NHTSA Complaint #10360384 — 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU HYBRID

ON 4/29/10, I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER BECAUSE OF NOT ACCELERATING OVER 45. ON 6/18/10, I WAS TRYING MERGE ONTO A INTERSTATE AT RUSH HOUR, BUT THE CAR HAD NO POWER. I ALMOST WAS HIT BECAUSE OF THIS. IMMEDIATELY THE SERVICE HYBRID LIGHT CAME ON SO TOOK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY FOUND A LEAKING BATTERY AND BAD SENSOR. CAR REPAIRED AND BEGAN TO DRIVE HOME. AFTER STOPPED AT A LIGHT, I TRIED TO ACCELERATE. THE CAR STARTED TO GO BUT THEN STARTED TO CHUG LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL. IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ANY MORE THAN AROUND 5 MPH. KEPT CHUGGING FOR ABOUT 100 FEET WHILE I TRIED TO PULL OFF ROAD. RIGHT BEFORE I DID THAT, THE CAR STARTED OPERATING NORMALLY. I IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO DEALER. I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED ISSUES WITH SLUGGISHNESS OR CHUGGING PRIOR TO THE 45 MPH ISSUE OR THE HYBRID LIGHT COMING ON. EVER SINCE THE CAR WILL RANDOMLY AND DANGEROUSLY HAVE NO POWER FOR ACCELERATION. THE DEALER HAS WORKED WITH GM ON THE ISSUE, BUT TOLD IT IS NORMAL OPERATION. I OWNED THIS CAR FOR ALMOST ONE YEAR PRIOR TO THE BATTERY REPLACEMENT AND NO ISSUES LIKE THIS, SO NOT NORMAL OPERATION. IT IS SCARY TO DRIVE THE CAR ON BUSY ROADS WHEN MERGING OR ACCELERATING BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW IF THE CAR WILL MOVE. IN AUGUST MY WIFE HAD TO DRIVE MY CAR WHERE IT WAS TRYING TO ACCELERATE UP A HILL FOR HER. I SAY TRYING BECAUSE THE CAR DID NOT WANT TO GO UP THE HILL. SINCE THE BATTERY ISSUE I HAVE RANDOMLY EXPERIENCED THIS ALSO. ON 10/11/10 I WAS DRIVING NEAR MY OFFICE IN A DOWNTOWN AREA. AFTER BEING STOPPED AT A LIGHT I TRIED TO ACCELERATE AND THE CAR STARTED CHUGGING AND NOT ACCELERATING LIKE IT HAD DONE WHEN I GOT THE CAR BACK FROM THE SERVICE HYBRID PROBLEM. VERY DANGEROUS AND SCARY. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP TO ADVISE HIM. ON 10/13/10 I TRIED TO TAKE A LEFT TURN AT A BUSY INTERSECTION WHILE HEADING TO WORK, TRIED TO ACCELERATE, AND THE CAR BOGGED DOWN SEVERELY. I WAS ALMOST HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC DURING RUSH HOUR. UPDATED 10/21/10. *LJ UPDATED 10/16/10 *TR