Problems with 2002 GMC Envoy POWER TRAIN

While driving the envoy at about 45 mph, a warning light saying "reduced engine power" came on suddenly, the car dropped down to about 20 mph, and that continues to occur. i can turn off and restart the car, but the problem returns within a minute after driving it again. i started investigating what that means online, and, as with anything else on the internet, i see many opinions, guesses, and possibilities. could be a bad sensor, bad throttle control, bad wire connections, etc. but this much appears clear: (1) it is a gm problem, and a very, very common one. (2) it is a dangerous problem. this seems pretty obvious - the car suddenly loses speed and evidently sometimes stalls out altogether. but hearing about so many other people's scary experiences just confirms this. (3) it can be difficult and expensive to diagnose and fix. when i think of these facts, coupled with gm's recent history, i immediately think "recall." this certainly appears to be an appropriate situation for a manufacturer to step in and fix the issue before more people get angry with gm, get hurt, or get killed. i called the dealer who sold the car (i am the second owner), in columbus, ohio. i was told that i can bring it in for a diagnosis for $110. (gee, thanks - wouldn't have thought of that.) the customer rep looked up the vin and said that the vehicle was not eligible for recall or any special policy. therefore, i am contacting you in hope that something else can be done.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 gmc envoy. the contact was driving 25 mph when the gears on the differential started grinding and detached from the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic where the mechanic confirmed the front differential failure. the manufacturer was not contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 131,000.

When i start the truck in the morning it sounds like the engine is revved up with the loud fan noise. i had the fan clutch replaced independently and the loud noise continues and a slight loss of power at times while driving and it feels like it's taking too long shift into the next gear. the noise is really heard when you accelerate on the gas pedal. *tr

Stop engine/low oil pressure display continually comes on and while driving, the vehicle hesitates and at times will stall. after replacing pcm, oil sending unit, throttle body assembly, cleaning the pcv valve and map sensor and multiple other parts, i was told that the dealership did not know what it was and stated that they could replace the cam shaft actuator (for a cost of approx. $885), but they could not guarantee that would resolve the problem. i have taken my vehicle back to the same dealership from 02/14/2011 until 11/07/12 and still unable to fix the problem. i've filed a complaint with gmc manufacturer, but still have not been able to resolve my issues. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 gmc envoy .the contact stated that he attempted to shift into drive but the gear shifter would not move. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the shifter solenoid needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 134,500.

I just experienced a safety defect that could have had very serious consequences. it involves the failure of the shift cable attachment to the transmission mounted shift lever. you unknowingly loose the ability to place the transmission into the "park" position, with the resulting vehicle movement of an apparently parked vehicle. please contact me asap. -- thanks *tr

I have a 2002 gmc envoy which has a destroyed transmission due to the well known (but unbeknownst to me) failure of the transmission cooling lines. this is a clear design flaw, as the routing is close to the catalyst. besides the obvious safety concerns of an on the road transmission failure, the location makes a fire likely. the design flaw is documented in tsb pt-4722. i believe these vehicles should be recalled. *tr

I was driving home from the beach (sandy hook national park, nj) when my service engine soon light came on. i used on star to remote diagnose the code, and was told it was an error in my transmission control module. i immediately called my nearest service center who inspected my truck and informed me that it was my transmission lines that had just simply 'corroded' and that my transmission has almost been running on no fluid. this was shocking considering i maintain good care of my 2002 envoy and had seen no sign of leaking transmission fluid but was informed it was somehow all over the bottom of my truck. they were able to fix the lines for a cost of 690 dollars, but i still feel that something is not quite right with this situation and have talked to others with similar issues. *tr

Transmission cooler line leak from corrosion on 2002 gmc envoy. had to do splice of corroded section and replaced with copper coupling. *tr

