I am filing a complaint regarding a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu that I purchased from a dealership on November 22, 2024. The vehicle was advertised as being in “excellent condition” at the dealership’s site. During the test drive, I raised concerns about potential transmission issues, but the dealership assured me that the vehicle wa…
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I am filing a complaint regarding a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu that I purchased from a dealership on November 22, 2024. The vehicle was advertised as being in “excellent condition” at the dealership’s site. During the test drive, I raised concerns about potential transmission issues, but the dealership assured me that the vehicle was “clean” and safe to drive. Unfortunately, this assurance turned out to be false, as the vehicle has since displayed significant mechanical failures, including overheating issues, that pose serious safety risks. Within a week of purchase, the vehicle broke down twice: first on November 29, while driving to work, and again on November 30, while on I-10 Katy freeway. The second breakdown created a life-threatening situation as the vehicle suddenly lost power in traffic. I incurred towing costs of $125 to return the vehicle to the dealership. After an attempted repair, the vehicle was returned to me on December 5, 2024. However, it broke down again on December 8, 2024, requiring another tow. Since that time, the vehicle has remained at the dealership, yet no adequate resolution has been provided. Additionally, I have since discovered that the vehicle has persistent overheating issues that were not disclosed at the time of sale. These overheating problems pose a serious safety risk as they could result in a fire or explosion, endangering my life and the lives of others on the road. The dealership’s negligence in addressing these critical safety concerns demonstrates a disregard for consumer safety. I believe the dealership knowingly sold me a defective vehicle with significant mechanical issues that were either hidden or misrepresented. The sudden and repeated breakdowns, particularly in hazardous driving conditions, and the risk of fire or explosion due to overheating, warrant immediate attention from the NHTSA.
NHTSA ODI #11632052
Mileage unknown · Aug 31, 2024
Electrical SystemSeat BeltsSeats
I have an electrical problem with my car. Driver seat is electrical and the seat has been stuck in one position. The siding of the seat where the buttons are broke. The seatbelt gets stuck from the plastic being broken. I’ve had the car for a year and within 3 months of purchase I had to change brakes and it needs brakes again.
NHTSA ODI #11611964
Mileage unknown · Jun 7, 2021
Air BagsElectrical SystemSeats
Whenever a passenger rides in the front seat all electrical components lose proper function. Heating/air-conditioning does not work, multiple warning sensors go off, radio does not work, gas gauge does not work, speedometer does not work, blinkers do not work.
NHTSA ODI #11420001
75,813 miles · Jan 14, 2021
Air BagsElectrical SystemSeats
WHILE SOMEONE IS IN MY PASSENGER SEAT, ALLY GAGES WILL GO TO 0, (INCLUDING WHILE DRIVING) THE SEAT WARMS WILL TURN OFF, ALSO MY STEREO SHUTS DOWN. I GET A NOTIFICATION SAYING "SERVICE TIRE MONITORING SYSTEM", "SERVICE THIEF DETERRENT SYSTEM" ALSO SOMETHING ABOUT THE AIRBAGS.
NHTSA ODI #11388153
37,288 miles · Feb 9, 2019
SeatsCrash
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FATALITY CRASH DURING WHICH THE DRIVER HEADREST INCLUDING ANCHORS CAME OUT OF THE SEAT BACK AND WAS OBSERVED IN THE PASSENGER FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY (DISABLED - OUT OF GAS) PARTIALLY IN A MOVING LANE OF TRAFFIC ON A HIGHWAY AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH AND STRUCK BY A MOVING VEHICLE.
