1997 Chevrolet Tahoe Transmission Problems

HAVE A 1997 TAHOE TWO DOOR 4X4 WITH 126,000 MILES... TRANSMISSION HOUSING CRACKED YESTERDAY. UPON INVESTIGATION I SEE THAT CHEVROLET HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FOR OVER TEN YEARS AND HAVE YET TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH CHEVY. AND THEIR QUALITY OF WORKMANSHIP. I HOPE SOMETHING WILL BE DONE ABOUT THIS FOR THE AMERICAN CONSUMER. SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT A TOYOTA LIKE MY FRIENDS SAID HA HA. SERIOUSLY, QUALITY SHOULD COME BEFORE PROFIT!!!!. *JB

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE. EXTREMELY COMMON TO MY 97 CHEVY TAHOE. REQUIRED COMPLETE REBUILD AND LOTS OF MONEY. I CALLED PROBABLY A DOZEN TRANSMISSION REPAIR FACILITIES AND ALMOST ALL SAID I WAS LUCKY I MADE IT TO SO MANY MILES BEFORE THIS HAPPENED AS IT IS VERY COMMON IN THIS TRANSMISSION. ALL SAY IT COMES FROM A STRUCTURALLY FLAWED IN DESIGN PIECE IN THE TRANS THAT BREAKS AND OF COURSE COMPLETELY CONTAMINATES THE TRANS WITH METAL AND DESTROYS THE MAJORITY OF THE REMAINING PARTS.*JB

NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS: LIGHT TRAFFIC, NON-TOWING, NON-FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE

NOTICED A HUMMING VIBRATION UNDER ACCELERATION. HAD TRANSMISSION SERVICED BUT PROBLEM PERSISTED. THEN WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED (70) WITH CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND RPMS JUMPED WAY UP. VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE TRANSMISSION CASES WAS CRACKED. THE CRACK OCCURED DUE TO THE U-JOINT BREAKING. THE U-JOINT COULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED FOR UNDER $100 BUT NOW TO FIX THE TRUCK WILL COST $1700. BAD DESIGN IN MY OPINION.*AK

MY 1997 CHEVROLET TAHOE TRANSMISSION JUST FAILED. HAVE NO 2ND, 4TH OR REVERSE GEARS, ALWAYS WORKED PERFECT UNTIL NOW. AFTER A WEB SEARCH FOUND OUT THIS PROBLEM IS HAPPENING VERY MUCH. SUN GEAR SHELL BREAKING ON 4L60E TRANSMISSIONS. THERE IS A BIG DEFECT AND GM HAS DONE NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEMS TO ALL THE GM OWNERS. SEEMS THEY CUT BACK A LITTLE MUCH ON QUALITY CONTROL THIS TIME AND DON'T SEEM TO CARE ABOUT IT FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN. YOU PROBABLY HEARD ABOUT IT BEFORE. PLEASE HELP US GET THIS PROBLEM RECALLED. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY REPAIRS DONE YET. KEEP HEARING $2000 TO $2500 T0 FIX THIS $40 PART. DEALERS WANT TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION WITH NEW ONE JUST OF THIS PORBLEM. DOES IT SEEM RIGHT TO YOU?*AK

AT ABOUT 95,000 MILES THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON INTERMIITTENLY AFTER THE TRUCK HAS BEEN DRIVEN 20 TO 30 MILES, AFTER COMING TO A STOP, THE AUTO TRANSMISSION SHIFTS FROM 1ST TO SECOND SO HARD, IT FEELS LIKE IT IS GOING TO COME OUT OF THE TRUCK. ONCE THE TRUCK IS PUT IN PARK AND TURNED OFF, IT IS GOOD AGAIN UNTIL IT HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR 20 TO 30 MILES. UPON DOING SOME ONLINE RESEACH, CALLING A DEALER AND LOCAL MECHANIC, I HAVE FOUNT THAT IT CAN BE ONE OF THREE THINGS: 1) A STICKING SHIFT VALVE 2) ACCUMULATOR PISTON OR 3) A SERVO. NO ONE CAN TELL WHAT IT IS WITHOUT TEARING THE TRANSMISSION APART. I HAVE ALSO FOUND THIS IS ALL TOO COMMOM A PROBLEM FOR THIS TRANSMISSION. SHOULD BE A RECALL, WIILLL KEEP ME FROM EVER BUYING ANOTHER GM PRODUCT. *AK

