NHTSA Complaint #10573888 — 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU HYBRID

PLEASE REVIEW NHTSA ID NUMBERS 10360384, AND 10464366. MY ORIGINAL CASE IS 10360384, AND BOTH ARE THE SAME PROBLEM. I WORKED WITH GM A FEW YEARS AGO, WHEN I SUBMITTED MY CASE. THEY NOTED THE HESITATION AND SAID THAT IT WAS NORMAL. MY CAR WAS "BETTER" FOR A WHILE AND HAS GOTTEN WORSE LATELY. I AM WANTING TO KNOW NOW IF THIS IS A SIMILAR ISSUE IN REALITY TO THE OWNERS THAT COMPLAIN OF THE BRAKES BEING LOCKED ON. NOW I AM ALSO NOTICING THAT WHEN AT A CRUISE AND HAVING TO ACCELERATE SOME, THERE IS A CHUGGING FEELING. MY FUEL ECONOMY FOR CITY DRIVING HAS ALSO DROPPED DOWN TO 18 MPG OR BELOW, WHICH IS UNUSUAL. I HAVE NOT TAKEN BACK IN FOR SERVICE BECAUSE I HAVE ALREADY HAD NO LUCK DEALING WITH THEM ON THIS ISSUE, WHICH IS WHY REPORTED TO NHTSA. THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE AND IS VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE BECAUSE THERE IS NO WARNING. IF THE VEHICLE ISN'T CHUGGING, IT IS JUST EXTREMELY BOGGED DOWN, ESPECIALLY WHEN ACCELERATING INTO TRAFFIC AND TURNING. THIS COULD INDICATE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE STEERING SYSTEM SINCE IT IS INTEGRATED WITH THE HYBRID SYSTEM. I 100% AGREE WITH HAVING TO PUSH THE PEDDLE ALL OF THE WAY DOWN TO MAKE IT NOT FEEL THAT IT WILL STALL WHEN I NOTICE THE CHUGGING IS HAPPENING. UNFORTUNATELY, THE CHUGGING IS EXTREMELY RANDOM, SO HOW TO REPRODUCE FOR A DEALER. THE SLUGGISHNESS IS FREQUENT. IN RELATION TO THIS BEING SIMILAR TO THE BRAKES BEING LOCKED ISSUE, I AM WONDERING IF IT IS SIMILAR BUT OUR VEHICLES CORRECT THEMSELVES QUICKLY. THE VEHICLE DOES ACT AS IF THE HYBRID AUTO STOP FEATURE IS TRYING TO TURN THE CAR OFF WHILE ACCELERATING. THERE HAS TO BE MORE PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM AND CONCERN WITH THE MALIBU HYBRID, BUT NOT THAT MANY WERE BUILT OR SOLD, SO YOU MAY NOT NOTICE ENOUGH CASES TO WARRANT INVESTIGATION OR A RECALL. THIS PROBLEM IS OBVIOUSLY WITH THE HYBRID SYSTEM BECAUSE I HAVE DRIVEN THE STANDARD 2009 4 CYLINDER MALIBU. *TR