NHTSA Complaint #10369535 — 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA

IN JUNE 2010 I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE 90 WEST TOWARD DENVER CO. THE TERRAIN WAS STEEP AND WINDING AND DUE TO HEAVY TRAFFIC THE PACE WAS FAST. THE TRAFFIC AHEAD OF ME BEGAN SLOWING AND I BEGAN TO SLOW BY STEADY LIGHT PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. MY BRAKES HEATED UP FAST AND I FOUND MYSELF WITHOUT BREAKS FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME DUE TO THE ROTORS FEELING AS THOUGH THEY WERE WARPED AND THE FRONT END STARTED VIBRATING. I DOWN SHIFTED TO 3RD. GEAR BUT THAT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO SLOW ME ENOUGH SO I DOWNSHIFTED TO 2ND AND THIS STILL WAS NOT ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN A DOWNHILL SPEED TO KEEP FROM HAVING TO USE THE BRAKES. FINALLY I SHIFTED TO !ST GEAR TO MAINTAIN THE SAFE SPEED THAT I NEEDED. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE THAT THE CAR FREEWHEELS SO EXCELLENT THAT EVEN ON LOWER GRADES AS EXPERIENCED IN THE CAROLINAS IN OCTOBER WHEN WE WERE THERE THE CAR IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GEAR DOWN SO AS NOT TO OVERHEAT THE BRAKES WHEN TRYING TO MAINTAIN POSTED SPEEDS IN MOUNTAINOUS COUNTRY. I DISCUSSED THIS WITH SOLOMON CHEVROLET IN DOTHAN WHERE I GET THE CAR SERVICED AND THE DEALER FROM WHOM I PURCHASED THE CAR. THEY HAD NO SUGGESTIONS BUT ASSURED ME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO DEALERSHIP WISE TO HELP ME. I FEEL IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHICH DOES NOT SURFACE UNLESS YOU DRIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS. *TR