What 921 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Hev

THE BRAKE BOOSTER GAVE OUT WHILE APPROACHING A RED LIGHT. I WAS ABLE TO STOP BUT IT WAS DIFFICULT AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME CON AND ENGINE HAD A ROUGH IDLE. HAD TO TOW CAR TO DEALERSHIP AND VERIFIED THAT IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THERE IS NOT A RECALL OR WARRANTIED SO $800.00 LATER IT WILL BE SAFE BUT BUT I WILL BE SET BACK. AFTER DOING RESEARCH I FOUND THAT THERE IS A CURRENT RECALL FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM ON 2014 MODELS. GOOD FOR THOSE OWNERS.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE BATTERY AND POWER ASSIST WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. IN ORDER TO START THE VEHICLE A JUMP START WAS REQUIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CAM POSITIONING SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE REMAINED AT THE DEALER'S FOR MORE DIAGNOSIS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS ABOUT 106,000.

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SINCE 2015 CAR HAS EXPERIENCED ENGINE SPEED PROBLEMS, WIRING ISSUES AND EVERY 5-6 MONTHS THE CAR IS IN A CHEVY DEALERSHIP, THEY SAY ITS FIXED BUT THEN ITS BACK IN THE SHOP

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT VARIOUS WARNING INDICATORS FLASHED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, INCLUDING THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NEED TO BE DIAGNOSED AND THERE WAS NO AIR BAG RECALL TO ADDRESS THE REPAIR. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BATTERY, BUT THE AIR BAG, TRACTION CONTROL, AND CHECK ENGINE INDICATORS RANDOMLY FLASHED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS WAITING ON THE DIAGNOSTIC RESULTS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

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THERE WAS A SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS MODEL BUT IT DID NOT INCLUDE MY CAR'S VIN FOR SOME REASON. I HAVE HAD DEALERSHIP REPAIR THE PROBLEM TWICE, ONCE WHILE STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY AND THEN RECENTLY DUE TO AIRBAG HARNESS WIRING SHEARING OFF. THE DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THE WIRING AND CHARGED ME THE DEDUCTIBLE UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT ADVISED THE ISSUE COULD HAPPEN AGAIN DUE TO FAULTY DESIGN ENGINEERING. THE ISSUE HAPPENS APPARENTLY WHILE RAISING AND LOWERING THE DRIVER SEAT. THE WIRING HARNESS CAN EASILY GET CAUGHT IN THE GEAR MECHANISM.

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FOR THE THIRD TIME WE ARE WORKING ON SAME ISSUE.. DASH LIGHTING UP AIR BAG STAYING ON. WIRING REPLACE ON SECOND TIME TO DEALERSHIP.. GOING BACK FOR THIS TIME...

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LAST SUMMER, CAR WOULD NOT START; REPLACED BATTERY. IN JANUARY 2017, TOOK IN FOR STARTING ISSUES - FOUND NOTHING. NOW ENGINE LIGHT ON; DEALER COULD NOT ASSIST ME. DRIVING THIS EVENING; BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON THEN TOTAL SHUT DOWN OF VEHICLE - HAD TO TOW IT INTO DEALER.

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CAR BOUGHT FROM THE DEALERSHIP AS USED WITH 28K MILES IN NOV 2014. IN MARCH 2015, THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO LOCK WHILE TURNING. MEANWHILE, THE SCREEN AND THE RADIO RESTARTS. THE LOCKING OF THE STEERING WHEEL HAPPENS UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMIT TO WHEN PARKING, CRUISING ON THE NEIGHBOURHOOD (SPEED BELOW 30 MPH), CHANGE LANES IN HIGHWAYS (SPEED AROUND 50 MPH), AND SEVERAL TIMES WHILE THE CAR WAS ACTUALLY PARKED WITHOUT MOTION. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP IN APRIL 2015 FOR THE FIRST TIME. IN THE FOLLOWING TWO YEARS UNTIL LAST WEEK (MARCH 2017), THE DEALERSHIP REPLIED "COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE ISSUE" EVERY SINGLE TIME. IN THE RECENT SEVERAL TIMES OF ME VISITING THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE, THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY CABLES (WITH A CHARGE FOR $750), AND THE FUSE BOX (WITH A CHARGE OF $108), BUT STILL, THE PROBLEM EXISTS. THE LAST VISIT TO THE DEALER ENDS UP WITH THE ROUTINE REPLY OF "CAN NOT DUPLICATE" BUT THEY DID ADMIT THAT THERE IS INDEED AN ISSUE SINCE I SHOWED THEM A VIDEO I RECORDED WHEN THE ISSUE HAPPENS. THE LOCKING OF THE STEERING WHEEL HAPPENS EVERY SINGLE TIME WHEN I TRIED TO ROTATE THE STEERING WHEEL (TO MAKE TURNING WHILE DRIVING OR PARKING OF COURSE), BUT THE ISSUE IS THAT IT DOES NOT ALWAYS HAPPEN. IT ONLY HAPPENS EVERY NOW AND THEN. THAT IS WHY I AM STILL DRIVING IT AFTER TWO YEARS SINCE UNFORTUNATELY, THAT IS MY ONLY CAR. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SINCE THE LOCKING OF THE STEERING WHEEL ONLY LOCKS WHILE TURNING. IT CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD AND A LETHAL ACCIDENT ON THE HIGHWAYS. THE GM OFFERED ME A COUPON FOR SOME CREDIT TO BE APPLIED TO MY NEXT PURCHASE OF A NEW GM CAR BUT I DON'T THINK THAT IS A SOLUTION I CAN ACCEPT. I AM ATTACHING SOME OF THE SERVICE HISTORIES TO SUPPORT MY STATEMENT. THERE ARE MORE BUT I CAN ONLY UPLOAD 5.

