NHTSA Complaint #11180992 — 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA

2/16/2019 (SAT 3:30PM) : SUDDENLY LOST POWER WHEN DRIVING AT 70 MPH ON HIGHWAY 99 NEAR FRESNO, CALIFORNIA. FELT LIKE NO GAS COMING IN. ENGINE WAS STILL ON, BUT GAS PEDAL SEEMED TO PUMP NO GAS TO THE ENGINE. PUMPING THE GAS PEDAL HAD NO ACCELERATION RESPONSE. SPEED CONTINUED TO DROP ON THE HIGHWAY, VERY DANGEROUS! FINALLY, LUCKILY PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT MISHAP. ENGINE WAS STILL ON WHEN STOPPING BY THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, KIND OF IDLING AT LOW RPM. SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND TRIED TO RESTART IT TO HOPE FOR THE PROBLEM TO GO AWAY. CRANKED A DOZEN TIMES AND COULD NOT TO GET ENGINE TO CONTINUE. FELT LIKE RUNNING OUT OF GAS. 2/17/2019 SUN: THE CAR WAS FINALLY TOWED TO A NEARBY DEALER. 2/18/2019 MON DEALER SERVICE DIAGNOSIS REPORTED BROKEN "FUEL FLOW CONTROL MODULE". THE ESTIMATE OF ITS REPAIR (PART + LABOR) IS NEAR $500 I HAVE ASKED THE REPLACED MODULE TO BE SAVED FOR INVESTIGATION. SUMMARY: SUDDEN FAILURE OF THE FUEL FLOW CONTROL MODULE THAT COMPLETELY CUTS OFF THE FUEL WITHOUT A FAIL-SAFE DESIGN, NOR A WARNING, FOR A PART NOT IN THE REGULAR MAINTENANCE LIST, PARTICULARLY AT LOW MILEAGE (42,000) EXPOSES DRIVERS TO HIGH RISK OF ACCIDENTS ON THE HIGHWAY. ACTION REQUESTED: IT MAY BE A QUALITY-ESCAPED ISSUE ON SUCH A MODULE. FAILSAFE DESIGN IS NEEDED FOR 21 CENTURY HIGHWAY SAFETY. I ASK NHTSA TO REQUEST GM TO INVESTIGATE THIS CASE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF SUCH SUDDEN FAILURE OF FUEL FLOW CONTROL MODULE ON A LOW-MILEAGE CAR.