THE FAILURES INITIATED BACK IN JUNE (27TH) 2001. AN HOUR ON THE NYS THRUWAY FROM BUFFALO GOING TOWARDS PENN STATELINE. THE TRANSMISSION BLEW, THROWING FLUIDS EVERYWHERE. TOWED TO CONTINENTAL TRANSMISSION. PAID FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO BE REPLACED. WITHIN THE END OF THE 1 YEAR WARRANTY, THE TRANSISSION BEGAN SLIPPING AND BUMPING AFTER 2ND GEAR BEFORE GOING INTO 3RD. THIS WOULD OCCUR AFTER THE TRUCK WAS WARMED UP AND FOLLOWING THRUWAY DRIVING. ONCE YOU EXITED THE THRUWAY, CAME TO A STOP; IT STARTED IMMEDIATELYAND CONSISTENTLY. SEEING AS I DROVE THE THRUWAY EVERYDAY, THE PROBLEM OCCURRED EVERYDAY. TOOK TAHOE BACK TO CONTINENTAL TRANSMISSION. THEY INITALLY DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG AND ASKED THAT WE ADVISE IN THE FUTURE IF IT GOT WORSE. WE TOOK IT BACK AND FORTH, LOSING USE OF THE VEHICAL FOR WEEKS AT A TIME. FINALLY, IN JAN 2004, THE TRANNY JUST STOPPED ALTOGETHER AND WE HAD TO TOW TO CONTINENTAL. THE TRUCK SUPPOSEDLY HAD ANOTHER TRANNY REPLACEMEMT, AS WELL AS REPLACEMENT OF THE COMPUTER. ONCE AGAIN, WE WERE WITHOUT THE TRUCK FOR 4+ WEEKS. WE PICKED IT UP AND THE THE NEXT DAY, FLUID ALL OVER THE GARAGE FLOOR (OF A NEWLY BUILT HOME!). TOOK IT BACK, ANOTHER WEEK WENT BY. PICKED IT UP, WITHIN ANOTHER MONTH, TRANNY WAS NOT KICKING INTO 3RD...AGAIN. TOOK THE TAHOE BACK TO CONTINENTAL, SUPPOSEDLY ALL NEW PARTS WERE PUT INTO THE TAHOE. YESTERDAY, SAME PROBLEM, TRANNY NOT KICKING INTO 3RD, WHEN IT TRIES, THE RPM SKYROCKET TO 6000 AND YOU DON'T ACCELERATE. BROUGHT IT BACK TO CONTINENTAL THIS MORNING. THEY CALLED TO TELL ME THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. THEY CAN'T GET US A NEW TRANNY, MAYBE A REMANUFACTURED TRANNY, BUT THEY WILL LET ME KNOW AFTER THEY CONTACT THE DEALER. AM I THE ONLY OWNER OF A 1997 CHEVY TAHOE THAT HAS EXPERIENCED THESE EXTENSIVE DEFECTS WITH A GM AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION? THIS IS A TRAVESTY! PLEASE FOLLOWUP WITH CONTINENTAL TRANSMISSION, THEIR NUMBER IS 716-828-1121, ASK FOR PAT, THE OWNER. HE IS JUST AS FRUSTRATED OVER THIS AS I AM!

