NHTSA Complaint #10731446 — 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA

I WAS DERIVING DOWN A STEEP GRADE ON THE GATLINBURG BYPASS TOWARD PIGEON FORGE, TN IN SECOND GEAR FOR ENGINE BREAKING. I FIRST NOTICED THE CAR GETTING WARMER AND I CHECKED THE DUAL CLIMATE CONTROL BY FEEL TO MAKE SURE MY RIDER HAD NOT INCREASED THE TEMPERATURE. THEN I NOTICED THE STEERING WAS HARDER ON SLIGHT CURVES; THEN I NOTICED THE TACHOMETER GOING TO ZERO AND SONE OTHER GAUGES DECREASING; THEN I HAD TO SLOW FOR A CHARPER CURVE WHERE I HAD NO POWER BRAKE ASSIST AND NO POWERING STEERING ASSIST. I MANAGED TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A SAFE STOP WHERE I TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER A SHORT CRANKING BUT ACTED IF IT WAS STARVING FOR FUEL. ONCE RESTARTED THE VEHICLE RAN SATISFACTORY, IF I HAD BEEN A WEAK PERSON OR HAD PANICKED THIS INCIDENT WOULD PROBABLY HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH. THE IGNITION SWITCH RECALL HAD RECENTLY BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. THE FUEL LEVEL WAS 1/2 TANK. AS AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEER THIS APPEARED TO BE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WHERE THE ENGINE POWER WAS CUT OFF SHUTTING DOWN THE FUEL PUMP, INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, IGNITION, AND ELECTRIC STEERING ASSIST.