NHTSA Complaint #10222013 — 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME DURING EVENING HOURS ON A NARROW 2 LANE COUNTY ROAD WHEN WITHOUT WARNING THE HEADLIGHTS AND INTERIOR LIGHTS TOTALLY TURNED OFF. SHE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED ON THE ROADWAY AS THERE WAS NO SHOULDER TO MOVE ONTO. SHE TRIED TO OPERATE THE HEADLIGHTS MANUALLY WITH NO EFFECT. THE ENGINE WAS NOT AFFECTED. SHE CALLED ME VIA CELL PHONE AND BEGAN TO EXPLAIN WHEN THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. SHE PROCEEDED TOWARD OUR HOME AND ABOUT 500 FEET FROM OUR DRIVEWAY THE LIGHTS WENT OFF AGAIN. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND SEVERAL OTHER IDENTICAL INSTANCES WITH NO RESOLUTION AS THE PROBLEM APPEARS INTERMITTENTLY. AN INTERNET TECH SAID THE FIX IS TO REPLACE THE BODY CONTROL MODULE (BCM). I HAVE ALREADY HAD ONE REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE FOR A NON-RELATED PROBLEM ON 08/04/2006. I HAVE NOT YET CALLED THE DEALER THIS TIME BECAUSE OF THEIR DENIAL OF THE PREVIOUS BCM PROBLEM - THAT ONCE REPLACED AT MY INSISTENCE FIXED THAT PROBLEM. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS AND SCARY SITUATION WITH HUGE POTENTIAL FOR HARM. MY WIFE WILL NOW NOT DRIVE THE CAR AT NIGHT AND MUCH OF HER WORK (AND MINE) INVOLVES EVENING MEETINGS. *TR