NHTSA Complaint #10550275 — 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU

THE MALIBU MY WIFE AND I OWN HAVE HAD PROBLEM WITH THE LEFT PASSENGER DOOR LOCK NOT BEING ACTUATED WHEN COMMANDED. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN THE DOOR WAS COMMANDED TO LOCK, IT WOULD STAY UNLOCKED. BUT MORE SERIOUSLY, IT WOULD STAY LOCKED WHEN COMMANDED TO UNLOCK. I TOOK IT TO NEUVILLE MOTORS IN WAUPACA, WI, A GM/CHEVY DEALER, TO HAVE IT FIXED. ACCORDING TO A SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP, DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR MALFUNCTIONS IN MALIBUS FROM THAT MODEL YEAR IS COMMON AND HE SEES MANY OF THEM COME IN WITH EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS MY CAR'S. I BELIEVE A DOOR STAYING LOCKED WHEN COMMANDED TO OPEN IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD IF A RAPID EVACUATION OUT OF THE VEHICLE BECOMES NECESSARY. ALSO, IF THE VEHICLE ROLLS ON THE SIDE OF THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF MALFUNCTIONING DOOR, EVACUATING PASSENGERS OCCUPYING REAR SEATS CAN BE A CHALLENGE AS THE ONLY DOOR AVAILABLE MAY STAY LOCKED WHEN COMMANDED TO UNLOCK. I HAVE CONTACTED GM, BUT THEY INSISTED THAT THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE AS THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND A RECALL WAS NOT ISSUED BY YOUR ADMINISTRATION. THE REFERENCE NUMBER OF MY COMPLAINT WITH GM IS [XXX]. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE IF CHILDREN/ELDERLY/PETS ARE OCCUPYING THE REAR SEAT, OR THE PASSENGER IN THE BACK SEAT BECOMES UNCONSCIOUS IN CASE OF A CRASH. PLEASE CONSIDER ISSUING A RECALL IF THE PROBLEM IS A COMMON ONE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR