NHTSA Complaint #10460664 — 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA

I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN I REC'D THE FOLLOWING MESSAGES: SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER. THE ENGINE LIGHT AND THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS ALSO CAME ON. I WAS ABLE TO GO APPROX 50-55 MPH. I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT I WAS NEAR AN EXIT. AS I WAS EXITING, A MESSAGE CAME ON TELLING ME THAT THE POWER WAS BEING TURNED OFF OR STOPPED. I CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT WORDS. I THEN HAD NO ABILITY TO ACCELERATE AND MY ONLY OPTION WAS TO PULL OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. EVEN THOUGH I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE SIDE, IT WAS NOT IN A SAFE PLACE AND TRAFFIC WAS GOING BY AT THE SPEED OF 55-60 MPH AND I WAS BARELY OVER THE WHITE LINE. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK, AND HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. THIS HAPPENED AT 4:15 ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON. MY MECHANIC DIDN'T LOOK AT IT UNTIL MONDAY AND COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. HE DROVE IT ALL OVER AND HE CHECKED EVERYTHING HE COULD THINK OF. I TRUST THIS MECHANIC. HE DID SAY THAT HE WAS AFRAID HE WOULD HAVE TO SEND ME TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. I CAME HOME, GOOGLED THE PROBLEMS AND ENDED UP AT EDMUNDS.COM IN A FORUM FOR CHEVY OWNERS WITH THIS ISSUE. WHILE NO ONE WAS HURT THIS TIME, THAT IS JUST A BLESSING. HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL NEED TO BE HURT, MAIMED OR EVEN KILLED BEFORE THEY ISSUE A RECALL AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT A PROBLEM THAT IS VERY OBVIOUS. HOW MUCH MONEY AND TIME WILL I SPEND TAKING THIS TO A DEALER WHO DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND WON'T DIAGNOSE IT CORRECTLY THE FIRST TIME? AMERICA WANTS AMERICANS TO BUY AMERICAN MADE PRODUCTS. I OWNED A FOREIGN VEHICLE FOR 9 YEARS AND IT NEVER LEFT ME STRANDED THE WAY THIS CHEVROLET IMPALA DID AFTER OWNING IT FOR 7 MONTHS! I THINK IT IS PAST TIME SOMETHING WAS DONE. FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE THE PROBLEM NOW AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE OUT THERE JUST WAITING FOR THIS TO HAPPEN TO THEM. SAFETY SHOULD COME FIRST! *TR