NHTSA Complaint #11221681 — 2019 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

TRAVELING SOUTH ON 81 IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE, A TRIPLE LANE HIGHWAY. WITH HEAVY MORNING WORK TRAFFIC GOING 70 MPH WITH AN 18-WHEELER PUSHING OUR VEHICLE & A CAR PASSING US ON THE LEFT, OUR 2019 EQUINOX DROPPED TO 40 MPH AND A POWER REDUCTION MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE DASH. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AT THE SAME TIME THE SPEED DROPPED DOWN 30 MPH. IT WAS BY THE GRACE OF GOD THAT THE 18-WHEELER MISSED OUR VEHICLE AND WE WERE ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. MY HUSBAND PUT THE ENGINE IN PARK AND REVVED THE ENGINE CHECKING TO SEE IF THE VEHICLE WOULD TAKE FUEL. THE POWER REDUCTION LIGHT CLEARED OFF THE SCREEN, BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON. WE SLOWLY TRAVELED TO A GAS/COMFORT AREA (IN WOODSTOCK, VA) AND READ OUR VEHICLE HANDBOOK FOR POSSIBLE REASONS OF POWER REDUCTION---THERE WERE QUITE A FEW, BUT NONE THAT WE COULD RELATE TO. WE STAYED OVER NIGHT AT A MOTEL AND MONDAY (6/3/19) TOOK OUR VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP. AFTER BEING TOLD THEY COULDN'T WORK ON OUR VEHICLE UNTIL THURSDAY, WE HAD TO CONTINUE OUR TRIP IN A RENTAL UNIT. WE WERE CONTACTED BY THE DEALERSHIP ON THURSDAY (6/6/19) THAT OUR VEHICLE WAS READY FOR PICKUP. THE UNIT THREW NO CODES, BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID GO OUT AFTER THEIR DIAGNOSTIC CHECK. WE ARRANGED TO PICK UP OUR VEHICLE FRIDAY MORNING AND DROVE IT HOME WITH MUCH TREPIDATION. THE UNIT WAS TAKEN TO OUR LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP, WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED AND THEY HAVE BEEN DRIVING IT TO MAKE THE SAME MECHANICAL DEFECT OCCUR; BUT TO NO AVAIL. TO FACE DEATH ONCE AND SURVIVE, DOES NOT MAKE ONE COMFORTABLE TO DRIVE THE SAME VEHICLE. HAD WE DIED AFTER BEING HIT BY THE 18-WHEELER, THE FAULT WOULD HAVE GONE TO DRIVER'S ERROR AS ONE READS IN MANY ACCIDENTS IN THE NEWS.