NHTSA Complaint #10651262 — 2009 SATURN OUTLOOK

ON 10/24/2014, WHILE DRIVING MY 2009 SATURN OUTLOOK WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR, I WAS ENTERING THE RAMP ONTO A MAJOR EXPRESSWAY, PUSHED DOWN ONTO THE GAS PEDAL TO SPEED UP TO ENTER THE HIGHWAY TRAFFIC WHEN A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD AND I FELT THE VEHICLE REV TO HIGHER RPM AND THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I NOTICED IMMEDIATELY THAT THE VEHICLE RESPONDED LIKE IT WAS STUCK IN 3RD GEAR AND WOULD NOT SHIFT UP OR DOWN IN "D". I WAS ALMOST SMASHED BY A ODOT DUMP TRUCK BUT AVERTED THAT BY PULLING TO THE FAR RIGHT LANE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ANY FASTER THAN 50 MPH ON THE EXPRESSWAY. I WAS WITHIN 5 MILES OF MY DEALERSHIP AND BABIED THE VEHICLE TO THEIR LOCATION. I EXPLAINED MY VEHICLE ISSUE TO THE DEALER SERVICE REP AND HE SAID THEY COULD NOT GET IT IN THAT DAY TO CHECK IT BECAUSE IT WAS A FRIDAY AND THEY ARE NOT DOING SERVICE WORK OVER THE WEEKEND. RENTAL CAR RENTED AND LEFT MY CAR THERE OVER THE WEEKEND. I WAS CONTACTED THE FOLLOWING MONDAY WITH A REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZING A $500.00 CHARGE TO PULL THE TRANSMISSION TO CHECK INTERNALLY FOR THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE REP SAID THEY HAVE SEEN A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS AND OTHER GM MADE VEHICLE RESULTING IN THE 35R CLUTCH WAVE PLATE BREAKING AND THE ONLY WAY IS TO PULL THE TRANSMISSION TO SEE. I GAVE HIM MY AUTHORIZATION BUT ASKED HIM FOR A ROUGH ESTIMATE FOR THE REPAIRS WHICH HE SAID ABOUT $3,500.00. I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT MY VEHICLE FOR ALMOST A WEEK AND THROUGH INTERNET SEARCH I HAVE COME ACROSS AS MANY AS UPWARD OF 17,000 ONLINE RESPONSE'S ABOUT THE CONTINUED PROBLEMS WITH THE 35R CLUTCH WAVE PLATE AS FAR BACK AS 2008 WITH THE GM ACADIA, CHEVROLET TRAVERSE AND SATURN OUTLOOK. I AM REQUESTING WITH NHTSA THAT SOMETHING BE SAID TO GM ABOUT THIS COMPLICATION WITH A "KNOWN" PROBLEM THAT NOTHING HAS BEEN RECALLED. I EVEN CAME ACROSS A POST THAT NOTED THE PROBLEM WITH NOTIFICATION TO REPS FROM JANUARY 12, 2010 FROM A FORUM. *TR