2015 Chevrolet Spark

I WAS HEADING EAST ON I40 TOWARDS RALEIGH NC DRIVING THE SPEED LIMIT WHEN THE HOOD OF THE CAR CAME UP AND HIT THE WINDSHIELD. AT FIRST I DIDNT REALIZE WHAT IT WAS. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND THATS WHEN I SAW THAT IT WAS THE HOOD OF THE CAR. I SHUT THE HOOD AND CHECKED TO SEE IF IT WAS LATCHED. IT STAYED LATCHED SO I CONTINUED HOME. THERE WERE SMALL PIECES OF GLASS EVERYWHERE. IT HAPPENED ABOUT AN HOUR INTO MY DRIVE.

I WAS DRIVING A CHEVY SPARK 2015 TO MY LOCAL SUPERMARKET, LESS THAN 3 OR SO MILES FROM MY HOME. I WAS SEVERAL MILES UNDER THE 40 MPH SPEED LIMIT. I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE OF A TWO LANE ROAD. I COULD SEE STOPPED TRAFFIC QUITE A WAYS AHEAD OF ME ' ALSO IN THE RIGHT LANE. THERE WERE AT LEAST 6-7 CARS IN FRONT OF ME AND A TRUCK IN FRONT OF THE CARS. I COULD SEE THE CARS/TRUCK WERE STOPPED FOR THE STOPLIGHT BUT THEY WERE QUITE A WAYS AHEAD OF ME. THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE LEFT LANE SO I DECIDED TO MAKE A LANE CHANGE AS THERE WAS PLENTY OF ROOM AHEAD OF ME TO DO SO. THE NEXT THING I KNEW I LOST CONTROL OF MY CAR AND IT SEEMED TO ACCELERATE AND SLAMMED HARD INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE POLICE OFFICER CALLED TO THE SCENE SAID I COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MAKING A LANE CHANGE BECAUSE I HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I EXPLAINED TO HIM SEVERAL TIMES THAT I WAS DEFINITELY MAKING A LANE CHANGE BUT I COULD NOT EXPLAIN THE ACCIDENT OR HOW I HAD HIT A CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE POLICE OFFICER TOLD ME I MUST HAVE BEEN DISTRACTED. I TOLD THE OFFICER I WAS DEFINITELY NOT DISTRACTED AND WAS VERY AWARE OF MY SURROUNDINGS AND THE OTHER VEHICLES. THE OFFICER AGAIN TOLD ME I COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MAKING A LANE CHANGE SINCE I HIT THE CAR STRAIGHT ON. IT WAS ACTUALLY THE POLICE OFFICERS' ASSERTION THAT I COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MAKING A LANE CHANGE THAT LATER MADE ME LOOK ONLINE TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT CHEVY SPARKS. I DISCOVERED DRIVER COMPLAINTS ABOUT STEERING WHEEL LOCKUP AND ACCELERATION PROBLEMS. I WASN'T CERTAIN ABOUT ANYTHING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT EXCEPT THAT IT MADE NO SENSE GIVEN THE FACT THAT I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING A LANE CHANGE JUST BEFORE I HIT THE OTHER CAR. HOWEVER, I AM NOW CONVINCED THE ACCIDENT WAS THE RESULT OF SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF MY CONTROL AND I BELIEVE THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH BOTH THE ACCELERATOR A WELL AS THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKING UP.

I WAS A FRONT-SEAT PASSENGER IN THIS VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REAR-ENDED. THE DRIVER OF OUR VEHICLE HAD BRAKED BUT WAS STILL MOVING AT APPROX 25-30 MPH; THE CAR THAT HIT US WAS LIKELY GOING 55-60 MPH. THIS ACCIDENT HAPPENED AT APPROX. 4:25 PM ON APRIL 29, 2016 ALONG NORTHBOUND I-5, JUST PAST LACEY, WA. THE SKY AND AIR WERE CLEAR AND THE HIGHWAY SURFACE WAS DRY. THE WA STATE TROOPERS RESPONDED AND CITED THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER VEHICLE; OUR VEHICLE DID NOT HIT ANYTHING, AND OUR DRIVER WAS NOT CITED. I AM NOT AWARE OF THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE THAT HIT US OR TO ITS OCCUPANTS; A POLICE REPORT IS AVAILABLE. BOTH FRONT SEATS IN THIS 2015 CHEV SPARK FAILED OR BROKE UPON IMPACT. THE DRIVER SEAT BACK BROKE, AND CAME UP AND SLAPPED THE DRIVER HARD IN THE BACK. SHE SAID THE WIND WAS KNOCKED OUT OF HER AND SHE COULD NOT BREATHE. SHE HAS A BRUISE ON THE BACK OF HER HEAD WHERE THE HEADREST HIT HER, AND SHE HAS A CONCUSSION. SHE DID NOT IMPACT THE STEERING WHEEL. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. SHE MAINTAINED AN UPRIGHT POSITION AND MAINTAINED CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH HER SEAT HAD FAILED. MY SEAT (FRONT PASSENGER SEAT) BROKE AND SLAMMED FORWARD ON THE RUNNERS. I WAS SLAMMED INTO THE DASHBOARD, BRUISING MY CHEST AND MY LOWER FRONT LEGS, AND ALSO HAVE DEEP BRUISING FROM SEAT BELT IMPACT. THE METAL RUNNERS ON THE SEAT SLAMMED INTO THE BACK OF MY LEGS, LEAVING VERY LARGE AND PAINFUL HEMATOMA ON THE BACKS OF BOTH MY LOWER LEGS. THE SEAT BACK DROPPED AND I FELL BACKWARD.

TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON AFTER STARTING CAR WHICH THE WEATHER WASN'T A FACTOR AT ALL, DRY WARM DAY, BUT THE TRANSMISSION GEAR DID NOT. CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. TURNED CAR OFF AND RESTARTED, GOT GEAR NOTIFICATION BACK BUT THE TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T GO IN GEAR. CAR HAS 8,000 MILES ON IT. FINALLY CAR MOVED BUT WOULDN'T GO PAST 10 MPH. ONSTAR STATES 3 DIFFERENT CODES POPPED UP AND TO TAKE CAR IN WITHIN 7 DAYS. HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED BECAUSE THE CAR WOULDN'T GO INTO GEAR AT ALL. CALLED CHEVY CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY SAID THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY HAVE HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING AND THE OPEN RECALL IS FOR ROUGH SHIFTING WHICH I HAD AN APT SET UP FOR FEB. 22, 2016 TO GET THE OPEN RECALL FIXED. CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO BE DRIVEN AND WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. NOT FOR WHAT MY CAR IS DOING. AFTER CAR MOVED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FINALLY CAME ON BUT HAS A DIFFERENT CODE THAN THE PREVIOUS TWO CODES. ONSTAR SAID THAT CODE HAS TO DO WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND EMISSIONS. A NEW CAR SHOULDN'T HAVE THESE KIND OF ISSUES ESPECIALLY 6 MONTHS OF BUYING THE VEHICLE NEW. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING A CHEMICAL CAUSING THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS TO BECAME ILL. THE CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THE ILLNESS COULD BE CAUSED ETHANOL GLYCOL POISONING. *JS

THE CENTER CONSOLE SCREEN (INFOTAINMENT) IS VERY BRIGHT ON ITS LOWEST LIGHT LEVEL SETTING. NO WAY TO TURN OFF THE SCREEN OR DIM IT MORE THE WHERE THE FACTORY SETTING IS. TALKED WITH DEALER, ONSTAR CALL CENTER, AND CUSTOMER ACTIVIST AT CHEVROLET. THEY ALL SAY IT IS A FACTORY SETTING THAT CANNOT BE CHANGED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, BECAUSE AT ITS LOWEST SETTING I CAN NOT SEE IF THERE IS ANY WILDLIFE OF HUMANS ALONG THE EDGE OF THE RURAL ROAD AT NIGHT. IT IS LIKE DRIVING IN A CONDITION EQUIVALENT TO HAVING A CONSTANT ONCOMING HIGH BEAM LIGHT. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL FOR A PROGRAMMING UPDATE TO THE COMPUTER SO THERE IS A VIRTUAL DIMMER SWITCH THAT GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN TO OFF.

ON MAY 15, 2015, AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 15 FREEWAY MILES, I TOOK THE FREEWAY OFF RAMP. AFTER TRAVELING ABOUT 1/2 MILE, AFTER EXITING, THE "PROPULSION POWER IS REDUCED" WARNING LIGHT CAME ON FOLLOWED BY THE VEHICLE SLOWING DOWN ALTHOUGH I'M PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR FOR MORE POWER. AFTER STOPPING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE CAR MOVED VERY SLOWLY EVEN WHEN I'M FLOORING THE ACCELERATOR. I FINALLY MADE IT TO THE CHURCH PARKING LIGHT WITH THE VEHICLE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 5 MPH. THE CAR WAS TOWED BACK TO MY HOUSE, ABOUT 17 MILES AWAY. THE FAILURE COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS IF I WAS USING THE FREEWAY. THE "PROPULSION POWER IS REDUCED" WARNING LIGHT DID NOT COME ON THE FOLLOWING DAY WHEN THE POWER WAS TURNED ON. HOWEVER, THE "SERVICE THE VEHICLE SOON WARNING LIGHT " CAME ON THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE ON 5/26/15.