NHTSA Complaint #10384643 — 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA

I HAVE A 2006 IMPALA SS. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED USED WITH APPROXIMATELY 12K MILES, IN EARLY 2009 AT 62K THE TRANSMISSION FAILED, STRANDING MY FAMILY ON THE PA TURNPIKE. IN JANUARY 2011 AT 101K WE HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AGAIN. LUCKILY WE PURCHASED A GM POWER-TRAIN TRANSMISSION AND IT CAME WITH A 3YR WARRANTY. THE FAILURE SYMPTOMS WERE IDENTICAL FOR EACH OCCURRENCE. 1ST THE TRANSMISSION WOULD OCCASIONALLY SHUDDER WHILE SHIFTING. EVENTUALLY IT WOULD SHUDDER AND PREDICTABLY SLIP WHEN MAINTAINING A SPEED AT OR NEAR 1800 RPM. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE DRIVING UP HILLS. FINALLY THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE WHILE THE ENGINE RPM SPIKED WHEN PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE ENTIRE FAILURE PERIOD WAS AROUND 1000 MILES FROM THE 1ST SIGN THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY TO SHIFTING TO THE FINAL FAILURE. THE TRANSMISSION APPEARS TO REACH VERY HIGH TEMPERATURES AND HAS A LONG COOL OFF PERIOD. WHEN REPLACING THE POWER STEERING GEAR I NOTICED THAT THE EXHAUST AND ENGINE WERE COOL TO THE TOUCH, BUT THE TRANSMISSION REMAINED WARM THROUGH OUT THE REPAIR. THANK FOR YOUR ATTENTION IN THIS MATTER. *TR