NHTSA Complaint #760323 — 2002 GMC ENVOY

WE PURCHASED NEW VEHICLE OCTOBER 2001 AND WITHIN 4 MONTHS BEGAN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS BEGINNING WITH A NOISE WITHIN THE STEERING WHEEL. DEALER TECHNICIAN REPLACED DEFECTIVE AIRBAG MODULE. THE NEXT MONTH, MY NEW ENVOY HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER 4 TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM OF 1) WIND AND/OR WHISTLING NOISE AT SPEEDS ABOVE 45MPH, 2) "VIBRATION" NOISE COMING FROM TRANSMISSION WHEN VEHICLE REACHES 3RD GEAR , 3) WHEN VEHICLE HAS REACHED 3RD GEAR AND PREVIOUS NOISE BEGINS, THERE IS ALSO A VIBRATION FELT IN THE ACCELERATION PEDAL. ON THE FIRST TRIP TO DEALER FOR THESE PROBLEMS, TECHNICIAN ONLY AGREED WITH THE WIND NOISE. DISCOVERED THE FRONT SIDE MIRRORS WERE THE CAUSE. REPLACED BOTH MIRRORS---PROBLEM STILL EXISTS, HOWEVER, HE CAN'T HEAR THEM. EXPLAINED IT WAS THE NATURE OF THE VEHICLE. HE ALSO REPAIRED THE WEATHERSTRIPPING WHICH HAD "FALLEN OFF" THE RIGHT REAR DOOR. HE ADVISED THAT HE DID NOT HEAR ANY NOISE IN THE TRANSMISSION AREA OR IN THE GAS PEDAL. WE TOOK TO ANOTHER DEALER WHO HAD A TECHNICIAN TEST DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED THAT THERE WAS BOTH A NOISE IN THE AREA OF TRANSMISSION AND A VIBRATION IN THE GAS PEDAL. RETURNED TO THE DEALER WHO ORIGINALLY WAS DOING REPAIR WORK AND HAD HIM RIDE WITH ME. AT THIS TIME, HE HEARD THE NOISE I WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT AND ADVISED THAT IT WAS COMING FROM THE HEAT SHIELD AT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR REPAIRS, PICKED UP THE VEHICLE AND LATER THE SAME DAY, THE NOISE RETURNED. TOOK VEHICLE BACK, TECHNICIAN SAID HE DIDN'T HEAR ANY MORE NOISES. WAITED 2 WEEKS, MADE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT TO RETURN VEHICLE FOR RIGHT REAR DOOR "RATTLING" , AND "HEAT SHIELD" NOISE WHICH HAD BECOME NON STOP. AT THIS TIME, THEY REPLACED THE WEATHERSTRIPPING ON THE DOOR AND AGAIN ADJUSTED HEAT SHIELD BY MAKING A "CUSHION" SO THAT IT WOULD NOT VIBRATE AGAINST THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THIS DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM, AS IT STILL "VIBRATES" SO AS I CAN STILL FEEL STRESS THROUGH THE GAS PEDAL ON THE TRANSMISSION WHEN REACHING SPEED.*