Vehicle will not move when put in drive or reverse from park position. after switching from 4wd to 2hi etc. it sometimes will engage and move. if in fact the vehicle moves it hesitates when making deep turns. for the most part it is stuck in drive and reverse. transfer case control module was a diagnosed problem by dealership in 2006. new part bought and installed by dealership. *tr

After pulling away from a stop light at a normal pace and reaching a speed of almost 50mph there was a loud clunk and a rrrrr sound coming from under the vehicle. the vehicle began to slow as the rpm's went up, all forward drive was gone. we almost got rearended... there was no warning at all that there was a problem or was going to be a problem ,it just broke..dealer says need new transmission.. apparently gm has a sun gear issue with this type of transmission.. *tr

My wife was driving our 2002 gmc envoy onto a local expressway when she tried to accelerate, she heard a loud noise from the engine/tranny area, then noticed high rpms and the transmission not shifting, she immediately pulled over. i came to her location and noticed loss of reverse and a "whine" coming from the transmission, the vehicle was towed to the local gmc dealer, that same day it was diagnosed as the sun shell. it appears that this is a common failure, i will be pursing this further with gm. *tr

Roaring sound, no power, vehicle can barely reach 30mph, loud noise has existed for long time (several years) and the power problem usually resolved after about 5 minutes. this is a defect. i found hundreds of owners complaining of same problem on line. dealer replaced fan clutch. *tr

Normal driving conditions. exiting from parking lot, heard loud bang, car jerked, came to a complete stop. limped car home(1/2 mile). upon further inspection 2002 gmc envoy had no reverse gear. researching online shows 4l60e transmission, reaction sunshell & reaction sungears prematurely fail due to substandard parts. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 gmc envoy. while making a left hand turn at 5 mph, the vehicle made a whining noise and catapulted forward. the vehicle shifted gears and the speed decreased. the gears returned to normal and the contact was finally able to pull over. the vehicle was towed. the contact stated that the reverse gear failed and the first and second gears were barely functioning. the dealer stated that the sunshell in the transmission needed to be replaced in the transfer case. the previous damages led to the entire transmission needing to be replaced. the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id numbers 03v075000, 01v283000, and 01v334000. the purchase date was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 63,000.

2002 gmc envoy slt 60k...went outside to start car and had a loud swishing sound...tried to put in reverse...would not go...had to push out to get to work...extremely high rpms (3500-4500) to get through first...it also is jumping gears...if you try to go over 50 mph the car will redline...was told reverse reaction shell/sun shell gear...they had a bunch of names for it...was defective and failed...we never towed w/ this vehicle, never got stuck (the gm service pro stated that this was possibly the reason for failure)...the vehicle is maybe driven 10k miles a year...we have had nothing but problems w/ this thing...we already have replaced the clutch fan last year...and had numerous little problems since...all the posts i have read clearly shows there needs to be a recall...the prices i have seen on posts is ridiculous to repair the transmission...$2k to $3k...so for now it is sitting in my driveway...i will get the quote this week from my mechanic and am not looking forward to it. *tr

Transmission failure at 60,000 miles due to defective parts installed during the original manufacturing process. *tr

I was driving along interstate 75 at night with my 3 year old, 16 year old, and 18 year old nephew returning to college after winter break on jan. 2,003. we were left stranded on the side of the highway, after we almost wrecked. the gears were jumping back and forth from 2 wheel to wheel drive. i took to a local gm dealer and they told me that it would costs me 2500 to repair-the problem the front differential. i contacted the 1800 gm service line and they said that they would not be assisting with repairs due to mileage. i asked around at different auto repair and transmission shops and they said that gm knows they have a problem with the differential in envoys, trailblazers, and isuzus. even if the problem gets fixed, im told there is no guarantee that the problem will not happen again until gm addresses the actual problem with the differentials. i believe my gear problem caused the differential to fail. meanwhile i am stuck with a car that i have to pay for another year and a half on. it is really an inconvenience to me. i cannot afford the repair, the car sits in the driveway. im behind on my car payment, having to rent a car to drive to work. gm should be held accountable. other problems include the clutch fan going out, costing me over $500 to repair on my own. gm refused to help. this went out at 33,000, shortly after purchase. i am really burdened right now and don't know what to do. *tr

