NHTSA Complaint #10812041 — 2011 BUICK ENCLAVE

ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS IN THE PAST MONTH MY CAR LOST POWER WHILE I WAS DRIVING. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ON CITY STREETS WHEN THIS OCCURRED AND I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND RESTART THE ENGINE. I BROUGHT MY CAR IN TO MY BUICK DEALER AFTER THE 2ND OCCURRENCE AND THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN LAST WEEK I NOTICED THAT RIGHT BEFORE I LOST POWER THE SMALL WALLET THAT IS PART OF MY KEY CHAIN HAD FALLEN FROM THE TOP OF THE STEERING WHEEL (WHERE I KEEP IT SO IT DOESN'T HIT MY LEG). THINKING IT MAY HAVE JERKED THE IGNITION SLIGHTLY AND THAT MAY HAVE BEEN PART OF THE POWER ISSUE, I GOOGLED "BUICK ENCLAVE IGNITION ISSUES" WHEN I RETURNED HOME. IMMEDIATELY ALL OF THE GM IGNITION PROBLEMS OF THE PAST FEW YEARS CAME UP; INCLUDING THE FRIGHTENING NEWS THAT MY CAR HAD THE EXACT SAME IGNITION AS THE RECALLED CARS BUT THAT GM BELIEVED SOMETHING ABOUT THE DESIGN OF THE ENCLAVE (AND OTHER SUVS IN ITS CLASS) MEANT THAT THE IGNITION WAS NOT A PROBLEM. I AM HERE TO TELL YOU THAT IT IS, INDEED, A PROBLEM. I BROUGHT MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALER ON MONDAY AND THEY AGAIN CAN "FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT." I HAVE CONTACTED GM AND LET THEM KNOW I WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS VEHICLE UNTIL THE IGNITION IS REPLACED. NO ONE SHOULD BE DRIVING THIS CAR. I SHUDDER TO THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING MY USUAL CARPOOL OF 5 12-YEAR-OLD BOYS. INDEED, TWICE WHEN I LOST POWER I WAS IN THE CAR WITH MY CHILD. I AM CONVINCED THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND THAT EVERYONE WHO OWNS ONE OF THESE CARS MUST BE ALERTED TO THE POSSIBILTIY OF POWER LOSS.