What 921 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco

DRIVING UP HILL HAVING TO DECELERATE, THERE IS A HARD JERK AS IF THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED-THIS IS DANGEROUS DUE TO HUMAN REACTION TO ALSO QUICKLY TO APPLY THE BRAKES. THIS ISSUE HAPPENS RANDOMLY AND THE FIRST TIME I THOUGHT THAT THE VEHICLE HAD STRUCK SOMETHING OR HAD A MAJOR MALFUNCTION. IT ONLY LAST FOR A SECOND OF TIME. THE DEALER EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS JUST CHARACTERISTICS OF A 6 SPEED TRANSMISSION. THIS IS MY THIRD GM WITH A 6 SPEED AND THE OTHERS DID NOT DO THIS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10650597

MY VEHICLE WHICH WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW 02/2014 WAS LEFT RUNNING AND PLACED INTO PARK ON LEVEL ASPHALT STREET. WHEN I WALKED ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN FEET FROM THE VEHICLE MY VEHICLE BEGAN ROLLING FORWARD. I CHASED THE VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTED TO GET INSIDE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. I WAS ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR BUT WAS DRAGGED SEVERAL FEET. I COULD SEE CLEARLY THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK. THE VEHICLE WENT IN TO A SMALL RAVINE AND FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE I WAS ABLE TO PUSH THE ENGINE STOP/START BUTTON AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED. I EASILY BACKED THE VEHICLE OUT AFTER STARTING IT. I SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND SOME NICE PEOPLE I DID NOT KNOW TENDED TO MY INJURIES. I CALLED GENERAL MOTORS LATER THAT NIGHT AND WAS GIVEN A SERVICE REQUEST NUMBER OF 71-1320790919. MY VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO SUNRISE CHEVY ON 06/22. ON 07/21 I WAS NOTIFIED NOTHING COULD BE FOUND WRONG WITH MY VEHICLE. I WAS GIVEN NO PAPERWORK FROM GENERAL MOTORS OR THE DEALER. THERE WAS 1100.00 DOLLARS OF DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE . GENERAL MOTORS REFUSED TO PAY FOR SAID DAMAGE. I WAS TOLD TO USE MY PARKING BRAKE. REALLY THAT IS RIDICULOUS WHEN U ARE ON LEVEL GROUND. MY LEFT FOOT AND LEG STILL SHOW THE SIGNS OF BEING DRAGGED. I WAS ALSO ASKED HOW MANY TIMES THIS HAPPENED. ISN'T ONCE ENOUGH. I SURELY DID NOT TRY TO DUPLICATE IT. I DID NOT NOR WILL I EVER LEAVE MY CAR RUNNING AGAIN AND WALK AWAY. I HAD THE KEY WITH ME ON THAT DAY BUT GUESS WHAT I DISCOVERED THE VEHICLE CAN BE DRIVEN AWAY EVEN WHILE THE KEY FAB IS WITH YOU. I HOPE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE WHICH IS THE REASON I REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO GENERAL MOTORS AND NOW DOCUMENTING THE INCIDENT HERE. *TR

