NHTSA Complaint #10672866 — 2011 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHOWED ALERTS READING TRACTION CONTROL OFF, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, SERVICE STABILITRAK, AND ENGINE POWER REDUCED. AT THIS TIME THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY SLOWED DOWN TO 20MPH. THANKFULLY MY TODDLERS WERE NOT IN THE CAR AND I DID NOT HAVE TRAFFIC BEHIND ME SO THAT I COULD SAFELY PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. I TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE FOR A FEW MINUTES AND RESTARTED AGAIN, AT WHICH TIME THE SAME ERRORS RETURNED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ENGINE POWER REDUCED, SO THAT I COULD AT LEAST MAKE IT HOME. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED MY CHEVY DEALER WHO COMPLETES ALL SERVICE ON MY VEHICLE, AND I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY IN THE COLD TEMPERATURES AS OIL TENDS TO ACCUMULATE IN THE THROTTLE BODY AND FREEZE UP, MAKING THE SENSOR GO HAYWIRE, LEAVING THE THROTTLE UNABLE TO COMPENSATE FOR THE CHANGES, AND THE WARNINGS TO OCCUR. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY AND THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT IT WASN'T A BIG DEAL AND IT SHOULD BE FINE WHEN IT WARMS UP. I GUESS WE DIFFER IN OUR OPINION OF WHETHER A CAR SHUTTING DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY OR WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR IS A BIG DEAL. I GUESS WE ALSO DIFFER IN OUR OPINIONS ABOUT WHETHER A $40K VEHICLE SHOULD FUNCTION IN FREEZING TEMPERATURES THAT OCCUR FOR FOUR MONTHS OF THE YEAR IN THE NORTHEAST. CHEVROLET HAS ISSUED RECALLS FOR THIS VERY ISSUE WITH MANY OTHER VEHICLES AND SOME YEARS OF TRAVERSES BUT NOT ALL. CHEVROLET, YOU NEED TO STAND BEHIND YOUR VEHICLES...TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE $100 PART THAT CAN VERY EASILY BE FIXED IN 15 MINUTES TIME INSTEAD OF FORCING CUSTOMERS TO DRIVE AN UNSAFE VEHICLE OR SHELL OUT UPWARDS OF $600 TO MAKE THE REPAIR. I LOVE THIS CAR, PROBABLY MY FAVORITE VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED, BUT THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM. *TR