF THE ENGINE CAUSING HIM TO LOSE SPEED AND POWER STEERING AND FORCING HIM TO STOP ON THE HIGHWAY. THEN HE HAD TO SIT THERE 10 MINUTES WITH THE KEY TURNED ON TO RESET THE THEFT SYSTEM BEFORE HE COULD START THE CAR AGAIN AND GET OUT OF A DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE IGNITION AND KEY WAS ALREADY READY REPLACED UNDER THE RECALL TOO.

THIS HAS HAPPENED FIVE TIMES NOW, I AM DRIVING AND THE ENGINE JUST SHUTS OFF, I CAN NOT BRAKE I CAN NOT STEER, I STILL HAVE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD. IT HAPPENS WHEN I AM GONG ABOUT 20 TO ABOUT 35 MILES PER HOUR. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY. I DO NOT KNOW IF IT WILL HAPPEN AT A HIGHER SPEED! IT DID IT THE FIRST TIME BACK IN JUNE 2015 MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING, THEN AGAIN LAST FRIDAY AUGUST 7TH FOUR MORE TIMES WITH IN 10MINUTES AND A FEW MILES APART. IT IS LIKE SOMEONE JUST TURNED THE CAR OFF WHILE I AM DRIVING?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL POPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WHEEL BEARING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000.

WAS NOT ABLE TO GET KEYS OUT OF THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE KEYS WOULD STICK, AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEYS. TOOK IT TO A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP, AND THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE SHIFTER AND KNOB ASSEMBLY. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE AND USED THE ORIGINAL KEYS. FURTHERMORE, THIS CAR HAD LOW MILEAGE, 56,040 MILES, FOR A SEVEN YEAR OLD CAR, AND WAS BARELY DRIVEN TO HAVE TO HAVE SUCH A SERIOUS REPAIR. I SEE THAT THERE IS SOME KIND OF TECHNICAL BULLETIN FOR THIS ISSUE, BUT CHEVROLET SHOULD HAVE PAID FOR THE REPAIR INSTEAD OF CHARGING ME THE $346.56 TO REPAIR A KNOWN ISSUE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED. I HAVE HAD SO MUCH TROUBLE WITH MY 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU THAT I WOULD NEVER PURCHASE A CHEVROLET OR GM PRODUCT EVER AGAIN. MOST OF THE ISSUES THAT I SEE IN THE SERVICE BULLETINS ARE ISSUES THAT I HAVE ALSO HAD. AFTER FINDING THIS WEBSITE, I HOPE TO LET OTHER CHEVROLET MALIBU OWNERS KNOW OF THE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS THAT CAN OCCUR WITH THEIR VEHICLES, AND ALSO HOPE THAT ONE DAY, SOMETHING CAN BE DONE TO MAKE CHEVROLET LIABLE FOR ALL THESE ISSUES. *JS

CAR WILL NOT START. SOLID "THEFT" LIGHT COMES ON DASHBOARD AND CAR WILL NOT TURN OVER, OR IF IT TURNS OVER, WILL CUT OUT SHORTLY AFTER. THIS ANTI-THEFT ISSUE CAUSES THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES TO DISABLE, AND AM NOT ABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. HAVE ALSO HAD CAR STALL OUT IN TRAFFIC AND LOSE ALL POWER. HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED SEVERAL TIMES DUE TO THE ISSUE. I HAVE TRIED SEVERAL FIXES AND MECHANICAL REPAIRS, BUT THIS ISSUE CONTINUES TO GET WORSE. NO MATTER WHAT I TRY AND DO, AT RANDOM TIMES, MY CAR WILL NOT START, WHILE THE "THEFT" LIGHT COMES ON AND COMPLETELY DISABLES MY VEHICLE. AND SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR JUST SHUTS OFF. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE, AND AM USING AN ORIGINAL KEY TO START THE CAR. I DO NOT HAVE ANY TYPE OF SECURITY SYSTEM INSTALLED IN MY CAR. THERE IS NO REASON FOR THE "THEFT" LIGHT TO COME ON WHEN I AM JUST TRYING TO START MY VEHICLE, NOT STEAL IT. THE IGNITION RECALL FOR MY SPECIFIC VEHICLE ONLY INVOLVES REPLACING THE KEYS, BUT THIS ANTI-THEFT ISSUE, WHICH I AND OTHER CHEVROLET MALIBU OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING, IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD CAUSE A CRASH OR OTHER ACCIDENT TO OCCUR IF IT CAUSES THE CAR TO CUT OUT (LOSE POWER) FOR NO REASON WHILE DRIVING, AND AT THE SAME TIME DISABLING THE STEERING AND BRAKING SYSTEMS. THIS SHOULD DEFINITELY BE A SAFETY RECALL. *JS

THE CAR SHUT OFF WITH NO WARNING WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD. THIS WAS A TOTAL SHUT-DOWN OF THE CAR; INCLUDING THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE BRAKE BOOSTER. THE CAR AFTERWARDS BECOMES DIFFICULT TO START. IT MAY TAKE SEVERAL TRIES OR A PROLONGED WAITING PERIOD UNTIL THE CAR WILL WANT TO START. AFTER IT DOES START THERE'S NO TELLING IF IT WILL SHUT OFF AGAIN WHILE DRIVING. IT HAS SHUT OFF WHILE GOING THROUGH TURNS, AND PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE LEFT AND THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED TO STRAIGHTEN. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO AN UNKNOWN OBJECT AND FLIPPED UPSIDE DOWN. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BRUISING FROM THE GLASS WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNAWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.