NHTSA Complaint #10668538 — 2006 CHEVROLET HHR

DRIVING AT 70MPH ON THE FREEWAY, BETWEEN TWO SEMI TRUCKS, MY CAR DINGED AT ME AND THE DISPLAY SAID, "ENGINE POWER REDUCED." I DID NOT KNOW WHAT THIS MEANT SO I IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO TRY AND MANEUVER BETWEEN THE TWO TRUCKS AND PULL OVER. SECONDS LATER, THE WARNING BELLS HAPPENED AGAIN AND THE ERROR MESSAGE WAS "ENGINE DISENGAGED." THE CAR TURNED ITSELF OFF! I COASTED OVER TO THE BERM. TO BE HONEST, I WAS SO SCARED, I REALLY DON'T KNOW IF THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES WERE DISABLED TOO BUT WITH NO ENGINE RUNNING, I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW THEY COULD BE. THE YELLOW CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS NOW ON AND I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO RESTART THE CAR WITH NO SUCCESS, IT JUST ACTED DEAD. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS SEEMED OPERATIVE. WITH CARS AND TRUCKS ZIPPING BY AT HIGH SPEEDS, I DECIDED TO WAIT IN MY CAR, HOPING AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE WOULD PASS BY. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES, I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR AGAIN. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED LIT AND THE CAR ACTED NORMALLY NOT EVEN ACTING LIKE IT WAS IN LIMP MODE. I WARILY DROVE MY CAR TO MY MECHANIC. HE SAID THE COMPUTER GAVE HIM LIMITED INFORMATION. HE CLEANED THE THROTTLE BUT WASN'T SURE IT WORKED OR NOT. IMAGINE MY HESITANCY TO DRIVE ON A FREEWAY AGAIN, NOT KNOWING IF IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN. A SEARCH OF INTERNET BOARDS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SHOWED THIS IS DESIGNED BY GM TO HAPPEN AND HAPPENS OFTEN! A DESIGN FEATURE THAT SHUTS OFF THE CAR AT HIGH SPEEDS BECAUSE OF A DIRTY THROTTLE? THIS WAS NOT A FATAL CONDITION OF THE ENGINE THAT WOULD CAUSE IT TO BLOW UP OR SOMETHING BUT MERELY A MAINTENANCE ITEM. JUST SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE HARDLY SEEMS LIKE AN PROPORTIONATE RESPONSE TO A DIRTY THROTTLE. THE DISCUSSION BOARDS SAY THERE ARE MULTIPLE REASONS THIS HAPPENS, NOT JUST THE THROTTLE CONDITION. PLEASE RESEARCH THIS DESIGN FLAW. THE IDEA OF LETTING MY WIFE DRIVE THIS CAR QUITE FRANKLY SCARES ME AS IT DID ME THAT COLD WINTER DAY. *TR