Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
POWER TRAIN
00773100171904l60e, 4l65e replacement valve body gaskets does not seem to fit. *tt10/27/2005
305401/01/200410009665Replacement flexplate may have larger bolt holes than the original flexplate. *tt10/14/2004
30023002D100088024l60e/4l65e intermittent neutral condition while accelerating from a stop or while driving. *tt 1999-2006 gm cars, light duty trucks and utilities. *tt08/23/2004
0208601/01/2004100077824l60e, 4l65e intermittent neutral from a stop or steady speed. *tt07/12/2004
990730016A10/01/2002990730016B10007838Diagnostic information for intermittent transmission downshift, slip, busy/cycling tcc or noisy cooling fan. *tt07/12/2004
0159901/01/2004100072374l60e, 4l65e forward and low reverse waved steel clutch plate appearance change. *tt06/04/2004
00822B01/01/200400822C10005474No 2nd, no 4th and no reverse. to include 2004 light duty automobiles and trucks equipped with 4l60e or 4l65e automatic transmission. *tt02/27/2004
0141011/18/200310004214Poor performance from a stop in 2wd, auto or 4wd hi. 2003, 2003 cadillac ext also included. *tt11/21/2003
020421005A02/01/200302042100510001110Slips in 4-wheel drive, noise, vibration, leaks, hot odor. *tt04/15/2003
02042100506/01/2002634905Some vehicles will not move when 4-wheel drive is requested, noise, shudder, poor performance, transmission / transfer case slips, transmission will not upshift, slips in 4-wheel drive. *tt10/10/2002
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
03073005611/01/2003100055664l60-e automatic transmission oil pump first and second design identification. *tt03/04/2004
0070201/01/200400702B10005476Slip condition in 2nd, 3rd or 4th damaged 2-4 band 3-4 clutch on the 4l60e/4l65e automatic transmission. *tt *mj03/01/2004
010730038B10/01/2005010730038C10005162The service engine soon lamp is illuminated, no 3rd and 4th gear, the transmission does not shift correctly, the transmission feels like it shifts to neutral or a loss of drive occurs. *tt02/09/2004
02073001103/01/2002631670Subject regarding, 2001-2002 chevrolet and gmc c/k pickup and utility models, diagnostics for possible gear indicator concerns. *jg06/10/2002
02073001103/01/2002631259Subject regarding, 2001-2002 chevrolet and gmc c/k pickup and utility models, diagnostics for possible gear indicator concerns. *slc05/21/2002
01073003812/01/2001010730038D628934Some customers may comment that the service engine soon lamp is illuminated, no 3rd and 4th gear, the transmission does not shift correctly, the transmission feels like it shifts to neutral or a loss of drive occurs. *tt03/25/2002
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM)
0148301/01/200410005496Vehicle has no pcm (power train control module) communication with tech 2. sit bulletin 1400427. *tt03/01/2004
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - COOLING UNIT AND LINES
04220204/22/2002636575Subject regarding kinked transmission oil cooler lines. *tt11/10/2002
POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY
40304030A10021676New design front axle side bearing adjusters. *kb06/15/2007
336410014953Rear axle retainer button breakage. *eh05/12/2005
30013001A10008872The service information and owners manual do not show a service interval for the 8.6, 9.5, 9.75, 10.5, and 11.5 inch rear axles with or without g80 (locking differential). *tt 2006 all general motors light duty trucks, vans and utilitie08/25/2004
03041800306/01/200310002854Revised wheel drive shaft inner joint and seal replacement. *tt09/26/2003
POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE
33003300A100135724wd models with noise, vibration on dry pavement. *eh04/21/2005
03041900308/01/200310012557Fluid leak from front of vehicle add teflon tape to front axle vent plug threads. *eh03/07/2005
POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION
01073003611/01/2001627912Service engine soon lamp illuminated, incorrect transmission shifts, poor performance of engine, transmission slipping. *yh02/26/2002
POWER TRAIN - TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)
34243424A10017299Electronic transfer case unable to complete shift. *tt11/02/2005
338910016707Four wheel drive inoperative and the 4wd service light will illuminate. diagnosis may reveal that the atc fuse could be open, possible dtc c0308, or various u codes may be set. the encoder motor may also be shorted or the tccm may be dama09/28/2005
352610016558Intermittent service 4wd light comes on with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) c0306 or c0308 stored in tccm. *tt09/22/2005
3349100148094wd inoperative and diagnostic trouble code (dtc) u1026 atc fuse open. *tt05/10/2005
335110014853Intermittent malfunction indicator lamp (mil) with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) c0374 or erratic 4wd/awd operation. *tt05/10/2005
3012B3012A10008806The nvg 136 all wheel drive (awd) transfer case and the 236 and 246 nvg selectable transfer cases operating in the auto mode may exhibit a condition of a vibration/shudder during low speed turns such as a parking lot maneuver, up to approxi08/23/2004
02042100404/01/2002634899Some customers may comment on the service 4wd indicator illuminating with diagnostic trouble code b2725 set. *tt10/10/2002

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
POWER TRAIN
11/23/2011151000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet tahoe. the contact stated that the vehicle transfer case had a pin hole in it. the vehicle was taken to a local shop who diagnosed that the chain in the transfer cause the failure. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was repaired. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileage was 151,000.
