NHTSA Complaint #10100920 — 2000 CHEVROLET BLAZER

WE PURCHASED OUR BLAZER NEW. AT 23,000 MILES WE HEARD A CLUNK NOISE IN THE TRANSMISSION WHEN WE PUT IT IN REVERSE, BUT THE VEHICLE APPEARED TO BE FINE. SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY I TOOK THE BLAZER TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD THEM LOOK TO ENSURE THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS. THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING AND SAID IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, IF SOMETHING WERE TO CRACKED AND BREAK IT WOULD STILL BE COVERED. THE TRANSMISSION BROKE AT 55000 MILES, 2ND, 4TH & REVERSE DIDN'T WORK. THE DEALERSHIP WASN'T INTERESTED IN FIXING IT UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE IT WAS BEYOND THE 3/36 WARRANTY COVERAGE. I SPOKE WITH SEVERAL LOCAL INDEPENDENT GARAGES GETTING ESTIMATES AND EVERYONE SAID CHEVROLET HAS HAD ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS DUE TO A BROKEN INTERNAL GEAR. I PAID $2,000 TO GET IT FIXED. SINCE DOING SO I'VE TALKED TO COUNTLESS BLAZER OWNERS AND THE MAJORITY HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. ONE OTHER PROBLEM WE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED WAS THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL BEARING GOING BAD. MY INVESTIAGTIONS HAVE CONCLUDED THAT IS ANOTHER KNOWN DEFECT GM HAS AND ARE UNWILLING TO FIX. IS THERE SOMEONE AT GM WHO IS WILLING TO ASSIST IN COMPENSATION FOR MY COSTLY TRANSMISSION FIX? EVERYONE I'VE CONTACTED ARE NOT INTERESTED IN HELPING THE CONSUMER WITH A PROBLEM THAT HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING AND LEFT MY WIFE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. WORKING IN THE AUTOMITIVE INDUSTRY AND A SUPPLIER TO BOTH GM AND FORD, I UNDERSTAND THE LIABILITY AUTOMAKERS HAVE IN ADDRESSING KNOWN PROBLEMS, ESPECIALLY PROBLEMS LIKE THIS THAT COULD HAPPEN WITHOUT WARNING AND RESULT IN DEATH. I ENCOURAGE ASSISTANCE ON THIS MATTER FROM GM OR NHTSA. *AK