Manufacture knew of inferior components within my vehicles transmission and did not issue a recall. existing service bulletin #00-07-30-022c dated dec 10, 2004 (within my warranty period) indicates same issue i experienced in my vehicle on 10/23/2007. bulletin title states replace reaction sun shell with more robust heat treated parts". this was known while my vehicle was still under warranty. failure happened after standard warranty expired. *tr

Transmission sun gear failure on my 2002 gmc envoy at 56,000 k. gm is only picking up 50% of the $1747.00 bill.

56,779 mile and transmission failed on my 2002 envoy. dealer told me they had never saw this happen. we had just made a 2300 mile trip to the 'no man land' of colorado. the next day my wife came to a stop sign, said the car made a weird noise and would not go. no reverse or drive but crippled it home in low. was very surprised that the gm dealer would not back the transmission. $2,903.94 to replace with a 1 year guarantee which is about up and i refuse to drive on a long trip again in this auto. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 gmc envoy. the contact stated that while driving the vehicle it will randomly jump from 2 wheel drive to 4 wheel drive without warning causing the car to become idle and you must turn the car off completely. she took the vehicle into a local mechanic where he replaced the brakes and checked the wheels and stated that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. she is also experiencing problems with the front passenger seat belt it locks when fastened. she took the car to the dealer and they informed her that it was no longer covered under warranty and any repairs made would be at the owner's expense. the vehicle is also experiencing exterior light failure, both headlights burned out within weeks apart and they were replaced at owner's expense. the failure mileage was 38,000. the current mileage was 86,000 (sc) updated 06/25/08. *cn the consumer also stated when driving past 70 mph, the vehicle would shake. the windshield wipers were replaced. the consumer stated the motor failed. updated 06/25/08

Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 25 mph, the vehicle lunged, a whirring noise occurred, and the vehicle would not accelerate. it was driven home with high rpm's and low acceleration. at the contact's residence, it was noticed that reverse did not operate. the vehicle was driven to the dealership, but would not operate above first or second gear. the dealership determined the sun shell inside the transmission failed and the transmission needed to be rebuilt.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving various speeds, the 4-wheel drive indicator light illuminated, and the vehicle stopped as if the brake was applied when the accelerator pedal was released. also, a smell was coming from the brakes and the vehicle accelerated without warning. the vehicle was driven to the dealer who determined the transfer case control module needed to be replaced.

I own a 2002 gmc envoy with 49,000 miles. the transmission failed, did not want to shift from first, then no reverse when i left the destination. had towed to dealer. service manager stated she had a hunch what it was but had to get it in the shop first. sure enough, the sun shell failed and the transmission has to be replaced. called gm customer service in an attempt to get them to fix it at there expense since this is an regular occurrence with there trucks. have not heard back as of yet. seen many many many posts around the internet about this very problem. this should be looked into. *nm

Have a 2002 gmc envoy, bought new. 8 recalls, ball joint and speaker failures. at 32000. miles, the transmission failed. dealer diagnosed with sun-shell gear problem, that was addressed by a gm repair bulletin. at 37000. transmission failed again. dealer advised the entire transmission needed replacement, but it was not related to his oct. 05 repair. contacted gm customer service, have a file number, but have not heard from anyone in 2 weeks. they advise that the gm area representative has not called anyone back, either the dealer or gm cs. ?? asked to contact him myself and was told i could not do that. asked where i could contact ceo rick wagoner and was told that no one can give out that info. a bunker in colarado maybe? *nm

Went to back out of neighbor's driveway & there was no reverse gear; just like it was in neutral. after pushing the gmc envoy out of driveway, it would go forward, but was very "strained" to get into gear. i am the owner of his envoy since it was new; it has only highway miles; has always been serviced by the dealer from which it was purchased. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 10 mph, the sun shell gear fractured inside the transmission suddenly, causing the transmission to lose reverse, second and fourth gears. the vehicle was able to be driven to the dealership. repairs have been made to the vehicle.