11/23/2011151000
 Tl - the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet tahoe. the contact stated that the vehicle transfer case had a pin hole in it. the vehicle was taken to a local shop who diagnosed that the chain on the transfer cause the failure. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was repaired. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileage was 151,000. pm
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
04/01/201194182
 Trasnsmission failure on 2002 tahoe.first failure around 17.000 miles. fixed under warranty. second failure little over a year later. fixed under warranty. third failure little over a year later. dealer fixed, but said they paid for it. fourth failure little over 2 years later. i have read about defective sun gear in trasnsmission and that they were never taken out of service. gm would not replace the transmission and would only rebuild i have had 4 failure's in about 75,000 miles. i don't think this is normal service.
10/26/200764000108/14/2004
 1) no events leading to trans failure 2) no reverse, no 3rd or 4th gear 3) rebuild transmission. *tr
09/30/200755300302/11/2005
 I have had my chevy tahoe for just over 2-1/2 years. during this time, my transmission has failed twice. the same part also broke prior to my owning the vehicle. three times the same part has failed yet my vehicle has little over 55,000 miles on it. it had approximately 40,000 the last time it was repaired. i have sought assistance from gm to get the transmission fixed but was flat denied any type of support. i feel this is a problem with their transmission that should be addressed by gm, not the unsuspecting owner. *jb
08/18/200693000105/15/2002
 I had a maintenance service performed on my 2002 chevy tahoe at the carl chevrolet dealership in san jose, ca. a minor transmission service was included with this service. they replaced the filter, performed a visual inspection of the transmission and replaced 4.5 quarts of transmission fluid that was removed for filter replacement. i picked-up my suv and drove it home. there was a slight delay in shifting, but this was only noticeable intermittently. the next day, i was leaving on a family camping trip and my transmission went out approximately 1/4 of a mile from home. we were making a right turn and i heard a loud clunk which was followed by a spinning or high rpm winding sound. since we were about to start down a steep hill, i tried to turn around. as i was in the process of making a y-turn, i put the car into reverse. i had lost my reverse gear, so i was unable to complete the turn. this left my car stranded in the lane of oncoming traffic. fearing for my families safety,i put the car into neutral and pushed the car forward into a driveway to prevent blocking the lane. i had my tahoe towed back to the carl chevrolet dealership. the transmission tech stated that the sun shell gear had worn out and caused the transmission to fail. he also stated that there was no connection between the previous day's service and the transmission failure the following day. the service manager stated that this is a common problem with the 4l60e transmissions that are standard equipment in the tahoes. the transmission tech also stated that the chevrolet distributed a technical bulletin within the company advising the mechanics that the sun shell gear was faulty due to a lack of proper heat treating. chevy has been aware of this problem since the year 2000. i asked chevy customer service for financial assistance and they offered to pay 10% of the bill. my family was put at risk due to this known part defect in the transmission. *jb
10/16/200553000105/28/2005
 I purchased a used 2002 chevy tahoe from grand auto, northglenn co, at the end of may 2005. i drove the car for 4 months, putting on ~11,000 miles. on oct 16, 2005 i was headed to dinner with two other people in the car. i turned right on to 95th st heading south. there were cars coming behind me, but there was plenty of room for a proper acceleration to cruising speed without in-convincing the other drivers. as i accelerated through first gear, all was fine, then the car tried to shift into second gear. as it tried, there was a popping sound, the motor rpms increased to red-line, and there was a squealing sound. i let off the accelerator, and tried to get over out of traffic to see what happened. luckily there was enough shoulder and enough time to get out of traffic and try to figure out what the problem was. as it turned out, the transmission had lost 2nd gear, 4th gear, and reverse, leaving the vehicle close to useless, and unsafe to drive. while i was able to safely exit traffic, no all may be so lucky. if you pull out into traffic, or try to cross traffic and the transmission fails, losing 3 of 5 gears, you could easily have disastrous consequences. after getting home and researching this problem i found that this is covered in a gm tsb, 00-07-30-022 nov 00 a/t. i also found many stories of this failure mode, indicating that this is not an isolated incidence, nor is this a one in a million failure mode. i believe this problem should be re-classified from a tsb to a recall, because of the probable safety issues. *jb
10/01/200534475307/09/2002
 Power train - transmission 2002 tahoe 1) upon starting the vehicle, will not engage in reverse and engine revs as if still in park or neutral. place back in park several times -- or wait 30-60 seconds to engage. 2) intermediate slippage in low gear upon acceleration at low speeds or from stop. engine briefly revs then engages. *jb
06/24/20052
 Transmission will not shift into reverse, had vehicle towed to chevy dealer, where they repaired. said it was caused by defective sun gear sheild / reaction shield. drove fine for approximately 11 months, then same exact problem once again.
