NHTSA Complaint #10579140 — 2007 BUICK LUCERNE

AROUND OR ABOUT OCTOBER 2011, WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, MY 2007 BUICK LUCERNE'S ENGINE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. THIS CAUSED THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES (AND AIRBAG?). FORTUNATELY, I WAS ON A SECONDARY ROAD AND MANAGED TO GET THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM. INITIAL EFFORTS TO RESTART THE VEHICLE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL, SO I CALLED AAA FOR ASSISTANCE. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES, AND BEFORE AAA ARRIVED, I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND DROVE HOME (IT WAS A SUNDAY). THE NEXT DAY I DROVE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD PURCHASED IT (NEW) JUST OVER FIVE YEARS BEFORE (IT WAS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY). AFTER WHAT I WAS TOLD WAS A COMPLETE CHECK, NO APPARENT REASON FOR THE ENGINE QUITTING COULD BE FOUND. I DROVE THE CAR HOME AND AROUND TOWN FOR SEVERAL DAYS, WHEN THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS TIME WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP I TOLD MY SERVICE CONSULTANT THAT I REFUSED TO DRIVE THE CAR, WHICH I OCCASIONALLY USED TO TRANSPORT MY YOUNG GRANDCHILDREN, UNTIL THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED. WE AGREED THAT ONE OF THE MECHANICS COULD USE IT FOR HIS PERSONAL USE UNTIL THE PROBLEM REOCCURRED. AND IT DID. A FEW DAYS LATER THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THE CAR HAD AGAIN STALLED, THAT THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED, AND THAT THERE WOULD BE NO CHARGE WHEN I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM, I WAS TOLD, WAS "IN A COMPUTER" THAT HAD BEEN REPLACED. I DROVE THE CAR FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THAT (BEFORE SELLING IT), AND THE PROBLEM DID NOT REOCCUR. I BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF BOTH GENERAL MOTORS AND ON-STAR (THE LATTER, JUST IN CASE THE SHUTDOWNS HAD BEEN PROMPTED BY THAT SYSTEM) AND NOBODY WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SIMILAR INCIDENTS WITH BUICKS HAD OCCURRED: AND THEY STILL WON'T. A CURSORY SEARCH OF THE INTERNET SHOWS SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH OTHER BUICKS, YET THEY ARE NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. WHY NOT? THANK YOU. *JS