Jul 22, 2015, 12:18 PM
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VERY dangerous reduced engine power issue!!
CF Beginner
Joined: Jul 2015
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Well, the Dealership replaced the ECM as well as the wiring harness at the tune of $1075.00. Car has worked great since Friday when I picked it up. I have driven about 200 miles so far.
But..... Just tried starting it up in downtown Seattle about 10 minutes ago, and nothing works again. Fuggin vehicle!!!
But..... Just tried starting it up in downtown Seattle about 10 minutes ago, and nothing works again. Fuggin vehicle!!!
Wonderful! Looks like I am just in the beginning stages of this mess. Thanks for your update, I appreciate it.
Do you know if it was because they continued to fix the wrong parts until they replaced them all , or was it the fact that all the different parts began to fail, and each needed to be replaced at different times? I'm worried this is a guess and check style of fixing the problem. Do you know if they originally had fixed the wiring harness in the beginning would you have had to replace all the other parts that you mention?
Do you know if it was because they continued to fix the wrong parts until they replaced them all , or was it the fact that all the different parts began to fail, and each needed to be replaced at different times? I'm worried this is a guess and check style of fixing the problem. Do you know if they originally had fixed the wiring harness in the beginning would you have had to replace all the other parts that you mention?
Thread Starter
CF Beginner
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 23
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@sudsy
Sorry to hear this is still happening after all of the parts you had replaced.
On my car, my understanding is that they "rebuilt" the wiring harness, not replaced, which leads me to believe that the wiring harness is the faulty part, but I am very, very far from being an expert. Really, all I know is that I have not had the problem since that part was fixed. The dealer who fixed it drove my car over 100 miles before giving it back to me to ensure that the repair fixed the problem. Even though it has not happened to me in several months, I barely drive my car and I avoid ever getting on the highway. We plan to sell it or trade it in in the next month or so.
On my car, my understanding is that they "rebuilt" the wiring harness, not replaced, which leads me to believe that the wiring harness is the faulty part, but I am very, very far from being an expert. Really, all I know is that I have not had the problem since that part was fixed. The dealer who fixed it drove my car over 100 miles before giving it back to me to ensure that the repair fixed the problem. Even though it has not happened to me in several months, I barely drive my car and I avoid ever getting on the highway. We plan to sell it or trade it in in the next month or so.
CF Beginner
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
What a pain. Sorry for your troubles as well. I appreciate you updating your experience, and sharing your info with me.
Sorry to hear this is still happening after all of the parts you had replaced.
On my car, my understanding is that they "rebuilt" the wiring harness, not replaced, which leads me to believe that the wiring harness is the faulty part, but I am very, very far from being an expert. Really, all I know is that I have not had the problem since that part was fixed. The dealer who fixed it drove my car over 100 miles before giving it back to me to ensure that the repair fixed the problem. Even though it has not happened to me in several months, I barely drive my car and I avoid ever getting on the highway. We plan to sell it or trade it in in the next month or so.
On my car, my understanding is that they "rebuilt" the wiring harness, not replaced, which leads me to believe that the wiring harness is the faulty part, but I am very, very far from being an expert. Really, all I know is that I have not had the problem since that part was fixed. The dealer who fixed it drove my car over 100 miles before giving it back to me to ensure that the repair fixed the problem. Even though it has not happened to me in several months, I barely drive my car and I avoid ever getting on the highway. We plan to sell it or trade it in in the next month or so.
CF Beginner
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
reduced engine power(24740)
I sent a private message to Chevy Customer Care as Jessica requested. I will update this forum when I can. I spoke with Chevy before and they said they would not do anything to help me because I did not by it from a Chevy authorized dealer. We will see. Meanwhile, I have to figure out how I am getting to work on Monday and what to do with my "lemon."
CF Beginner
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
2008 Chevy HHR, 2nd round "engine power reduced"
I bought this HHR four years ago (May 2011), and after only a month, it developed the "engine power reduced" problem. It progressed to the point that it quit running. The Chevy dealership took care of the problem. They did three things, and it was finally fixed after #3: 1) replaced throttle position sensor; 2) replaced ECM; and 3) replaced entire engine wiring harness. This is a low mileage car; I bought it at 42,000 and it now has 70,000.
It stayed "fixed" 3 1/2 years, and started the whole thing again in April 2015. It finally went from "engine power reduced" to "engine disabled." I took it to a mechanic who wasn't able to fix it. I can't afford to take it to Chevrolet. So I have a pretty but useless car sitting in my driveway.
