NHTSA Complaint #10195464 — 2000 CHEVROLET MALIBU

IN HOT AND HUMID OR WET WEATHER, MY 2000 CHEVY MALIBU'S PASSLOCK SYSTEM GOES INTO FAIL SAFE/STANDBY MODE WHEN I ATTEMPT TO START THE VEHICLE WHICH RENDERS MY VEHICLE UNABLE TO START FOR A MINIMUM OF 10 MINUTES. THIS HAS LEFT ME INNUMERABLE TIMES STRANDED FOR 10 MINUTES IN RATHER DANGEROUS LOCATIONS SUCH AS ILL-LIGHTED PARKING LOTS AFTER DARK. THE FREQUENCY OF THESE FAILURES RECENTLY BEGAN TO INCREASE, SO I RESEARCHED INFORMATION ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF DISABLING THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM THAT FAILS TO DO LITTLE MORE THAN CAUSE A HEADACHE FOR MY MECHANICS. TO MY DISMAY, I FOUND THAT CHEVY'S PASSLOCK SYSTEM CANNOT BE OVERRIDDEN BY ANY METHOD SHORT OF A DO-IT-YOURSELF RE-WIRING PROJECT. TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED TEMPORARILY, I COULD HAVE THE ENTIRE IGNITION SYSTEM REPLACED BY CHEVROLET FOR SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $450. NOTE THAT I SAID TEMPORARY BECAUSE FROM THE STORIES OF THOSE WHO HAVE HAD THE REPAIR DONE, IT WILL NEED TO BE DONE AGAIN A FEW YEARS LATER AS THE IGNITION WEARS DOWN ONCE MORE. I AM ALSO CONCERNED BY STORIES I HEAR ABOUT FURTHER PROBLEMS THAT DRIVERS HAVE HAD WITH THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM WHERE THE CAR ENGINE TURNS ITSELF OFF WHILE BEING DRIVEN AND REQUIRES THAT THE DRIVER PULL OVER TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. I HOPE THIS NEVER HAPPENS TO ME. GIVEN THAT THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO EVERY MODEL OF CAR THAT HAS HAD THIS PASSLOCK SYSTEM IN PLACE SINCE PASSLOCK'S INCEPTION, I AM SURPRISED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECALLS MADE BY CHEVROLET IN ALMOST 10 YEARS. IT WOULD SEEM THAT CHEVROLET IS MORE INTERESTED IN PROFITING FROM CONTINUALLY REPAIRING A SYSTEM THAT WE COULD JUST GET RID OF AND NOT IN THE SAFETY OF ITS CONSUMERS. THEREFORE, I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE MANDATE A RECALL ON ALL CHEVROLET'S WITH THE PASSLOCK ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM. *TR