NHTSA Complaint #10176624 — 2000 CHEVROLET MALIBU

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR ALONG THE FREEWAY AND WITHOUT ANY NOTICE THE CAR WENT FROM HAVING A NORMAL TEMP TO RED LINING ON THE TEMPERATURE. I IMMEDIATELY SLOWED THE VEHICLE DOWN AND TURNED ON THE HEAT. AT THIS POINT NO HEAT CAME OUT AND SOON AFTERWARDS THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND DIED. I CRUISED IT OFF THE FREEWAY AND ONTO A SIDE ROAD. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE AND A PASSERBY WAS NICE ENOUGH TO STOP. I ENDED UP REFILLING THE COOLANT AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO WHERE I NEED TO GO AND RETURN HOME. I HAD REFILL THE FLUID LEVEL MULTIPLE TIMES. I TOOK IT TO A RADIATOR SHOP THAT STATED THAT THE SEALS ON MY ENGINE WERE LEAKING EXHAUST INTO THE FLUIDS WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT. THEY STATED THAT CHEVY WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE DEXACOOL COOLANT IN THE VEHICLES AND THAT IT WAS EATING AWAY THE SEAL IN THE ENGINE. *JB