1995 Chevrolet Lumina

1995 CHEVROLET LUMINAS APPARENTLY HAVE A KNOWN TRANSMISSION DEFECT WHICH CAUSES THE TORQUE CONVERTER TO LOCK UP AT VERY LOW SPEEDS, CAUSING JERKY & UNEVEN SHIFTING. WHEN DECELERATING THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILS TO UNLOCK, DRAGGING DOWN THE RPM OF THE ENGINE TO VERY LOW LEVELS WHEN DECELERATING. THE TRANSMISSION SHOP I WENT TO IN ORDER TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM ADVISED ME THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN DEFECT FROM CHEVROLET, WHO HAD ISSUED A TSB CONCERNING THE PROBLEM. THE TRANSMISSION SHOP ADVISED ME THAT THE REPAIR WAS OVER $1,000 AND THAT IF I DID NOT HAVE THE REPAIR DONE THE VEHICLE COULD STALL WHEN DECELERATING SUDDENLY, POSSIBLY LEADING TO LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. WITH MY CAR THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM, I HAVE NOT AS OF YET REPAIRED THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER I WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WAS NO FACTORY CORRECTION FOR THE PROBLEM AND ALL SERVICE WOULD BE FEEABLE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A POTENTIAL LIFE SAFETY ISSUE AS WHEN THE CAR STALLS POWER STEERING IS LOST AND UNTIL RESTARTED HAS NO POWER TO AVOID A CRASH. THANK YOU FOR THE EVALUATION OF THIS REPORT.*AK

CAR WAS PURCHASED AT A DEALERSHIP. I UNDERSTOOD IT WAS A USED CAR AND I WANTED TO PURCHASE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT LET US. TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE THE TRANSMISSION BLEW. WE BOUGHT ANOTHER TRANSMISSION FROM DEALERSHIP AND THEN THAT ONE FAILED. FINALLY, I COMPLAINED TO THE MANUFACTURER AND RECEIVED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THIS CAR HAS HAD A TOTAL OF 3 TRANSMISSIONS, NEW HEAD GASKETS AND NOW THE ENGINE FAILED. THE LOCKS ON PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE DO NOT WORK. THE CAR WAS WELL MAINTAINED. I WAS TOLD BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THEY COULD NOT HELP ME IN ANY WAY DUE TO THE AGE AND MILEAGE ON THE CAR. I KNOW PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THEIR CARS FOR AT LEAST 8 OR 10 YRS. AND STILL HAVE THE SAME ENGINE. I SUSPECT THE DEALERSHIP KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THIS CAR AND SOLD IT TO US ANYWAY. THE CAR WAS SOLD TO US FOR $12,500 THEY ADDED AN ADDITIONAL 25% INTEREST, SO IN THE END WE ARE PAYING OVER $20,000 FOR THIS CAR. IT IS NOW GOING TO COST ME $4,800 TO FIX THE CAR. THIS PRICE EXCEEDS WHAT I OWE. THIS CAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS SINCE DAY 1 AND NOW THE WINDOWS WORK WHEN THEY WANT TO. THIS VEHICLE IS USED TO GET TO WORK AND HOME, IT'S NOT LIKE I WAS OUT DRAG RACING IN IT. I'M JUST VERY UPSET. ANY FEEDBACK OR SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU.

VEHICLE SLAMMED INTO FIRST GEAR AFTER MAJOR FAILURE, INTERNALLY, IN THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING RAPID DECELLERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN NORMALLY, IE.. NO REVERSE SLAM, NO EXCESSIVE EXCELLERATION. IF THIS HAD OCCURRED AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED, IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A LOSS OF CONTROL OR ACCIDENT AND INJURY. G.M. WAS CONTACTED AT 1-800-222-1020, AND A COMPLAINT REGISTERED, #C02675467. THE REPAIR SHOP WAS A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT SPECIALIZES IN TRANSMISSION REPAIR. THE TECHNICIANS COMMENTS WERE, I HAVE SEEN MANY OF THESE FAILURES, SOME ON NEWER CARS THAN YOURS. HE ALSO INDICATED THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME KIND OF RECALL FOR THIS FAILURE. G.M. DOES NOT USE THE ORIGINAL COMPONENT THAT FAILED, A NEW AND IMPROVED TYPE IS BEING USED IN ITS PLACE ACCORDING TO THE TECHNICIAN. *AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WHILE TRAVELLING 30 MPH UPHILL. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT ALL GEAR SELECTIONS EXCEPT PARK ACTED LIKE NEUTRAL. VEHICLE WOULD ROLL IF BRAKE NOT APPLIED. DEALER (OTHER THAN WHERE VEHICLE PURCHASED) EXAMINED VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE INPUT HOUSING WAS CRACKED. TRANSMISSION REQUIRED TO BE REBUILT / REPLACED; COST OF $2000.00. CERTIFIED GM TRANSMISSION RECEIVED AND INSTALLED THEN FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE. 2ND REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION ORDERED AND IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING INSTALLED. CONTACT WITH GM INDICATED SINCE TRANSMISSION PAST WARRANTY PERIOD, THEY COULD NOT HELP. *AK