Continued electrical problems with 2002 gmc envoy. such as on-star telephone along with radio/cd player, all four doors failing to lock or open including the back hatch. service air bag light and engine check lights coming on. reprogram engine/transmission module, also telephone antenna replaced, short in wiring located due to rubbing/pinching during construction, replaced wiring harness. hundreds of dollars required to identify short in wiring. transmission operates sluggish until warmed-up vehicle feels as if the brakes are on until it has moved several blocks. *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 gmc envoy. the air bag light is constantly illuminated and only dims when the vehicle is turned off. while driving 55 mph, the contact attempted to use the 4 wheel drive, but it would not work. the indicator light remains illuminated; however, none of the 4 wheel drive levels work. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id numbers 01v283000 (power train:transfer case (4-wheel drive)) and 02v222000 (air bags). the current mileage was 127,000 and failure mileage was 95,000. updated 01-14-08. *kb the consumer stated the 4-wheel light only illuminated when the vehicle was started. updated 12/12/07. *jb

While driving my vehicle and the 4 wheel drive switch is in the off position, my vehicle will engage into 4 high and the 4 low light flashes like it's trying to go into 4 low. it will keep switching back & forth from 4hi to a4wd and then go off. this has happened a couple times now. another time i was turning into a parking space and then my steering wheel became very hard to turn, my car was in 4hi with the 4 low light flashing but the switch was off. *nm

I own a 2002 gmc envoy with 70,000 miles on it. went to drive to the store and the truck would not move. there is a wining/ spinning sound coming from the transmission. reverse works, but all others do not. i have read quite a few forums on this topic and found this problem happens often. please let me know want i could do about this. *nm

We own a 2002 gmc envoy sle, which was purchased new december 2001 by us. in september 2004 at approximately 65,000 miles the transmission went out. my wife was driving the vehicle at the time. the envoy has a automatic transmission and 2nd gear and reverse went out. my wife was able to pull over and we took it to the gm dealership where we purchased it. they would only pay 50% for the repair to the transmission and we had to pay the other 50%. less than 25,000 the transmission has went out again, having the exact same problem 2nd gear and reverse went out. again, my wife was on her way to work and was able to control the vehicle and safely get it stopped. we took the vehicle back to the gm dealership and they are now willing to replace the transmission, however we have to pay 50% of that amount. my question is why was it not replaced the first time? i paid approximately $576.00 for the first repair and now they want me to pay another $1500.00, which is over $2,000.00. why is another repair now not good enough to fix the problem? why should we have to pay for a defective transmission? i have been doing some research on the internet and have found at least 119 complaints for the exact same problem as we are having, with gm settling with others on a 50/50 basis. i am just thankful that both times my wife was uninjured and i believe strongly that someone really needs to investigate this problem. any assistance you might be willing to provide us would be most appreciated. *jb

Driving down a 4 lane interstate at 65 with cruise on, the transmission starts to wine and loses acceleration. moved over to slow lane proceeded to get the next 35 miles home in 3rd gear (noise was make in "d"). upon arrival home-found out that the envoy no longer has reverse. dealer believes there is a problem with the "sun plate" in the transmission. this envoy only has 48,300 miles. dealer believes this is the problem because he has seen this before and knows there is a problem. why is there not a recall on this part or problem?? this should not be happening with any vehicle that has such low miles. *nm

I have a 2002 gmc envoy sle vin # [xxx] purchased and serviced by malouf in north brunswick, nj. i have complained on two occasions that the 4 wheel drive light switch jumps from 2-high to 4-wd and continues to blink. while this is happening there is a faint scraping sound from under the vehicle and than the vehicle slows down to a gradual complete stop. it feels like the brakes are being applied. there also a faint odor of burning brakes. this 1st happened around august 1 2005 and than again in oct 2005 two times the 1st time the dealership re- programmed the computer and up dated it, its was ok for a little while. than it happened again in oct. they told me there was nothing they could see and that everything was working the way it should be. there is something very wrong with this vehicle and im afraid this is going to happen at higher speeds. please get back to me as soon as possible. *jb updated 07/18/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Backing up my driveway and heard a "clunk" followed by a high pitched whining noise. following this, i had no reverse and the transmission failed.

