NHTSA Complaint #10659921 — 2009 GMC ACADIA

WHILE DRIVING OUR 2009 ACADIA AT HIGHWAY SPEED (75MPH) WE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN RPM SPIKE AND LOSE OF ACCELERATION. ANY ATTEMPT TO APPLY GAS WAS JUST MET WITH RPM WITH NO ACCELERATION. AS SPEED SLOWED THE VEHICLE LURCHED AND THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGED AS WE APPROACHED 40 MPH. THE VEHICLE STRUGGLED TO MAINTAIN THIS SPEED AND WOULD CONSTANTLY LUNGE AND LURCH TRYING TO CHANGE GEARS TO ADJUST FOR THE SPEED. THE TIMING WAS NOT GOOD FOR THIS AS WE ARE STATIONED IN GERMANY, AND WE WERE AN HOUR FROM HOME DRIVING ON THE AUTOBAHN. WHILE WE WERE STRUGGLING TO STAY AT THE MINIMUM SPEED (ROUGHLY 40 MPH), OTHER VEHICLES ARE APPROACHING US AT AUTOBAHN SPEEDS, POTENTIALLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. FORTUNATELY, GERMANS ARE VERY GOOD DRIVERS AND VERY AWARE OF SLOWER MOVING VEHICLES. WE WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE PULL OFF AREAS TO COOL THE TRANSMISSION, BUT OUR TRIP TOOK FIVE HOURS. APPARENTLY THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE 6T75 TRANSMISSIONS THAT GM PUT IN THE 2007-2009 ACADIA'S. NO SERVICE BULLETINS OR WARNINGS EVER WENT OUT TO ME TO LET ME KNOW ABOUT THIS ISSUE. IF I WOULD'VE RECEIVED ONE, I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CATCH THIS EARLIER AND BEEN ABLE TO SAVE THE TRANSMISSION FROM CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. THE 3-5-R WAVE PLATE FAILED PREVENTING SHIFTING TO THOSE GEARS. I BELIEVE GM NEEDS TO OWN UP TO THIS AND EITHER ISSUE A RECALL OR OFFER OWNERS WITH LESS THAN 100K MILES ON THEIR VEHICLES COMPENSATION FOR THE REPAIRS. AT A MINIMUM, ALL ACADIA/ENCLAVE/TRAVERSE/OUTLOOK OWNERS WITH 6T75 TRANSMISSIONS NEED TO RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION TO EXPECT THE IMMINENT FAILURE, IN ORDER THAT THEY MAY GET THE 3-5-R WAVE PLATE REPLACED WITH A PROPERLY TEMPERED PLATE. GM HAS ALREADY IDENTIFIED THE REASON FOR THE FAILURE, BUT HAS CHOSEN NOT TO ACT IN A MANNER REFLECTING INTEGRITY TO THEIR CUSTOMERS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR