NHTSA Complaint #738309 — 1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU

CAR HAS STALLED OVER 35 TIMES OVER A TWO MONTH SPAN. THE REPAIR SHOP HAS REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH, REPROGRAMMED THE PCM, AND REPLACED THE PCM. I HAVE REPLACED THE BATTEY AND THE FUEL FILTER. THE CAR WILL STALL AT ANY SPEED. IT WOULD RESTART 'TILL 12/24/00 WHEN IT STALLED FOR THE LAST TIME AS I APPROACHED AN INTERSECTION. MY TWO CHILDREN WERE WITH ME AT THE TIME. I MANAGED TO PULL OVER. I TRIED OVER FOURTY TIMES TO RESTART THE CAR. THE ENGIN TURNED OVER FINE. IT DID NOT DRAG. FINALLY, I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THAT I TAKIT IN WITH IN A TWO MONTH PERIOD TO HAVE THE STALLING REPAIRED. ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO, WE WERE COMING BACK FORM VACATION WHEN THE CAR DIED ON US OVER TWENTY TIMES FORM SAN DIEGO TO SACRAMENTO. AT ONE POINT, WHILE RUNNING, THE CAR WOULD ACCELERATE AND DECCERATE AS IF SOMEONE WAS PUMING THE ACCERATOR IN A RAPID MOTION. THEN THE CAR WOULD DIE OUT. I WOULD PULL OVER AND RESTART IT. AFTER A WHILE, I GOT THE HANG OF IT. IT WOULD DIE OUT, I WOULD PUT IT IN NUTERAL, AND I WOULD RESTART THE CAR. IT WAS NIGHT TIME AND IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS EVERY TIME THAT I HAD TO PULL OVER TO RESTART IT. I WAS WITH MY WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN. SECOND PROBLEM: THE ABS LIGHT LIT UP WHEN THE CAR HAD 35,800 MILES APPROXIMATLY. I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER AND AT THAT TIME THE LIGHT WAS OUT. IT WOULD COME ON INTERMITTENLY. THE DEALER COULD NOT DIAGNOSE A PROBLEM. AROUND 37,000 MILES, THE ABS WOULD COME ON EVERYOTHER DAY, AND THE CAR WOULD GO INTO AN ABS BRAKE EVERY TIME THE LIGHT WOLD COME ON. I TOOK THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER AND HAD THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL SENSOR REPLACED. THAT TOOK CARE OF THE ABS PROBLEM. I PUT OFF THE REPAIR BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO HAVE IT FIXED. I HAVE ALSO REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS AT 30,000 MILES AND IT SOULDS LIKE THEY NEED TO BE REPALCED AGAIN. THEY SQUEEK WHEN I BRAKE. MY PRIMARY CONCERN IS THE CAR'S DEFECT WITH THE STALLING. I AM AFRAID THAT SOME DAY WE MAY GET IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK