NHTSA Complaint #11044823 — 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU

ANTI-THEFT LOCKING DEVICE MAKE CAR STOP AND CAN'T START EVEN IN EMERGENCY SITUATION. HAD GONE TO BANK AND WHEN TRIED TO START VEHICLE AND WOULDN'T START. CLIENT IS 88 YEARS OLD AND HAD TO GO OUT ON STREET SEEKING HELP TO GET CAR FIXED. (FORGOT CELL PHONE AT HOME) WALKED SOME DISTANCE AND WAS HAVING RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS WHEN SHE REACHED AN AUTO SHOP. MECHANIC WENT TO CAR TO HELP AND FIXED PROBLEM. SAID IT WAS ANTI-THEFT MECHANISM. THIS SAME THING HAS HAPPENED BEFORE WHEN CAR HAD TO BE TOWED AND WAS DIAGNOSED AS ANTI-THEFT LOCKING DEVICE. RESEARCHING MATTER ON INTERNET AND FIND THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF CHEVROLETS EXHIBITING THE SAME DEFECT. WHY ISN'T CHEVROLET REQUIRED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOME DIES AS A RESULT. WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL CIRCUMSTANCES OF BEING STRANDED, WHERE WHEN HOW ETC., AND THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A SAFETY PROBLEM FOR THE DRIVER. PLEASE HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM. WHEN INDIVIDUALS ARE ON FIXED INCOME THEY CAN'T KEEP GOING TO DEALER AND HAVE $108 DIAGNOSIS TO DETERMINE PROBLEM (WHEN THEY ALREADY KNOW WHAT IT IS) AND THEN CHARGING BIG BUCKS TO FIX A MINOR FIX. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.