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THIS WILL BE SECOND TIME OCURRING WITHIN TWO MONTHS..WHILE DRIVING PANEL LIGHTS UP RADIO TURNS ON FOR A FEW MINUTES THEN AIRBAG LIGHT REMAINS ON WHEN EVERYTHIGN ELSE TURNED OFF.. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP TO REPAIR AND THEY STATED IT WAS THE AIRBAG MODULE..REPLACED IT AND A MONTH LATER SAME THING HAPPENED... BACK AT DEALERSHIP TODAY

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE DEFROST SYSTEM WAS ACTIVATED BUT FAILED TO OPERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,900.

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THE HEAT AND AIR STOPPED WORKING ENTIRELY, CAUSING THE DEFROST TO ALSO FAIL, CREATING A VISIBILITY HAZARD. AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE I DISCOVERED THAT MANY 2013 AND 2014 MALIBUS WERE RECALLED DUE TO THIS EXACT ISSUE BUT MY CAR WAS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN THE RECALL DATES. THE PROBLEM IS THE SAME BUT MY CAR ISN'T COVERED IN THE RECALL.

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*TAKATA RECALL* WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT TO HANDLE CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE IN A JERKING MOTION FELT LIKE WHEELS WERE GOING TO FALL OFF. ON TOP OF THAT TOOK CAR TO DEALER SHIP AND THEY DIDN'T HANDLE ISSUE UNTIL MY SECOND VISIT TO SEE IF IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY I HAD TO PAY 100$ AND FIND OUT MY STABILITY SERVICE LIGHT, AND LIGHT AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT ARE ON DUE TO A REAR BEARING HUB BEING BROKE AND THE SENSOR NOT BEING ABLE TO DETECT SPEED CAUSING MY RPM TO BE AS THE TECHNICIAN CALLED IT DRIVE ERRATIC AND TRANSMISSION IS NOT SHIFTING UNTIL 4-6,000 RPMS. ALSO NEEDS A FUEL INJECTION, AND THEY MENTION A FRONT TURN SIGNAL BEING OUT WHICH I NEVER HAD ANY INDICATION OR KNOWLEDGE OF MY HEADLIGHTS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. ALSO, BEGAN TALKING TO CHEVROLET AS I WAS ON THEIR SIGHT AND SEEN RECALLS WHICH I HADN'T BEEN NOTIFIED AND WONDER IF SOME ISSUES THAT ARE OCCURRING ARE FROM PREVIOUS RECALLS THAT WERE BELIEVED TO HAVE NOT AFFECTED ME? IS THAT POSSIBLE? I AM A FULL TIME STUDENT, IN DEBT WITH LOANS AND CAR PAYMENTS AS I DON'T GET ANY SUPPORT FROM FAMILY. THE STEERING ISSUE OCCURRED VERY BADLY AND SUDDENLY ON 3/13/2017. STABILITRAC SERVICE WARNING LIGHT ABS AND TRACTION LIGHTS HAVE BEEN ON SINCE FEBRUARY 15 WENT TO DEALERSHIP ON 20TH THEY SAID THEY WOULD LOOK WHEN I MENTIONED IT, THE ISSUE WASN'T LOOKED AT OR EVEN NOTED JUST MAY NEED 2 FRONT TIRES. CURRENTLY AT 75,259 MILES I GOT THE CAR IN 2015 WITH ABOUT 45,000 MILES. DO HAVE DOCUMENTS FROM THE TWO VISITS TO THE DEALERSHIP AND ONE VISIT FROM ANOTHER MECHANIC. ALSO DIDN'T REALIZE A RECALL OR ISSUE HAS OCCURED WITH A SOLENOID AS MY ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON AND AFTER TAKING IT TO A MECHANIC SHOP VERSUS THE DEALERSHIP I PAID 400$ AND FOUND OUT THAT WAS RECALLED AT ONE POINT PRIOR TO ME OWNING THE VEHICLE.

