NHTSA Complaint #10617304 — 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA

RECENTLY PURCHASED A USED 2003 IMPALA, I WAS UNAWARE AT THE TIME OF THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE ISSUE OF THE PASSLOCK FEATURE. THE PASSLOCK FEATURE SHUTS DOWN THE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE WHEN IT DOSEN'T RECOGNIZE THE KEY. THE KEY IS THE MATCHING SET FOR THE PASSLOCK. FOR THE SHORT TIME WE HAD THE CAR WE EXPERIENCED A SHUT DOWN DURING OPERATION. LUCKY FOR US NO ONE WAS INJURED, AT APPROXMATE 45 MPH THE CAR JUST SHUT DOWN AND THE SECURITY LIGHT CAME ON. HAD TO DEAD STEER AND BRAKE THE CAR TO A STOP RESULTING IN THE CAR OFF THE ROAD IN THE DITCH. TRIED TO RESTART VEHICLE, DID NOT EVEN TRY TO CRANK OVER. SECURITY LIGHT WAS ON AT THE DISPLAY HAD TO SIT FOR A FEW MINUTES AND TRIED AGAIN THEN THE CAR STARTED. GOT IT HOME FORTUNATELY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENTS. SINCE THEN THERE WERE SEVERAL INSTANCES THAT THE CAR WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE THE KEY AND SHUT DOWN THE CAR. I AM VERY AGGRIVATED THAT WE HAVE TO EXPERIENCE SUCH ISSUES AS CONSUMERS, WITHOUT ANY ATTEMPTS OR CONCERNS FROM THE MANUFACTURER TO DEAL WITH SUCH A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM. THIS A SERIOUS RISK PLACED ON THE OWNERS LIVES WITH THESE VEHICLES. ESPECIALLY WHEN THIS HAS BEEN A LONG ONGOING PROBLEM AND HAS BEEN ANNOTATED HUNDREDS OF TIMES. WHY HAS NOTHING BEEN DONE ABOUT THIS, ARE WE WAITING FOR FATALITIES? *JS