While taking off from a complete stop, the transmission lunged and suddenly i had no drive or third gear. i was able to coast to the side of the road put the truck in park but the gear would not re-engage. the truck was turned off and cranked again, still no difference. however, i did have second and first gear. while driving in second gear at a very low speed the vehicle was transported to dealership. service personnel advised the transmission was gone and would cost $3400.00 to replace. he stated the gears were broken off inside the transmission and the oil was burnt. he advised the vehicle only has 36,000 miles / 3 years warranty on the power train - transmission, which ever came first. i have less than 74,000 miles on my truck.

Was hearing a clunking noise when shifting from park into drive. eventually went to shift into drive and it felt like i ran over something, but nothing was there. then the truck would not shift into second or fourth and lost reverse all together. was told the transmission is blown.

While cruising at highway speed (65 mph) my 2002 gmc envoy suddenly made a loud crunching noise and lost forward motion. the engine revved up, then down, then turned off (while multiple dash warning lights came on simultaneously). i managed to get the vehicle off the road without the help of power steering or brakes, and after a few minutes i started it back up and found i could drive off only at low speed on the shoulder, though there was continued noise from the underside of the car and it was erratically performing. i immediately brought the car to a mechanic who discovered that internal parts in the transmission had failed. the mechanic also informed me that there is a gmc technical service bulletin about this and it is a common/frequent problem. the tsb recommends replacing the internal transmission parts. the mechanic says that replacing the transmission is the only safe thing to do. the local gmc dealer service department says that despite this being a known issue with these transmissions, if you are out of warranty (i am) gmc will not address the issue. catastrophic transmission failure is bad anywhere, but on the interstate can be deadly. if anyone had been following me more closely we would have certainly caused a pile-up.

While driving the vehicle, i stepped on the gas and it only increased the rpm and did not provide any acceleration while chaging lanes. it then later kicked in and i got acceleration. when i parked the vehicle to see check things out, i was unable to use reverse to get out of the parking space, reverse no longer worked. after the incident occured, i checked out owner forums online to find that many owners have had similar problems.

I own a 2002 gmc envoy that i purchased new in february 2002. on 24 may 2005, the transmission failed with 68,920 miles on the odometer. there was no reverse or drive. the vehicle operated marginally in gears 3,2,and 1---enough to limp into the dealer. luckily, it didn't fail on the highway...or i might not be here writing this complaint! after tearing down/checking out the transmission, the technician found a damaged sun reaction shell and sun gear. the parts were replaced, along with new gaskets and seals, the transmission cleaned and power flushed. the total cost of this effort was $2277. :-( :-( in doing a bit of research on this particular failure, i've discovered other gmc envoy, oldsmobile bravada, and trail blazer owners have been victims too. according to one of them, who works in the service department of a gm dealer, the repair instructions state the material used in the sun shell of the 02 blazer, envoy, and olds bravada wasn't able to withstand the heat in the transmission, causing it to strip (which is exactly what happened in my vehicle). he goes on to state. that in vehicles from 2003 on, gm used a "more heat resistant material" in the transmission that reduces the likelihood of the sun gear failure. i'm writing this complaint because i believe the root cause of my transmission failure...and those experienced by other owners... was due to faulty material...which the manufacturer knew about...yet didn't inform the consumer about. i've never owned a vehicle, gm or otherwise, where the transmission failed at a young 68,000 miles! help please! *nm

