NHTSA Complaint #10759076 — 2012 CHEVROLET CAPTIVA SPORT

ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015 WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AROUND 5:30 PM MY CHARGING SYSTEM SIGNAL CAME ON AND MY AC STOPPED WORKING. I FIGURED THE CHARGING SYSTEM SIGNAL WAS AN INDICATION THAT MY AC HAD BROKEN AND I RESOLVED TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR REPAIR. TEN (10) MINUTES AFTER THE CHARGING SYSTEM SIGNAL CAME ON MULTIPLE SIGNAL LIGHTS ON MY DASHBOARD STARTED FLASHING AND IMMEDIATELY MY CAR LOST ALL POWER AND STARTED DECELERATING. THIS OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING SEVENTY (70) MILES PER HOUR ON THE FREEWAY DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. I WAS ALSO IN THE FAR LEFT LANE OF A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY. BY THE GRACE OF GOD I WAS ABLE TO STEER MY CAR TO A RAMP WITHOUT BEING COLLIDING WITH ANOTHER CAR. AFTER EXITING THE FREEWAY I NARROWLY AVOIDED COLLIDING WITH A CAR THAT WAS IN FRONT OF ME AND I SWERVED JUST BARELY AVOIDING ROLLING INTO A DITCH. MY CAR CAME TO A HALT ALONG THE SIDE OF AN OFF-RAMP WHERE MY IT SAT FOR NEARLY TWO (2) HOURS, JUST BARELY OUT OF THE REACH OF EXITING TRUCKS AND CARS, AS I WAITED FOR AAA. I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO A HENDRICK CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP WHERE THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT MY ALTERNATOR WAS BROKEN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FEE WAS NINE HUNDRED FOURTEEN DOLLARS AND NINETY NINE CENTS ($914.99). I ASKED THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP WHY THIS HAPPENED AND IF I COULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING TO PREVENT IT. HE TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO WAY THAT A DEALERSHIP COULD HAVE DETECTED THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS GOING BAD AND THAT FURTHER COMMENTED THAT HE WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THAT THE ALTERNATOR HAD GONE BAD WHEN MY CAR AT ITS LOW MILEAGE.