1999 GMC SAFARI Power Train Problems

1999 GMC SAFARI TRANSMISSION FAILURE. SEE GM TSB #00-07-30-002 DATED 11/2000. 1ST-2ND LATE SHIFT, REVERSE, 2ND, & 4TH GEAR CAUSED IMMEDIATE FAILURE. ALL REQUIRED TRANSMISSION SERVICE PERFORMED BY DEALER ON THIS VEHICLE. ROOT CAUSE IS THE KNOWN SUN GEAR SHELL FAILURE IN THE GM 4L60E AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. VEHICLE HAS 70,511 MILES. FILED GMC CUSTOMER COMPLAINT #1-366073225. *JB

Mileage: 70,500

THIS MORNING (5/4/05) WHILE DRIVING MY 1999 GMC SAFARI, I EXPERIENCED A JOLT AND A HIGH RPM REV AND A LONG 1-2 SHIFT. I GOT TO MY DESTINATION (1/4 MILE UP THE ROAD) AND THEN DISCOVERED THAT I HAD NO REVERSE. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE TO THE DEALER (A 6-MILE DRIVE). I NOTICED IN ADDITION TO NO REVERSE, THERE WAS ALSO NO OVERDRIVE (4TH GEAR). THE PRELIMINARY DIAGNOSIS FROM THE DEALER IS A FAILED SUN SHELL ASSEMBLY. THEY (THE DEALER) INDENTIFIES THIS AS A COMMON PROBLEM. TO REPAIR IT REQUIRES A MAJOR OVERHAUL A NEARLY $2000.00 REPAIR. I'M A MEMBER OF IATN (INTERNATION AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIANS' NETWORK) AND I DID A SERACH OF THIS CONCERN AND LEARNED THAT THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE. I ALSO LEARNED THAT GM HAS A TSB ON THIS CONCERN (I DON'T KNOW THE NUMBER OR NATURE OF THE TSB). AT 6-YEARS OF AGE AND 88,000 MILES THIS (IN MY ESTIMATION) IS A PREMATURE FAILURE. THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN SERVICED (FLUSHED AND FILTER REPLACEMENT) TWICE IN THE PAST THREE YEARS AND HAS NOT BEEN ABUSED. I DO TOW TWO SNOWMOBILES IN THE WINTER, BUT THE WEIGHT IS BY FAR WITHIN THE PARAMETERS STATED FOR THIS VEHICLE. I CALLED THE GM SERVICE ASSISTANCE CENTER AND THE WOMAN ACKNOWLEDGED THE PATTERN FAILURE, BUT SAID THEIR "POLICY" FOR GOODWILL ASSISTANCE IS CAPPED AT 72,000 MILES, MY VEHICLE HAS 88,000 MILES. SHE WAS PREPARED TO OFFER ME SOME KIND OF VOUCHER TO BE USED TOWARD THE PURCHASE OF A NEW GM VEHICLE, BUT I'M NOT INTERESTED IN THAT. THERE'S CLEARLY A PRODUCT CONCERN, AND IF GM IS WILLING TO GIVE ME A DEAL ON A NEW CAR, WHY DON'T THEY GIVE ME A "DEAL" ON REPAIRING THIS ONE? ANYWAY, THAT'S MY COMPLAINT.

Mileage: 88,700

(1) NOTHING LEADING UP TO EVENT. SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE MOVED IN REVERSE ALTHOUGH THE GEAR SELECTOR WAS ABLE TO BE PLACED INTO R. ALSO, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT DRIVE SMOOTHLY IN ANY FORWARD GEARS. HOWEVER, IT WAS ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD AND SUBSEQUENTLY ABLE TO BE DRIVEN ONTO A TRANSPORT TRAILER FOR TOWING. (2) FORTUNATELY, THE FAILURE HAPPENED IN A PARKING LOT AND NO ACCIDENT OR INJURIES WERE INCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS LOADED ONTO A U-HAUL VEHICLE TRANSPORT TRAILER AND TAKEN TO A TRANSMISSION REPAIR FACILITY (OCEAN SIDE TRANSMISSION INCORPORATED LOCATED IN OCEANSIDE, CA). (3) TRANSMISSION WAS REPAIRED WITH SEVERAL PARTS REPLACED AT THE COST OF ALMOST $2000.00. TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP SAID THE SHELL WAS CRACKED AND "THIS VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION IS KNOWN FOR HAVING A WEAK SHELL". I HAVE THIS OLD PART AVAILABLE AND IT IS BROKEN INTO TWO PIECES APPEARING TO HAVE SHEARED APART. *JB

Mileage: 73,487

DRIVELINE WAS NOT SYNCHRONIZED WHEN TURNING A CORNER OR WHEN BACKING UP. THE TIRES SEEMED TO BE TRYING TO CATCH UP TO EACH OTHER. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

Mileage: 2,000

WHILE DRIVING OVER 50 MPH VEHICLE VIBRATED. CONSUMER WAS IN TOUCH WITH THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. CONSUMER STATED THAT THE DRIVESHAFT WAS THE PROBLEM, YET THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *AK

