1997 Chevrolet Blazer

ENCODER MOTOR FAILURE: CALLED CHEVROLET 800 NUMBER TO COMPLAIN ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO SWICTCH FROM 2-WHEEL DRIVE TO 4-WHEEL. MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH LOCAL DEALER. AFTER DIAGNOSIS, TOLD THERE WAS A ENCODER MOTOR FAILURE AND THE MOTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT CHERVROLET POINT OF CONTACT TO DISCUSS IF THIS SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY SINCE THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE WAS HARDLY USED AND THE PART IS PROBABLY DEFECTIVE. HOWEVER, NO RESPONSE AS OF YET. THE COST IS $600 FOR THE REPAIR. THE CAR HAD ONLY 45,000 MILES AT THE TIME. PRIOR TO THAT, THE LIGHT ON THE 4-WHEEL BUTTON WOULD BE LIT DURING SWITCHING BUT NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN. DOING A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET RESULTED IN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE ENCODER.

THIS TRUCK WAS ALWAYS SERVICED AT THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. ANY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE WAS DONE INCLUDING THE TRANSMISSION. ON THE 60,000 SERVICE THE SERVICE MANAGER SUGGESTED A FLUSH TYPE OF TRANSMISSION SERVICE & I SAID TO PROCEED. THE VERY NEXT DAY THE VEHICLE WAS PICKED UP & IMMEDIATELY SHOWED SYMPTOMS OF SHIFTING AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS THAN IT HAD BEFORE THE SERVICE. AFTER SOME CALLS TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT BACK SO THEY COULD DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. NO DEFINITIVE ANSWER COULD BE GIVEN BUT THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED, THEY, THE DEALERSHIP, WOULD ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM. I GUESS THEY NEVER HEARD OF CAUSE & EFFECT. NEEDLESS TO SAY I REMOVED THE VEHICLE FROM THEIR POSSESSION IMMEDIATELY. A THIRD PARTY REPAIR FACILITY HAD DETERMINED THE TRANSMISSION HAD SELF DESTRUCTED TO THE POINT OF MAJOR DAMAGE. SUBSEQUENTLY I SPOKE WITH OTHER SHOPS ONLY TO FIND THE METHOD OF FLUSHING WAS A BAD IDEA MOST LIKELY DID CAUSE THE FAILURE. SO MUCH FOR AN AUTHORIZED DEALER & MANUFACTURER STANDING BEHIND THEIR WORK. THIS COST ME TO THE TUNE OF $2,000.

TRANSMISSION FAILED IN DRIVEWAY WHEN PLACED VEHICLE IN REVERSE IT BUCKED FORWARD CAUSING MY SON TO BE PINNED AGAINST THE GARAGE INJURING HIS RIGHT LEG AND FOOT, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE AND ENGAGED IN 4WD BY ITSELF. MY SON COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICHLE SINCE I PURCHASED IT WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND TRANSFER BOX FAILURE. CURRENTLY IN THE REPAIR SHOP ESTIMATED AT $1200. PLUS TO REPAIR THIS TIME. TRANSFER BOX COST OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE IN EXCESS OF $800. I WAS NOT SURPRISED TO SEE SO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBELM WITH THIS YEAR MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE. THE REPAIR SHOP TECH TOLD ME HE HAS REPLACED MANY TRANSMISSIONS IN THIS VEHICLE AND IS SURPRISED THERE HAS NOT YET BEEN A RECALL.I AM A WIDOWER LIVING ON A FIXED INCOME AND THESE UNEXPECTED AND UNNECESSARY EXPENSES HAVE HURT. I EXPECT THE INCIDENTALS WITH KEEPING UP MY VEHICLE, I HAVE MY VEHICLE TAKEN IN FOR REGULAR MAINTENENCE BUT THIS GOES FAR BEYOND REGULAR WEAR AND TEAR. GMC SHOULD MAKE GOOD ON THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS OBVIOUSLY, BASED ON THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS, A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. PLEASE ADVISE AS TO FURTHER STEPS TO TAKE TO HOPEFULLY RESOLVE THIS MATTER. GMC HAS TO BE SHOWN THAT CONSUMERS DONT HAVE TO BE VICTIMS. *AK