What 976 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu Eco

I WAS DRIVING MY 2011 CHEVY MALIBU WAY TOO WORK , RUSH HOUR AND UNPLEASANT WEATHER. AS I WAS DRIVING THE CAR JUST SLOWED ITSELF DOWN, STARTED TO TREMBLE AND THE ;ENGINE POWER REDUCE / SERVICE TRACTION WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. I WAS ALMOST REAR-ENDED SINCE CAR JUST DECIDED TO REDUCE ITS ENGINE POWER. I PULLED OVER FOR A FEW MINUTES, TURNED CAR OFF AND RESTARTED BUT THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON. CAR STARTED TO RUN SMOOTHLY, AND THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I CALLED INTO WORK AND CAUTIOUSLY DROVE CAR TO LOCAL DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD CAR WILL NOT BE LOOKED AT TIL THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE SERVICE ATTENDANT CALLS ME THE FOLLOWING MORNING , TO TELL ME THE CAR WAS CHECKED AND NEEDS THROTTLE BODY REPLACEMENT AND IS NOT COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER, DUE TO IT BEING AN ELECTRICAL/MECHANICAL DEFECT POSSIBLY CAUSED BY THE COLD WEATHER. I ASKED WHY WOULD THE THROTTLE BODY DEFECT , BE THE CONSUMERS FAULT; I DIDN'T KNOW CARS CANT BE OUT IN THE COLD WEATHER. SO, I DECIDED TO LOOK UP THE 2011 CHEVY MALIBU RECALLS/DEFECTS AND FOUND 22 OF 57 COMPLAINTS OVER THE SAME CAR ISSUE/PROBLEM/DEFECT. SO, I ASK; WHY HASN'T THIS BEEN PUT UP FOR A SAFETY ISSUE, A RECALL, AND HAVE THIS TAKEN CARE OF??? THIS CAN CAUSE ALOT OF ACCIDENTS! AS IM SURE THE CONSUMERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS ENGINE POWER REDUCTION HAVE FELT AT THAT MOMENT AND TIME. SO NOW IM TOO PAY $546.00 (ESTIMATED) TOO HAVE THIS PROBLEM TAKEN CARE OF, SINCE THE MANUFACTURER DECIDED TO USE FAULTY/DEFECTIVE PARTS ON THESE VEHICLES. I THOUGHT CHEVROLET WAS A DEPENDABLE MAKER. ALL MY FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, AND MY PARENTS HAVE PURCHASED CHEVYS- FROM TRAVERSE- MALIBU'S AND THEY ARE ALL SURPRISED THIS IS HAPPENING. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10558780

I WAS DRIVING THIS VEHICLE ON ONE OF THE MAIN HIGHWAYS WHERE THERE IS A LOT OF TRAFFIC AND SEVERAL LIGHTS APPEARED FIRST IT WAS THE SERVICE ESC, ENGINE POWER REDUCED, AND SERVICE TRACTION LIGHT, ALONG WITH MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, AND TRACTION LIGHT, THE CAR THEN DROPPED FROM A SPEED OF 65 TO A SPEED OF 20 AND WOULD NOT GO ON THE HIGHWAY THIS ALMOST GOT ME KILLED. I FEEL THAT GM SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AS THERE ARE SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE, I WOULD RATHER MY LIFE BE SAVED THAN DRIVING IN A DEFECTIVE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10558491

VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING, LOW TRACTION CONTROL MESSAGE, ESC MESSAGE, REDUCED ENGINE POWER MESSAGE. CAR WOULDN'T GO OVER 15 MPH, WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE HOME WITH THIS ISSUE. WAS LUCKY TO BE ON AN OUTER ROAD WITH NO TRAFFIC THEN THIS HAPPENED. HAD CAR DIAGNOSED, FOUND THE THROTTLE BODY HAD TO BE REPLACED -- KNOW OF TWO OTHER INDIVIDUALS WITH SAME ISSUE IN THE PAST 6 WEEKS, ONE ON A MALIBU, AND ONE ON ANOTHER CHEVY VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10558333

I WAS GOING ONTO A EXIT AN HIT A GUARDRAIL ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, THE CAR SPUN AND I ENDED UP SIDEWAYS. THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED BUT DID NOT INFLATE. I SUSTAINED BROKEN RIBS, A FACIAL HEMATOMA AND MULTIPLE CONTUSIONS. I WAS WEARING MY SEATBELT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10554926

I PURCHASED MY CAR IN FEB. OF 2012 AS OF TODAY MY CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 10 DIFFERENT TIMES FOR THE SAME THING. THE STEERING VIBRATES WHEN YOU DRIVE AND IT LOSES POWER WHEN SHIFTING. THEN, I HAD TO GET A NEW MOTOR IN THE CAR MAY 2013, THEN IT WAS RATTLING AGAIN SO I TOOK IT UP THERE. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WAS THAT IT NEEDED A PROGRAM UPGRADE AND THAT I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET 60.70 FOR THIS UPGRADE. TWO DAYS LATER THE WHOLE CAR SHUTS DOWN ON ME AND THEY ARE NOW SAYING THAT IT IS AN APP MODULE AND IT NEEDS TO BE RE-PROGRAMMED. I AM TIRED OF PAYING ALL THIS TOW BILLS AND FEES FOR A CAR THAT DOES NOT RUN AND IT NOT SAFE FOR MY KIDS TO RIDE IN. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10523041

