I have a 2008 Saturn VUE which recently developed transmission problems. From my research and discussions on various auto repair forums, I learned that my Vue is covered by the above-mentioned 14404 special coverage (transmission clutchwave plate). This warranty is also confirmed on my Onstar account as an existing warranty until Jan 2018/120,000 miles (my mileage is currently 92,000).

On Friday, I spoke to a customer rep/manager at GM. He didn’t seem to know anything at all about the wave plate symptoms/criteria for coverage, and all he was able to do was make an appointment with a dealer who immediately told me that if I still had my reverse gear, I was not covered by the warranty. Is this correct? In other words, does still having a reverse gear invalidateall the other symptoms (e.g. slipping, not shifting, shiny fluid).

On top of that, when pressed for further info, the dealer indicated that the “appointment” would consistent of disassembling my transmission, and I would need to leave my car at the dealership. I then asked, “who’s paying for that?” and was told that if it wasn’t covered by the warranty, I would be paying for it. Of course I cancelled the appointment because I can't afford that kind of job if it's going to be out-of-pocket. On top of that, as I mentioned previously, he earlier told me that "reverse still working" means “not covered,” so what would be the point even if I had the funds?. Any thoughts on this? Is he correct about "reverse not working" being a prerequisite for coverage? Is this the kind of response to expect from GM or did I just have a bad experience with that particular GM rep/dealership?

 

there is another ongoing post in the Vue section of this forum with the owner being told the same bull****. I had reverse on my 2008 Vue XR back in 2013 when I was still under extended powertrain warranty.

It's a $4K job that no GM dealership wants to eat.

It'a ridiculous for someone to tell Yyou your transmission has crazy shift flares in 3rd and 5 th gears (from a partially fractured or distorted wave plate not properly heat treated before being installed = design flaw) and yes, we know all about it across the whole GM line (the 6T70 trans was used throughout GM's different lines starting that year), but because we can back your car out of the service stall faster than a speeding bullet, it must not be completely broken, rendering the vehicle pretty much disabled. Reverse seems to be the last to go on this defect alot of the times which is why the runaround is structured that way

It sounds as though gm dealers are towing the corporate line as a united front.
Probably at GM corporate's direction, because although they offer the special extended warranty, they are probably now trying to deny honoring it as the 10 yr mark comes up on the 2008's....

If you have an extended powertrain warranty (I guess it'd have to be 10yr/100K), then they need to eat it no questions asked.

Here is the text of the special coverage:

I actually just stumbled across yet a newer 2016 revision of the TSB

#14404B: Special Coverage Adjustment – Transmission Clutch Wave Plate – (Aug 12, 2016) – 14404A

Subject: 14404B – Special Coverage Adjustment – Transmission Clutch Wave Plate
Models: 2007-2009 Buick Enclave
2008-2009 Chevrolet Equinox, Malibu
2009 Chevrolet Traverse
2007-2009 GMC Acadia
2007-2009 Pontiac G6
2008-2009 Pontiac Torrent
2007-2009 Saturn AURA, OUTLOOK
2008-2009 Saturn VUE
Equipped with FWD or AWD and 6-Spd Automatic Transmission
(RPO MH2, MH4, MH6, or MY9)
This bulletin is being revised to add additional vehicle population and update the customer reimbursement dates. Please discontinue use, and discard all copies of Special Coverage Recall 14404A.



Condition

Some 2007-2009 model year Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, Pontiac G6, Saturn AURA and OUTLOOK, 2008-2009 model year Chevrolet Equinox and Malibu, Pontiac Torrent, and Saturn VUE, and 2009 model year Chevrolet Traverse vehicles identified above and, equipped with a 6T70 or 6T75 – 6 speed FWD automatic transmission –– may experience a cracked or fractured wave plate, resulting in a loss of 3rd, 5th and reverse gears.




Special Coverage Adjustment

This special coverage covers the condition described above for a period of 10 years or 120,000 miles (193,000 km), whichever occurs first, from the date the vehicle was originally placed in service, regardless of ownership.

Dealers are to replace the 3rd /5th / reverse clutch plate. The repairs will be made at no charge to the customer.

For vehicles covered by Vehicle Service Contracts, all eligible claims with repair orders on or after March 2, 2015 are covered by this special coverage and must be submitted using the labor operation codes provided with this bulletin. Claims with repair orders prior to March 2, 2015 must be submitted to the Service Contract provider.



Vehicles Involved

All involved vehicles are identified by Vehicle Identification Number on the Applicable Warranties section in GM Global Warranty Management system. Dealership service personnel should always check this site to confirm vehicle involvement prior to beginning any required inspections and/or repairs. It is important to routinely use this tool to verify eligibility because not all similar vehicles may be involved regardless of description or option content.

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Those ****ers -- they wrote the coverage as 3, 5, AND R. They are basically trying to wait out the R failure so that it is out of special warranty coverage when the plate completely fractures, you lose R, and a are sitting in a paperweight.

Personally, now realizing WHY they will get away with slapping you down on round 1 (the document has been followed with NHTSA), I would approach this as a team effort with the guy on the forum (I'll PM you both at the same time) having the same issues. You can file absurdly similar complaints with NHTSA citing the SAFETY ISSUES and increased likelihood of a crash due to the unpredictable erratic shift flares

1) in 3rd gear causing the vehicle to unexpectedly slow down in city driving, increasing the risk of a rear end collision because an oncoming driver would have no warning regarding the sudden deceleration of your vehicle by >=10 mph in a matter of seconds when you are actually accelerating in 3rd gear, the shift flare sets in, and you lose forward momentum.

2) in 5th gear when the transmission down shifts while you attempt to legally pass another vehicle in highway traffic. Once in fifth gear and passing another vehicle, the shift flare in place of the shift to 6th will cause your vehicle to slow significantly with no warning to other drivers. This increases the possibility of a high-speed rear end collision because drivers following behind you in the passing lane are expecting you to pass and move right, but if the vehicle flare shifts on its way to 6th gear, likely will be unable to complete your pass.

The above is totally stream of consciousness.

Focus must be on SAFETY. the NHTSA knows the problem exists. THey know how an auto trans works. What they don't know is that GM is telling those who have a severe issue identical in cause is being unsafely steered back onto the road by GM, refusing to cover repairs due to grammar and semantics.