NHTSA Complaint #10874503 — 2010 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE

JUNE 2016, APPROX. 114,000 MI - FELT A LURCH IN STOP & GO TRAFFIC; FLASHED "SERVICE STABILITRAK," "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL," "BACKUP ALERTS = OFF". THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED. A FEW MILES DOWN THE ROAD WHEN TRAFFIC SPED UP, I REALIZED I ONLY HAD ONE GEAR AND COULD NOT ACCELERATE ABOVE 60MPH. A SERIOUS PROBLEM ON THE INTERSTATE! SEVERAL HOURS LATER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON, BUT THE CAR DROVE NORMALLY -- STRAIGHT TO THE REPAIR SHOP, WHERE IT WAS DEEMED TO NEED $2400 IN TRANSMISSION REPAIR DUE TO THE FOLLOWING FAULT CODES: P182E & C0561. THEY WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION MODE SHIFT SENSOR AND THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. THE MECHANIC ALSO INFORMED US THAT WE WILL EVENTUALLY NEED A $700 REPAIR FOR THE CONTROL ARMS IN THE REAR SUSPENSION -- GE HAS CORRECTED A KNOWN FAULT IN THE PARTS. ALL THIS IS ON TOP OF A $3000 REPAIR DONE IN APRIL 2015 AT 92,500 MI. FOR KNOWN STEERING DEFECTS. IN THAT CASE, AS THE TRAVERSE WARMED UP, THE POWER STEERING GOT HARD TO TURN. GM REPAIRED PART OF THE PROBLEM AT NO COST, REPLACING POWER STEERING PUMP AND GEAR HOUSING. ANOTHER MECHANIC COMPLETED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY THAT WAS ALSO PART OF THE PROBLEM. THESE ARE BOTH SUBSTANTIAL DEFECTS AND REPAIRS NEEDED IN A VEHICLE THAT WAS EXPECTED TO LAST MUCH LONGER BEFORE NEEDING MORE THAN ROUTINE MAINTENANCE.