NHTSA Complaint #706300 — 1998 GMC JIMMY

THE CAR WHILE DRIVING AT A HIGH SPEED, LOST POWER, THE TRANSMISSION DROPPED INTO LOW GEAR, AND WOULD ONLY PROCEED AT A SLOW SPEED, THIS HAPPENED MORE THAN ONCE, THE SERVICE ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON.I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THEY COULD NOT DETECT THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM OCCURED NEAR, FOR THE THIRD TIME, NEAR CORAL SPRINGS GMC AND I TOOK THE CAR INTO THEM IMMEDIATELY AND THEY CAME UP WITH TRANSMISSIONS CODES ON THE COMPUTER. I WAS TOLD TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO KING SINCE THE OTHER DEALER DID NOT HAVE A TRANMISSION MECHANIC. KING WAS CONTACTED AND I WAS TOLD TO BRING THE CAR IN LATER , THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT WENT OFF AND IT DROVE NORMALLY. THE DAY I BROUGHT THE CAR TO KING IT OCCURED AGAIN, AND THIS TIME THE SYMPTOMS WERE THE SAME, BUT THE INSTRUMENT ALSO WENT DEAD. KING REPORTED TO ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT THE TRANSMISSION BUT THE IGNITION SWITCH WHICH CAUSED THE COMPUTER TO LOOSE POWER, CREATING THE TRANSMISSION TO DOWNSHIFT AND, THE CAR TO LOOSE ENGINE POWER, AND THE INSTRUMENTS TO FAIL. AT HIGH SPEED THIS CREATES SOME CONCERN AS YOU CAN IMAGINE. THEY INDICATED IT HAS HAPPEN ON OTHER VECHILES. I CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS SINCE I CONSIDERED IT A SAFETY PROBLEM. I FEEL OWNERS AND OTHER DEALERS SHOULD BE NOTIFIED, SINCE APPARENTLY IT IS NOT EASILY RECOGNIZED. THANK YOU.