NHTSA Complaint #10681959 — 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU

HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING FAILURE TO START AND STALLING OF VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING, ON OCCASION. TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE AT A LOCAL, REPUTABLE SHOP IN MADISON HEIGHTS, MI. WAS INFORMED IT NEEDED A FUEL PUMP. JOB WAS COMPLETED. UPON PICKING UP CAR ABOUT AUGUST 5, 2014, DROVE IT AWAY BUT RETURNED TO AREA OF SHOP TO ASK MECHANIC A QUESTION. ABOUT 1/8 MILE FROM SHOP AND AT ABOUT 35 MPH, THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. ALL AUTOMATIC SYSTEMS--BRAKES, STEERING, DASHBOARD LIGHTS, ETC.--FAILED AS WELL. ENGINE DID NOT FALTER PRIOR TO THIS; IT SIMPLY SHUT DOWN. WE WERE ABLE TO COAST INTO THE SHOP'S PARKING LOT, THANKFULLY! SHOP HAD CAR FOR SEVERAL DAYS AFTERWARD DUE TO A MAJOR FLOOD IN SE MICHIGAN ABOUT THAT TIME. UPON THEIR RESUMING WORK ON IT, THEY ALSO EXPERIENCED THE ENGINE FAILURE DURING A TEST DRIVE. WE THEN TOOK CAR TO SERRA CHEVROLET IN SOUTHFIELD, MI, WHERE WE HAD PURCHASED IT SOME MONTHS EARLIER. WE WERE INFORMED IT WAS THE IGNITION SWITCH--OUT OF WARRANTY AND NO RECALL EXISTING--AND THE JOB WAS COMPLETED, AT OUR EXPENSE. WE FOLLOWED UP THIS REPAIR WITH A REQUEST TO GENERAL MOTORS FOR A REFUND OF THE $578.38 CHARGE. GM REFUSED, STATING THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. WE OBJECT TO THIS! THIS APPEARS TO BE THE CLASSIC ENGINE FAILURE/IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM GM HAS EXPERIENCED ON HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF CARS, IN AND OUT OF WARRANTY. WE NOTE THAT IN THEIR REFUSAL, GM DID NOT USE THE WORD "RECALL," MAKING US BELIEVE THEY ARE DODGING THAT ISSUE UNTIL SUCH TIME, AS WE EXPECT, THE RECALL OF THEIR CARS WITH THE CLASSIC ENGINE FAILURE/IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM WILL EXTEND BACK TO 2005 MODELS! ANY ASSISTANCE OR ADVICE YOU CAN EXTEND IN THIS MATTER WOULD BE APPRECIATED. *JS