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AROUND THE TIME I BOUGHT THE CAR, ON 11/30/12 AT 5812 MILES, UNKNOWN TO ME THE CAR HAD A CONCERN OF LOSS OF BATTERY CHARGE WHICH CALLED FOR AN INSPECTION OF THE GENERATOR CONTROL MODULE. SO A GEN CONTROL MODULE PERFORMANCE TEST PER RECALL WAS PERFORMED. IN MAY OF 2013, I STOPPED AT RED TRAFFIC LIGHT AND THE ENGINE WAS IDLING, WHEN I PROCEEDED TO ACCELERATE BY PLACING MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL AT THE GREEN LIGHT, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF ON ME. THIS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF THAT CONSERVES ENERGY. ON 6/24/13 AT 14006 MILES, I TRIED TO GET THEM TO DO A DIAGNOSTICS AND I DON'T THINK THEY DID A DIAGNOSTICS EVEN THOUGH I WAS STILL UNDER BUMPER-TO-BUMPER AND POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. THEY SUGGESTED A TEST DRIVE WITH A MECHANIC FOREMAN TO SEE IF THE ISSUE WOULD PRESENT ITSELF AGAIN. THE ISSUE DID NOT OCCUR AGAIN. IN JULY OF 2013, I THEN COMPLAINED THAT THE CAR HAD POOR ENGINE ACCELERATION ENTERING ONTO A HIGHWAY AND TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE AT 14810 MILES. THEY DID A R&R ECM RECALIBRATE CONTROLLER PROGRAM. ON JULY 26, 2014, I DROVE EARLIER IN THE DAY FOR QUITE A FEW HOURS THROUGH THE CITY AND A LITTLE ON THE HIGHWAY. I ACCELERATED ONCE ON THE HIGHWAY AT WHICH THE ISSUE OF ACCELERATION PRESENTED ITSELF AGAIN. AT 38,548 MILES, THE FOLLOWING MESSAGES WAS SHOWN ON MY DASHBOARD: 1. BATTERY SERVICE NEEDED 2. POWER STEERING SERVICE NEEDED I THEN CALLED ONSTAR AND I ASKED THEM TO DO A DIAGNOSTICS AND THEY GAVE ME THE FOLLOWING MESSAGES: 3. ENGINE CONTROL MODULE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM NOT PERFORMING AS EXPECTED. (P155A) 4. POWERTRAIN SYSTEM HAS DETECTED MALFUNCTION RELATED TO CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM. CRUISE CONTROL DISABLED. (C0800) 5. POWERTRAIN SYSTEM HAS DETECTED MALFUNCTION RELATED TO TRANSMISSION. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL NOT ILLUMINATE. VEHICLE PERFORMANCE AND SHIFT BEHAVIOR MAY BE AFFECTED. TOP SHIFT FEATURE WILL BE DISABLED IF EQUIPPED. (P0826) *JS

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I STARTED THE CAR AND VIEWED THE MESSAGE "SERVICE POWER STEERING" IN THE MESSAGE CENTER BETWEEN THE ODOMETER AND TACHOMETER. THERE DID NOT SEEM TO BE ANY ISSUE WITH THE STEERING, BUT WANTED TO GET IT CHECKED OUT BY MY LOCAL DEALER SINCE IT WAS LESS THAN A HALF MILE UP THE ROAD. AS I PUT THE CAR INTO THE GEAR, THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. THE INDICATOR LIGHTS THAT NORMALLY SHOW ME WHAT GEAR I AM IN (PRND) WERE BLANK. THEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN, THE CAR SURGED FORWARD VIOLENTLY, AS IF THE MALIBU WAS JUST REAR-ENDED. I THEN TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT. THE ?SERVICE POWER STEERING? MESSAGE APPEARED AGAIN. HOWEVER, THE ?CHECK ENGINE? LIGHT HAD LIT UP, AND THE ?SERVICE PARKING BRAKE? MESSAGE APPEARED AS WELL. THE CAR THEN SURGE VIOLENTLY AGAIN FORWARD WITHOUT SHIFTING INTO ANY GEARS. I THEN SHUT THE CAR OFF AND CALLED SPENCER CHEVROLET TO TELL THEM I WAS GOING TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THEIR SHOP. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, I TRIED ONCE MORE TO START THE CAR AND WAS ABLE TO SHIFT INTO GEAR AND DRIVE IT TO THE SHOP IN LIMP MODE WITH HALF THE WARNING LIGHTS LIT UP ON THE DASH. AFTER FURTHER DIAGNOSTICS, THE MAINTENANCE MANAGER AT SPENCER CHEVROLET INFORMED ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER MODULE (TCM) HAD FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT UNDER WARRANTY. THIS WAS THE THIRD ELECTRICAL ISSUE I HAD WITH THIS VEHICLE (THE TRUNK WAS OPENING ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING, PARKED, OR DURING THE NIGHT, AND THE RADIO WAS LOCKING UP WITH NO CONTROL). I WAS WORRIED THAT THE TRANSMISSION ISSUE COULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING, AND DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE ANY RISKS. *TR

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MY RPM KEEPS GOING UP AND DOWN AT STOPS AND I TOOK IT TO A DEALER AND THEY FOUND OUT MY PISTON IS CRACKED AT COMPRESSION RINGS.THERE IS ALSO A SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED BY GM PI-1178 AFFECTING 2.0 TURBO ENGINES ,I TALKED TO 2 GM REPRESENTATIVES BOTH DENIED OF HAVING A SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED ON THIS CAR .AND THEYDONT WANT TO CHANGE MY ENGINE BUT REPLACE THE PISTONS AND THE RINGS ,MY CAR WILL BE AT THE SHOP ANOTHER WEEK!.I ALWAYS HAD GM CARS 1 AND THIS WILL BE MY LAST GM CAR BECAUSE ITS A CHEAP COMPANY! *TR

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AS THE CHECK ENGINE SENSOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT HAD TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO NEITHER REPLICATE NOR DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000.

