Brand new Malibu "died" and left me stranded in downtown Detroit!

[dominogold]

Driving home from a Red Wings game tonight and my 09 LTZ Malibu just stopped working in the middle of the highway in downtown Detroit. Barely had enough power to make it off the highway. Cars whizzing by at 80 mph shaking my car while I waited for an hour for a tow truck in the freezing cold with a dead car. NOT FUN!!!

Messages came on saying Service Traction and Service ESC, and the car would not start. Tried repeatably...

I am so completely pissed off. 16K Miles. My family has had nothing but trouble with GM cars and switched to Toyota, I took a chance on a Malibu and completely regret it. So angry.

There is absolutely no reason any quality car should just "die" in the middle of the highway with under 30k miles. None at all.

Anyone else had this problem. Did you keep the car?

[ARCANGEL]

Seriously wtf thats no good!! I hope everyone is ok!

[Suziebob]

It happens. It is a machine and machines have problems due either to engineering flaws or random variables during their routine operation. I'd be angry too but the same thing could and has happened to people in their Toyotas.

[Mustapha Mond]

I'm sure any automaker could use bleeding edge technologies and manufacturing processes to build cars with 99.999% reliability but there isn't much demand for family sedans with a 3 million sticker price. You could afford your Malibu because GM and every other automaker strikes a balance between durability and affordability. Too bad you ended up with a stranded car but as Susiebob said it could happen to any car from any manufacturer.

Malibu's frequency of repair is better than average and if you go by the J.D. Powers predicted reliability it scores higher than Camry. It's better looking too.

When you find out what failed please update the thread, I'm curious now.

-Elliott

[1999 White C5 Coupe]

Originally Posted by dominogold

Driving home from a Red Wings game tonight and my 09 LTZ Malibu just stopped working in the middle of the highway in downtown Detroit. Barely had enough power to make it off the highway. Cars whizzing by at 80 mph shaking my car while I waited for an hour for a tow truck in the freezing cold with a dead car. NOT FUN!!!

Messages came on saying Service Traction and Service ESC, and the car would not start. Tried repeatably...

I am so completely pissed off. 16K Miles. My family has had nothing but trouble with GM cars and switched to Toyota, I took a chance on a Malibu and completely regret it. So angry.

There is absolutely no reason any quality car should just "die" in the middle of the highway with under 30k miles. None at all.

Anyone else had this problem. Did you keep the car?

How could a "Brand new Malibu" have 16K miles?

Good luck. Keep us informed.

[Dr. Show-Me]

A doctor I've worked with got stranded twice with his C-Class Mercedes, in New York and Ohio. He dumped the DB after it happened the second time.
But like they said, it could happen with any car.

[BlackGTP]

My last three GM's (bought new) - 1994 Grand Prix GTP, 2002, Grand Prix GTP and 2008 Malibu LTZ have never left me stranded (my first car - '89 Cavalier Z24 did several times, but that was the GM at it's worst).

My '08 LTZ has had absolutely no mechanical issues in 17,000 miles.....

If I can use an anology - I think you got the one freak bad meal at the 5 star restaurant that everyone loves and raves about. This is not a perfect world, nothing is ever perfect. A person I work with has had to replace the transmission on her '05 Camry 3 times....

[Danko]

If you go to detoilet, be glad only your car died!

[FenwickHockey65]

Sorry to hear you're having problems, but as others have said, this could happen to anyone.

Our '89 Safari left my mom and I stranded once, luckily we were close enough that we could just walk home. When my dad came home from work, we went to where we had left it and it started right up. Never figured out why it wouldn't start at first.

[BumbleBee]

Sorry to hear about your problem, hopefully your dealer and GM take care of you.

My brother-in-law has an Audi Q7 and it just died on him, within two years. Similar to you, it just died and would not start or do anything. He's had nothing but problems with his Q7.

A friend of mine had something similar happen with his BMW Z4, again less then 2 years old. The worst part of this one is that when the car stopped, it started spewing all of the gas in the tank on the ground; and the worst part about this is that it was on the side of a MAJOR highway here in Toronto. BMW told him it was a safety feature but could not explain it any better then that. Oddly enough, my friend bought another BMW when his lease was up.

[MrCritical]

At least your accelerator didn't get stuck...

[CadiEldo67]

Originally Posted by MrCritical

At least your accelerator didn't get stuck...

