CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO REPAIR SHOP BECAUSE OF THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS; RACK AND PINION FAILED TWICE/AIR CONDITIONER MALFUNCTIONED TWICE/VEHICLE STALLED AT TAKE OFF/ OIL LEAK, AND BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO OPERATE PROPERLY. ALSO, VEHICLE MADE A LOUD NOISE ON DRIVER'S SIDE WHILE DRIVING. *AK
2008
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
RENTED 2009 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER SUV FROM NATIONAL CAR RENTAL ON 8/31/08 WITH 436 MILES ON ODOMETER. DROVE APPROX 800 MILES OVER A PERIOD OF 7 DAYS. ON 9/6/08, WHILE DRIVING ON I-75 SOUTHBOUND AT 70MPH, VEHICLE SHIFTED ITSELF INTO 3RD GEAR, WOULD NOT GO INTO 4TH OR OVERDRIVE. RPM'S AT 70 MPH WERE APPROX 3,500. PULLED OFF ROAD AT INTERSTATE EXIT, TRANSMISSION MADE A "CLUNK", JOLTING ME AND MY WIFE RATHER INTENSELY. TOPPED OFF THE FUEL, QUITE GINGERLY BEGAN OUR TRIP AGAIN. AS VEHICLE REACHED 45-50MPH, IT DOWNSHIFTED ITSELF INTO 3RD GEAR, JUMPING THE RPM'S AND CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LURCH HARSHLY. CALLED NATIONAL, REQUESTED THEY "TALK US IN" TO SAGINAW, MI OFFICE FOR VEHICLE EXCHANGE. NATIONAL REP TOLD ME SHE "COULD NOT READ A MAP" AND "CAN'T TELL WHAT EXIT YOU SHOULD TAKE TO GET HERE". WE ONCE AGAIN PULLED OFF THE ROAD AT AN EXIT, SLOWED TO A STOP, PUT VEHICLE IN PARK WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LOCATE A NATIONAL OFFICE. WHILE ON "HOLD" WITH NATIONAL'S ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE DEPT., DECIDED TO TRY TO GET ON THE ROAD AGAIN. REACHED 40MPH ON I-75, WHEN TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED. MOTOR REVVED WHEN THROTTLE DEPRESSED, BUT NO FORWARD MOTION OCCURRED. PULLED OFF IN EMERGENCY LANE (NARROW, NEXT TO A STEEP DITCH), AND WERE STUCK THERE FOR NEARLY TWO HOURS WHILE NATIONAL PERFORMED A "TOW-EXCHANGE". EVENTUALLY, ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT OUT, BUT NOT UNTIL AFTER WE WERE STUCK WITH HUGE SEMI TRACTORS RUNNING 80MPH PAST US FOR TWO HOURS, AND HAVING NO MEANS OF SHELTER FROM THE POTENTIAL OF BECOMING "ROADKILL"!! FAILURE OF TRANSMISSION WAS UNPRECEDENTED. VEHICLE DROVE NORMALLY UNTIL IT WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO 4TH / OVERDRIVE. FAILURE WAS PROGRESSIVE AND SEVERE THEREAFTER. *TR