NHTSA Complaint #10137977 — 2002 CHEVROLET CHEVROLET

RE 2002 CHEVY TAHOE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS: UP UNTIL THE 34,000 MILE RANGE THE VEHICLE DID JUST THAT, RUN FLAWLESSLY. HOWEVER, AT 34,000 MILES (NOVEMBER OF 2004) THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND NEEDED TO ACCELERATE TO MERGE ONTO THE FREEWAY AND INSTANTLY THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO WHINE AND STOPPED OPERATING WHICH PLACED HER INTO THE PATH OF A LARGE TRUCK BEARING DOWN ON HER RATHER QUICKLY. THANKFULLY SHE WAS ABLE TO GLIDE OUT OF THE PATH OF THE TRUCK TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WE HAD THE TAHOE TOWED BACK TO OUR DEALERSHIP AND WE DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION "SUN SHELL" HAD FAILED AND WOULD BE REPLACED. OUR DEALER ASSURED US THAT THIS WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM, BECAUSE THE NEW PARTS WERE DESIGNED TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING IN THE FUTURE. OUR DEALER FURTHER STATED THAT THEY HAVE BEEN REPAIRING A LARGE NUMBER OF VEHICLES WITH THESE FAILURES. OUR TAHOE WENT OFF OF IT'S NEW CAR WARRANTY ON MILEAGE NOT NUMBER OF MONTHS SOMETIME IN APRIL OF 2005 (36 MONTHS WOULD HAVE ENDED THIS AUGUST). JUST THIS PAST MONDAY (SEPTEMBER 19, 2005) MY WIFE WAS AGAIN ON HER WAY TO WORK WHEN AGAIN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED IN OUR 2002 TAHOE. THE MILEAGE WAS APPROX: 41,000 ( TOTAL PERIOD OF MILES AND THE LENGTH OF TIME FROM THE PREVIOUS FAILURE WAS APPROX: 7 MONTHS). THE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE THE SAME, SHE WAS ACCELERATING TO MERGE ONTO THE FREEWAY AND AGAIN THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO WHINE AND SLIP. THIS TIME SHE WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND RELATIVE SAFETY. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO OUR DEALERSHIP AND AGAIN THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE "SUN SHELL" HAD FAILED. I WENT TO PICK UP THE CAR ON FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 23, 2005 AND WHILE I WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP THE MECHANIC SHOWED ME THE DAMAGED PART AND A BENCH THAT CONTAINED SEVERAL DAMAGED "SUN SHELL". IT OBVIOUSLY DOES NOT TAKE MUCH EFFORT TO REALIZE THAT THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW WITH THIS PARTICULAR TRANSMISSION AND SPECIFICALLY THIS PART. *JB