2013 Chevrolet Cruze

THE LAST FEW DAYS I HAVE BEEN GETTING MESSAGES ON MY DASH WITH ERRORS SUCH AS 'SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL/SERVICE STABILITRAK'. TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A DIAGNOSIS CHECK AND WAS TOLD NOTHING SHOWED UP. HOWEVER, THIS MORNING WHILE ON MY COMMUTE TO WORK, I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR DECELERATED AND I GOT THE MESSAGE 'ENGINE POWER HAS BEEN REDUCED/SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL/SERVICE STABILITRAK' AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. BECAUSE OF THIS, I WAS FORCED TO PULL ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD WHILE ALMOST BEING HIT BY OTHER VEHICLES. THIS WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND SCARY FOR ME BECAUSE I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED AND IT COULD HAVE COST ME MY LIFE, AS WELL AS OTHERS.

I WAS SITTING IN MY VEHICLE WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING AND THE AIR CONDITIONER ON, SINCE IT IS AUGUST AND VERY HOT IN LAS VEGAS. I HAD BEEN IN MY VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES ABOUT TO LEAVE WHEN MY AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED BLOWING COLD AIR. I SMELT AN ELECTRICAL SMELL IN COMING THROUGH THE VENTS. THEN MY CAR SHUT OFF AND SMOKE BEGAN POURING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. I QUICKLY EXITED MY VEHICLE AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. WITHIN A COUPLE MINUTES, THE ENTIRE FRONT OF MY VEHICLE WAS IN ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I HAVE NOT DONE ANY MECHANICAL MAINTENANCE OR WORK TO MY VEHICLE RECENTLY. I HAD MY OIL CHANGED APPROXIMATELY 1000 MILES AGO. I HAD NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE UNTIL IT CAUGHT ON FIRE SPONTANEOUSLY AND RANDOMLY WITHOUT WARNING.

VIHICLE WAS ON FREEWAY AND HEATED UP SO BAD QUICKLY AND HAD TO PULL OVER. . LOOSES COOLANT CONSTANTLY. PART NEEDS TO BE CHANGED EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS. IT IS HARD TO GET THE PART IN MY AREA AND NEIGHBOR CITIES BECAUSE IT HAPPENS TO A LOT TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE WITH THE SAME CAR. I AM CONSTANTLY FIXING LINES AND REPLACING COOLANT EVERY WEEK.

A FEW WEEKS AGO, I EXPERIENCED AN ALERT REGARDING MY ENGINE OVERHEATING (AC OFF DUE TO ENGINE OVER HEAT, ENGINE OVERHEAT IDLE ENGINE). I TURNED MY CAR OFF AND ALLOWED IT TO COOL DOWN BEFORE CONTINUING MY TRAVELS HOME. ONCE I REACHED MY HOME, I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT AT GRAND PRIZE CHEVROLET IN NANUET, NY FOR THURSDAY, JUNE 27. THE MECHANICS AT THIS DEALERSHIP FOUND THAT MY WATER PUMP AND HOSES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS A $1600 JOB, AND I PAID TO HAVE THIS WORK DONE, I WAS NOT ABLE TO PICK MY CAR UP FROM THE DEALER UNTIL JUNE 29. ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER ON FRIDAY, JULY 12, I RECEIVED THE ENGINE OVERHEATING ALERT ONCE AGAIN. I PROMPTLY CALLED GRAND PRIZE AGAIN, AND SCHEDULED THE EARLIEST APPOINTMENT I COULD. I WAS NOT ABLE TO BRING MY CAR IN TO BE LOOKED AT UNTIL TUESDAY, JULY 16. AGAIN, THE MECHANICS AT THIS DEALERSHIP FOUND A DIFFERENT PROBLEM WITH MY CAR. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE COOLANT TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE RADIATOR CAP. I HAD BOTH OF THESE ITEMS REPLACED AT NO COST. I ASKED THEM TO TEST THE ENGINE ONCE AGAIN TO BE SURE THAT THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN RESOLVED. UPON CHECKING THE ENGINE, THEY FOUND THAT MY ENGINE WAS DAMAGED AND I WOULD EITHER NEED A NEW ENGINE HEAD OR A COMPLETELY NEW ENGINE. I WAS INFORMED THAT A NEW ENGINE HEAD WOULD COST ABOUT $4200 AND A NEW ENGINE WOULD COST ABOUT $8000.

THE CAR SAID OVERHEAT-AC OFF CODE- CAR WAS VERY LOW ON COOLANT- TOOK TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN AND NOT TO DRIIVE THE CAR- I ASK ABOUT SERVICE BULLETIN- BUT WAS TOLD THIS DID NOT APPLY. I HAD PROBLEM WITH OVERHEATING 18 MONTHS AGO- REPLACED, THERMOSTAT, CANISTER, ETC AS MY EXPENSE.I ASK IF THIS WAS RELATED AND WAS TOLD NO. I RESEARCHED PROBLEMS AND FOUND MANY ABOUT ENGINE AND COOLING PROBLEMS. THE DEALER HAS MADE NO EFFORT TO HELP RESOLVE THE ISSUE. I TRIED TO HAVE CAR TRANSFERRED TO A DIFFERENT BRANCH OF DEALERSHIP TO HAVE PROBLEM EVALUATED- I WAS INFORMED BY SALESMAN THAT THE DEALER REFUSED TO TRANSFER THE CAR TO HAVE IT CHECKED. HIS SEEMS VERY ODD. I CALLED GMC- CHEVROLET DIVISION BUT HAVE NOT GOTTEN A RESPONSE. THE DEALER WANTS ME TO TRADE IN CAR FOR A DIFFERENT ONE AND WILL OFFER ME $300-$600. WHICH IS RIDICULOUS. AFTER I TRADE IN THE CAR-NO ONE CAN CHECK IT- THE CAR STILL RUNS BUT I AM AFRAID TO GET STUCK.