PROUD OWNERS OF 1997 TAHOE. IN THE PAST YEAR WE HAVE: REPLACED REAR AXLE SEALS TWICE, REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND FILTER, REPLACED THE 4X4 MOTOR, REPAIRED THE RADIATOR,REPLACED 4X4 ACTUATOR, REPLACED FUEL INJECTOR (THIRD TIME), REPLACED THE UPPER INTAKE GASKET, HAD THE TRANSFER CASE REBUILT, REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR TWICE, REPLACED THE MANIFOLD GASKET AND A FUEL NOZZLE. CAR HAS HAD RECURRING PROBLEM OF COOLANT DISAPPEARING FROM RESERVE TANK WHILE NO LEAKS COULD BE FOUND. WHEN THIS HAPPENS AND LEVEL GETS LOW THE VEHICLE WILL SHIFT VERY HARD FROM FIRST TO SECOND ALMOST JUMPING WHEN YOU HIT TEN MPH. WHEN YOU STOP AND ADD COOLANT THIS STOPS. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE LEAK HAS FINALLY BEEN LOCATED IN A VERY SMALL HOSE BUT NOW I'M BEING TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING OUT QUICKLY AND MUST BE REPLACED. GREAT VEHICLE!*AK

TRANSMISSION: I BELIEVE THE PART IS CALLED THE REVERSE DRUM IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE CAR WOULD NOT REVERSE AND HAD A DIFFICULT TIME SHIFTING FROM 1RST TO 2ND. THE FIRST TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 32,700 MILES AND REPLACED BY GM (UNDER WARRANTY) WITH REBUILT TRANSMISSION FROM FACTORY PER GM, FOR SAME PROBLEM, SHIFTING AND REVERSE. SINCE CAR MANUFACTURED IN 1997 THIS IS IT'S THIRD TRANSMISSION AND IT HAS LESS THAN 66K MILES ON IT AND IS USED 99% OF THE TIME FOR OPEN ROAD TRIPS ONLY. WHEN I HAD THIS PROBLEM AGAIN I WAS DRIVING ON AN OPEN HIGHWAY (ROAD TRIP). PER REPAIR SHOP MECHANIC: REVERSE DRUM WAS DEFECTIVE, CHEAPLY BUILT AND CONSTRUCTED TO FAIL. ALSO, MY VEHICLE TRANSMISSION WAS THE MECHANIC'S 16TH CHEVROLET TRANSMISSION REPAIR FOR THE SAME PROBLEM ON CHEVROLET VEHICLES IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. HE KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS WHEN I EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED RE: NOISES, AND HOW IT DROVE, REVERSE ETC... AND HE VERIFIED SAME BY THE TRANSMISSION CHECK AND WORK PERFORMED. HE SAVED THE PART FOR ME, WHICH I HAVE IN MY POSSESSION. GM WOULD NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY OF THE COST OF REPAIRS SINCE I DECIDED NOT TO LET THEM TEAR THE TRANSMISSION DOWN @ $300.00 COST TO ME TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM, AND , IF I DECIDED I WANTED SOMEONE ELSE TO DO THE WORK, THEY WOULD HAVE TO COME PICK THE BROKEN DOWN TRANSMISSION AND HAUL IT AWAY TO WORK ON IT. IN THE EVENT I WOULD HAVE THE DEALER DO THE WORK, THEN IT WOULD HAVE COST ME APPROX. $3,000.00 WORST CASE SCENARIO, AND MAYBE GM WOULD ASSIST BUT NOT SURE IF THEY WOULD HELP OR NOT OR AT WHAT LEVEL. SINCE THEY REPAIRED THE FIRST TRANSMISSION AND IT WENT OUT AT APPROX. 32K MILES AFTER THAT, I DID NOT HAVE A COMFORT LEVEL THAT THEY WOULD DO A GOOD JOB OR THAT IT WOULD BE REPAIRED. I WAS STUCK ON A ROAD IN THE EARLY EVENING WITH MY ELDERLY MOTHER AND MY SISTER IN THE VEHICLE WITH ME UPON OUR RETURN FROM A DAY AND EVENING TRIP TO RUIDOSO NM, LOCATED APPROX. 2.5 HOURS FROM MY RESIDENCE WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT.