05/29/20052
 Hear a klunking noise everytime the transmission shifts, then a whining noise when pressing on the gas, and a noticeable change in the transmission... then you realize you have no reverse.
03/01/2005301/10/2005
 Chevrolet tahoe 2002, transmission failure. *bf the consumer purchased a vehicle that once had a transmission problem, the consumer was told the transmission problem had been fully corrected. the consumer then found out that the transmission was never fixed and the vehicle has been in the shop for a total of 3 times. not only was the vehicle slipping, slow to shift and exhibiting a noise when shifting from park to drive, there were other problems such as not being able to turn the key in the ignition, the seat warmed light illuminated when the button was pushed, the speakers were cracking loudly, the a/c light came on by itself, the moon roof rattled and was leaking, the cargo power switch did lock the doors within 5 seconds of the cargo door being closed, the handle on the third row seat fell off, the cigarette lighter was missing, and the rubber stripping on the cargo door was loose. *jb
12/28/2004630001
 While driving 40 mph up a hill the planetary gear failed. as a result, the vehicle produced a loud pop and grinding noise from the transmission. the consumer states the gear will no longer engage into reverse. please provide additional information. *jb
01/12/20043
 Vehicle turned off at 15 mph, causing the steering wheel to lock, and consumer was unable to control the vehicle. taken to dealer for inspection, and it was determined that the transmission needed top be replaced for the third time.*ak
12/27/2004300006
 Consumer complained about a transmission problem. consumer had transmission replaced on 3 separate occasions. consumer contacted the manufacturer, who offered a gmc loyalty certificate in the amount 0ff $1000.00 towards a new vehicle purchase. *ak the consumer stated that her transmission was removed 6 times and replaced 3 times. the transmission slipped and the vehicle stopped. gm was uncooperative to resolving the transmission problem. *tc
02/09/200340000102/23/2002
 Approximately 10k miles on 2002 tahoe, vehicle would not go into reverse, and transmission, failed, was told by dealer that only part of transmission needed fixed. now at 40k miles roughly 2 years later and out of warranty, same problem happened, what will gm do for me???*jb
09/28/2004403431
 The consumer was unable to place the vehicle in reverse. the dealership informed the consumer that the transmission failed. *jb
04/20/20043
 Consumer stated transmission failed three times. . first year that consumer had the vehicle he had to replace transmission. then, exactly one year later the same thing happened. currently, transmission failed again. when consumer stopped at a traffic light vehicle moved a little and started to shake. finally, it stopped doing anything. consumer felt he purchased a lemon. *ak
11/08/200323000205/15/2002
 I was stopped at a red light in the afternoon on the day in question. once the light turned green, i pushed the accelerator on to hear a whining/slipping feeling out of the engine area. this has happened at least 2 times on different days.*ak
12/05/20013432710/14/2001
 Vehicle service record-vin # 1gnec13tx2j101589 purchased '02 tahoe oct. 2001 & in dec. '01-problems began 12/5/1 mi. 968 vehicle to connell chev. hard to move shift lever thru positions; very stiff. rt. rear of vehicle sits higher than left. rear. 2/28/2-mi. 3,432 vehicle in for various problems. told service writer transmission would shift into second gear while sitting at stop light. you press on throttle to accelerate, vehicle would pull away very sluggish, suddenly shift back down into 1st gear & take off in an uncontrollable manner. would have to remove foot from accelerator to compensate. problem when shifting from gear to gear in accelerating. will not shift up until you take your foot off throttle. shifts hard when shifting thru gears. p/up vehicle. explained they could not find anything wrong with transmission. 7/17/2-mi. 6,668 same problems with transmission. next day, said they couldn't find anything wrong w/transmission. 4/14/3-mi. 12,434 transmission is not operating properly. will shift into 2nd gear when sitting at a stop, & will not shift up thru gears unless you remove your foot from throttle. 2/6/4-mi. 23,776 back for prior problems & new ones. transmission will shift into 2nd gear at a stop, drops back into 1st gear upon acceleration & when reaches shift point for gears makes load squealing sound,like metal-to-metal. vehicle has suspension noises, like something is hitting against part of suspension when braking and/or turning. 2/10/4-mi. 23,800 transmission is malfunctioning & developing new noises. sometimes there is a clunk when put in reverse. 2/11/4-mi.-23,800 returned to p/u tahoe. explained to us that a data recorder had been put in to monitor operation of transmission, explained operation of recorder. 3/8/4-mi. 25,031 returned to have recorder removed. service writer said that as soon as they do a print out from recorder they will contact me & let me know outcome. never been contacted about it. *la
