NHTSA Complaint #10045913 — 2000 CHEVROLET BLAZER

6/12/03, 2000 BLAZER 4X4 TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY LOST ABILITY TO OBTAIN ALL GEARS. AFTER PARKING, THE VEHICLE LOST ABILITY TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE AS WELL. NOISE TRANSMITTED FROM TRANSMISSION CONTAINED METALLIC MATERIAL GRINDING AND MOVING WITHIN. AT THE TIME, THE VEHICLE WAS STILL LESS THAN 3 YEARS OLD WITH THE MAJORITY OF ITS USE COMING FROM WORK TRANSPORTATION. THE CHEVY DEALER WOULD NOT QUOTE WITHOUT DISASSEMBLING THE TRANSMISSION, WHICH WOULD BE THE MAJORITY OF THE LABOR INVOLVED IN A FULL REPAIR. THEY STATED THAT THEY GENERALLY PREFER TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, $3200. A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE WITHIN 10 MINUTES. THE OWNER HAS SEEN THIS ISSUE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND LITERALLY DESCRIBED THE SYMPTOMS AS SOON AS I TOLD HIM I HAD A BLAZER WITH TRANSMISSION ISSUES. THE COMPLETE REBUILD, DUE TO A SUN-SHELL GEAR FAILURE, COST $2097.78. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE NON-ROBUST JOINING OF TWO CYLINDERS (NO FILLET) AS WELL AS THE THICKNESS AND MATERIAL USED ALLOWS THE PART TO FAIL QUITE FREQUENTLY. HE HAD COMPLETED MULTIPLE JOBS FOR THIS AT HIS SHOP ALONE. IN FACT, AN ACQUAINTANCE OF MINE, HAD THE IDENTICAL SITUATION HAPPEN WITH HIS BLAZER THE WEEK OF 10/26/03. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT I HAD CALLED THE CHEVY CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE WITH NO HELP COMING FROM THEM. THIS HAS BEEN THE PINNACLE OF SEVERAL FAILURES ON THIS VEHICLE INCLUDING BOTH FRONT WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLIES (38,000MI AND 55,000MI), A POWER SEAT THAT QUIT WORKING, A POWER WINDOW THAT QUIT WORKING, AND SEVERAL PAINT ISSUES. REFERENCE CHEVY TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 010730038.*AK