NHTSA Complaint #10282345 — 2002 VOLVO S80

THE CARS AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WILL SHIFT TO THE REVERSE POSITION WITHOUT GIVING ANY WARNING UNDER THE NORMAL DRIVING CONDITION IN ITS DRIVE POSITION. WHEN IT SHIFTS TO REVERSE BY ITSELF ON THE FREEWAY I NOTICE THE NOSE OF THE CAR WILL DROP LOWER AND IF MY FOOT PRESS ON THE GAS PADDLE THE CAR WILL ACT AS BRAKING AND ENGINE IS MAKING NOISE. I NOTICE ON THE DASHBOARD AND SHIFTER THE GEAR SIGN INDICATION IS TOGGLE IN BETWEEN 'D' AND 'R', WHEN I PRESS ON THE GAS PADDLE THE SIGN WILL CHANGE TO 'R' AND AS I RELEASE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PADDLE THE SIGN WILL CHANGE BACK TO 'D'. THE CAR IS COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL I ALMOST GOT IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT, LUCKILY I WAS TRAINED ON MANUAL TRANSMISSION FOR MY DRIVING LESSON, SO I PUT THE CAR TO 'N' AND SHIFT BACK TO 'D' FOR THE 1ST 3 TIMES I SWITCH BACK TO 'D' THE GEAR INDICATION SIGN IS STILL SHOW 'R' WHEN I PUT TO 'D' ONLY ON THE 4TH TRY ITS RETURN BACK TO NORMAL CONDITION. WHEN ALL THIS HAPPEN I WAS CLAIMING A HILL ON I-580 BEFORE I-680 JUNCTION JUST PASS HAYWARD, CA. TRY TO IMAGING DRIVING AT 65MPH ON A HILL AND TRANSMISSION SWIFT TO REVERSE THE CAR WILL DROP FROM 65MPH TO 10MPH VERY FAST AND THE CARS BEHIND ME ALMOST CRASH INTO ME. ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC THE CAR SUPPOSE TO SWITCH TO 'SAFE MODE' AND TRANSMISSION SHOULD STAY IN 3RD GEAR. IT IS STRANGE THE CAR THINK ITS MALFUNCTION IS NORMAL AND DID NOT ENGAGE TO 'SAFE MODE'. MY MECHANIC DIAGNOSES THE CAR AND TELLS ME THE PROBLEM TRACE TO A NEUTRAL SWITCH (PNP SWITCH) INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION. AND AFTER CONTACT NEAREST DEALER FREMONT MOTOR CARS THE PARTS DEPARTMENT CONFIRM THAT THE PNP SWITCH IS BUILD INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION AND WOULD NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE GM-SOURCED 4T65EV/GT TRANSMISSIONS USUALLY SHOW SYMPTOMS OF FAILURE BY SUDDENLY SLIPPING WHILE IN GEAR. THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE, BUT THE FAULTS ARE WIDELY KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED. THIS CAR IS STILL DRIVABLE IT'S NOT BAD, IF DON'T ACTED UP. IT STILL THINKS IT HAS NO PROBLEM AT ALL WHICH IS VERY DANGERS. *TR