NHTSA Complaint #10578024 — 2014 CHEVROLET SONIC

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A LONG, STEEP BRIDGE AT A CAUTIOUS SPEED AND REACHED OVER TO ADJUST THE RADIO VOLUME. WHEN I PLACED MY RIGHT HAND BACK ON THE STEERING WHEEL SOMETHING DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT SO I QUICKLY VERIFIED THAT I HAD BRAKES AND LIGHTS, BUT NO ENGINE POWER. I SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE. THE ONLY REASON FOR THE ENGINE FAILURE THAT I COULD FIGURE OUT AT THE TIME WAS THAT I HAD JARRED THE KEY CHAIN WITH MY COAT SLEEVE, INADVERTENTLY TURNING OFF THE ENGINE. THIS WAS A RENTAL CAR AND THE TWO SETS OF KEYS HAD BEEN PERMANENTLY CRIMPED TOGETHER BY A CABLE. I HAD CALLED THE RENTAL COMPANY A FEW HOURS AFTER PICKING UP THE CAR AT THE AIRPORT TO FIND OUT HOW TO SEPARATE THE KEYS AND WAS TOLD THIS WAS INTENTIONALLY DONE TO KEEP THE SETS TOGETHER IN CASE THE CAR WAS DROPPED OFF AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION. A MONTH OR SO LATER I LEARNED OF THE GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATION OF THE DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH IN GM VEHICLES THAT COULD TURN OFF THE CAR IF JOSTLED OR WEIGHED DOWN BY A HEAVY KEY RING. THE CAR WAS A 2014 CHEVROLET SONIC. FORTUNATELY IT DIDN'T LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT, BUT IT WAS A CLOSE CALL AND WAS MADE EVEN MORE FRIGHTENING DUE TO THE POSITION ON THE BRIDGE. FROM NOW ON I WILL NOT RENT ANY GM CARS AND WILL INSIST THAT THE KEY CHAINS BE SEPARATED. *TR