NHTSA Complaint #11082230 — 2011 CHEVROLET CRUZE

CAR DOES NOT PROPERLY ACCELERATE, SO MUCH SO THAT I NEED TO USE THE HAZARD LIGHTS TO AVOID BEING HIT BY THE CAR BEHIND ME WHEN ACCELERATING AFTER STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN OR RED LIGHT. THIS IS NOT SAFE. I HAVE SMALL CHILDREN. I DROVE 40+ MILES (CITY MILES) AND HAD NO ISSUES GETTING THERE, BUT THEN WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE CAR ON AGAIN TO RETURN HOME, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHOWED THE ENGINE GO FROM COLD TO HOT VERY QUICKLY, DISPLAYED THE MESSAGE "ENGINE HOT A/C OFF" AND IT STARTED MAKING A LOUD SQUEALING NOISE. AT THIS POINT I SWERVED THE CAR OFF THE ROAD BECAUSE MY DAUGHTER AND I FEARED FOR OUR SAFETY AND THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO EXPLODE. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK, WE BOTH OPENED OUR DOORS AND TOOK OFF RUNNING FROM THE CAR UNTIL WE REACHED A SAFE DISTANCE. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED 40+ MILES TO MY HOME. THE MECHANIC CHECKED THE VEHICLE AGAIN AND FOUND THAT THE RADIATOR HAD CRACKED AND THAT THE WATER PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HE REPLACED THE RADIATOR AND ALSO THE WATER PUMP, AND ENSURED THE PROPER AMOUNTS OF ALL FLUIDS. ALSO, WHENEVER I ATTEMPT TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY, THE FRONT END OF THE CAR GETS VERY HOT AND THE "TRANSMISSION HOT IDLE ENGINE" MESSAGE COMES ON AND THE AC, WHICH WAS WORKING FINE, DOES NOT WORK NOW. STILL, THE MECHANIC COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION! THE HEAT FROM THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION COME STRAIGHT THROUGH THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH WITH NO AC GETS SUPER HOT IN ADDITION TO THE 80+ DEGREE WEATHER IN CENTRAL FLORIDA (AND IT'S NOT EVEN SUMMER YET!). EVERY TIME I HAVE TO HAVE TRIED TO REFUEL THE CAR WITHIN THE PAST 2 WEEKS OF ME HAVING PURCHASED IT, THE ENGINE STALLS AND STALLS AND STALLS. IT TAKES 10-15 TRIES TO TURN THE CAR BACK ON EVERY TIME I REFUEL. IN ADDITION TO THIS, ONCE YOU ACTUALLY GET THE CAR BACK ON THE CAR JERKS WHEN PUT IN DRIVE. I HAVE TO KEEP MY FOOT ON THE GAS OR THE CAR WILL SHUT BACK OFF.