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MY 2013 CHEVY MALIBU CAM POSITIONING ACTUATOR CAUSED MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. WHEN I HAD THE CODE READ, THEY SAID THAT THE SENSOR WAS THROWING THE CODE. MY CAR JUST WENT OUT OF DEALERSHIP WARRANTY WITH 52,XXX MILES ON IT. IS THIS COVERED BY GM RECALL?

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THE ABS LIGHT HAS COME ON STATING THAT I DID NOT HAVE STABIL TRACK CONTROL ANYMORE. THIS HAPPENED WHEN I WAS ENTERING A BUSY ROAD WHEN I SPUN TIRES ON SOME GRAVEL ON PAVEMENT ROAD SURFACE. IT HAPPENED WHEN I SPUN TIRES ON A ICY ROAD DRIVING AT ABOUT 35 MILES AN HOUR DUE TO ROAD CONDITIONS. IT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS DRIVING DOWN A DRY PAVEMENT STATE HIGHWAY AT 65 MILES AN HOUR. A TOTAL OF THREE TIMES. EVERY TIME IT WAS THE SAME PROBLEM BUT DIFFERENT WHEELS. IT HAS HAPPENED WITH LR, RR AND RF WHEELS PART REPLACED WAS 13589507W-(S) WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLY. THE PROBLEM IS THE ENCODER RING WHICH IS PART OF THIS ASSEMBLY IS CRACKED, PIECES GONE OR THE WHOLE THING GONE. THERE WAS NOT A PROBLEM WITH EARLIER VERSIONS OF THIS ENCODER RING. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS PART WILL BE ON THE NEW 2017 MODELS AND THAT IT WILL AFFECT THE COMPUTER EVEN MORE THAN THE 2013 VERSION WITH SOME FEATURES SUCH AS CRUISE CONTROL.

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THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I TOOK IT IN TO GET CHECKED. BY THE TIME I ARRIVED TO THE DEALERSHIP, EVERYTHING WAS FINE. A WEEK LATER MY WIFE WAS IN THE OUTSIDE WALGREENS LINE WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THE CAR RADIO SCREEN TURNED OF AND THE CAR STARTED TO JUMP A LITTLE. THE CAR RADIO SCREEN TURNED BACK ON AND EVERYTHING WAS BACK TO NORMAL. ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER SHE WAS AT A STOP LIGHT AND THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED. LUCKILY SHE HAD HER FOOT ON THE BREAK AND WAS NOT GOING ANY RATE OF SPEED. I HAVE READ ALMOST ABOUT 100 COMPLAINTS NOW OF A SIMILAR PROBLEM BUT MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS IT HAPPENED WHEN THEY WERE DRIVING AT A CONSIDERABLE SPEED WHERE THE RADIO DASH TURNED OF AND THEY LOSE POWER TO THE CAR FOR A SECOND OR SO. THIS COULD BE A MAJOR ISSUE AND IT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED BEFORE THERE ARE ANY DEATHS. *TR

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WHILE DRIVING AND GOING TO CHANGE LANES, I TURN ON MY TURN SIGNAL TO CHANGE LANES AND THE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING, THE DASH GAUGES FLICKER AND THE RADIO CUTS OUT AND SOMETIMES THE MOTOR CUTS OFF. THIS ALSO OCCURS WHEN SITTING STILL, THE STEERING WHEEL WILL BOUNCE IF TURNING ONE DIRECTION OR THE OTHER. I HAVE SEEN MANY OF THESE COMPLAINTS ONLINE AND NO RESOLUTION. THIS ALSO HAPPENS WHILE TURNING. THIS HAPPENS EVERY DAY.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOWS FOGGED UP WITHOUT WARNING AND COULD NOT BE DEFROSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