Mileage: 44,200

DEAR WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, LAST MONDAY(5-17-04) MY CAR WOULD NOT START. PRIOR TO THAT THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE, IT HAS BEEN A DEPENDABLE VEHICLE. THE F- CONTROL HAD BROKE IN TWO. THE CAR CAN NOT GO INTO GEAR AND/OR CHANGES GEARS WITHOUT NOTICE WHEN THE F CONTROL IS BROKEN. THE CAR WAS TOWED THE NEXT DAY TO THE DEALER. IT WAS AT THE DEALER UNTIL FRIDAY(052104), DUE TO THE NEED TO ORDER THE F CONTROL PART. THE CAR SEEMS TO BE REPAIRED. I DO HAVE THE OLD PART. I AM NOTIFYING YOU DUE TO THE POTENTIAL LOSS OF LIFE IF A VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN WHEN THE F CONTROL BREAKS. I WAS PARKED AT THE TIME MY F CONTOL BROKE. I HAVE NOTIFIED GMC. I WILL ALSO NOTIFY CALIFORNIA SAFETY BOARD. SINCERELY, DANNA WILLIAMS. *AK

Mileage: 87,302

DEALER HAD REPLACED THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL COMPONENT UNIT TWICE, THE CARRIER CASE GEAR KIT AND BEARING AT OWNER EXPENSE OF $ 1,500. DOLLARS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *PH

I OWN A 1999 GMC SAFARI THAT HAD ITS TRANSMISSION FAIL AT LESS THAN 50,000 MILES. IT FAILED BEFORE ITS FIRST SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD I WAS OUT OF THE 3/36 WARRANTY PERIOD SO I WAS OUT OF LUCK. *NLM

Mileage: 40,000

RED ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON TRANSMISSION WAS JUMPING INTO GEAR, WITH 26,000 MILES, TOOK TO DEALER THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG. TOOK TRIP TO FLORIDA RED LIGHT CAME ON TOOK TO AAMCO TRANSMISSION (36,000 MI) FOUND PROBLEM,850$, SAID THIS WAS COMMON WITH THIS VEHICLE. GMC PAID ME HALF, GOING TO COURT WITH DEALER FOR OTHER HALF. MY WARRANTY WAS OVER DUE TO YEARS. *AK

Mileage: 26,000

THE VEHICLE JERKED INTO SECOND GEAR AND THEN STALLED. *JB

THE DRIVE SHAFT SPLINES NEEDS CONSTANT LUBRICATION. THERE IS ALSO LEAKING FROM THE TRANSMISSION EXTENSION HOUSING. *JG

THE DRIVE SHAFT SPLINES NEEDS CONSTANT LUBRICATION. THERE IS ALSO LEAKING FROM THE TRANSMISSION EXTENSION HOUSING. *JG

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY TRANSMISSION WILL SLIP BETWEEN FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. SOMETIMES WHEN THIS HAPPENS ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WILL COME ON. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

SHUDDER DURING TIGHT, SLOW TURNING, DEALER RPLACED TRANSFER CASE CONTROL MODULE,PROBLEM FIXED. *AK

REAREND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT 61,000 MILES, AND A PART WITHIN TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP. CONSUMER HAD TO HAVE TRANSMISSION REBUILT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING ONGOING PROBLEMS WITHIN A 12-MONTH PERIOD. FUEL INJECTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED ON FOUR OCCASIONS/DRIVER'S POWER LOCK FAILED TO OPERATE/COURTESY LIGHTS AND RADIO WOULD COME ON INTERMITTENTLY/BATTERY SHORTED OUT ON TWO OCCASIONS/SIDE WINDOW STOPPED OPERATING/TAIL LIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY BLINKED OFF/ON/ODOMETER WOULD FLASH OFF/ON, AND REAR DOOR WOULD INTERMITTENTLY LOCK/UNLOCK. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING IN 1ST GEAR AND CLUNKING WHEN SHIFTING. AFTER UNSUCCESSFULLY ATTEMPTING TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION, GMC TOLD DEALER TO INSTALL A NEW TRANSMISSION. *AK

GM IS REFUSING TO FIX PROBLEM. THEY CLAIM THAT FRONT BRAKES ARE OVER HEATED AND ROTORS BLUE. SUGGEST THAT CUSTOMER CHANGE DRIVING HABITS AND USE TRANSMISSION LOWER GEARS TO ASSIST SLOWING VEHICLE. ALL THIS ACCURED BETWEEN 35,693 MILES AND 37,389 MILES. *AK

DURING ACCELERATION FROM A STOP, WHEN BRAKING, AND WHEN GOING AROUND A CORNER A VERY NOTICEABLE CLUNKING NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. DEALER HAD TO CONTACT DETROIT ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND FOUND OUT THAT AN IMPROPER FLUID WAS PLACED IN THE AWD TRANSFER CASE AT THE FACTORY AND THAT THE FLIUD SHOULD BE FLUSHED AND REPLACED WITH THE NEW FLIUD(PART NO. 12378508). THE CLUNKING HAD ALSO CAUSED THE TRANSFER CASE MOUNTING BOLTS TO BECOME LOOSE PROBABLY FROM THE VIBRATION. THIS SERVICE WAS PERFORMED AT NO COST AND HAVE NOT NOTICED ANY SIMILAR PROBLEMS SINCE. THE VEHICLE NOW HAS APPROXIMATELY 5200 MILES ON IT.

VEHICLE EXPERIENCES SHUDDERING/BUMPING/CLUNK DURING ACCELERATION AND BACKING FROM PARKING SPACE (ESPECIALLY WITH TURNING). THIS IS ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE AFTER VEHICLE IS WELL WARMED (PARTICULARLY AFTER MORE THAN 50 MILES DRIVEN). SYMPTOMS NOT AS NOTICEABLE WHEN VEHICLE IS COLD.