NHTSA Complaint #723521 — 1997 GMC JIMMY

I HAVE HAD MY JIMMY SERVICED PER THE OWNERS MANUAL MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE AND ONLY AT A GMC DEALERSHIP, MARTIN GMC IN LAKE CHARLES LA. IN JANUARY OF 1999 THE COOLING SYSTEM STARTED GETTING A HEAVY BUILD-UP OF RUST DEPOSITS IN THE COOLANT RESERVOIR AND RADIATOR. I BROUGHT IT IN TO MARTIN GMC ON 1/21/99 (30,253 MILES) AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY A BREAK DOWN OF THE DEX-COOL COOLANT IN THE SYSTEM AND THAT THIS WAS NORMAL AND WOULD CAUSE NO PROBLEMS LATER. I BROUGHT MY JIMMY TO AND INDEPENDENT AUTO REPAIR SHOP THAT SAME DAY AND WAS TOLD THAT THE COOLING SYSTEM WAS BADLY RUSTED AND IT NEEDED TO BE FLUSHED AND REFILLED. I BROUGHT IT BACK TO MARTIN GMC AND WAS AGAIN TOLD THAT THIS RUST WAS NORMAL AND WOULD CAUSE NO PROBLEMS. AFTER THIS THE JIMMY WAS SERVICED BY MARTIN GMC 3 MORE TIMES IN 1999.ON 5/2/00 (43,773 MILES)I BROUGHT THE JIMMY IN AND HAD IT SERVICED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION LEVEL COULDNT BE CHECKED BECAUSE THEY WERE UNABLE TO GET THE DIPSTICK OUT OF THE DIP STICK TUBE. THE RUBBER/PLASTIC GASKET ON THE DIPSTICK HAD HEATED AND SEALED TO THE METAL DIP STICK TUBE. SOON AFTER THIS, WHILE DRIVING THE JIMMY, I STARTED HEARING LOUD WATER FLOWING SOUNDS INSIDE UNDER THE FRONT DASH. I BROUGHT IT BACK TO MARTIN GMC 5/31/00 TO HAVE THIS CHECKED OUT AND WAS TOLD THAT THE COOLING SYSTEM WAS CLOGGED WITH RUST AND NEEDED TO BE FLUSHED. THEY SAID THAT THEY BELIEVED THE WRONG TYPE OF COOLANT WAS PUT IN THE SYSTEM CAUSING THIS. I TOLD THEM THAT I HAD MADE THEM AWARE OF THE RUST PROBLEM LONG BEFORE NOW AND THAT I BELIEVE THAT THIS RUST PROBLEM ALSO CAUSED POOR COOLING OF THE ENGINE WHICH RESULTED IN THE PROBLEM WITH THE DIP STICK. *AK