1998 GMC Jimmy Transmission Problems

DT: THE FRONT AND REAR WINDSHIELD WIPERS BEGAN TO INTERMITTENTLY WORK. THIS WAS OVER A PERIOD OF THREE MONTHS AND LATER STOPPED WORKING ALL TOGETHER. CONSUMER DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR ANY REPAIRS BECAUSE IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT SHIFT PROPERLY AFTER ACCELERATION FOR A PERIOD OF ABOUT THIRTY SECONDS, AND THEN IT SHIFTED INTO GEAR. THE ABS WAS DELAYED WHEN APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE. THE BRAKES LOCKED, AND THEN THE VEHICLE SLID. THE BRAKES PADS WERE REPLACED EVERY THREE MONTHS, THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS. THE STEERING WHEEL PULLED TO THE RIGHT CONTINUOUSLY, AN ALIGNMENT WAS PERFORMED A YEAR AGO BUT IT DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. IN JANUARY 2004 THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, IT STRUCK A PARKED CAR AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 30 MPH AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THIS WAS FRONT IMPACT. THE CONSUMER HAS NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE VEHICLE. *AK.

NHTSA ID

10134865

Incident

Jan 6, 2004

Mileage

100,000 mi

THE TRANSMISSION ON MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN SLIPPING-FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD-WHEN IT GETS WARM. IT BEGAN AT 50000 MILES AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REBUILT-WITH GM PARTS AT 85000 MILES. IT HAS BEGUN TO SLIP AGAIN. I UNDERSTAND FROM REVIEWING A SITE CALLED COMPLAINT STATION THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10016288

Incident

Jan 5, 2001

Mileage

50,000 mi

THE TRANSMISSION LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD, AND WHEN THE WEATHER WAS HOT TRANSMISSION SLIPPED. *JB ....*AK

NHTSA ID

10014708

Mileage

60,000 mi

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO GET CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE TO DECELERATE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *MR

NHTSA ID

8020331

Incident

Aug 14, 2002

WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAIL TO ACTUATE ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS WITH NO DISCERNABLE PATTERN. FREQUENCY OF FAILURE IS INCREASING. WHEN THE WIPERS DO FAIL SOMETIMES THEY WILL ACTIVATE AFTER 15-20 ATTEMPTS TO TURN THEM ON. AT TIMES ONLY STOPPING AND TURNING OFF THE IGNITION SWITHCH AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE WILL GET THE WIPERS TO ACTIVATE. TRANSMISSION FBEGAN FAILING WITH OCCASSIONAL BUT NOTICABLE LATE AND HARD SHIFTS FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR . ENGINE LIGHT CODE SCAN INDICATED A FAILURE OF THE VALVE BODY. REPLACEMENT OF THE VALVE BODY FIXED THE PROBLEM , BUT THE ADDTIONAL TORQUE PUT ON THE DRIVETRAIN FROM THE HARD SHIFTS MOST PROBABLY CAUSED THE FAILURE OF THE REAR U-JOINT AS WELL.

NHTSA ID

764488

Incident

Aug 11, 2001

HAD THIS JIMMY IN FOR THE SAME REPAIR 5 TIMES. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

764249

Incident

Nov 14, 2001

CONSUMER STATED IT WAS DETERMINED BY A MECHANIC THAT THE TRANSMISSION MUST BE REPLACED. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY INSPECTOR FOUND SALT WATER IN THE TRANSMISSION AND DETERMINED THAT THE DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT COVERED. CONSUMER IS FILING A DISPUTE OF A CLAIM. *TT

NHTSA ID

566246

Incident

May 29, 2002

IGNITION SWITCH FAILED THREE TIMES, CAUSING VEHICLE TO AUTOMATICALLY SHUT OFF. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATES, DRIVER?S WINDOW MOTOR FAILED AND WINDOW WILL NOT GO UP OR DOWN, ALL DASH LIGHTS AND GAUGES WILL STOP WORKING, MUFFLER HAS HOLE IN IT AND MAKES LOUD NOISE, MUFFLER AND PIPE EXHAUST SYSTEM REPLACED, AND WHEN CRANK SOMETIMES BACKFIRES AND SHIFTS HARD, SERVO MAKING BANG SHIFT, INSTALLED SERVO AND 2 SYNOLIDS. *YD

