Transmission Grinding 2010 M6V6

[littleman54321]

As the title states, I'm having grinding issues with my Camaro. 3rd gear in particular, but 2nd every now and then as well. I got the car back today after having it in the shop since Monday morning, with no fix, and the dealer saying they can’t look into it unless they can duplicate the issue. The problem is that the issue can't “just be duplicated” on the fly as it is an intermittent issue. It happens shifting from 2->3, from 4->3, at various speeds, temperatures, etc. I haven’t found a rhyme or reason as to why it’s doing it. This is the 5th time I've had the car in the shop for transmission issues. The first 3 dealer visits were at the original dealer, the remaining were at a different dealer where I currently live.

Shop Time 1 & 2:
I bought the car new April 1, 2010, and in April 2011, it was in the shop for the notorious 2nd gear grind problem. They replaced the syncros for 2nd gear which didn't help, as a 2 weeks later, I had it back in the shop for the same grinding problems. This time they replaced 1st & 2nd gear and block rings. These issues were at 16k miles.

Shop Time 3:
Fast forward a year later to July 2012 & 37k miles, I took it back in for more grinding issues. The clutch was very rough and “stiff”. When I got it back later they told me they couldn't duplicate any issues, the clutch felt fine, and that everything was “operating as designed”. I didn't push the issue much as I had just moved to a new city a few months prior, and was only back in the area on a long weekend vacation to visit family.

Shop Time 4:
2012 came and went, the clutch got more and more stiff, and the grinding became more frequent. My friend who had a 2011 M6V6 said driving mine felt like a totally different vehicle. On October 14, 2013 (at 56k miles) I took the car in, explaining the problems with grinding and clutch stiffness. They flushed the brake system fluid, stating that it was “trashed” and that it should alleviate my problem. The clutch did feel much smoother and the grinding subsided briefly.

Shop Time 5:
But only very briefly, as a week later it started again. The occasional 2nd gear, but usually 3rd. I took it in the past Monday (November 18, 2013, 57k miles), and talked to the Service Manager, explaining all of the prior issues, and even went as far as to give him a copy of all my old service records from the previous dealer just to make sure he had all the information he needed to get the issue resolved. I picked it up today, only be told that they could not duplicate the issue, and therefore they did not do any service, nor could they without duplicating the issue.

They had my vehicle for 3 business days (Monday at 7:30 AM until today 6PM)....and didn't even physically look in it. I was told they had a few techs drive it, but no one could duplicate the issues. I asked the assistant manager if he could provide a list of who drove it and how far, he said he could not provide that information. He further explained that despite the car’s history of transmission grinding issues, that he could not open it up unless they could duplicate the problem. This is infuriating. It doesn't grind every shift, it doesn't even grind every day necessarily (though it’s getting more frequent as time goes on). I drive close to 15k miles a year, which equates to a lot of miles per day on average, mostly in a city, which means I’m shifting through the gears a lot. Having a tech take the car around the block once or twice isn't going to be an accurate “sample size” if you will for the grind to occur. I suggested I use my GoPro camera to record me shifting, so that when it DOES grind again, we would have evidence of it grinding. He stated that “GM wouldn't allow that to be used as evidence to open a warranty case.”

The service manager had come around the corner at this point, and joined in the conversation. He said that he personally drove the vehicle, and didn't have any issues with it. I explained to him as well that unless they put a tech in my car to ride with me every time I get into it, they’re not going to get the evidence they want. He finally relented and agreed to let me use my GoPro. He also suggested to bring it back in when it starts grinding more frequently. This, to me, is a horrible thing to say to a customer, as it translates to “We don’t believe that you are having this issue, and even if you are, don’t bring it in until it becomes an unbearable problem.”

The irony in this situation was that it ground going from 1->2 after a stoplight on my way home.

I realize it’s not the dealer’s fault this is happening, but I’m not sure where or who to escalate to at this point. It’s been to 2 different dealerships 5 times! for the same issue. The transmission is still under warranty (as the assistant manager repeated many times, as if it didn't matter that I was having issues because hey, it’s under warranty), but I can’t get it fixed because a problem that is intermittent doesn't happen when driven by people they won’t list for a distance they don’t know. This is beyond ridiculous, and at this point I am beyond frustrated. I love my car when it works, but right now at the end of the day I'm paying money every month for a vehicle that isn't performing properly.

[Hannibal]

There are many threads like yours here on the site. If you pan through them, you'll notice that many people opened cases with the BBB and GM customer care. Be prepared to go through the paces with no guarantee of a resolution.

Good luck.