NHTSA Complaint #10460220 — 2007 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN

ON TWO OCCASIONS AN ERROR MESSAGE THAT READ "SERVICE 4 WHEEL DRIVE" APPEARED ON THE DISPLAY. I MENTIONED THIS TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHILE THERE FOR AN OIL CHANGE, AND WAS TOLD THAT EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT OKAY, AND THAT I SHOULD DRIVE THE VEHICLE IN 2WD, NOT AUTO. ALSO, I HAVE BEEN HAVING A TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE ISSUE THAT STARTED BETWEEN 50,000 MILES AND 58,000 MILES AND WAS VERY SPORADIC. WHEN STARTING FROM A DEAD STOP (STOP LIGHT FOR EXAMPLE), THE TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T ENGAGE AS I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR. AFTER 10 TO 15 SECONDS OF PRESSING MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD FINALLY ENGAGE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD MOVE SLOWLY WITH THE ENGINE REVVING. I MENTION THIS TO THE DEALER WHEN THE VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 58,000 MILES AND I'M TOLD THAT THEY WILL NEED TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FOR A FEW HOURS AND THERE IS A COST OF $120 PLUS TAX TO PERFORM DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. AS MY SCHEDULE DID NOT ALLOW FOR THIS THAT DAY, I LEFT. THE PROBLEM WAS VERY SPORADIC AT THIS POINT. AT 63,000 MILES I AM DRIVING OVER A MOUNTAIN PASS AND THE DISPLAY READS SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF "TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING". I PULL OFF THE ROAD AND WAIT FOR IT TO COOL, THEN MAKE MY WAY HOME. I ENTIRE TRIP HOME THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING BETWEEN ALL GEARS AND SHIFTING HARD IN THE HIGHER GEARS. I TAKE IT INTO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY AND I'M TOLD THAT I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. I AM ADVISED BY THE DEALER THAT THERE IS "NO EXTERNAL CAUSE FOR THIS FAILURE" AND " THE INNER MECHANISM OF THE TRANSMISSION HAS FALLEN APART AND CANNOT BE REPAIRED". MY POWERTRAIN WARRANTY ENDED 6 MONTHS AGO, SO I FACE A $3,350 BILL FOR THIS REPAIR. AFTER I COMPLAIN TO GM CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE, THEY AGREE TO PAY 30% OF THE REPAIR AND 5 DAYS OF THE RENTAL CAR, BUT I FEEL THEY SHOULD PAY THE ENTIRE AMOUNT. *TR