NHTSA ODI #11175809
102,000 miles · Apr 13, 2015
Seats
THE WELDS ON THE FRONT CROSS-BAR AND THE REAR CROSS BAR ARE SEPARATED BETWEEN THE SEAT AND LOWER ADJUSTMENT FRAME, THIS CAUSE THE DRIVERS SEAT TO LEAN TOWARD THE CENTER CONSOLE AND REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THIS IN TURN MAKES THE SEAT TOGGLE BACK AND FORTH. UPON FIRST EXAMINATION I THOUGHT THE WELDS HAD BROKEN, BUT ON CLOSER EXAMINAT…
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THE WELDS ON THE FRONT CROSS-BAR AND THE REAR CROSS BAR ARE SEPARATED BETWEEN THE SEAT AND LOWER ADJUSTMENT FRAME, THIS CAUSE THE DRIVERS SEAT TO LEAN TOWARD THE CENTER CONSOLE AND REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THIS IN TURN MAKES THE SEAT TOGGLE BACK AND FORTH. UPON FIRST EXAMINATION I THOUGHT THE WELDS HAD BROKEN, BUT ON CLOSER EXAMINATION IT APPEARS THAT THE WELD DID NOT PENETRATE THE METAL FAR ENOUGH AS THE WELD AND BAR WERE BOTH INTACT, EXCEPT FOR SCARING ON THE TUBING. THIS RESULTS IN A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM AS THE SEAT BELT IS ATTACHED TO THE SEAT. I SEE ONLINE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM ON CHEVY MAILBU'S 2004. *TR
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Electrical System:ignition
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Consequence: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Consequence: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles October 24, 2011, to March 5, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the Slide or Tilt switch for the roof panel may not be adequately recessed to prevent the switch from inadvertently being pressed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 118, "Power-Operated Window, Partition, and Roof Panel Systems."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The Slide or Tilt roof panel switch may inadvertently be pressed and the roof panel may auto-close unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a pinch injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the Body Control Module (BCM) software to remove auto-close feature for certain switch positions, free of charge. The recall began April 21, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15176.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured June 12, 2013, through May 2, 2014, and equipped with a 2.5L engine with the auto stop/start option. The affected vehicles may experience a complete loss of brake vacuum assist, disabling the hydraulic boost assist. As such, these vehicles do not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the hydraulic boost assist is disabled, slowing or stopping the vehicle will require additional brake pedal effort and a lengthened stopping distance. Both of these effects increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the electronic brake control module software, free of charge. The recall began on July 3, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020. General Motors number for this recall is 14201.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Buick Lacrosse vehicles manufactured January 29, 2014, through March 31, 2014 and 2014 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured February 7, 2014, through March 31, 2014, and equipped with 17 inch front brake rotors. The affected vehicles may have had brake rotors intended for the rear of the car accidentally installed on the front. The rear rotors, while the same diameter, are thinner and may result in a front brake pad detaching from the caliper.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If a brake pad detaches from caliper, there may be a sudden reduction in braking, lengthening the distance required to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front brake rotors, and install the correct rotors with new brake pads, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on June 20, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick) or 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14128.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Buick Regal, LaCrosse, Verano, and Enclave, and Chevrolet Impala, Malibu, Cruze, and Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable adjuster may disengage from the transmission shift lever. As such, these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect." They also fail to conform to FMVSS number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If a vehicle's shift cable disengages from the transmission shift lever, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a disengagement occur while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, the driver may be able to shift the lever to the "PARK" position, but the vehicle transmission may not be in the "PARK" gear position. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace any affected transmission shift cable adjusters, free of charge. The recall began on April 10, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020, Buick owners at 1-800-521-7300, and GMC owners at 1-800-462-8782. General Motors' number associated with this recall is 14048.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured June 12, 2013, through November 5, 2013. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control in these vehicles may intermittently become inoperable when the vehicle is started, preventing the windshield defroster from working. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The inability to turn on the windshield defroster may decrease the driver's visibility thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the electronic climate control module software, free of charge. The recall began during December 2013. Owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 13380.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System:windshield:electrical Heating Element
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured June 12, 2013, through November 5, 2013. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control in these vehicles may intermittently become inoperable when the vehicle is started, preventing the windshield defroster from working. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems."
Consequence: The inability to turn on the windshield defroster may decrease the driver's visibility thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the electronic climate control module software, free of charge. The recall began during December 2013. Owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 13380.
Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured June 12, 2013, through November 5, 2013. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control in these vehicles may intermittently become inoperable when the vehicle is started, preventing the windshield defroster from working. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems."
Consequence: The inability to turn on the windshield defroster may decrease the driver's visibility thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the electronic climate control module software, free of charge. The recall began during December 2013. Owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 13380.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
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