NHTSA ODI 10604533

WE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE USED WITH ONLY 5600 MILES AND HAS BEEN RUNNING FINE EXCEPT FOR SLIGHT SMELL IN REAR AREA. WE DROVE THE NIGHT BEFORE AND IT WAS OK, BUT THE NEXT MORNING THE BATTERY WAS ABSOLUTELY DEAD. NO LIGHTS, HORN, WIPERS, INTERIOR LIGHTS, GOT THE VEHICLE PUSHED OUT OF THE GARAGE BUT NO POWER BRAKES OR STEERING AND TRANSMISSION WAS LOCKED-UP. CALLED GM FOR ROAD ASSISTANCE AND CAR WAS JUMP STARTED. I LOOKED TO SEE PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL AND FOUND COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME PROBLEM AND ALSO GOING DEAD WHILE DRIVING. BLOGS SAID THEY BROUGHT VEHICLES INTO DEALER AND THEY FOUND NOTHING, WHICH IS THE SAME ANSWER I WAS GIVEN OTHER THEN MY WIFE MUST OF LEFT THE DOOR OPEN. I REFUSED TO PICKED THE CAR UP TO THIS DATE AS WILL NOT HAVE MY WIFE DRIVE THIS VEHICLE IN FEAR THAT IT WILL GO DEAD WHILE DRIVING OR WILL NOT START AND BE STRANDED AT NIGHT. BLOGS STATED THAT THE GENERATOR CONTROL MODULE WAS THE CAUSE AND SEVERAL HAD TO HAVE THE MODULE REPLACED AGAIN. MY VEHICLE WAS ON A RECALL LIST AND THE DEALER STATED THE MODULE WAS REPLACED ONCE A YEAR AGO ( BEFORE 5600 MILES). THE DEALER STATED THE GM EXPERT SPECIALIST CHECKED AND FOUND NO CODES AND WOULD NOT AUTHORIZE A REPLACEMENT MODULE. I BET IF IT WERE ANY SENIOR EXECUTIVE AT GM OR THEIR SPOUSE DRIVING THIS CAR THAT IT WOULD BE REPLACED! I DO BELIEVE THERE IS A HISTORY HERE AND GM DOES NOT WANT TO LIVE UP TO ANOTHER ENGINEERING ERROR. *TR

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WAS ENTERING PARKWAY AND CAR FAILED TO ACCELERATE BUT THE ENGINE WAS REVVING .CAR STOOD STILL AS IF IN NEUTRAL

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STEERING BECAME STICKY STIFF IN 12 O'CLOCK POSTITION, MAKING STEERING CORRECTIONS DIFFICULT WITH OVERCORRECTING. THERE IS DEFINITELY A PROBLEM THAT COULD BE A SEVER SAFETY HAZARD. I WAS TRAVELING ON I-75 AT 65-70 MPH WHEN MALFUNCTION OCCURRED. I CONTACTED A DEALER IN TAMPA AND THEY DID NOT SEEM TOO CONCERNED, HARD TO COMMUNICATE DUE TO IT BEING A HOLIDAY WEEKEND. THE TAMPA DEALER ADVISED IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM, I WOULD HAVE RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER. I AM CONCERNED, BEING ON VACATION, FOR THE LONG TRIP BACK TO KNOXVILLE. ALSO, I HAVE EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION SHUTTER AT LOW SPEED, INTERMEDIATE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10554103

VEHICLE SOLD AND DELIVERED WITH AN OPEN ACTIVE SAFETY RECALL (13142) ON IT AT TIME OF PURCHASE, WHICH WAS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW TITLE, 49 SUBTITLE VI, CHAPTER 301, SECTION 30112A3 RESTRICTING THE SALE (AND/OR INTRODUCING INTO COMMERCE) OF A VEHICLE WITH A SAFETY DEFECT. THIS INFORMATION IS CONSISTENT WITH THE INFORMATION IN GM RECALL BULLETIN #13142. DEALER SOLD HAVE NOT SOLD OR DELIVERED THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE RECALL WAS ADDRESSED. DEALER/CHEVROLET RISKED THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE OWNER AND GENERAL PUBLIC BY PLACING IT INTO COMMERCE WITH THE OPEN RECALL. *TR

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SHIFT ABRUPTLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER DEPRESSING THE BRAKES THERE WAS SLIGHT DELAY BEFORE IT ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER HOWEVER THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,460 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,041.

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