NHTSA Complaint #737417 — 1997 CHEVROLET CAVALIER

I HAVE CALLED THIS MORNING (12/06/00) TO NHTSA, YOU SAID YOU WILL SEND ME A FORM TO FILL OUT. BUT THEN I GOT INTO THIS WEBSITE. SO I WOULD LIKE TO FILE AND DOCUMENT ASAP BECASUE I FEEL VERY UNSAFE WHILE DRIVING. I AM SURE MY VEHICLE HAS A DEFECT OR PROBLEM WHICH COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR INJURY OR DEATH TO MYSELF AND OTHERS. THE PROBLEM FIRST APPEARED IN EARLY JULY/00: SOON AFTER STARTING THE CAR, WARNING LIGHTS (OIL PRESSURE AND CHARGING SYSTEM) LIT UP AND THE CAR STALLED AND LOST POWER. POWER BRAKE WAS GONE, AND I WAS HEADING DOWN A STEEP SLOPE! LUCKILY I MANAGED TO STOP THE CAR WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I CAN RESTART THE CAR AND DRIVE ON. IT HAPPENED 2 TIMES MORE AND I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO CHECK. IT CANNOT REPEAT THE CONDITION, SO NOTHING WAS DONE. FOR THE NEXT SHORT WHILE NOTHING LIKE THAT HAPPENED, ALTHOUGH SEVERAL TIMES 2 OTHER WARNING LAMPS WILL LIT UP (ENHANCED TRACTION SYSTEM OFF AND MALFUNCTION INDICATOR). I CALLED THE DEALER TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT BUT THE LIGHTS WILL GO OFF, AND I CANCELLED THE APPOINTMENT... ON THE NIGHT OF 11/28/00, THE SAME DANGEROUS SITUATION OCCURRED AGAIN. SINCE THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE, I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WHO RAN A COMPUTER TEST ON MY CAR, AND FOUND TAHT FAULTY CODE #704 HAD OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY IN MY TRANSMISION SYSTEM. BUT AGAIN, THE MECHANIC CANNOT DUPLICATE THE CONDITION, SO CANNOT FIX ANYTHING. I CALLED GM'S CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AND THE DEALER TO SEE WHAT I CAN DO. THE ADVICE IS THAT THERE IS NO SIMILAR INCIDENTS REPORTED. AND I JUST HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE CONDITION TO HAPPEN AGAIN SOMEHOW. BUT THE DILEMMA IS THAT EVEN IF THE STALLING HAPPENS, THE CAR CAN RESTART, THEN THE CONDITION WILL NOT EXIST AND EVEN IF I BRING/TOW IT TO THE DEALER, THEY WON'T KNOW WHAT TO FIX!! SO I HAVE NO RECOURSE TO TAKE EXCEPT TO DRIVE THE CAR AROUND WITH THIS DANGER ON MY MIND ALL THE TIME! THERE MUST BE A BETTER WAY TO HAVE THE CAR FIXED OR THE MATTER RESOLVED, I WOULD THINK/HOPE? THANKYOU.