^ That's what I was going to say. At least you stopped and didn't accelerate into oblivion.

But on a serious note could it have been something simple like the belt or a faulty alternator or something?

[smokyn454]

I love these posts,

First of all, I am sure it was just a simple problem that will be easily fixed. Every car has about 100 different catastrophes waiting to happen, it is a machine. It will eventually break.

Second, Toyotas break down, Lexus's break down, Nissans break and yes, even hondas break down. So don't act like they are any different.

I worked at a service shop for three years while at college. It is the same old saying I have heard time and time again.

GM product:
"My stupid car broke down, what a piece of junk. I can't believe I wasted my money on it. 16,000 miles and it is junk!"

Toyota product:
"Yeah my car broke, but it is a Toyota. It has done great for the first 16,000 miles, and it will last another 4.3 million miles"

It is like people are brainwashed thinking GM is this evil corp. which you should stay away from. Your car is fine, it will get fixed. It is not the end of the world, so quit freaking out.

You take a chance on any car you buy.

[dominogold]

Wow, I really was expecting a little more support or at least some understanding here.

I had driven 3 Toyotas and 1 Lexus prior to making the leap to the Malibu. Of the 4 japanese cars owned, I had to replace 2 fuel pumps that froze and cracked in the winter.... out of 4 cars and 450,000 miles combined. That's it.

Compared to my first GM car just decides to quit running in the middle of the freeway after 6 months of driving and has to get towed to a dealer.... after a friend predicted this would happen because she had the same problem with her Malibu.

So maybe you can understand that MY "GM Ownership Experience" so far can not even compare to my prior experience with Toyota or Lexus. Everything from the dealer to the service level to the car itself to the loaner car pails in comparison. It does. I have first hand knowledge of it. I really regret my decision thus far to buy a Malibu. I have no faith this car will be reliable and have good reasonable service.

Here's another little example... anytime you need service on a foreign car (which is usually just maintenance) they put you in a loaner that is at least as good, but usually better than the car you own. I have an 09 LTZ malibu with every option... and I am stuck driving a loaner that is a base model Chevy Cobalt that I can hardly even fit inside (I'm 6'4") which does not even have power locks or power windows. I had a nicer car in college 15 years ago.

[PAULSTS1]

Originally Posted by dominogold

Wow, I really was expecting a little more support or at least some understanding here.

I had driven 3 Toyotas and 1 Lexus prior to making the leap to the Malibu. Of the 4 japanese cars owned, I had to replace 2 fuel pumps that froze and cracked in the winter.... out of 4 cars and 450,000 miles combined. That's it.

Compared to my first GM car just decides to quit running in the middle of the freeway after 6 months of driving and has to get towed to a dealer.... after a friend predicted this would happen because she had the same problem with her Malibu.

So maybe you can understand that MY "GM Ownership Experience" so far can not even compare to my prior experience with Toyota or Lexus. Everything from the dealer to the service level to the car itself to the loaner car pails in comparison. It does. I have first hand knowledge of it. I really regret my decision thus far to buy a Malibu. I have no faith this car will be reliable and have good reasonable service.

Here's another little example... anytime you need service on a foreign car (which is usually just maintenance) they put you in a loaner that is at least as good, but usually better than the car you own. I have an 09 LTZ malibu with every option... and I am stuck driving a loaner that is a base model Chevy Cobalt that I can hardly even fit inside (I'm 6'4") which does not even have power locks or power windows. I had a nicer car in college 15 years ago.

Dominogold:

I do sympathize and your experience brought back memories of times it has happened to me also: 1973 Pontiac Grand Prix 455, about 10 blocks from home, at a light just stopped (Ignition Module), 1984 Cadillac Seville Touring Sedan (Timing chain), 1989 Chrysler LeBaron Turbo Convertible (Fuel pump). Every car except the 84 Cadillac was repaired and driven safely again.

Just speculating the loss of power in your Malibu is probably an electronically nature: ECM, module, or fuel pump, and when repaired should not occur again. While many of us had had issues at one time or another, the fear factor of losing power on an expressway is horrendous! I am just thankful that you had the presence of mind, to get out of harms way ASAP. I know of stories of persons whom panicked and stopped in fast lanes, and suffered collisions that ended tragically.

Please update us when the car has been repaired, and I wish you uneventful driving from now on.