NHTSA Complaint #10606740 — 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA

ONE DAY BEFORE I WAS TO TAKE A VACATION FROM MISSOURI TO TEXAS, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THE CODE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH A FUEL CANISTER, BUT IT SHOULDN'T POSE A PROBLEM. AS I WAS DRIVING 75 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY INSIDE THE TEXAS STATE LINE, AFTER 7 HOURS OF DRIVING, MOSTLY IN RAIN ALL DAY, THE CAR STARTED DOING A JERKING TYPE ACTION & THEN MY TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON, W/A WARNING MSG SAYING, "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL; ENGINE POWER REDUCED." GOING 75 MPH I LOST ALL CONTROL! NO LIGHTS, NO A/C (WHICH IS A SEPARATE, LOUD, CLICKING ISSUE I COULD ADDRESS), NO POWER STEERING, NO POWER BRAKES! I HAD ALL I COULD DO TO JUST POINT MY CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD & COAST TO A STOP, IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE W/OUT A SERVICE STATION IN SIGHT! I TRIED 3X TO RESTART THE VEHICLE TO NO AVAIL. AS I SAT THERE IN BEWILDERMENT & FRIGHT OF WHAT JUST HAPPENED, I CONTEMPLATED WHAT TO DO. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES, I DECIDED TO TRY & START IT 1 MORE TIME. THIS TIME, IT STARTED UP. HOWEVER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT & THE SERVICE AIRBAG LIGHT (AGAIN, ANOTHER ISSUE I'VE HAD WITH THE VEHICLE SINCE THE DAY I PURCHASED IT) WERE STILL LIT UP BUT THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT & THE WARNING MESSAGES HAD GONE OFF. I CONTINUED TO MY DESTINATION & THE FOLLOWING DAY (SATURDAY) I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL GM DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY PROCEEDED TO DO A DIAGNOSTIC TEST &, OF COURSE, "COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM," THEREFORE THEY COULD NOT "FIND ANYTHING WRONG." THEY GLADLY DEPLETED MY VACATION EXPENSES OF $100 & SENT ME ON MY WAY WITH A REASSURANCE THAT "IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN WHILE YOU'RE HERE, COME BACK BY & WE WILL TEST IT AGAIN BUT WE WON'T CHARGE YOU FOR IT." HOW NICE OF THEM. :{ GM SEEMS TO ENJOY DOING THAT. AND THE NHTSA DOESN'T SEEM TO WANT TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO INVESTIGATE THIS PREVALENT PROBLEM W/THESE CARS. IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS, I'LL SUE THE PANTS OFF OF THEM. *TR