NHTSA Complaint #10543308 — 2008 GMC ACADIA

THE TRANSMISSION FAILED CLIMBING A HILL WITH AN APPROXIMATE 10% INCLINE. MY WIFE WAS TRANSPORTING TWO YOUNG CHILDREN AT THE TIME AT HAD TO TURN HAZARDS ON WHILE THE VEHICLE CREPT UP A VERY HEAVILY TRAVELED ROADWAY (US HIGHWAY 31). THIS OCCURRED AFTER THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPAIRED TWO WEEKS EARLIER FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. AT THAT TIME, I WAS INFORMED BY GMC THAT IT WAS THE INPUT SPEED SENSOR. TURNS OUT IT IS TRANSMISSION FAILURE, WHICH I HAVE SINCE LEARNED IS VERY COMMON WITH THIS MODEL. AFTER READING VAST ENTRIES OF MANY OTHER ACADIA USERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK THAT THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW. I MEAN, HOW MANY TRANSMISSIONS FAIL AT 48,000 MILES. I'M JUST GLAD MY WIFE WASN'T DRIVING AT NIGHT, ON A LONG TRIP, OR ON THE INTERSTATE, WHICH WOULD HAVE LEFT MY CHILDREN AND HER IN A VERY VULNERABLE POSITION. FOR THE PRICE OF THIS VEHICLE, I WOULD EXPECT RELIABLE USAGE UP TO AT LEAST 100,000 MILES. IN MY OPINION, BECAUSE OF RELIABILITY ISSUES AND THE SHEAR VOLUME OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, GMC SHOULD RECALL THESE VEHICLES AND REPLACE THE TRANSMISSIONS WITH WHAT THEY ARE NOW INSTALLING ON THE NEWER MODELS. THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE IMPROVED THE TRANSMISSIONS ON NEWER MODELS PROVES THERE IS A FLAW WITH MY MODEL YEAR. WHY ELSE WOULD THEY CORRECT IT. THANKS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. *TR