NHTSA Complaint #10604721 — 2006 BUICK RENDEZVOUS

WE WERE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 65 MILES PER HOUR ON JUNE 5, 2016 AND JUNE 11, 20176. THE VEHICLE JUST WENT TOTALLY DEAD. THE MOTOR, THE POWER STEERING, EVERYTHING...WENT TOTALLY DEAD. I WAS IN THE PASSING LANE AND A TRANSFER TRUCK WAS ON MY TAIL AND I HAD TO GO INTO THE GRASS MEDIAN TO AVOID GETTING SMASHED AND THE TRUCK HAD TO SWERVE OVER TO MISS ME. AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE CAR, IT STARTED. I WENT STRAIGHT TO AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP AND THEY CHECKED MY STARTER, ALTERNATOR, AND BATTERY. THOSE THINGS WERE OK AND THEY SUGGESTED MAYBE I HAD BAD GAS. ON 6/11/13, I WAS ON THE ROAD AGAIN DOING 65 AND WITH NO WARNING WHATSOEVER, THE VEHICLE WENT DEAD JUST LIKE THE WEEK BEFORE. I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO A TURN LANE BARELY AVOIDING A REAR END COLLISION. WE TOOK THE CAR TO A REPAIR SHOP.. WHEN WE WENT TO GET THE CAR, THEY TOLD US IT WAS THE IGNITION PART THAT GM WAS RECALLING. THE MECHANIC TAPPED ON THE PART WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING AND IT DIED IMMEDIATELY. HE ALSO ASKED US IF THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT HAD BEEN COMING ON. WE SAID YES IT HAD BEEN FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD BEEN ON A LOT DURING THE LAST MONTH. WE CONTACTED THE GM AND TALKED TO CUSTOMER SERVICE WHO TOLD US THE RENDEZVOUS WAS NOT YET ON THE RECALL LIST AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR MYSELF. I WENT TO THE LOCAL GM DEALER, [XXX], AND THE MANAGER TOLD ME HE COULD NOT HELP ME. HE SAID THEY WERE INDEPENDENT OF GM AND IF THEY FIXED IT, THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RECOUP THE COST FROM GM. DO I HAVE ANY OTHER RECOURSE? IS IT GOING TO TAKE A FAMILY BEING KILLED IN A RENDEZVOUS BEFORE GM WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS VERY WELL KNOWN PART DEFECT? I HAVE LIVED THROUGH TWO MIRACLES WHERE MY FAMILY COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS KNOWN DEFECTIVE PART. IF I HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR, IS THERE A WAY I CAN BE REIMBURSED BY GM? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR