NHTSA Complaint #10559259 — 2008 GMC ACADIA

TRANSMISSION STARTED FAILING AND FINALLY WENT OUT AT 108,000 MILES, SITTING IN OUR DRIVEWAY AND WE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO DEALER. GM DEALER REPLACED IT UNDER WARRANTY BUT THE LABOR COST US SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS. NOW AT 170,000 MILES, THIS REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION IS NOW GOING OUT. IT STICKS IN LOW SPEED AND THEN OVERHEATS DRIVING 65MPH IN 40DEG WEATHER. THE DEALER CLAIMS THAT A STRETCHED TIMING CHAIN HAS TO BE FIXED FIRST, BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION, AT A COST OF $1944. THEY ALSO SAID THE ON BOARD COMPUTER DIDN'T STORE THE NUMEROUS OVERHEATED TRANSMISSION EVENTS THAT BEGAN OCCURRING IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION WAS INSTALLED AT 108,000 MILES. THE GM DEALER IS TRYING TO TELL ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS PROBABLY OK AND THAT THE OVERHEATING IS DUE TO SOME OTHER REASON, BUT HE THEN COULDN'T EVEN GUESS AT WHAT THE OTHER REASONS MIGHT BE! THE FLUID LEVEL IS GOOD, AND THE VEHICLE HAS A TOW PACKAGE WITH A COOLER FOR THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. GM DEALER SAID THE TRANSMISSION WILL BE COVERED BY WARRANTY, WHICH WILL LIKELY MEAN ANOTHER SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLAR LABOR CHARGE ON TOP OF THE SO CALLED STRETCHED TIMING CHAIN COST OF $1,900. THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAS BEEN WHINING FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND IS GETTING LOUD. THE NAVIGATION AND DVD PLAYER SYSTEM FAILED TWICE. MIGHT BE TIME TO TRADE THE VEHICLE FOR SOMETHING MORE RELIABLE. MY WIFE IS GETTING SCARED TO DRIVE IT TOO FAR AND END UP BEING BROKEN DOWN IN ATLANTA TRAFFIC...VERY DANGEROUS. *TR