NHTSA Complaint #11060686 — 2011 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE

TRAVELING AT 65MPH IN -25 DEGREES F, OUR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND STABILINK TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS CAME ON. DASH DISPLAY SAID VEHICLE WOULD LOSE POWER AND OUR ENGINE SHUT-DOWN. WE PULLED OVER ON A SNOWY HIGHWAY AND READ BLOGS AND FOUND OUR THROTTLE BODY SENSOR WOULD CRACK AND FAIL AT EXTREME COLD TEMP. WE STARTED VEHICLE AND IT RESET, BUT SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED WITHIN 5 MILES. I FOUND A AUTO-ZONE IN PRINCETON, MINNESOTA AND BOUGHT PART AND REPLACED MYSELF. AS IT WAS NEW YEARS EVE NO GM ASSISTANCE WAS AVAILABLE. GM TELLS US THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN BUT THEY FAILED TO NOTIFY US. ALSO TOLD US A DEALER WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM FOR FREE, BUT FAILED TO TELL US HOW TO GET TO A DEALER WITH THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. I RESEARCHED AND FOUND THIS PROBLEM COMMON AT COLD TEMPERATURES. GM WAS DANGEROUSLY IRRESPONSIBLE BY NOT NOTIFYING US. THEY PUT US IN A BAD SITUATION IN EXTREMELY COLD TEMPS. I FAIL TO SEE WHY THIS WASN'T A RECALL WHEN YOUR VEHICLE BASICALLY SHUTS DOWN. WE COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN REAR-ENDED OR SPUN IN A DITCH. THANKS TO BLOGS WITH NO HELP FROM GM, I FIXED THE PROBLEM MYSELF AT EXTREME COLD TEMP. GM WILL NOT COVER MY $190.00 FOR PART, NOT COUNTING STRESS,TIME AND LABOR. HOW CAN THEY SAY THEY VERIFIED WE RECEIVED NO NOTICE, BUT WOULD NOT COVER OUR COSTS. I AM SURE THERE ARE MANY MORE DRIVERS PUT IN THIS SITUATION. THANKS GM.