NHTSA Complaint #10940448 — 2015 BUICK ENCORE

MY VEHICLE'S AWD DISABLED WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK APPROXIMATELY 5PM DURING A SNOWSTORM (I WAS ABOUT 9 MINUTES AWAY FROM MY HOME AFTER DRIVING FOR APPROXIMATELY 25 MINUTES). I WAS DRIVING UP AN INCLINE WHEN THE AWD SUDDENLY DISABLED, RESULTING IN VIOLENT LOSS OF CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE. I DROVE SIDEWAYS UP AND THEN CONSEQUENTLY DOWN THE HILL AND CURVY ROAD, VEERING INTO THE OPPOSITE LANE MANY TIMES DURING THE DURATION OF MY DRIVE HOME. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, I TRIED TO STAY IN THE CENTER OF THE ROAD UNTIL I REACHED FLAT ROAD WITHOUT INCLINES, DIPS AND CURVES, WHEN I WAS ABLE TO SLIDE BACK INTO MY LANE. MY VEHICLE WAS CONSTANTLY PULLING ITSELF OFF THE ROAD AND HEADING TOWARDS THE GUARDRAILS. THE AWD DID NOT RECOVER AND I HAD NO CONTROL OVER MY VEHICLE. I JUST BARELY MANAGED TO GET THE VEHICLE UP THE LAST INCLINE AND INTO MY STREET/DRIVEWAY. THE NEXT MORNING, THE AWD WAS RESTORED. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT MY AWD DISABLED. THE FIRST TIME IT DISABLED WAS EARLIER THAT YEAR, APPROXIMATELY JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2016, DURING A SNOWSTORM ON MY MORNING COMMUTE UP THE SAME ROAD. DURING THIS FIRST TIME, I HAD ONLY BEEN DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 6 MINUTES WHEN THE AWD DISABLED. I SLID SIDEWAYS UP THE INCLINE BUT MANAGED TO KEEP THE CAR IN MY LANE, ALTHOUGH IT WAS SLIDING FREQUENTLY..EVENTUALLY I REACHED A FLAT STRETCH OF ROAD WHEN THE AWD RESTORED ITSELF APPROXIMATELY WITHIN 15 MINUTES. BOTH DRIVING EXPERIENCES WHEN THE AWD DISABLED WERE INCREDIBLY FRIGHTENING. I SIMPLY THOUGHT IT WAS A FLUKE THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED. I REPORTED THE SECOND AND MOST RECENT INSTANCE TO MY CAR DEALERSHIP, WHO STATED THAT THERE IS NO FIX AND NO RECALL. I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON MY VEHICLE. I HAVE ALL-SEASON TIRES WHICH ARE MORE THAN SUFFICIENT AND ADEQUATE TO DEAL WITH WINTER WEATHER DRIVING. *TR