03/07/2004384091
 Transmission disengaged from engine while driving. on several other occassions the vehicle failed to move upon depressing the accelerator, after a few seconds the vehicle would jerk and take off.*ak
01/09/200426000105/17/2002
 Transmission shifting hard,only 26,000 miles. ttook to dealership and was told second and third gear was gone. they rebuilt those gears. pick tahoe up and within a hr it was doing the same thing. return to dealership next day, was told it was pump sticking. replace that. pick back up and within a hr did the same thing. return vehicle and they decided to replace for new transmission. a week later it has now starting to have a problem with the power sterring. there appears to be a leak in the lines. this 2002 tahoe has had problems starting within months of purchase. sterring colum making clunking nose, required lube twice. headlights filling with water. nose in the front drivers side around shock area. they had different repairs such as replacing shocks, greasing. after over a year the dealership added bushings to the shocks, so far ok. have replace firestone tires at 25,000 miles for wearing on inside of tire.*ak
400212/14/2001
 When vehicle was in over-drive between speeds of 40 - 43 mph, there was a vibration in the front end. although the dealership has serviced the truck several times the cause of the noise is still undetermined. *nm there was a loud vibration when the vehicle was in 2 wheel auto drive and at speed of 40-45 mph/1200 to 1400 rpms shifting into over-drive going uphill and or pull on engine. may be a torque converter problem. this was an ongoing problem which had not been resolved. *sc
09/12/200341000112/28/2001
 I have a 2002 tahoe that just turned 41k miles. i experienced on a few occasions while accelerating from a stop that the vehicle seemed to lose acceleration for a second or so before re-engaging and resuming normal acceleration. problem was definitely transmission related. this same incident happened to me but this time the engine revved, acceleration diminished, and loud banging tumbling metal noise was heard. ends up the transmission mechanism that causes the transmission to shift failed and broke apart breaking other internal components. transmission has to be rebuilt. gm customer service was helpful but still have to pay for 50% of repair cost for rebuilt transmission. the vehicle has a tow package and has never towed a thing yet. obviously a problem this grand in a vehicle did not happen overnight and it appears this problem is similar to other transmission complaints on the same vehicle. this should really be looked at by those that know. *jb
09/02/20033
 Transmission failed. part has been repaired three times; however, problem still exists. *ak
10/28/200231662211/16/2001
 Transmission went out oct-02 @ 21,000 miles, would only replace 1 part, transmission went out again may 13,2003 @ 31,000 miles, this time i was told all parts in transmission were destroyed and dealer wanted to fix broken parts and put back in. it got very frustrating at this point....called toll free number at chevrolet and got no where, they think i'm stupid, i pay more than $40,000 for a brand new vehicle and have this happen twice in 5 months....i am very concerned about the safety issue here for my family and myself. i should have known i was doomed when i purchased my vehicle, it took almost 6 weeks to get and they kept giving me the run around about where it was, they kept telling it had left the factory and was on its way, but always found an excuse, then they said it got pulled off the line for inspection...what's wrong here? they told me at least 5 different times it had left the factory and then all of a sudden it's on the line...it never left the factory....i should have known then....*jb
04/25/20031550004/10/2002
 Transmission problem on my 2002 chevrolet tahoe. *nlm
11/06/200298671005/08/2002
 Transmission fails to function appropriately when going from a stopped position to forward or reverse. in reverse position, loud grinding noise is heard. in forward, vehicle hesitates before finally moving forward. this has been to dealer for repair 3 times. first repair revealed front thrust shim with too much end play; transmission assembly was rebuilt (manufacturer refused to replace), thrust washer replaced and transmission overhauled. two return visits for same problem and dealer says they cannot recreate and have found no problems. *nlm
12/01/2001310/01/2001
