NHTSA Complaint #10043374 — 2000 CHEVROLET S10

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A USED 2000 CHEVY S-10 WITH 48,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE IS EXTRA CLEAN AND THERE WERE NO APPARENT PROBLEMS. I HAD TO MAKE A TRIP FROM ATLANTA, GA TO CHICAGO, IL. COMING BACK ON THE INTERSTATE (TRAVELING 75-80 MILES AN HOUR), THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE TRUCK DOWNSHIFTED FROM OVERDRIVE INTO THIRD. I WAS NEARLY REAR ENDED BY TWO 18-WHEELERS WHILE I TRIED TO SLOW THE VEHICLE SO THAT THE RPM'S WERE NOT IN THE CRITICAL ZONE. I STOPPED AT THE FIRST AUTO REPAIR SHOP I COULD FIND, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REBUILT. APPARENTLY, THE BANDS WERE SLIPPING AND CAUSED THE FLUID TO OVERHEAT AND TURN EXTREMELY DARK. THE TRUCK NOW HAS 58,000 MILES, AND NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. THIS IS THE THIRD GM CAR THAT I HAVE HAD THAT I HAVE HAD TO HAVE MAJOR TRANSMISSION WORK DONE. THE LAST ONE WAS A BUICK AND HAD LESS THAN 60,000 MILES ON IT. *LA