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WHILE DRIVING HOME MY INSTRUMENT PANEL LITE UP AND RADIO STARTED PLAYING FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES THEN CLEARED AND THE SERVICE AIR BAG CAME ON.... HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING

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TURNING LEFT INTO MY DRIVEWAY, (LUCKILY NOT GOING VERY FAST) THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT SEVERAL TIMES IN A ROW AND THEN THE SCREEN PROMPTED TO "SERVICE POWER STEERING". CHECKED FLUID LEVEL AND IT WAS FINE. READ THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. MY CHILDREN COULD GET HURT! AND I PAID TOO MUCH MONEY FOR THIS CAR TO BE UNABLE TO DRIVE IT AND FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT! SMH!!

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MY MALIBU STARTED MAKING A STRANGE NOISE SHORTLY AFTER I PASSED THE 40000 MILE MARK BACK IN LATE NOVEMBER OF 2016. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE TIRES AS THEY WERE ORIGINAL TO THE VEHICLE SO I REPLACED ALL 4 BUT THE NOISE WAS STILL THERE. I THEN WENT ON LINE TO INVESTIGATE IF OTHER MALIBU OWNERS WERE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I DISCOVERED THAT THERE WERE MULTIPLE CASES LIKE MINE THAT INVOLVED THE WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLY FAILING ON THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. I PURCHASED TWO NEW REAR WHEEL ASSEMBLY'S AND INSTALLED THEM WHICH TOOK CARE OF THE PROBLEM. EVEN THE PERSON AT THE AUTO PARTS STORE SHARED WITH ME THAT HE HAD REPLACED 3 ON HIS FATHERS MALIBU. I HAVE NEVER HAD A WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLY FAIL ON ANY VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED LET ALONE ONE WITH LESS THAN 41000 MILES ON IT. IF I HAD NOT REPLACED THE PARTS WHEN I DID I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE CONSEQUENCE MIGHT HAVE BEEN WHEN THE PARTS FAILED COMPLETELY. I DO HAVE THE PARTS REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE IF NEEDED.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET MAILBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL STIFFENED WITHOUT WARNING WHEN THE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND PUMPED THE BRAKE PEDAL UNTIL IT WORKED. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE BOOSTER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED NINE MONTHS LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED A $70.00 REBATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 63,000.

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THE EXHAUST AND POWER HAVE ISSUES...CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON AND POWER TO SYSTEM IS REDUCED. FUEL ECONOMY HAS DECREASED SEVERELY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL NOT GO OFF. EXHAUST COMING FROM TAILPIPE EVEN AFTER CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING AWHILE. THIS ISSUE HAPPENS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING AND OPERATING. SECOND ISSUE IS THE TRUNK LATCH! THE VEHICLE HAS AN OUTSIDE TRUNK RELEASE BUTTON. WHEN VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY LOCKED, THE TRUNK WILL OPEN ON IT'S OWN! WE WILL COME OUT TO THE CAR WITH THE TRUNK WIDE OPEN WHEN WE KNOW WE HAVE LOCKED IT COMPLETELY. CHECKED, DOUBLE CHECKED, EVEN TRIPLE CHECKED BUT WE WILL STILL COME OUT TO A VEHICLE WITH THE TRUNK WIDE OPEN! THIS TRUNK OPENING ISSUE HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED AND OFF BUT, LOCKED!

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BURNING SMELL,SMOKE, BATTERY/CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, RUNS ROUGH

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WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT AHEAD ON A CITY STREET, AT APPROXIMATELY 30-35MPH, THE AXLE SHAFT ON THE FRONT, RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR BROKE. THE BROKEN AXLE SHAFT CAUSED AN ACCIDENT WHERE MY CAR WENT TO THE RIGHT AND I HIT THE BACK-LEFT SIDE OF A VAN; THAT IMPACT SENT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR UP IN THE AIR WHERE I WAS ONLY TRAVELING ON THE TWO LEFT WHEELS. ALTHOUGH I THOUGHT MY CAR WAS GOING TO FLIP AND LAND ON IT'S ROOF, THE CAR DID COME BACK DOWN ON THE RIGHT WHEELS, BUT LANDED/HIT THE FRONT OF THE VAN AND THE BACK OF A PICK-UP TRUCK. *TR

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHORTED SEVERAL TIMES. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE AND DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. IN ADDITION, VARIOUS WARNING INDICATORS FLASHED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE SUBWOOFER WAS DRAINING THE POWER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE NOT AVAILABLE.

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