GM SRTA transmission problems - long vent!

Has anyone had problems with their GM (SRTA) transmissions holding up? My original transmission (93 Chevroletn 6.5 L TD, 4L80E trans) lasted 125 K, then I had a reputable rebuilder go through it and it went another 125 K. Then GM had a "sale" on these "SRTA" transmissions ($100.00 more than a rebuild) plus a 3yr/36000 mile warranty. This sounded good, so I bought one and installed it. It lasted exactly 12 months (8-10000 miles). Then the dealer installed one (under warranty)and it lasted 2 years and 4 months (maybe 20,000 miles, 2 transmissions combined did not make it 36,000 miles) and now they won't stand behind their warranty. Apparently the warranty does not reset because I didn't "buy" the second transmission. But, for a mear $2556 (plus tax of course)the GM dealer will install a "NEW" SRTA transmission with a 3yr/100,000 mile warranty. Great guys eh, they said they would eat the labor, however I can buy the same SRTA transmission from another GM dealer for $200 dollars less, cash and carry. I feel a little violated. I have talked to everyone at the dealership with no success and all of the broken english "Indians" in Bombay that "UNDERSTAND" my frustration and even "CARE" but really cannot do anything, because as far as they are concerned the warranty expired 4 months ago. What a joke! They now have so many "layers" of "caring" people, you cannot even talk to someone that can do anything. Oh, before I even took it to the dealership, they (the dealership) told me all faulty parts would be covered under warranty, provided I paid a $84 diagnosis fee. Then after the transmission was out and strewn across the shop they told me they could not honor the warranty. What a warm fuzzy feeling that gives a guy! After more chewing on my part I have the truck and trans (in the bed of the truck and the "good guys" ate the $84 diagnosis fee) now, and am going to take it to the guy that rebuilt it the first time (for about $1200). The bottom line is my warranty was/is a joke, my dealer is a crook and now that GM has my money they don't give crap about me until I want/need a new truck! I'm still a GM guy, but will approach all dealers as liars and all warrantys as empty promises.
Kurt Smit

As far as I'm concerned, GM could go out of business tomorrow. They would screw anybody for a quarter.

As far as I'm concerned the only true fix for an automatic transmission is to replace it with a manual. I just had to replace the 4L60E automatic in my 05 silverado at 124,000 miles. $2600 for a Jasper remanufactured unit with a 3yr/100,000 mile warranty. When that warranty gets close to expiring I will once again resume my quest to find a decent full size truck with a V8 and a 5 or 6 speed manual transmission. I looked for almost a year before I settled on this truck with the automatic. I really like the truck with only two exceptions: automatic transmission and push button 4X4. This is my third pickup with push button 4X4. Two Fords and now this Chevy. None of them have functioned reliably.

Exactly why I quit buying anything GM 25 years ago.

Give me a NEW GM and I will trade it for a good vehicle or just sell it to a sucker. I refuse to but a government biult vehicle.

I don't buy imports either but the car companies have done it to themselves.

why are you still a GM guy? they have screwed you and it will only get alot worse now that you will be dealing with the government.

Ford makes its SuperDuty trucks in the beautiful state of Kentucky and is the only manufacturer left that isn't owned by the Government or Union

My F250 is an '04 and I haven't had a single thing wrong with it yet that isn't a wear item. The front brakes lasted 80,000 miles, still have the original battery, original rear brakes and nothing other that filters and oil.

I grew up a GM guy but bought my F250 to support the city I live in (the plant is in L'ville) and love my truck, now the government take over of GM so GM is dead to me

I AGREE
MY SONS TRIED TOYOTAS AND FORD, I HAD A Dakota AS A SECOND TRUCK.
GM IS THE LESSOR OF EVILS.

I can't complain about the truck, it has been good to me. I pull alot with it and do expect the trans to wear, but this SRTA transmission and the dealer and GM support REALLY dissapoint me.

You said the two transmission DID NOT make the 36000 mile warranty. You should get another trans. Warranty's never reset. You have a total of 36000 miles of warranty. If a trans only made it ONE MILE they would have to put in 36000 trans to fulfill the warranty. You should get one more trans even if the two trans missions went 35999 miles because the warranty is for 36000 miles.

Kent

The SRTA remans are outsourced. They use different reman companies that are supposed to build them to factory specs.

