1999 Chevrolet Tracker

I RECENTLY TOOK MY 1999 CHEVROLET TRACKER, VIN [XXX], INTO MY LOCAL GM DEALER FOR A PROBLEM I WAS HAVING WITH THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE. IT WAS A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE IN THE RIGHT FRONT AND THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE WAS SLIPPING IN AND OUT. THE DEALER CHECKED IT OUT AND CALLED ME BACK TO LET ME KNOW THAT THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL. HE FOUND THIS OUT ONLY AFTER RESEARCHING SEVERAL OTHER POSSIBILITIES (AT $61.00 PER HOUR) BY CALLING GM'S TECH SUPPORT. HE WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS PROBLEM IN WHICH GM HAS HAD TO MODIFY THE DIFFERENTIAL CASE. IN ORDER FOR THE PROBLEM TO BE CORRECTED, THE FRONT AXLE DIFFERENTIAL CASE, ACTUATOR AND SIDE BEARINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF $1380.68. AT THE TIME THIS PROBLEM STARTED, I WAS DRIVING TO WORK IN A SNOWSTORM THAT DUMPED 12" IN 8 HOURS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, 4-WHEEL DRIVE WAS PRETTY MUCH A NECESSITY. UNFORTUNATELY, I COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO GO HANDLE PROPERLY, BECAUSE THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE WOULD NOT STAY ENGAGED. I PARKED IT AND CALLED FOR A RIDE. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT EVEN THOUGH GM HAS ADMITTED TO A FAULTY DESIGN IN THE DIFFERENTIAL CASE, AND HAS MODIFIED IT FOR REPAIR OF A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM, THEY HAVE NOT ISSUED A RECALL AND WILL NOT PAY FOR THEIR MISTAKE. *JB *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

HAVE BEEN REPORTING CLUNKING NOISE IN FRONT END WHEN I TURN VEHICLE. HAVE REPORTED THIS TO MY DEALERSHIP ON A REGULAR BASIS SINCE 2000. THEY KEEP TELLING ME THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND HAVE HAD NO OTHER COMPLAINTS. I ALSO CONTACTED CHEVROLET AND THEY SAID THEY DO NOT CONTRRADICT THE DEALERSHIP AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO, I JUST FOUND OUT THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS THAT WAS ISSUED 4-1-01. THE DEALERSHIP (TEAM CHEVROLET IN COLORADO SPRINGS NOR CHEVROLET HAS EVER MENTIONED THIS TO ME). I FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR ANY REPAIR NEEDED AS THE CLUNKING NOISE IS GETTING WORSE. AT THIS POINT, I DON'T KNOW HOW I SHOULD PROCEED AND WHO I NEED TO CONTACT.*AK

THE VEHICLE IS DESIGNED WITH AN AUTOMATIC LIGHT SENSOR WHICH TURNS ON THE LIGHTS WHEN IT GETS DARK, HOWEVER THE SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY AND THE LIGHTS ACTIVATE AT ANY TIME FOR NO REASON DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS, THE SENSOR HAS BEEN REPLACED ON THREE OCCASIONS, HOWEVER THE SYSTEM CONTINUES TO EXPERIENCE OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS. *MJS

SINCE OWNING OUR 1999 CHEVEROLET TRACKER OUR VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIR THE THE TRANSMISSION AT LEAST 30 PERCENT OF THE TIME. MY WIFE HAS HAD SEVERAL NEAR ACCIDENTS WHEN THE THE TRANSMISSION HAS EITHER LOCKED UP, OR NOT GONE INTO THE PROPER GEAR. ONE INCEDENT GEARS LOCKED UP CAUSING THE TRACKER TO SKID AND SUDDEN STOP, CASUSING A NECK INJURY TO MY WIFE. A SECOND INCEDENT WHEN THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP SHE SKIDDED SIDEWAYS THROUGH A SCHOOL CROSSING. ONLY A FEW MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING OUR TRAKCER IN JULY OF LAST YEAR AND AFTER SEVERAL NEAR ACCIDENTS THE DEALER REPLACED PARTS ON THE TRASNMISSION (VEHICHLE WAS OUT NEARLY A MONTH), TWO MONTHS LATER AFTER MORE NEAR ACCIDENTS AND A NEAR LOCK UP AS THE DEALER REPAIR MANAGER TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED (VEHICHLE WAS OUT 2 MONTHS), EVEN AFTER THE REPLACMENT OF THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION VEHICLE WE STILL ENCOUNTERED TRANSMISSION PROBLES. WE TRIED TO RETURN THE VEHICLE TO DEALER BUT ALL WE RECIEVED WAS HEARTACHE AND HEADACHES DUE TO THEIR INTRANSIENCE, BECASUE OF MY WIFES FEAR OF GETTING BACK IN THE VEHICLE IT SAT AT THE DEALER LOT (2MONTHS) WHILE THEY EVALUSATED IT. THEIR CONCLUSTION WAS NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE NEW TRANSMISSION. NOW IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT A CHEVROLET BULLITEN # 00-07-29-001 HAS SHOWN PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE ARE STILL EXPERIANCING. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE THAT IT MIGHT TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS TO ABOTAIN THE PARTS AND REPLACE THEM. YOUR REVIEW OF THESE DEFECTS IS APPRECIATED. HENRY GONZALES