I've been emailing the local Chevy dealership, but they don't seem to think it's their problem. Is there any class action suit concerning this particular problem? I've found other suits, but not this.
It stayed "fixed" 3 1/2 years, and started the whole thing again in April 2015. It finally went from "engine power reduced" to "engine disabled." I took it to a mechanic who wasn't able to fix it. I can't afford to take it to Chevrolet. So I have a pretty but useless car sitting in my driveway.
I've been emailing the local Chevy dealership, but they don't seem to think it's their problem. Is there any class action suit concerning this particular problem? I've found other suits, but not this.
CF Beginner
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Feature or bug?
Hey, this exact thing happened to me! One second I'm with traffic at 70mph in the second of five lanes, the next I'm at 16mph with the gas pedal floored and several big trucks behind me, swerving around me as they couldn't stop fast enough. I actually couldn't accelerate at all and ended up stopped before an interchange with traffic going past on both sides. Turned car off and on and when I could finally crawl ("Frogger") over the 3 lanes to the shoulder, cars and trucks were passing me on the shoulder, too. Honestly feared for the lives of myself and my brother who I'd just picked up from the airport to visit Grandma...
This was a Spark, a rental.. What an etremely unsafe "feature" to save a car's economical properties at the risk of the lives of the people inside!! Never buying or renting such a car again.
This was a Spark, a rental.. What an etremely unsafe "feature" to save a car's economical properties at the risk of the lives of the people inside!! Never buying or renting such a car again.
greenfield3
greenfield3
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Best This has happened to me 4 times in the past two weeks, and I am honestly lucky to be alive. I have a 2011 Chevy Malibu with 58,000 miles on it. My husband and I just moved from Dallas to Atlanta, so I have had to make several trips back and forth to handle things with our home in Dallas. The first time this happened, I was about 70 miles outside of Atlanta going 70 MPH on the highway surrounded by 18 wheelers. Suddenly my traction light and service engine light came on and the reduced power notification came on, the car slowed to about 10 miles an hour very suddenly and the car was shaking violently. The 18 wheeler behind me could not stop fast enough and the only reason I was not hit was because I was able to veer onto the shoulder. Terrified, I sat on the side of the road for several minutes after turning the car off. I started it again and it began driving normally, but the service engine light stayed on. Since I was pretty much in the middle of nowhere and it was extremely dark, I got back on the road again to get home. I made it to Atlanta, but the same thing happened again when I was entering the city on the loop. I basically coasted home. We took it to Goodyear the next day because that was the closest place. They told us it was the gas pedal sensor and charged us $265 to replace it. The car seemed to work normally until a week later I was back in Texas when the exact same thing occurred when I was going 60 MPH on the highway. Luckily, I was close enough to yet another Goodyear to coast in. They told me there was a frayed wire on the throttle body pigtail and they replaced that for $113.40. Again, the car seemed to work normally for a few days until I was again on the highway, this time in Jackson, MS and the same situation happened again. I was able to coast into a Chevy dealership this time. Here they told me that the problem was the Engine Control Module and they replaced it free of charge saying it was under warranty. Since I spent all day there, I was now faced with driving to Atlanta in the dark, not trusting that this would not happen again. Thank God I stopped in Birmingham and got a hotel room, because the whole thing happened yet again. I got it towed to a Chevy dealership the next morning, and because it was now Christmas Eve, no one would even look at it since they all wanted to go home at noon. So that I would not have to spend Christmas alone in a hotel room, I rented a car to get to Atlanta. It is now the day after Christmas, and the Chevy dealership just called to tell me it is an internal failure of the throttle body, and it will cost $550 to fix it. So, I am faced with driving 3 hours back to Birmingham, paying all that money, only to risk my life driving it 3 hours back to Atlanta, hoping this won't happen again. Oh, and if you are wondering why I didn't trade it in somewhere in this whole process, it is because I currently owe more than the trade in value. Sorry for the long post, but I feel helpless and hopeless at the moment, not to mention I am broke now. I hope I make it back to Atlanta in one piece. Thanks, Chevy, and Merry Christmas!