The biggest reason we rebuild all transmissions in house is because of quality. I have seen all kinds of remans, OE and aftermarket. I have also seen parts put in wrong, wrong parts used, and things improperly torqued (usually way over torqued).

The problem with using factory specs is that when there are known failure areas, they just go back together set up for the same problem.

Another reason these things don t seem to last is the amount of used parts they run, that s why they always tie a core charge to them. IF your truck has 100,000 on it and you put in a reman, you could have a pump or planetary gears with 200,000 miles on them on their third time around. You just don t know.

Now put a reman in a truck that is chipped or worked hard, you have a recipe for trouble.

I absolutely hate the teardown and the hit em with a price game. To me it s lazy. Any shop worth anything should be able to give you a good idea what they think and a high and a low price before they start turning a wrench.

Good luck and good luck to your rebuilder, usually you have to have a full helicoil set for all the stripped threads in those remans..

Comon' now,

You're looking at the fifth transmission with less than 300K miles? 4L80E models to boot?

There is something falling between the cracks here that you/they/we don't know about.

A heating issue, abuse, or simply the worst case of bad luck I've ever heard of.

What have you got tied on the back of this goose, anyway? :>)

Allan

My feelings exactly, how can a company that cannot keep both DRLs on, or the windshield wipers in the park position, or the paint from coming off in sheets, build a complicated part like a transmission, or engine? Not only are a majority of their components made in China, but now since the government owns them, why would any sane person even consider Government Motors as a quality product?
You are cutting your own throat by your blind loyalty to a company that hasn't cared about quality, or their customers for the last 20 years.

Buy a Ford. I was raised a GM guy and after all the new Chevies I've bought, I couldn't get more than 120K out of ANY of them, truck or car, before a major disaster. Bought my F150 in '94 new and still have it, daily runner. Bought the wife and girls Fords too. Don't regret it. GM is great for styling and features but they don't know how to engineer vehicles. They are "Dodge" who knows how to style the best.

I have a Pontiac Bonneville and they don't even make my car anymore, which is a shame because I think it was one of the best cars they made.

Maybe there is more to the story. I have worked in a dealership, and now I own an independent shop. Has the trans cooler either been replaced or flow tested and cleaned? Kinked cooler lines can take a trans out quick. What do you use the truck for? I used to plow snow with guys that could take a trans out in one season. I used the same truck for eleven years and never lost a trans. What did the dealership find when they tore the last trans down? Sometimes a good trans tech can figure out why. have there been any modifications done? I point out all of this because sometimes it takes investigation to find out why there are repeated failures. One time in the dealership, I installed four bad injector pumps on a cummins. Later on they found that there was a problem on the rebuild line.
Hope this helps,ted

Sorry it's 3 years or 36000 miles from the installation of the first one. The 3 years is up , why would you think it would be warranty ?

Ted makes some good points. 3 transmissions don't fail for no reason. I've seen many transmissions fried by people towing in overdrive. Unless you have an Allison trans, towing in overdrive is a disaster looking for a place to happen.
The biggest reason cash and carry transmissions fail is the installer doesn't flush the cooler out and verify it is capable of proper flow.
All that said, the 4L80E is not one of their best. NEVER turn up a diesel with a 4L80E behind it.

Sorry, I didn't really plan to turn this into a Chevy vs Ford vs Dodge thing. I really wanted to A)see if anyone else has had similar problems B) let some other unluck individual(s) know these SRTA transmissions are (in my opinion) very poor and C) vent a little. As far as negligence on my part, I don't think so. Nothing lasts forever, that I understand, but 2 transmissions should make it out of the first transmissions warranty period. As far as use/abuse. It is a truck and I use it as a truck, I haul things in the back and pull things behind it from equipment to trailers loaded with equipment and/or hay or even a couple of antique tractors to a show, if time permits. I really think this is what trucks were designed for Pulling/Hauling? As far as the installation, I know the one that I and my brother put in was done correctly, yes the cooloer was flushed yes the lines were open. I cannot say the same for the dealer, I don't know.
The bottom line is things break and things wear out, especially if you use them! However, if you sell things with a warranty and they fail you should honor the warranty. oh and as far as my luck, "If it wern't for bad luck, I probably wouldn't have any! Welcome to farming! Thanks for all of the positive replys, no thanks to the negative!
Kurt Smit

I missed the three year and that the time was up.

Kent