NHTSA Complaint #11196641 — 2017 CHEVROLET MALIBU

I WAS DRIVING ON AN EXPRESSWAY WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE: "REDUCED ENGINE POWER." THE ENGINE POWER WAS CUT TO APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH WHICH WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ON AN EXPRESSWAY AND I DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT INCIDENT AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CHEVY DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD TO CUT THE ENGINE AND OPEN/CLOSE THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR BEFORE RESTARTING THE VEHICLE. THIS ALLOWED THE VEHICLE TO REGAIN ENGINE POWER BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON. ACCORDING TO THIS DEALERSHIP AND THE DEALERSHIP THAT ULTIMATELY FIXED THE CAR, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE CHEVY MALIBU THAT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. A BRIEF INTERNET SEARCH CONFIRMS THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE MALIBU THAT GM HAS YET TO APPROPRIATELY FIX. ALTHOUGH MY VEHICLE WAS FIXED, IT IS A TEMPORARY SOLUTION AT BEST. FURTHERMORE, OTHER DRIVERS HAVE REPORTED SCARY INCIDENTS WHEN THEY WERE DRIVING ON AN EXPRESSWAY AND SUDDENLY LOST ENGINE POWER. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND COULD LEAD TO SERIOUS INJURY. MY VEHICLE HAS 25,865 MILES AND I DO NOT WISH TO KEEP PAYING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM ONCE MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY.