NHTSA Complaint #10690009 — 2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX

I LOST POWER STEERING AND GOT A MESSAGE IN THE DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER TELLING ME THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING. I WAS DRIVING ON ROUTE 1 IN NEW JERSEY AND GOING ABOUT 45-50 MPH. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND RESTARTED THE CAR, HOPING IT WAS JUST AN ELECTRONIC GLITCH. THAT SOLVED THE IMMEDIATE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, I LEARNED READING THE NYTIMES THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MAXX AND IN FACT THERE HAD BEEN A SAFETY RECALL ON THE CAR. I CALLED A LOCAL CHEVY DEALER TO HAVE IT FIXED AND FOUND THERE ARE THREE OUTSTANDING SAFETY RECALLS ON MY CAR. IN ADDITION TO THE POWER STEERING PROBLEM, THERE ARE ALSO PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE AND THE BRAKE LAMP. ALL THESE RECALLS WERE MADE IN APRIL AND MAY OF LAST YEAR AFTER ALL THE BAD PUBLICITY ABOUT COVERING UP DEFECTS THAT RESULTED IN DEATHS. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO TAKE CARE OF ALL THREE PROBLEMS, BUT THIS IS MY LARGER CONCERN: I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT I RECEIVED ONLY ONE RECALL NOTICE (NOT THREE) AND THAT ONE NOTICE (WHICH WAS ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION CABLE) SAID THAT THE PARTS WEREN'T AVAILABLE AND THEY WOULD NOTIFY ME WHEN THEY WERE AVAILABLE. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED, BUT APPARENTLY THE PARTS ARE AVAILABLE AND HAVE BEEN FOR SOME TIME. MY QUESTION FOR YOU: WHAT IS NHTSA DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT INDIVIDUAL CONSUMERS RECEIVE ACCURATE INFORMATION ABOUT SAFETY RECALLS? I WAS LUCKY. I WAS DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT ROAD IN AN URBAN AREA -- AND NOT TAKING A CURVE ON A MOUNTAINSIDE -- WHEN MY POWER STEERING SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. WHY WASN'T I TOLD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM EARLIER? WHY DID I HAVE TO WAIT TILL READING ABOUT IT IN THE NYTIMES? AND WHY DIDN'T I RECEIVE A FOLLOWUP LETTER WHEN THE PART BECAME AVAILABLE FOR THE TRANSMISSION CABLE? THANK YOU. *TR