NHTSA Complaint #10140126 — 2002 CHEVROLET TAHOE

I PURCHASED A USED 2002 CHEVY TAHOE FROM GRAND AUTO, NORTHGLENN CO, AT THE END OF MAY 2005. I DROVE THE CAR FOR 4 MONTHS, PUTTING ON ~11,000 MILES. ON OCT 16, 2005 I WAS HEADED TO DINNER WITH TWO OTHER PEOPLE IN THE CAR. I TURNED RIGHT ON TO 95TH ST HEADING SOUTH. THERE WERE CARS COMING BEHIND ME, BUT THERE WAS PLENTY OF ROOM FOR A PROPER ACCELERATION TO CRUISING SPEED WITHOUT IN-CONVINCING THE OTHER DRIVERS. AS I ACCELERATED THROUGH FIRST GEAR, ALL WAS FINE, THEN THE CAR TRIED TO SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR. AS IT TRIED, THERE WAS A POPPING SOUND, THE MOTOR RPMS INCREASED TO RED-LINE, AND THERE WAS A SQUEALING SOUND. I LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR, AND TRIED TO GET OVER OUT OF TRAFFIC TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED. LUCKILY THERE WAS ENOUGH SHOULDER AND ENOUGH TIME TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. AS IT TURNED OUT, THE TRANSMISSION HAD LOST 2ND GEAR, 4TH GEAR, AND REVERSE, LEAVING THE VEHICLE CLOSE TO USELESS, AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE. WHILE I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY EXIT TRAFFIC, NO ALL MAY BE SO LUCKY. IF YOU PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC, OR TRY TO CROSS TRAFFIC AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILS, LOSING 3 OF 5 GEARS, YOU COULD EASILY HAVE DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES. AFTER GETTING HOME AND RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM I FOUND THAT THIS IS COVERED IN A GM TSB, 00-07-30-022 NOV 00 A/T. I ALSO FOUND MANY STORIES OF THIS FAILURE MODE, INDICATING THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENCE, NOR IS THIS A ONE IN A MILLION FAILURE MODE. I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE RE-CLASSIFIED FROM A TSB TO A RECALL, BECAUSE OF THE PROBABLE SAFETY ISSUES. *JB