 I began noticing that my tahoe was not functioning correctly in late november or early december 2001. occasionally, when i shifted the car from park to reverse and pressed on the gas the engine would rev, but the truck would not move. additionally, occasionally after stopping at a stop sign/light the engine would rev and the truck would not move. i took the truck to john thornton chevrolet to be looked at. they told me that there was a defective valve body in the transmission. they explained that the valve body had burs left on it at the time it was manufactured and that the burs should have been removed. the burs were falling off of the valve body and into the transmission fluid causing a blockage which caused the problem. they replaced the valve body. approximatley 3 weeks ago i began having the same problem. i took the truck back to same dealership and they told me that it, again, was a defective valve body and they replaced it. i called chevrolet to inquire about this problem. they stated that they were not aware of it, but would look into it. today, july 30, 2002, i had the same problem occur. i called chevrolet again and they told me to contact a dealership for an evaluation. i have contacted the dealership for an appointment, however, the dealership stated that they are only able to fix what chevrolet tells them they can fix when the vehicle is under warrenty. so far this has only occurred when i am trying to go from a stop to start, however, i am concerned that the transmission will malfunction when i am driving at highway speed. i appreciate your concern and i hope that you will be able to bring this to resolution since i have not been able to in working with chevrolet and the dealership.*ak
04/08/2002210/13/2001
 Transmission takes 30 seconds to shift to second gear. vehicle has been taken to dealer twice, cannot remedy the problem.*ak after the second attempt, the transmission was replaced. the vehicle still makes noises as if the transmission was not adjusted correctly. the vehicle also doesn't run the same. it feels as if the vehicle loses power. there is a scraping noise that is heard from the rear wheels. the brakes were replaced and the rotors deglazed. *jg
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - COOLING UNIT AND LINES
10/26/20032
 While traveling 65 mph, vehicle experienced complete lost of transmission. *ph the vehicle experienced a complete lost of transmission. the engine had run fine, but the transmission would not engage. (the rpm went up and the transmission would not shift) the consumer noticed a puddle of transmission fluid under the vehicle. the service department determined that a lost of fluid was a result of a poorly attached transmission cooler with faulty connections and hose assemblies. new cooler lines and hose were installed. *sc *jb
POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
06/01/200629600210/30/2002
 Dt*: the contact stated that in 2005 the front end was replaced due to a lock up while making a turn. the dealer determined it was due to catastrophic failure. on 06/01/06, there were problems with the front abs sensor. the brakes would not work properly at a very low speed. the vehicle was taken to the service dealer on 06/16/2006 where the dealer determined this abs sensor failure was recalled and the remedy repair was already process on the vehicle. the hub was referenced as the cause of the abs failure but was not included in the recall. the vehicle can not be driven because it is unsafe. the manufacturer alerted the contact the vehicle would not be repair under the recall or warranty until a manufacturer investigator inspects the vehicle in a month. the rear differential was replaced. the driver side windshield wiper arm was replaced. updated 07/25/06. *jb
03/14/200544000106/15/2002
 Front differential is making noise. mechanic states that it may lock up unexpectedly and cause a crash. dealer states they have had 4 similar vehicles in for this problem and states it is due to factory error.*ak
03/23/200439500104/03/2002
 2002 tahoe won't back up in 4 wd and has grinding noise when in 4 wd. dealer advised that bearing in front differential bad. replacement of differential advised. dealer charged only for labor, apparently this has been an ongoing problem. cost to repair $447, mileage 39500. *nm
POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DRIVESHAFT
04/28/20071
 There is a lot of noise (clunking) coming from front driveshaft when my vehicle is engaged in 4 wheel drive especially when turning and there is some smell of burning coming ...no problem or no noise when driving in 2 wheel drive. i'm afraid that something will break one day and i will have an accident. dealer tried to fix it twice but was unable. there are no recalls but it is highly unusual to hear this scary noise. *tr
POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - UNIVERSAL JOINT
07/06/20081325991
 I just bought a truck from a used car dealer, who said nothing was wrong with the vehicle. there is a problem with the heating and cooling. when i turn off the a/c it still blows air out of the vents, and the truck needs u joints. *tr