NHTSA Complaint #10435423 — 2007 CHEVROLET IMPALA

HAVE 2007 IMPALA LT3. (PURCHASED FROM SUNSET CHEVROLET, SUMNER, WA) 1/13/2010. HAVING SERIOUS TRANSMISSION ISSUES. TOOK VEHICLE TO FIRESTONE (6/10/10) FOR ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AND INSPECTION. FOUND LEAK IN TRANSMISSION. ALSO NEEDED FUEL SYSTEM SERVICE. REPAIRS NOT DONE AT THIS TIME DUE TO FINANCIAL SHORTAGE. TOOK TO FIRESTONE AGAIN FOR ROUTINE OIL CHANGE 8/26/10. DURING ROUTINE INSPECTION OIL LEAK DETECTED. TRANSMISSION LEAKING. AND POWER STEERING MAKING ABNORMAL NOISE. COULD NOT AFFORD REPAIRS. THEN TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP. WAS TOLD THAT REPAIRS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. COULD NOT AFFORD OUT OF POCKET. TRANSMISSION GOT WORSE AS DID OIL LEAK AND POWERSTEERING. 1/31/11 FIRESTONE SERVICED THE TRANSMISSION AND REPLACED THE LEAKING GASKET. THIS DID NOTHING TO HELP TRANSMISSION ISSUES. CONTACTED GM. WAS EVENTUALLY TOLD THAT EVEN THOUGH BURIEN CHEVROLET TOLD US THE PARTS WERE NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY, THAT IN FACT THE PARTS WERE COVERED BY WARRANTY AT THE TIME WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. BUT BECAUSE WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT AUTO SHOP, THEIR WAS NOTHING GM COULD DO TO ASSIST US WITH OUR ISSUE. NOW I AM UNSURE HOW TO PROCEED. ANY ADVISE? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR