NHTSA Complaint #10401131 — 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA

IMPALA "SS" WITH ONLY APPROXIMATELY 71,000 MILES, MAJOR TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION / FAILURE WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING. VEHICLE HAD ONLY BEEN SERVICED AT GM DEALERSHIP SINCE PURCHASED, ALL REGULAR MAINTENANCE FOLLOWED. TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE COMBINED WITH HARSH SHIFTING, TORQUE CONVERTER SHUDDER, GRINDING NOISES FROM GEARS. VEHICLE WOULD ALTERNATE BETWEEN NOT GOING FORWARD OR, ONCE MOVING, VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP VEHICLE BECAUSE TRANSMISSION DID NOT DISENGAGE (NEARLY REAR ENDED OTHER VEHICLES, HAD TO STAND ON BRAKE PEDAL). NO WARNING LIGHTS NOR DASH INDICATORS, BUT REMOTE DIAGNOSTIC VIA ONSTAR CONFIRMED TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND DIRECTED FOR IMMEDIATE REPAIR. VALVE BODY, PRESSURE REGULAR, ALL SOLENOIDS (REBUILD) REPLACED UNDER GMPP EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE. NOT EVEN TWO WEEKS LATER, PROBLEMS RETURNED BUT WORSE. NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 10021844 AND TSB # 070730012C SEEM TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. VEHICLE NOW AT GM DEALERSHIP BEING ASSESSED. ONSTAR DIAGNOSTICS FOUND NO ISSUE. STILL NO WARNING INDICATORS, BUT VEHICLE HAVE HIGH RPM WITHOUT ANY FORWARD MOTION WHEN ACCELERATOR DEPRESSED. RPMS WOULD ALSO BOUNCE UP AND DOWN ERRATICALLY ON HIGHWAY AT STEADY SPEED, VIBRATIONS AND WHINING NOISES FROM TRANSMISSION. APPARENTLY THIS IS KNOWN DEFECT WITH MULTIPLE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE 4T65-E TRANSMISSION, BUT THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANY RECALL. COST OF REPAIRS FOR THIS BETWEEN $4,000 AND $6,000 IF NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THIS LIKELY EFFECTS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF GM VEHICLES COVERING MANY MODEL YEARS. *TR