NHTSA Complaint #10906267 — 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, WHEN VEHICLE IS TRAVELING UPWARD ON AN INCLINE, THE TRANSMISSION CAUSES "LUNGING" OF THE VEHICLE. CAR WOULD LUNGE THAN BACK OFF TRYING TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENT SPEED IF THE VEHICLE. I COULD OBSERVE THE SURGES ON THE RPM GAUGE, AS IT WOULD FLUCTUATE UP AND DOWN BETWEEN 2200 AND 2400 RPM WHILE LUNGING WAS TAKING PLACE. THEN SUDDENLY THE GAUGE WOULD JUMP UP TO AROUND 3200-3400 RPM, AND THE LUNGING STOPPED AND CAR REGAINED REGULAR SPEED. THIS OCCURRENCE HAPPENS ON EVERY INCLINE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, AND THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE WHETHER OPERATING MANUALLY OR WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL OPERATING. PROBLEM IS NOT SO NOTICEABLE ON INCLINES AT LOWER SPEEDS WHILE CITY DRIVING (MILDER LUNGING I GUESS) BUT STILL OCCURS ON STEEP INCLINES ONLY THEN; ON HIGHWAY IT OCCURS ON ALL INCLINES. (I HAVE ONLY OWNED THIS CAR FOR ABOUT A WEEK NOW, BUT IT IS EXTREMELY WORRISOME, AND I WAS SURPRISED TO NOT FIND ANY RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM, AS A MECHANIC I MET SAID HIS MALIBU HAS BEEN DOING THAT FOR THE PAST 7 YEARS AND INDICATED THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL FOR IT; YET I FOUND NONE LISTED.