NHTSA Complaint #10617905 — 2011 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE

ON FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014, MY 2011 CHEVY TRAVERSE STALLED/SHUTDOWN WHILE DRIVING. I PULLED OUT OF A LOCAL GAS STATION AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY THE CAR BEGAN TO STALL/SHUTDOWN. I PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER (FORTUNATELY THERE WAS ONE). I TURNED THE AC UNIT AND RADIO OFF. I STARTED THE CAR WITHOUT ANY NOISE. I DROVE APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE, TURNED THE AC BACK ON AND THE CAR STALLED/SHUTDOWN ONCE AGAIN, THIS TIME AS THE CAR WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH. TO SAY THE LEAST, I WAS EXTREMELY DISTRAUGHT AS THE CAR LOST POWER AND STEERING. FORTUNATELY, (FOR MY FAMILY AND CHEVY), THERE WERE NO CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS RELATED TO THE AC UNIT AND WANTS TO CHARGE ME ALMOST $2,000 TO FIX! THE AC UNIT WAS "FIXED" BACK IN JUNE 2013 WHILE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY. IT IS NO LONGER COVERED BY WARRANTY. MY ISSUE IS THAT THE CAR STALLED/SHUT DOWN. A CAR SHUTTING DOWN AT ANY SPEED IS A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER. TRAVELING AT 35 MPH CREATES AN EVEN MORE DANGEROUS SITUATION. IF THE AC UNIT CAN STALL A VEHICLE THEN THIS HAS TO BE AN INHERENT DESIGN/PRODUCTION ISSUE. THERE IS NO ACCEPTABLE WAY THAT AN AC UNIT CAN FAIL AND THUS CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO SHUT DOWN PUTTING PEOPLE'S LIVES IN DANGER. HOPEFULLY, MY INCIDENT REPORT WILL PREVENT ANY FUTURE PROBLEMS LIKE THIS FROM OCCURRING, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, PROTECT PEOPLE'S LIVES. *TR