NHTSA Complaint #10568162 — 2007 GMC ACADIA

I WAS DRIVING TO THE STORE, GOING DOWN HILL ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. MID-WAY DOWN A MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE COMPUTER SAYING "ENGINE FAILURE, POWER OFF" AND THE CAR JUST SHUT DOWN WITH OUT WARNING. NO MATTER HOW HARD I PRESSED ON THE GAS THE CAR WAS SHUT OFF. THE STEERING WENT OUT AS WELL AND I HAD TO STAND IN THE SEAT TO USE ALL MY POWER TO TURN THE WHEEL. PREVIOUS TO THIS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD NOT BEEN ON, NO ADVANCE WARNING OF THIS. I HAD BOTH OF MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR AT THE TIME. LUCKILY THERE WAS A BP GAS STATION WITH GARAGE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL, I WAS ABLE TO COAST THE CAR INTO THE GAS STATION WHERE THEY RAN DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND REPAIRED MY CAR AND RESET THE SENSORS. NINE MONTHS LATER I WAS DRIVING WITH BOTH OF MY CHILDREN AGAIN, IN NORTH EAST WASHINGTON DC WHEN OUT OF NO WHERE THE SAME MESSAGE APPEARED. I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE CAR OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND RESTART THE ENGINE ONE TIME. I TURNED AROUND TO GO HOME AND ON THE DRIVE HOME THE SAME THING HAPPENED ON A LESS OF AN INCLINE OF A HILL. THE CAR SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY TOWARDS THE TOP OF THE HILL GOING DOWN. SAME AS BEFORE, NO GAS AND NO STEERING ABILITY. I WAS TOO SCARED TO LEAVE THE CAR ON THE SIDE AS CARS COMING OVER THE HILL WOULD NOT HAVE TIME TO STOP BEFORE HITTING US. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND TRIED TO GLIDE DOWN THE HILL TO THE SHELL STATION. THE CAR CUT OUT COMPLETELY AND LOST ALL MOMENTUM SO I HAD TO PUSH THE CAR INTO THE GAS STATION AND WAIT 3 HOURS FOR THE TOW TRUCK TO ARRIVE. IT WENT BACK TO THE BP STATION FROM FEBRUARY AND HAD A NEW BATTERY AND SEVERAL OTHER ITEMS REPLACED. I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW IN 2007 AND HAVE HAD COUNTLESS BREAKDOWNS AND REPLACEMENTS- TWO TRANSMISSIONS WITHIN THE FIRST 3 YEARS AND REPAIRS. I KEEP UP WITH CAR MAINTENANCE REGULARLY AND DO NO NEGLECT ANYTHING. *TR