NHTSA Complaint #756199 — 1997 CHEVROLET EXPRESS

ON 12-02-01 WHILE TRAVELING AT 70 MPH DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 5 A.M. ON MY WAY TO WORK THERE WAS A VERY LOUD SCREECHING NOISE AND I LOST ALL POWER TO THE VAN, TRANSMISSION GONE . VEHICLE TOWED TO MARK BASS CHEVROLET DEALER IN COAL CITY,IL. MILEAGE AT 107060. NO LONGER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT A COST OF $1863.34 TO CONSUMER PLUS TOW BILL AND RENTAL CAR FOR 1 WEEK. ON 12-29-01 DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH THE CRUISE AGAIN SET AT 68 MPH I AGAIN LOST THE TRANSMISSION. MILEAGE NOW AT 108219 AND VEHICLE AGAIN TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH A TRANS COOLER WHICH WAS INSTALLED UPON PURCHASE BY THE DEALERSHIP AND HAS TOWED A BOAT FOR A TOTAL OF 30 MILES. 99% OF THE MILES ARE INTERSTATE MILES DUE TO WORK DISTANCE OF 100 MILES PER DAY AND TRAVELING TO VISIT MY CHILDREN AND FATHER WHO LIVE IN TEXAS AND COLORADO. VEHICLE ALSO SEEMS TO GO THROUGH AN EXCESSIVE NUMBER OF BRAKES WHICH SEEM TO BE CONTINUELY GOING OUT AND HAVE BEEN REPLACED ABOUT 6 TIMES ALL THE WAY AROUND. I PURCHAED THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE NEED FOR COMFORT AND DEPENDABILITY IN MAKING LONG DISTANCE TRIPS WHERE I AM MOSTLY ALONE. IT HAS BEEN SERVICED ON A REGULAR BASIS AND IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION. IT HAS ONLY BEEN DRIVEN BY ONE OTHER PERSON AND HAS NOT BEEN MIS-USED IN ANY WAY.*AK