NHTSA Complaint #10672611 — 2011 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING THE 2011 CHEVROLET EQUINOX LTZ AND THE VEHICLE GOES INTO "ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED" MODE THE VEHICLE COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP WITHIN 10 FEET. YOU ARE UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL OR CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD IN ANY WAY WITH THE PHRASE SERVICE STABILITRACK APPEARING RIGHT AFTER. YOU CAN BE DRIVING SLOWLY AT 20-25 MILES PER HOUR OR FASTER AT 35-40 MILES PER HOUR AND THIS IS ABLE TO HAPPEN AT ANY MOMENT. TOTAL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IS LOST AND THE ENGINE IS UNUSABLE. CHEVROLET INFORMED US THAT THIS IS CAUSED BY A BAD SENSOR IN THE THROTTLE BODY. THE SENSOR IS UNABLE TO BE REPLACED WITHOUT REPLACING THE ENTIRE THROTTLE BODY. THE VEHICLE IS UNUSABLE WITHOUT REPLACING THE THROTTLE BODY AND THE THROTTLE BODY IS NOT COVERED AFTER THE EMISSIONS WARRANTY OF 24,000 MILES. FROM YEARS 2006-2009 THE THROTTLE BODY WAS COVERED UNDER THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY AT 100,000 MILES. AFTER RESEARCHING THE INTERNET AND SPEAKING WITH LOCAL MECHANICS, IT HAS BEEN NOTED THAT MULTIPLE EQUINOX DRIVERS HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE AND IT ALWAYS OCCURS BETWEEN 50,000-60,000 MILES. FRANKLY THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE AND CHEVROLET DOES NOT CARE. SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE TO EITHER INCLUDE THIS FAULTY PART IN A 100,000 MILE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY (AS THE ENGINE WILL NOT OPERATE WITHOUT IT) OR A RECALL SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED. IN THE EVENT THAT AN EQUINOX IS TRAVELING AT HIGHER SPEEDS (SUCH AS ON A HIGHWAY) THE SITUATION COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A FATAL INJURY. VIDEO OF THIS OCCURRING WILL BE PROVIDED UPON REQUEST. *TR