NHTSA Complaint #10233589 — 2006 CHEVROLET HHR

2006 HHR - 50,164 MILES - ENGINE AND DASH SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING WITH NORMAL HIGHWAY/WEATHER CONDITIONS AND SPEEDS OF 65+ MPH AFTER HITTING BUMPS/TRANSITION POINTS OF PAVEMENT IN THE ROAD. THESE BUMPS ARE PAVEMENT THAT SOMETIMES BUCKLE IN THE SUMMER. THE CAR WOULD STILL HAVE STEERING AND BRAKES, BUT NO DASH LIGHTS OR TURN SIGNALS. NO DUMMY LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, NO WARNINGS CAME ON. THE HAZARDS WORKED FINE AND THE RADIO WAS STILL ON. THE CAR WOULD RESTART ON THE SHOULDER OF THE TOLLWAY BUT HE FIRST INCIDENT CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT HARD AND ALMOST SHUT THE CAR OFF WHEN COMING TO A STOP. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN TO ITS DESTINATION AND SHUT OFF. UPON THE NEXT RESTART WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY AN HOUR LATER, THE CAR SHIFTED FINE. THE LOCAL CHEVY DEALER TOOK THE HHR IN AND PERFORMED MANY DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND CHECKED NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS AND ALL WAS FINE. THE VERY NEXT WEEK, DURING A POURING RAIN, THE CAR AGAIN SHUT OFF AFTER GOING OVER A BUMP ON THE TOLLWAY. AGAIN, NO DASH LIGHTS CAME ON, THE DASH SHUT COMPLETELY OFF, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF, AND THE WIPERS STOPPED, ALL WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IN A THUNDERSTORM. THE CAR WAS AGAIN PULLED SAFELY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND RESTARTED. A MILE OR TWO DOWN THE ROAD, THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. THE CAR WAS AGAIN PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AND DURING A THUNDERSTORM! THE CAR WAS ONCE AGAIN RESTARTED AND ABLE TO GET OFF THE TOLLWAY. CALLS WERE PLACED TO TWO DIFFERENT CHEVROLET DEALERS IN THE AREA - ONE HAD NO POWER BECAUSE OF THE STORM, AND THE OTHERS SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAD JUST CLOSED. THE REST OF THE DRIVE HOME WAS DONE ON SECONDARY ROADS AT SLOWER SPEEDS AND PLENTY OF SHOULDERS TO PULL OFF ONTO. THIS CAR IS DRIVEN DAILY 60+ MILES ON THE ILLINOIS TOLLWAY. *TR