NHTSA Complaint #10213078 — 2002 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER

TO GM SERVICE ASSISTANCE, OUR 2002 CHEVY TRAILBLAZER IS AT CONNELL CHEVROLET IN COSTA MESA, CA HAVING A NEW ENGINE INSTALLED AT A COST TO US OF APPROXIMATELY $7,000. THE VEHICLE HAS 82,000 MILES. WE HAVE BEEN WITHOUT THE USE OF THE VEHICLE SINCE DECEMBER 19 WHEN IT BECAME INOPERABLE GOING DOWN OUR STREET. THE ONLY SIGN OF TROUBLE WAS A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF STEAM COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST PIPE. THE HEAT SENSOR MALFUNCTIONED ($7000 MALFUNCTION). THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO BELLS, NO ALARMS, NO INDICATIONS OF ANY TROUBLE...AND THEN...NOTHING. MY HUSBAND HAD THE CAR TOWED THAT NIGHT TO CONNELL CHEVROLET. ON DECEMBER 27TH WE VISITED CONNELL TO GET THE FULL STORY. APPARENTLY THE HEAD GASKET BLEW AGAIN (SEE ATTACHMENT 1), AND SINCE THE HEAT SENSOR WASN'T WORKING PROPERLY, THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND BLEW (AGAIN, NO SIGN OF ANY TROUBLE BEFORE THIS INCIDENT). NOW WE ARE WITHOUT A CAR AND HAVE A $7,000 REPAIR BILL. NO ONE I KNOW HAS EVER HEARD OF TWO HEAD GASKETS GOING ON A VEHICLE OF THIS AGE AND MILEAGE. THE FIRST GASKET WENT AT 39,000 AND THE SECOND AT 82,000 MILES....HMMMM. TO US THAT INDICATES THAT THERE IS A DEFECT IN THIS VEHICLE, AND WE WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU ARE GOING TO ASSIST US. *TR