ON 6/22/13 AT APPROX 1:40PM I WAS HEADING BACK TO WORK FROM MY LUNCH BREAK AND I WAS GOING THROUGH THE INTERSECTION ON MY GREEN LIGHT AT APPROX 30MPH WHEN A BIG CHEVY TRUCK BLEW THROUGH THE RED LIGHT GOING APPROX 40 MPH. I ENDED UP T BONING THE CAB OF HIS TRUCK. CAUSING ME TO DO A 360. TORE OFF THE BUMPER COMPLETELY. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND ONSTAR DID NOT CALL ME. TWO IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURES OF MY CAR FAILED ME! I THANK GOD I AM ALIVE WITH NO SERIOUS INJURIES! EVERYONE WHO SAW MY CAR INCLUDING THE BODY SHOP ARE IN COMPLETE SHOCK OF MY AIR BAGS NOT DEPLOYING! I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE CAUSE! *TR

NHTSA ODI 10522768

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, AN UNUSUAL NOISE EMITTED FROM THE ENGINE. IN ADDITION, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD VIBRATE SEVERELY. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE CONTACT DROVE OVER GRAVEL OR AN UNEVEN ROAD SURFACE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE MOTOR MOUNT WAS FAULTY AND WOULD REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

NHTSA ODI 10514487

I'VE OWNED THE CAR FOR 18 MONTHS. NOVEMBER 2012, I REPORTED TO MY GM DEALER OF LOSS OF POWER WHEN DRIVING. CAR'S RESISTANT TO ACCELERATION ATTEMPTS, LOSES POWER AT VARYING SPEEDS FROM 30 MPH AND UP. VEHICLE BROUGHT IN, DEALER STATED THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS. DECEMBER 2012, WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30MPH, CAR ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING, CAR CAME TO STOP ON ACTIVE TRAIN TRACKS WITH CHILDREN IN CAR, NO POWER STEERING, NOT ABLE TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE, NEUTRAL OR REVERSE, PARK. ONCE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF, VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. TOWED VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE, WAS TOLD TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A BAD SOLENOID. VEHICLE STILL HAVING PROBLEMS TWO MONTHS AFTER. JANUARY 2013 BROUGHT VEHICLE IN FOR SAME ISSUE, LOSING POWER, NO ACCELERATION, RPM'S WOULD REV AND THEN RAPIDLY DROP WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT FOOT ON GAS PEDAL. WAS TOLD BY DEALER NOTHING IS WRONG WITH CAR. FEBRUARY 2013, CHANGE OIL LIGHT WAS ONE FOR THREE MONTHS, EVEN AFTER HAVING OIL CHANGED. BROUGHT TO DEALER TO HAVE RESET. MAY 2013, VEHICLE STILL LOSING POWER, RPM'S REVVING AND RAPIDLY DROPPING, DASH LIGHTS RANDOMLY DIMMING WITHOUT TOUCHING DIMMER KNOB, DRIVER'S DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM INSIDE AND WILL NOT LOCK/UNLOCK DESPITE MULTIPLE METHODS, ONCE OPEN DOOR WILL NOT LATCH TO CLOSE AND DOOR BOUNCES OPEN AGAIN, AUTO START LAGS AT TIME AND RANDOMLY DOESN'T WORK. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO BRING VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE NEXT MONDAY, NOT OPTIMISTIC AS THE DEALER KEEPS TELLING ME THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR AND THEY ARE UNABLE TO REPLICATE, THEY STATE THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY OTHER KNOWN ISSUES ON THIS VEHICLE, DESPITE THERE BEING MANY MANY TSB'S ONLINE FOR THE SAME ISSUES I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING. I HAVEN'T OWNED THE CAR FOR EVEN TWO YEARS, TRADED IN A BEAUTIFUL NEW CAMARO FOR IT TO TRANSPORT MY CHILDREN IN A SAFE CAR, YET THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS AND HEADACHES. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10511396

THE CONTACT JUST BOUGHT A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU USED NOVEMBER 2012. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35MPH, THE VEHICLE BECAME RESISTANT TO ACCELERATION ATTEMPTS. THE ESP, SLIPPERY /TRACTION LIGHT, ENGINE LIGHT AND REDUCING ENGINE POWER WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE CAR DECREASED SPEED TO 20MPH. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10501286

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE BECAME RESISTANT TO ACCELERATION ATTEMPTS. THE ESP AND LOW ENGINE POWER WARNING LIGHTS THEN ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE RESET. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE ENGINE RESET AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL DEALER FOR FURTHER ASSESSMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 48,500. ...UPDATED 04/25/13 *BF UPDATED 05/20/2013 *JS

NHTSA ODI 10499926