NHTSA Complaint #10560051 — 2011 CHEVROLET CRUZE

THE CAR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THEN IT SAID POWER REDUCED. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS BEHIND ME. IF I LET THE CAR SET FOR A BIT, IT WILL START AND RUN OK. THE PROBLEM OCCURS ONLY IN THE WINTER WHEN IT'S DAMP OR FOGGY AND THE TEMPERATURE IS AT FREEZING. IN THE WINTER OF 2013, IT HAPPENED TWICE. IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON 01/07/14. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A MECHANIC, AND WAS TOLD THAT ALTHOUGH THE CAR'S COMPUTER TOLD HIM WHEN IT HAPPENED, IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED WHY IT HAPPENED. WHEN IT IS WARMER OUTSIDE, IT RAN FINE AND PROBABLY WILL UNTIL IT GETS COLDER AGAIN! I ASKED THE DEALER IF THIS WAS A PROBLEM ANYONE ELSE WAS EXPERIENCING AND WAS TOLD NO. BASED ON WHAT I SEE FROM POSTINGS ON VARIOUS WEBSITES, I AM NOT ALONE! THE THROTTLE BODY APPEARS TO BE AN OBVIOUS A FACTORY DEFECT, BUT GM WON'T OFFER A RECALL. I COMMUTE ABOUT 60 MILES TO WORK EACH WAY, SO THE CAR IS WELL BEYOND ITS WARRANTY. IT WOULD BE NICE TO NOT HAVE TO WATCH THE WEATHER REPORT TO DECIDE IF I THINK THE CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE IT MIGHT COLD ENOUGH TO HAVE IT HAPPEN AGAIN. I WAS CONTACTED BY CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD CHECK INTO THE PROBLEM WITH MY CAR. ALL THEY DID WAS REFER ME TO MY DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WOULD BE FIXED AT MY EXPENSE, AND DID NOT RECOGNIZE OR ADMIT THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN OF THE ENGINE (FACTORY DEFECT). GM WILL NOT RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE 2011 CRUZE THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE DEALING WITH. THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THE CAR LOSES POWER (COLD WEATHER) CANNOT BE SIMULATED BY THE DEALERSHIP MECHANICS BECAUSE THEIR DIAGNOSTICS IN A HEATED GARAGE. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT AND WILL NOT SHOW UP WHEN THEY TEST IT. WHEN THE CAR LOSES POWER IT HAPPENS ABRUPTLY. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AS THE CAR CANNOT MAINTAIN ITS SPEED, AND DURING HEAVY TRAFFIC FLOW IT IS LIKELY THAT SOMEONE IS GOING TO END UP IN A CRASH AS A RESULT. IT IS A DEFECT WITH THE CAR! *TR