NHTSA Complaint #10621208 — 2006 CHEVROLET COBALT

AT APPROXIMATELY 7:47AM CST ON AUGUST 7TH 2014, I WAS MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN WHEN THE ENGINE AND ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS DIED. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND SAFELY DRIVE, WITH NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS/OTHER DASH WARNINGS, APPROXIMATELY HALF A MILE BACK HOME. THERE WAS NO WARNING ON THE DASH (IE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT) BEFORE THE MASSIVE FAILURE OCCURRED; IT WAS INSTANTLY DEAD. THIS FITS THE CHARACTERIZATION OF THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE IN THE AFFECTED GM MODELS. I WAS ONE TURN FROM MERGING ON THE FREEWAY. HAD THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED A MINUTE LATER, THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE INJURY/LOSS OF LIFE WAS GREAT. I HAVE BEEN WAITING ON A LIST SINCE APRIL TO GET THE DEFECTED IGNITION SWITCH REPAIRED. I HAVE CALLED SEVERAL TIMES FOR UPDATES, AND HAVE BEEN TOLD UP TO 800 PEOPLE WERE AHEAD OF ME FOR REPAIRS. WHEN I REPORTED THIS INCIDENT TO GM VIA THE IGNITION SWITCH RECALL HOTLINE, THEY SUDDENLY FOUND THE PARTS NEEDED TO REPAIR MY CAR. THIS IS SUSPECT TO ME. THEY ARE ALSO CLAIMING THAT THIS INCIDENT WAS NOT IGNITION SWITCH RELATED, BUT THE FACT REMAINS THAT THIS WAS A NEAR-MISS INCIDENT WITH POTENTIAL CATASTROPHIC IMPLICATIONS THAT FITS ALL DESCRIPTIONS OF IGNITION SWITCH FAILURES. I HAVE FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS BY GM TO DRIVE WITH ONLY THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND TO AVOID BUMPY ROADS, BUT THIS INCIDENTS HAS MADE ME FEEL EXTREMELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE THIS CAR. GM IS NOT TREATING THIS DEFECT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH AS SERIOUSLY AS IT NEEDS TO, AS THE POSSIBILITY FOR SEVERE INJURY/LOSS OF LIGHT IS GREAT. THERE IS NO WARNING THAT POWER WILL BE LOST. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR KNOWING THAT GM KNEW ABOUT THIS DEFECT FOR OVER A DECADE AND IS INSISTING THAT CARS WITH THE DEFECT ARE SAFE TO DRIVE. *TR