NHTSA Complaint #10257486 — 1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU

VEHICLE PASSLOCK SYSTEM PREVENTS STARTING OF VEHICLE. HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES, INCIDENT DATE SHOWN IS MOST RECENT. THE VEHICLE IS OLD, THINGS WILL BREAK, THINGS WILL GO BAD. THAT IS UNDERSTOOD, BUT AFTER VISITING MANY WEBSITES AND READING AN UNTOLD NUMBER OF IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS, TWO THINGS ARE APPARENT: 1) GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AND 2) GM IS UNABLE TO GIVE CUSTOMERS EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM CONSTANT, PERMANENT, OR SATISFACTORY RESOLUTION. NOT WHEN YOU HAVE DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS PROVIDING DIFFERENT DIAGNOSES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, AND NOT WHEN, AFTER COMPONENTS ARE REPLACED, THE COMPLAINT RESURFACES. IT'S NOT A WORN OUT SWITCH WE'RE COMPLAINING ABOUT. IT'S A THEFT SYSTEM WHICH IS PREVENTING A LAWFUL OPERATOR WITH THE APPROPRIATE VEHICLE KEY FROM STARTING THE VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE RECALLED BECAUSE IT IS THE RESULT OF POOR ENGINEERING AND CUSTOMERS SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR REPAIRS DUE TO FAULTY ENGINEERING. PARTICULARLY WHEN THE PROBLEM COMPONENT/SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED IN VEHICLES EVEN AFTER THE MANUFACTURER BECAME AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *TR