NHTSA Complaint #10285449 — 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500

THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE, THIS FAILURE MODE HAS HAPPENED FIVE TIMES, TWICE WHILE PULLING A 12,000 LBS. CAMPER AND THREE TIMES DURING NORMAL DRIVING. WHEN HAULING THE CAMPER THE TRANSMISSION WAS IN THE 'TOW / HAUL' MODE. THE FAILURE, THE 8.1 L ENGINE SUDDENLY LOOSES ENGINE POWER AND STALLS AND WILL NOT IMMEDIATELY RESTART. AFTER A MINUTE OR TWO THE ENGINE HAS RESTARTED AND NORMAL TRAVEL RESUMED. HOW OFTEN IT OCCURS, SINCE JULY 24TH 2009 THIS FAILURE HAS OCCURRED ON FIVE OCCASIONS. THE ONLY COMMON FACTOR THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ISOLATE IS THAT THE FAILURES HAVE ALL OCCURRED WITHIN THE FIRST TWENTY MINUTES OF DRIVING. ITS CONSEQUENCES, THERE HAVE BEEN NO CRASHES BUT SEVERAL NEAR MISSES HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE FAILURES. ON JULY 24TH 2009, I HAD JUST MERGED INTO MODERATELY HEAVY TRAFFIC ON I-70 PULLING A 12,000 LBS. 5TH WHEEL CAMPER AND GAINING SPEED WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING THE ENGINE STALLED. TRAFFIC FOLLOWING ME WHICH INCLUDED SEMI TRUCKS HAD TO MOVE TO THE CENTER LANE WHILE I PULLED OVER WITHOUT POWER STEERING TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER TO SLOW DOWN. THE ENGINE RESTARTED AFTER A BRIEF COOL DOWN PERIOD BUT I HAD NO IDEA AT THIS TIME WHY THE ENGINE HAD DIED. THERE WERE NO SERVICE ENGINE SOON (SES) INDICATORS BEING SHOWN. WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE; I.E, PARTS REPAIRED OR REPLACED (AND IF OLD PART IS AVAILABLE), AT THIS TIME NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE AND THE TRUCK IS NOT BEING USED. I FEEL THAT GM DOES NOT HAVE CONTAINMENT OF THIS FAILURE AND THAT ADDITIONAL VIN NUMBERS INCLUDING MINE NEED TO BE ADDED TO THE RECALL. FROM SEARCHING THE INTERNET, I HAVE FOUND SEVERAL OTHER FAILURE OCCURRENCES OUTSIDE THE CONTAINMENT RANGE. THE OLD PART IS AVAILABLE AND GM SHOULD REPLACE THE DEFECT BEFORE AN ACCIDENT DOES OCCUR CAUSING INJURY, DEATH, AND/OR LITIGATION. *TR