NHTSA ID

8006797

Incident

Jul 11, 2001

TRANSMISSION OIL COOLING LINE IS LEAKING FROM METAL ATTACHEMENT. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

NHTSA ID

8001538

Incident

Jan 4, 2002

TRANS.MISSION ROORED WHEN FIRST STARTING OUT, THEN WOULD NOT SHIFT UNLESS YOU TOOK YOUR FOOT OFF THE GAS, THEN COMPLEATLY FAILED, DRUM, CLUTCHES & BANDS HAD TO BE REBUILT. *AK

NHTSA ID

751960

Incident

Sep 1, 2001

DEALER REPAIR CENTER STATES THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL CLUTCHES THAT WERE BURNT AND THAT A BROKEN BAND WAS FOUND AS WELL AS HAVING THE HOUSING SCALDED. SAID THAT AN AFTERMARKET TRANSMISSION FILTER WAS FOUND IN THE UNIT AND THAT A SUBPAR FLUID WAS USED TO REFILL IT. THIS CAR WAS PICKED UP BRAND NEW OFF OF THE LOT AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS NEVER SERVICED BY ANYONE SINCE WE HAVE OWNED IT. ALL REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE HAVE BEEN DONE AT THIS SAME DEALER AS WE HAD A WARRANTY ON THIS UNIT UNTIL 4 MONTHS AGO WHEN WE HIT 36,000 MILES.*AK

NHTSA ID

751782

Incident

Aug 3, 2001

AUTO TRANSMISSION IN TWICE BEFORE FAILED,BATTERY LEAK DAMAGED ELEC SYS, REAR DEFOG STOPPED WORKING (GLASS HAD TO BE REPLACED), DEALER UNABLE TO STOP FRONT SUSPENSION POPPING NOISES, PASS SEAT RECLINER HANDLE KEEPS BREAKING OFF. *AK

NHTSA ID

748703

Incident

Feb 1, 1999

INSTURMENT PANEL NOT WORKING,ENGINE LIGHT ON, TRANSMISSION NOT SHIFTING, KEYS STUCK IN IGNITION. PARTS FAILING THROUGHOUT THIS SUV

NHTSA ID

735131

Incident

Aug 25, 2000

ONE OF THE TRANSMISSION LINES LOOSENED, CAUSING TRANSMISSION FLUID TO LEAK OUT. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. PROBLEM HAS BEEN CORRECTED. *AK TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKED OIL OVER THE EXHAUST SYSTEM INCLUDING THE CONVERTOR. *YH

NHTSA ID

864219

Incident

Mar 23, 2000

THE SERPENTINE BELT TENSIONER IS AN ITEM REQUIRING NO MAINTENANCE. WHEN IT FAILS THE VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY DISABLED. THE TRANSMISSIN COOLING LINE FAILED WHERE IT CONNECTS TO THE TRANSMISSION. THIS CONNECTION POINT IS DIRECTLY ABOVE THE EXHAUST SYSTEM SO WHEN IT FAILS TRANSMISSION OIL IS SPEWED ALL OVER THE HOT EXHAUST PIPES/CATALYTIC CONVERTER.

