Single complaint sparks NHTSA investigating into 60k 2014 Chevrolet Impalas

Driver says anti-collision brake system activated without need

The NHTSA isn’t taking any chances with GM and investigations into issues with the company’s cars after the fiasco that is the ignition investigation. The NYT reports that a single complaint has sparked an investigation into 2014 Chevy Impala sedans. The complaint came from an unknown owner who says that the forward collision warning system on the car malfunctioned.

That system is designed to look for other cars or pedestrians in the road ahead and bring the car to a stop if the driver doesn’t react. According to the complaint, the system activated and brought the car to a stop when there was no danger of a collision. The owner says that after the car stopped, it began functioning normally again.

The next day, the same thing happened. The complaint says that the chime sounded three times and the car came to a rapid stop with no collision imminent. In that second incident, the driver says that another car crashed into the back of the Impala.

No injuries were reported in the accident. Presumably, Chevrolet has sold about 60,000 cars that could potentially be affected. The 2014 Impala hit the market in early 2013 and is an important car for Chevy. This car sought to break the Impala out of the rental fleet and get more consumers to purchase.

GM says that this system reacts, “if the driver does not appear to react quickly enough or doesn’t react at all, this feature intervenes to apply the brakes in an effort to avoid the crash.