NHTSA Complaint #10258721 — 2005 CHEVROLET COBALT

WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (~65 MPH) THE CAR HAS SHUT OFF 4 TIMES. EACH TIME CAR BEHAVED THE SAME WAY, AS IF THE KEY HAD BEEN REMOVED: THE ENGINE STOPPED, INSTRUMENT PANEL DIALS WENT TO 0, LIGHTS TURNED OFF. RADIO STAYED ON (AS IT WOULD IF THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF). THE SHUT OFFS WERE SUDDEN: THERE WERE NO WARNINGS (LIGHTS, SOUNDS, VIBRATIONS) BEFORE SHUT OFF. I WAS ABLE TO COAST/BRAKE AND PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, SHIFT TO PARK AND RESTART THE CAR EACH TIME. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS IN JULY 2008 APPROXIMATELY 100 MILES INTO A TRIP. THE SECOND THREE INCIDENTS HAPPENED IN ABOUT A 30 MINUTE TIME SPAN ON THE SAME TRIP IN MID OCTOBER. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP AFTER THE OCTOBER INCIDENTS AND THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. THEY PERFORMED A COMPUTER UPDATE. I HAD THEM CHECK THE WIRING IN JANUARY 2009 AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS. THE CLOCK RADIO RESETS TO 12:00 (WHEN I TURN ON THE CAR, NOT DURING DRIVING) ABOUT ONCE EVERY 3 MONTHS SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2005 - I'M NOT SURE IF THIS PROBLEM IS RELATED. THE CAR IS AN AUTOMATIC 2005 COBALT, 4 DOORS WITH ABOUT 35000 MILES. *TR