NHTSA Complaint #10520259 — 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA

CAR WAS JUST STARTED, IN PARKING LOT, GETTING READY TO DRIVE AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUTDOWN COMPLETELY. COULDN'T TAKE KEY OUT, OR RESTART, NO LIGHTS, NO ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY AT ALL, BUT IT HAD JUST BEEN RUNNING. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES, IT ALL CAME BACK ON AND RESTART, AND DROVE OK. THERE HAD BEEN BATTERY PROBLEMS IN THE PAST, CORROSION ON TERMINAL, WHICH WAS REPAIRED. THE BATTERY CABLE WHERE THE WIRE ENTERS THE POSITIVE TERMINAL WAS NOT COMPLETELY TIGHT. THE INTERNET HAS REPORTS FROM SEVERAL PEOPLE REPORTING THIS SAME EVENT ON IMPALAS, OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT MODEL YEARS. MOST OF THESE THOUGH, IT HAPPENED WHILE THEY WERE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, AND SOME REPORTED ACCIDENTS THAT RESULTED. PRIOR TO ALL THE MODERN ELECTRONICS, IF THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AND THE ALTERNATOR WAS WORKING, THE ENGINE WOULD NEVER JUST SHUT DOWN EVEN IF THE BATTERY CONNECTION WAS BAD. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, WHERE THE CAR CAN JUST SHUT OFF AND THE OPERATOR LOSES ALL POWER SYSTEMS. NO POWER STEERING, EXTREMELY DIFFICULT BRAKING, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKING (THOUGH THE LATTER DID NOT HAPPEN TO US). WHEN OPERATING THE CAR IN HILLY OR MOUNTAINOUS ROADS, WHERE THERE ARE STEEP DROP OFFS ON SHOULDER SIDE, AND SEMI-TRUCKS COMING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SURELY THIS HAS POTENTIAL AS DEADLY SITUATION. WOULD LIKE TO SEE REDUNDANCY, IF ALTERNATOR IS PRODUCING, DON'T SHUT DOWN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. RATHER, JUST GIVE WARNING. ALSO, BE SURE THAT NO CAR WOULD EVER LOCK THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS MALFUNCTION. I AM AFRAID TO HAVE MY WIFE DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL A NEW BATTERY CABLE IS INSTALLED. *TR