NHTSA Complaint #10579055 — 2014 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

I WAS DRIVING THIS BRAND NEW RENTAL VAN ON A 4-LANE STATE HIGHWAY. I'D BEEN ON THE ROAD LESS THAN AN HOUR WHEN I ENGAGED THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE VAN WAS IN CRUISE MODE FOR AT MOST A COUPLE OF MINUTES WHEN I SENSED THE VAN SLOWING. I LOOKED DOWN TO SEE THE TACHOMETER AT ZERO; I REALIZED ITS ENGINE HAD TURNED OFF. VERY FORTUNATELY FOR ME, THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES CLOSE BY ME. I WAS ABLE TO CRUISE TO THE SHOULDER AND COME TO A STOP. I'M NOT 100% SURE, BUT I BELIEVE ALL OF THE VEHICLE'S POWER WAS OFF (FOR EXAMPLE, I DON'T THINK I HAD POWER STEERING ANYMORE). I PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK, RESTARTED THE IGNITION, AND DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON MY TRIP. I ENDED UP PUTTING JUST OVER 1,000 MILES ON IT OVER THE NEXT 7 DAYS, AND THE INCIDENT DIDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. DURING THAT TIME, I WAITED PROBABLY FOR ANOTHER 400 MILES BEFORE I RISKED TRYING THE CRUISE CONTROL AGAIN (AGAIN, WHEN NO VEHICLES WERE NEARBY); NO PROBLEMS AGAIN. YET, THIS DEFINITELY COULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT-INDUCING DEFECT HAD I BEEN IN TRAFFIC IN WHICH THE UNCONTROLLED DECREASE IN SPEED COULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS. THIS IS OF COURSE A CHRYSLER PRODUCT, NOT A GM, MY EXPERIENCE WAS STRIKINGLY SIMILAR TO SOME OF THE STORIES I'VE HEARD / READ ABOUT PEOPLE DRIVING COBALTS. I DID REPORT THIS INCIDENT TO THE (ALAMO) RENTAL CAR GUY WHEN I RETURNED THE VEHICLE. BUT AGAIN, AFTER READING ABOUT THE COBALT IGNITION PROBLEMS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, I FELT COMPELLED TO REPORT THIS TO NHTSA. *TR