Drove vehicle as normal without warning and after i stopped (shutdown the vehicle and restarted it) there was no reverse gear or forward gear. vehicle was towed to the dealer where i was later told that the reverse gear had blown apart. damaged parts were replaced and transmission was flushed and refilled. i'm concerned now because the vehicle is out of warranty and it is sluggish or slipping when it makes a 1st to 2nd shift. will it require additional transmission work in the near future and huge $$ to repair? *nm

My vehicle is a 2002 gmc envoy. i have had 3 incidents with the 4 wheel drive system in this vehicle since december 2003. the newest feature with these vehicles, as with the cheverolet trailblazers is the automatic 4 wheel drive system. this system allows the driver to put this lever in and the vehicle will be in 2 wheel drive and will switch to 4 wheel drive when road conditions are a necessity for 4 wheel drive. my vehicle's 4 wheel drive system broke in december 2003. it was reported to me from alaska sales and service who repaired the vehicle that the front differential had to be replaced due to the 4 wheel drive system. then there was a leak of some fluid under the vehicle noticed april through may 2004. the vehicle was in the shop at alaska sales/service again and a transfer case was replaced in the vehicle. come winter in 2004, my 4 wheel drive needed to be used again due to weather in alaska. my vehicle was in for a major checkup on dec 14th, 2004 and i was told the 4 wheel drive system was in good shape. i had the vehicle back in the shop within 2 weeks for a loud noise in the 4 wheel system. again the vehicle was in the shop and another transfer case was replaced. my major complaint to the federal consumer complaint system is that this vehicle is a 2002, and this vehicle has been in the shop for the same problem more than 3 times under the 3 year new car warranty. i feel that the general motors corporation should buy this vehicle back or purchase a new vehicle for me due to the problems i have had to endure. i am in the process of finding a lawyer in alaska that will support the automobile lemon law. *jb

Transfer case( 4-wheel drive) wasn't engaging. vehicle was inspected by a dealership, who indicated that the transfer case shift control module was defective, and needed to be replaced. they also indicated that the part had to be ordered. a week later when the consumer contacted the dealership to inquire about when the part will arrive they were informed not until march due to the part being being re designed. the part # was 12590220.*ak

Failure of engine cooling system and four wheel drive system. *jb

dt: contact stated transmission went out at around 29,415 miles. transmission failed while driving at 20 mph, and leaving him stranded. transmission has been repaired. the service dealer replace the sun gear, and stated this was a known problem within the gmc envoy. *ak *jb

While driving at a low speed and turning to the left, the four wheel drive engaged. the dealership replaced the selector switch twice for the four wheel drive. *jb

My envoy was put into park when i went to lock the front door. when i got out of the car and took two steps, it slipped out of gear and went rolling down (very slight grade) the driveway in reverse. i jumped in to try and stop it before hitting neighbors cars. i grabbed the steering wheel to pull myself in, which made the envoy turn to miss on car, then it threw me out, almost running over both of my legs with the front wheel. it then proceeded to hit a satellite dish, and air conditioning unit (which all but ripped the door off the hinges.) it then finally stopped after running through a fence and it rested with one wheel in the air on a mound of dirt. *tr

While driving at 65 mph engine shuts off; would not restart first try. would start a little later. went to dealer, reprogrammed pcm with latest calibration update. second time happened at 70 mph. *ak

Consumer had all of the weather proofing on the vehicle replaced by the dealer as well as the clutch assembly . *ak the fan clutch was replaced, the air bag indicator light came on. the consumer was told that nothing could be done if the light wasn't on at the time. the plastic trim from the seat belt broke, the seat belt failed again, the transmission would drag, the engine light was on and made a grinding noise,the drivers side tire was loosing pressure, the passenger inner door seal leaked, the clock on the radio would reset itself, the drivers side seat belt would lock up when the brakes were applied they would skid and pull to the right. *sc *jb