greenfield3
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Best This has happened to me 4 times in the past two weeks, and I am honestly lucky to be alive. I have a 2011 Chevy Malibu with 58,000 miles on it. My husband and I just moved from Dallas to Atlanta, so I have had to make several trips back and forth to handle things with our home in Dallas. The first time this happened, I was about 70 miles outside of Atlanta going 70 MPH on the highway surrounded by 18 wheelers. Suddenly my traction light and service engine light came on and the reduced power notification came on, the car slowed to about 10 miles an hour very suddenly and the car was shaking violently. The 18 wheeler behind me could not stop fast enough and the only reason I was not hit was because I was able to veer onto the shoulder. Terrified, I sat on the side of the road for several minutes after turning the car off. I started it again and it began driving normally, but the service engine light stayed on. Since I was pretty much in the middle of nowhere and it was extremely dark, I got back on the road again to get home. I made it to Atlanta, but the same thing happened again when I was entering the city on the loop. I basically coasted home. We took it to Goodyear the next day because that was the closest place. They told us it was the gas pedal sensor and charged us $265 to replace it. The car seemed to work normally until a week later I was back in Texas when the exact same thing occurred when I was going 60 MPH on the highway. Luckily, I was close enough to yet another Goodyear to coast in. They told me there was a frayed wire on the throttle body pigtail and they replaced that for $113.40. Again, the car seemed to work normally for a few days until I was again on the highway, this time in Jackson, MS and the same situation happened again. I was able to coast into a Chevy dealership this time. Here they told me that the problem was the Engine Control Module and they replaced it free of charge saying it was under warranty. Since I spent all day there, I was now faced with driving to Atlanta in the dark, not trusting that this would not happen again. Thank God I stopped in Birmingham and got a hotel room, because the whole thing happened yet again. I got it towed to a Chevy dealership the next morning, and because it was now Christmas Eve, no one would even look at it since they all wanted to go home at noon. So that I would not have to spend Christmas alone in a hotel room, I rented a car to get to Atlanta. It is now the day after Christmas, and the Chevy dealership just called to tell me it is an internal failure of the throttle body, and it will cost $550 to fix it. So, I am faced with driving 3 hours back to Birmingham, paying all that money, only to risk my life driving it 3 hours back to Atlanta, hoping this won't happen again. Oh, and if you are wondering why I didn't trade it in somewhere in this whole process, it is because I currently owe more than the trade in value. Sorry for the long post, but I feel helpless and hopeless at the moment, not to mention I am broke now. I hope I make it back to Atlanta in one piece. Thanks, Chevy, and Merry Christmas!
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Joined: Sep 2015
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Also getting loss of power 2011 Malibu
I have a 2011 Malibu which I purchased new. Last week I was driving and the car suddenly reduced power-could not go over 10 miles per hour. Limped home, then drove it the next day and had the same thing happened. Had it towed to the dealer Tom Gill and had to pay 800.00 to fix. It is obviously a car defect. Got it back 4 days ago and the same thing happened today as I pulled out of my driveway. This car is dangerous. I won't ever feel safe driving it again. Thankfully I was not on the highway when it happened. No more GM cars for me.
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Joined: Sep 2015
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2015 Traverse quits when started
Our 2015 Traverse quit when started last night. Did that three times. It would start but run real rough for a few seconds. The fourth time, I nursed it with the throttle (like the '46 chev pickup I learned to drive in, with manual choke) and got it to run. Since it was getting dark, we took a different car and today when I started it, it was fine.
Had it's first oil change 3 days ago at the selling dealer. My son has an Acadia and he warned be to make sure they cleaned the mess up from changing the filter. The filter is big and holds a lot of oil and for some reason, it is mounted on the side of the block so a big mess can happen when it's changed. My son said the first time his wife came home from Grease Monkey, the next morning there was a big puddle under their Acadia but it was from the mess made in changing the filter.
I looked at our Traverse and they either have a means to change the filter without making a mess or they pressure washed the engine compartment. If it was the latter, could water in some wiring connection have caused the stalling problem? Why three days later. I'm a little hestitant to take it in with no symptoms or check engine lights as they would probably charge me. On the other hand, it would be dangerous to have the thing stall on the freeway.
Anyone else have this problem?
Had it's first oil change 3 days ago at the selling dealer. My son has an Acadia and he warned be to make sure they cleaned the mess up from changing the filter. The filter is big and holds a lot of oil and for some reason, it is mounted on the side of the block so a big mess can happen when it's changed. My son said the first time his wife came home from Grease Monkey, the next morning there was a big puddle under their Acadia but it was from the mess made in changing the filter.
I looked at our Traverse and they either have a means to change the filter without making a mess or they pressure washed the engine compartment. If it was the latter, could water in some wiring connection have caused the stalling problem? Why three days later. I'm a little hestitant to take it in with no symptoms or check engine lights as they would probably charge me. On the other hand, it would be dangerous to have the thing stall on the freeway.
Anyone else have this problem?