2005 GMC Sierra 2500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC SIERRA 2500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED TO ILLUMINATE AND DISPLAY WHAT GEAR THE VEHICLE WAS POSITIONED IN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

SLIGHT CLUNKING STARTED WHEN SHIFTING INTO DRIVE. FLUID ON GARAGE FLOOR. OFF TO AAMCO. FOUND TWO HOLES IN TRANSFERCASE. THE "4 STAR BUFFERING RING" ON SHAFT INSIDE POUNDED TWO HOLES IN CASING. JUST STEP ON GAS AND TORQUE POUNDS THE RING INTO THE CASING UNTIL HOLES ARE MADE. ALL FLUID POURS OUT. MOST PEOPLE WONT EVEN KNOW ITS HAPPENED UNTIL CASTASTROPHIC FAILURE. SEVERAL SEALS, CHAIN, TWO GEARS, 3 BOTTLES OF FLUID, "4 STAR BUFFER RING" AND A NEW CASING HALF WAS REQUIRED. $2654.00 TO REPAIR FOR A 12 MONTH WARRANTY. AAMCO POINTED OUT I DID NOTHING WRONG. ITS AN ENGINEERED FAILURE POINT BY GM. ADD THIS TO ; #1-SPEEDO GEAR FAILURE-20MPH AND GAGE READS 90 MPH, #2-CD/RADIO BURNT UP, #3-WATER PUMP FAILURE 16K MILES, #4-CAB OF TRUCK NOT ATTACHED TO FRAME CORRECTLY "CAB WOBBLING", #5-ROOF TEMP CONTROL UNIT FAILURE, #6-PASSENGER WINDOW MOTOR STOPS WORKING BELOW 25 DEGREES, #7-FACTORY INSTALLED BATTERY WAS THE WRONG ONE WHEN BOUGHT NEW IN OGDEN, UTAH. NOW,.... AIRBAGS???

EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS ARE BREAKING OFF FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I HAVE FOUR BROKEN ALREADY AND AN EXHAUST LEAK DEVELOPING. THIS APPEARS TO BE A DEFECT IN MANUFACTURING. I HAVE A FRIEND WITH TWO OF THE SAME TRUCKS THAT THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED TO. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS POSTED ON THE WEB. I HAVE HAD MANY VEHICLES OVER THE YEARS AND WORKED THEM HARD BUT HAVE NEVER SEEN A BROKEN EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLT ON ANY OF THEM. THIS CAN BE A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS HAVING EXHAUST LEAKS UNDER HOOD COULD CAUSE A FIRE. AS FAR AS I KNOW GM HAS NOT ISSUED A BULLETIN OR RECALL ON THIS BUT THERE SHOULD BE SOME REMEDIATION AS THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR AND IT IS NOT A FAILURE CAUSED BY THE LACK OF MAINTENANCE. I HAVE ALSO HEARD REPORTS OF REPAIRED UNITS BREAKING AGAIN IN ABOUT THE SAME NUMBER OF MILES AND HAVING TO BE REPAIRED AGAIN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA 2500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING WOULD SEIZE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE TO STOP WHEN THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED. IN ADDITION, THE TRANSMISSION, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, CRUISE CONTROL, AND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES, BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

GM STATES THAT DEXRON-VI IS FULLY BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE WITH ALL DEXRON-III APPLICATIONS. MY VEHICLE IS A 2005 GMC SIERRA K2500HD, WITH AN 8.1L GASOLINE ENGINE AND ALLISON 1000 TRANSMISSION. AFTER PERFORMING A ROUTINE SERVICE ON MY TRANSMISSION (FLUID DRAIN AND REFILL), REPLACING THE DEXRON-III WITH DEXRON-VI, I NOTICED THE SEALS AND GASKETS LEAKING FROM AROUND THE TRANSMISSION. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT THE SYNTHETIC DEXRON-VI IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH CERTAIN SEALS INSTALLED IN ALLISON BRAND TRANSMISSIONS. ALLISON TRANSMISSION DOES NOT APPROVE THE USE OF DEXRON-VI IN ITS TRANSMISSIONS DUE TO THE SEAL INCOMPATIBILITY (ALLISON SERVICE TIP #1099P). ANOTHER ALLISON DOCUMENT (SA5429EN) LISTS TWO SERIAL NUMBER CUTOFFS, PRIOR TO WHICH CONTAIN SEALS INCOMPATIBLE WITH DEXRON-VI. THE SITUATION HAS YET TO BE RESOLVED - GM DENIES ANY POSSIBLE INCOMPATIBILITY, AND WILL NOT WARRANT ANY DAMAGES, WHILE ALLISON REPRESENTATIVES HAVE TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM IS A DIRECT RESULT OF DEXRON-VI. THE ESTIMATED COST TO REPLACE ALL OF THE SEALS IN THE TRANSMISSION IS $1,900.00. *TR

NOTICED A NOISE IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION/DRIVE TRAIN. AN ALIGNMENT SHOP CHECKED THE FRONT END AND THEY FOUND THAT THE FRONT SEALED WHEEL BEARINGS WERE ABOUT TO HAVE A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. VEHICLE HAS 65,000 MILES AND HAS NEVER BEEN SUBJECTED TO HARSH ENVIRONMENTS. WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE DRIVEN SAFELY. SEALED BEARINGS HAVE NO MAINTENANCE OPTIONS AND CAN CREATE AN ACCIDENT. LEARNED OF OTHER GMC FRONT WHEEL BEARING ISSUES WHILE MEETING WITH THE SHOP TO ARRANGE FOR REPAIRS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC SIERRA 2500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE DRIVES HIS VEHICLE UPHILL WITH A TRAILER IN TOW, THE VEHICLE SLAMS INTO THIRD GEAR, JERKS, AND OVERHEATS. THE FAILURE OCCURS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000. UPDATED 5/13/08 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED SEVERAL DEALERS WERE TELLING HIM DIFFERENT THINGS AS TO WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE, TRANSMISSION AND TRANSFER CASE. ONE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER THE WRONG TRANSFER CASE WAS IN THE VEHICLE. A NEW SERPENTINE BELT WAS INSTALLED, THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL WAS REPLACED, BECAUSE THE AXLE SHAFT WAS STUCK, THE AXLE SEAL WAS LEAKING AND BOTH HIGH PRESSURE LINES OF THE HYDROBOOST WERE LEAKING AS WELL. THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CHARGE AIR COOLER WAS LEAKING RESIDUAL OIL FROM THE LOWER RIGHT CORNER. UPDATED 05/13/08.