NHTSA Complaint #10080922 — 2000 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE

DURING "COLD" ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION, THE TRANSMISSION IN THE 3.8L V-6 ENGINE IN THE 2000 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE RUNS SO SMOOTHLY THAT IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FEEL OR HEAR THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT BETWEEN GEARS. HOWEVER, DURING "HOT" ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS SO ROUGHLY AND VIOLENTLY THAT IT IS STARTLING TO THE DRIVER AND IT SEEMS THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS FAILING. THE SHIFT IS VERY HARSH. IT BANGS, BUMPS, SHUDDERS, SLIPS, AND GRINDS ITS WAY UP AND DOWN THROUGH THE GEARS. IT IS NOT HEALTHY FOR THE TRANSMISSION OR THE REST OF THE ENGINE. I HAVE SEEN AND HEARD MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS HAPPENSTANCE AND WHOLEHEARTEDLY BELIEVE THAT IT IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MANUFACTURER TO RECALL AND REPAIR ANY AND ALL TRANSMISSIONS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THIS POSSIBLY LIFE THREATENING DESIGN FLAW AND MANUFACTURING FAILURE. (BECAUSE, IN MANY CASES, DRIVERS HAVE ACTUALLY HAD THEIR VEHICLE STOP DUE TO THE DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION.) A REMEDY HAS BEEN RELEASED...FIX THE PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID...WHICH IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. HOWEVER, THE CONSUMER IS BILLED FOR THIS REPAIR AND IT CAN COST ABOVE $400.00. A MANUFACTURER DEFECT SHOULD BE RECALLED, REPAIRED, AND PAID FOR BY THE MANUFACTURER. DON'T LET THE MANUFACTURER GET AWAY WITH CHARGING CONSUMERS TO FIX A FLAW AND DEFECT THAT MOST LIKELY OCCURRED IN THE FACTORY WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN PRODUCTION. MY VEHICLE WAS "CHECKED" TWICE BY SERVICE CENTER AT THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. I WAS TOLD "NOTHING IS WRONG WITH IT...THIS TRANSMISSION IS A SPORT TRANSMISSION...IT WAS BUILT TO SHIFT WITH A "PUNCH." HOWEVER SPORTY A VEHICLE OR TRANSMISSION, A DRIVER SHOULD NOT FEEL AS IF THE TRANSMISSION WILL FALL OUT AS IT SHIFTS.*NOTE* IN THE "VEHICLE INFORMATION" SECTION, YOU WILL NOTICE THAT I NOTED THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT 10 MPH AND AT 40,000 MILES. THE FAILURE OCCURS AT ANY SPEED. IT WAS OCCURRING WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR, SO I IMAGINE IT WAS OCCURRING BEFORE I PURCHASED THE CAR. *LA