NHTSA ID

723347

Incident

May 27, 2000

FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. GAUGES WOULD FAIL,AND ALL DASH GAUGE LAMPS WOULD LIGHT UP. STOPPED AT DEALER AND ASKED IF THEY KNEW OF THE PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD ITS A KNOWN PROBLEM BUT IF IT WASN'T FIXED AT ANY TIME IT COULD GO,AND I WOULD BE STUCK. WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION, IT WOULD FAIL TO START AND ALL THE GAUGES WOULD FAIL. THE PROBLEM IS WITH A BAD GROUND IN THE ELECTRICAL ASM BEHIND THE KEYLOCK AND IT WOULD COST AROUND $500 TO FIX. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE A CALL BACK.I WAS TOLD THE PART WAS HARD TO COME BY BECAUSE THEY HAD TO PURGE INVENTORY OF THE OLD PART.IF THE NEW UPGRADED PART IS SO HARD TO GET I WOULD SUSPECT THAT THE PROBLEM IS LARGER THAN IS BEING LET ON.AT THIS POINT I HAVE A RENTAL, WAITING FOR THE CAR TO BE FIXED.THIS IS SIMILAR TO THE FORD RECALL WITH THE IGNITION SWITCHES THAT CAUSED FIRES ONLY THEY SAY THIS PROBLEM WON'T CAUSE A FIRE. BUT WHAT HAPPENS IF IT GOES WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS,OR ANY SPEED AT THAT MATTER?

NHTSA ID

715971

Incident

Dec 10, 1999

TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK WHEN VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. DEALER SAYS THAT SOME STICKY SUBSTANCE WAS SPILLED IN THE CONSOLE BY THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTER AND CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT ASSY TO LOCK UP. THE ONLY THING THAT WAS SPILLED IN THAT AREA WAS A COVERED CUP FILLED WITH SWEET TEA THAT TIPPED OVER THE CUP HOLDER. I DON'T KNOW HOW THE LIQUID COULD'VE LEAKED UNDERNEATH THE CONSOLE AND CAUSE MY TRANSMISSION TO FREEZE UP. PEOPLE DRINK IN CARS ALL THE TIME, AND THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. THIS IS A DEFAULT WITH THE TRANSMISSION CONSOLE. BECAUSE IT LOCKED UP MY TRANSMISSION, MY VEHICLE WAS INOPERABLE AND COULD HAVE PUT ME IN A SERIOUS RISK WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE ROAD OR PARKED IN AN UNSAFE AREA. FORTUNATELY THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AT MY PARENTS HOUSE AND THERE WERE NO INCIDENTS. *AK

NHTSA ID

715793

Incident

Dec 3, 1999

SUV PULLS TO THE RIGHT WHEN YOU LET GO OF THE STEERING WHEEL, THE STEERING WHEEL IS HARD TO KEEP IT FROM GOING TO THE RIGHT

NHTSA ID

711871

WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER CONTROL IS TURNED TO THE HIGHEST SETTING, IT DOES NOT WORK. ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION, OFTEN IT ROARS AFTER BEING STARTED UP UNTIL IT GETS TO 3RD GEAR, THEN IT STOPS. DON'T KNOW WHY.*AK

NHTSA ID

708924

Incident

Jan 7, 1999

TRANSMISSION MAKES LOUD ROARING NOISE USUALLY WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP (5-10 MPH) AND WON'T SHIFT INTO NEXT GEAR - HAVE TO DECELERATE AND TRY AGAIN AND SOMETIMES TAKES 3-5 ATTEMPTS BEFORE WILL SHIFT - HAD TO PULL TO SIDE OF ROAD ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS DURING RUSH HOUR. ALMOST IN ACCIDENT ON ONE OCCASION DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. OCCASIONALLY TRANSMISSION HAS ROARED WHEN TRAVELING 50 MPH AND HAD TO DECELERATE. NO TRANSMISSION LIGHT WARNING ME OF PROBLEM ILLUMINATES. HAD SERVICED TWICE AND STILL SAME PROBLEM AND DEALERSHIP FIXED OIL LEAK ON FIRST SERVICE (VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP) AND REPLACED PART 2ND SERVICE AND STILL IS A PROBLEM, LAST OCCURING ON 7/15/99, FOLLOWING 2ND SERVICE. I AM GOING TO REQUEST A 3RD SERVICE. DEALERSHIP HAS NOT HAD A TRANSMISSION SERVICE/REPAIR MAN ON STAFF THE LAST 3 ATTEMPTS TO GET REPAIR. BOTH SERVICES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED BY ADAMS CHEVROLET/GMC IN RAYTOWN, MO BECAUSE DAVE CROSS HAS NOT HAD A TRANSMISSION MAN. HOWEVER, FOR THE 2ND SERVICE (JULY 1999), DAVE CROSS ACCEPTED THE JIMMY FOR SERVICE BUT HAD ADAMS DO THE SERVICE. DAVE CROSS SERVICE MGR (I BELIEVE IS MGR) TOLD ME WHEN I PICKED UP JIMMY FOLLOWING 2ND REPAIR THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECENT "BULLETIN" THAT REQUIRED A PIECE BE REPLACED WHICH THEY DID AND SUPPOSEDLY FIXED THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS, SO I WILL HAVE TO TAKE THE JIMMY IN AGAIN. ALSO, I REQUESTED TO SEE THE BULLETIN AND THE MGR REFUSED. HE SAID IT WAS NOT FOR CUSTOMER USE. *AK

