NHTSA Complaint #10956515 — 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA

2011 IMPALA 3.5L V6 SFI (LZE)OCTOBER, 2016 (60,104 MI) WHILE TRAVELING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. DROPPED DOWN TO 20 MPH WHILE ENGINE SURGED. DISPLAY READ, " SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL," SERVICE STABILITRACK," "ENGINE POWER REDUCED." BY FEATHERING THE GAS PEDAL, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE SPEED UP TO 40-45MPH AND DROVE 1 MILE TO GM DEALERSHIP. AT TRAFFIC LIGHT THE VEHICLE SURGED WHILE STOPPED AND NEEDED VERY FIRM BRAKING TO KEEP IT FROM SURGING AHEAD. THE DEALERSHIP STAFF "GUESSED" THAT IT WOULD BE THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR WITHOUT DOING DIAGNOSTIC CHECK - I ASSUMED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO LDA AUTO WHERE THE OWNER/EXPERT ON VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS INSTALLED AN AFTERMARKET THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY (PART = $254); THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY SO THE ENTIRE PIECE HAD TO BE REPLACED. A "RELEARN PROCEDURE" WAS PERFORMED. ANY NEEDED ADJUSTMENTS MADE. CODE SYSTEM RESET AND TESTED. VEHICLE WAS TEST-DRIVEN. (LABOR = $80). I DROPPED MY VEHICLE OFF AT 7:00AM, GOT A RIDE TO WORK FROM SHOP STAFF, AND RECEIVED MESSAGE THAT MY VEHICLE WAS COMPLETED SAME DAY. OWNER EVEN DEDUCTED THE $20 "SHOP SUPPLIES" FEE FROM MY BILL BECAUSE HE STATED HE DID NOT USE ANY SUPPLIES. KUDOS FOR HIS HONESTY!!! TOTAL BILL CAME TO A LITTLE LESS THAN $350. OWNER SHOWED ME EXACTLY WHAT HE DID, OFFERED TO GIVE ME THE OLD PART, LET ME CHOOSE WHICH MFG TO ORDER FROM ONLINE. CAN'T SAY ENOUGH GREAT THINGS ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE! TODAY IS 2/23/2017 AND MY IMPALA HAS NOT HAD ANY OTHER PROBLEMS SINCE THIS REPAIR; IN FACT, IT SEEMS TO BE A BIT MORE RESPONSIVE.