NHTSA Complaint #10692104 — 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU

I WAS DRIVING MY 2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU AT ABOUT 40 MPH ON A FAIRLY BUSY 2 LANE STREET. WITHOUT WARNING THE CAR LOST POWER. A MESSAGE APPEARED IN THE INFORMATION SCREEN INDICATING SOMETHING LIKE "REDUCED POWER TO THE ENGINE". ALSO, A MESSAGE INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING UNDER REDUCED POWER MODE BECAUSE I NEEDED TO SERVICE ESC, AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS DISPLAYED AS WELL ON THE DASHBOARD. I WAS FORTUNATELY ABLE TO GET THE CAR PULLED OFF OF THE ROAD AND INTO A PARKING LOT. I READ THE OWNERS MANUAL AND ESSENTIALLY FOUND OUT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING IN "LIMP MODE". I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND FOUND THIS TO BE A "COMMON PROBLEM" FOR CHEVY MALIBU MODELS. MY CAR WAS, OF COURSE, OUT OF WARRANTY AND NOT COVERED UNDER ANY SORT OF RECALL, SO I HAD TO PAY ABOUT $500 FOR THE REPAIR. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS I SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING LOST POWER. HAD THIS OCCURRED WHEN TRYING TO PULL ACROSS A HEAVY INTERSECTION OR MERGING INTO TRAFFIC THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS INJURY. FURTHER, I SEE REPORTS ALL OVER THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND I AM REPORTING THIS AS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN - HAD THIS SITUATION HAPPENED UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES IT VERY EASILY COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AND SERIOUS INJURY TO SOMEONE. I SINCE FOLLOWED UP WITH CHEVROLET SERVICE AND THEY ESSENTIALLY TOLD ME THAT THEY ARE "AWARE" OF THE ISSUE BUT THERE ARE NO RECALLS ETC... *TR