NHTSA ID

708719

Incident

Jul 1, 1999

TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AND LOST POWER WHILE TOWING 4200 POUND RV, A UNIT WELL UNDER THE TOWING CAPACITY OF THE GMC JIMMY. TRANSMISSION GOT HOT AND SLIPPED WITH NOTICABLE LOSS OF POWER. ODD ODOR CAME FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT, ALSO. "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON DURING FUEL STOP. WE THOUGHT IT WAS DUE TO FUEL CAP OR GASOLINE USED. CONTACTED DEALER UPON RETURN FROM TRIP AND HAD ITEM SCHEDULED FOR CHECK ON MON 6/7/1998. HAD TRANSMISSION OIL AND FILTER CHANGED AND MECHANIC NOTED OIL EXCESSIVELY BLACK. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT MONITOR INDICATED TRANMISSSION HAD OVERHEATED TWICE. RECOMMENDATION WAS TO DRIVE SLOWER, CHANGE OIL AND FILTER MORE OFTEN, GET A WIND RESISTANCE DEFLECTOR FOR TOWING VEHICLE. VEHICLE HAS TOWING PACKAGE WITH EXTRA TRANSMISSION OIL COLLER RATED AT OVER 10,000 POUNDS TOWING CAPACITY. SALESMAN, WHO WAS A PREVIOUS RV DEALER/SALESMAN, ASSURED US WHEN WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THAT IT WAS MORE THAN ADEQUATE TO HANDLE THE TOWING OF THE RV (26 FOOT DUTCHMAN LITE, RATED AT 4200 POUNDS). AFRAID THAT TRANSMISSION WILL FAIL AGAIN AND WE WILL BECOME STRANDED. WIFE, WHO DRIVES VEHICLE DAILY, ALSO NOTED THAT TRANSMISSION FELT LIKE IT WAS SLIPPING PERIODICALLY WHEN DRIVING WITHOUT ANY LOAD ATTACHED TO THE VEHEICLE. AM OVERLY CONCERNED NOW THAT I ALSO HAVE A 1998 GMC SONOMA WITH SAME ENGINE, TRNASMISSION, AND TOWING CAPACITY FOR ALTERNATE FOR TOWING RV, AND THAT IT'S TRANSMISSION MAY EXPERIENCE THE SAME SYMPTOMS. *AK

NHTSA ID

707342

Incident

Jun 28, 1998

GEAR CLUTCHES FAILED.

NHTSA ID

544005

Incident

Jan 23, 1999

NO SUMMARY

NHTSA ID

702422

Incident

Jan 18, 1999

THERE WAS NOT A "FAILRE". THE TRANSMISSION ROARS AT INITIAL ACCELERATION. THE ROAR CONTINUES THROUGH FIRST GEAR AND QUITS PRIOR TO SHIFTING INTO THIRD GEAR. THE ROAR IS INTERMITTENT AND SO FAR UNPREDICTIBLE. THIS OCCURS DURING SLOW ACCELERATION.

NHTSA ID

537626

Incident

May 26, 1998