2009 Chevrolet Impala

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR INTO A SERIES OF TURNS AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MILE PER HOUR WHEN IT SEEMED I LOST ENGINE POWER RAPIDLY AND THE CAR DECREASED SPEED TO APPROXIMATELY 20 MILE PER HOUR I COULD NOT ACCELERATE. I COULD BARELY STEER AND BRAKING WAS REALLY DIFFICULT. I MANAGED TO GET THE CAR OFF OF THE ROAD WHERE IT SET FOR APPROXIMATELY A MINUTE OR TWO BEFORE IT WOULD RESTART. I CONTACTED GM AND MY DEALERSHIP AND DID NOT GET A SATISFACTORY ANSWER EITHER PLACE. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT MY RECALL LETTER DESCRIBES YET I WAS TOLD THAT MY ISSUES WERE NOT DUE TO THE RECALL. I AM GREATLY DISAPPOINTED TO BE PAYING FOR A VEHICLE THAT IS NOT SAFE FOR ME TO DRIVE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 62 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A DITCH AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A SEAT BELT INJURY THAT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. IN ADDITION, THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER SUSTAINED SORENESS IN THE SHOULDER AND A HEAD INJURY THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A IMPOUND LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V355000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000.

REFERENCE# [XXX]. AS I APPROACHED THE INTERSECTION, ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS TURNING ONTO THE STREET I WAS ON. I MOVED OVER TO MAKE ROOM, AS I MOVED OVER I HAD TO CROSS OVER A CLUMP OF SNOW AND ICE THAT HAD RE FROZE MAKING A ROUGH AND BUMPY TRANSITION. I WAS ABOUT 20 FEET FROM THE STOP SIGN. I PLACED MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHICH WAS HARD AND UNRESPONSIVE. THE STEERING WAS HARD AND UNRESPONSIVE AS WELL. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 3-5 MPH AT THE TIME. WHEN I PLACED MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE IT WAS UNRESPONSIVE AND IT TOOK ME INTO THE INTERSECTION WHERE I WAS HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT. MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE TOTAL DAMAGE FOR MY VEHICLE WAS $ 5,615.93. WE WERE CONFUSED AND DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE BRAKES AND THE STEERING DID NOT FUNCTION AND WHY WITH THIS VIOLENT OF A CRASH THAT THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. AFTER READING THE RECALL NOTICE EXPLAINING THE IGNITION RECALL IT MADE SENSE THAT WHY THE FAILURE OCCURRED. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I TAKE A LEFT HAND TURN I HEAR CRACKING; BACKING UP I HEAR CRACKING; LIKE THE FRONT AXLE IS FALLING APART. THERE IS A CONTROL ARM RECALL BUT NOT ON MY CAR JUST POLICE CARS. THE ISSUE WITH MY CAR SOUNDS LIKE THE POLICE ISSUE CAR. I AM KINDA OF SCARED PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC SCARY, TWICE I HAVE HAD THE TRACTION CONTROL COME ON AND SAY IT NEEDS SERVICE; BUT WHEN YOU SHUT THE CAR OFF LIGHT DOESN'T COME BACK ON. IT DRIVES FUNNY AS WELL DO NOT FEEL SAFE ANYMORE. *TR

I HAD JUST TURNED ONTO THIS ROAD, HAD NOT EVEN GONE A MILE. NO SPEED, NO BLACK MARKS, CAR SHUT DOWN RAN OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A TREE STUMP. TOTAL THE CAR. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS BENT ALMOST IN HALF. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE CAR. I GOT THIS CAR NEW, SO ALL MILES WE'RE PUT ON IT BY ME. I BROKE MY HIP, BACK, KNEE, DISLOCATED MY ELBOW, CRUSHED MY ANKLE AND FOOT. HAD A HEAD INJURY, A DEFLATED LUNG. I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL FOR TWO MONTHS AND A NURSING HOME FOR A MONTH. I HAVE HAD 14 SURGERIES. STILL NOT ABLE TO WORK OR DO A LOT OF THINGS FOR MY SELF. WITH THE RECALLS SHOWING THE ISSUES OF THE ENGINE SHUTTING OFF, I NEED THIS LOOKED INTO. *TR

ONE DAY BEFORE I WAS TO TAKE A VACATION FROM MISSOURI TO TEXAS, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THE CODE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH A FUEL CANISTER, BUT IT SHOULDN'T POSE A PROBLEM. AS I WAS DRIVING 75 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY INSIDE THE TEXAS STATE LINE, AFTER 7 HOURS OF DRIVING, MOSTLY IN RAIN ALL DAY, THE CAR STARTED DOING A JERKING TYPE ACTION & THEN MY TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON, W/A WARNING MSG SAYING, "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL; ENGINE POWER REDUCED." GOING 75 MPH I LOST ALL CONTROL! NO LIGHTS, NO A/C (WHICH IS A SEPARATE, LOUD, CLICKING ISSUE I COULD ADDRESS), NO POWER STEERING, NO POWER BRAKES! I HAD ALL I COULD DO TO JUST POINT MY CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD & COAST TO A STOP, IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE W/OUT A SERVICE STATION IN SIGHT! I TRIED 3X TO RESTART THE VEHICLE TO NO AVAIL. AS I SAT THERE IN BEWILDERMENT & FRIGHT OF WHAT JUST HAPPENED, I CONTEMPLATED WHAT TO DO. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES, I DECIDED TO TRY & START IT 1 MORE TIME. THIS TIME, IT STARTED UP. HOWEVER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT & THE SERVICE AIRBAG LIGHT (AGAIN, ANOTHER ISSUE I'VE HAD WITH THE VEHICLE SINCE THE DAY I PURCHASED IT) WERE STILL LIT UP BUT THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT & THE WARNING MESSAGES HAD GONE OFF. I CONTINUED TO MY DESTINATION & THE FOLLOWING DAY (SATURDAY) I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL GM DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY PROCEEDED TO DO A DIAGNOSTIC TEST &, OF COURSE, "COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM," THEREFORE THEY COULD NOT "FIND ANYTHING WRONG." THEY GLADLY DEPLETED MY VACATION EXPENSES OF $100 & SENT ME ON MY WAY WITH A REASSURANCE THAT "IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN WHILE YOU'RE HERE, COME BACK BY & WE WILL TEST IT AGAIN BUT WE WON'T CHARGE YOU FOR IT." HOW NICE OF THEM. :{ GM SEEMS TO ENJOY DOING THAT. AND THE NHTSA DOESN'T SEEM TO WANT TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO INVESTIGATE THIS PREVALENT PROBLEM W/THESE CARS. IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS, I'LL SUE THE PANTS OFF OF THEM. *TR

MY CAR WOULD SHIMMY AS IF THE TIE ROD WAS GOING BAD, AND THE TIRE IN QUESTION WOULD BE FLAT NEARLY EVERY MORNING. AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS I MADE IT TO HARTINGTON, NE TO THE NEAREST CHEVROLET DEALER. UPON INSPECTION THEY TOLD ME THAT I WAS VERY LUCKY TO HAVE MADE IT THERE BECAUSE THE BELTS SEPARATED ON THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE WHERE I WOULD HAVE NEVER SEEN WHAT WAS HAPPENING. BOTH FRONT TIRES WERE REPLACED AT GREAT EXPENSE. I NOW HAVE HANKOOK TIRES AND WILL NEVER AGAIN BUY GOODYEAR TIRES AFTER THIS INCIDENT. *TR