THE BRAKES ABS SYSTEM ACTIVATES AT EVERY STOP WHEN THE CAR DOWNSHIFTS FROM 2ND TO 1ST GEAR AND WHEN PARKING. SPEED SENSORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE AT DEALERSHIP AND STILL A PROBLEM. *LA

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED CONSUMER HEARD A GRINDING NOISE. THE OIL AND RPM NEEDLES STARTED FLUCTUATING BACK AND FRONT . ALSO, WHEN THIS OCCURRED CONSUMER PULLED OVER TO INVESTIGATE. WHEN VEHICLE WAS PUT INTO REVERSE IT FAILED TO GO BACKWARDS, HESITATED, THEN JERKED INTO FIRST GEAR. PRIOR THIS INCIDENT,TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED FOR THIS SAME ISSUE.*AK

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY SHUT ON AND OFF. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

AFTER DRIVING 30 MILES AT HIGHWAY SPEED, I STOPPED TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY. WHEN I BEGAN TO TURN LEFT, I HEARD A LOUD CLANK IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. I CONTINUED FOR ABOUT 5 MORE MILES AND PARKED THE VEHICLE. AFTER ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO REST FOR APPROX. 8 HOURS, I BACKED THE VEHICLE OUT AND BEGAN DRIVING HOME. THE DRIVE WAS APPROX. 30 MILES AT 75-80 MPH. IAFTER STOPPING TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY, THE TRANSMISSION MADE A LOUD WHINNING NOIES AS THOUGH IT WAS SLIPPING, THE ENGINE REVED TO ABOUT 3000RPM BEFOR ETHE TRANSMISSION WOULD SHIFT. THIS HAPPEN EVER TIME I EXCELLERATED FROM A STOP OR FROM SLOW COASTING (3 MORE TIMES IN 6 MILES). WHEN I ARRIVED HOME, I CHECKED THE FLUID LEVEL, IT WAS FINE AND THERE WAS NO DISCOLORATION OF THE OIL OR ANY ABNORMAL SMELL. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO BACK THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE, I WOULD DRIVE FORWARD, BUT THE SLIPPING CONTINUED WHEN IT WAS ROAD TESTED BY THE REPAIR SHOP. I LOADED THE VEHICLE ON A TRAILER AND TRAILERED IT TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE FOLLOWING WAS FOUND TO HAVE FAILED. THE SUNSHELL FAILED CAUSING DEBRIS TO BE CIRCULATED THROUGH THE TRANSMISSION. THE REVERSE GEAR DID NOT FUNCTION ANYMORE, THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS CONTAMINATED WITH DEBRIS AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AS IT COULD NOT BE CLEANED LOCALLY. SPRAGE AND NUMEROUS GEARS AND BANDS WERE DAMAGED AS A RESULT. TOTAL COST OF REPAIR WITH LABOR AND TAX....$2453.17. THERE WAS NO WARNING OR CONDITION THAT LEAD UP TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 65,600 MILES ON IT. PRETTY SAD PERFORMANCE FOR A TRANMISSION DESIGNED FOR THIS TYPE VEHICLE.

VEHICLE WILL NOT GO IN REVERSE, IT JERKS AND CHANGES OVER SLOWLY AND GRINDS. TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED FOR THE FOURTH TIME . DEALER HAS BEEN PUTTING IN NEW TRANSMISSIONS. TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO FAIL EVERY 15,000 MILES. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK *YH

ON OR ABOUT 7/6/02, MY WIFE WAS LOADING OUR THREE CHILDREN INTO THE TAHOE (WHICH WAS PARKED AND RUNNING WITH THE AC ON DUE TO THE HEAT). AFTER PUTTING THE THREE YEAR OLD AND THE FOUR YEAR OLD IN THE CAR, BUT BEFORE SECURING THEM IN THE CAR SEATS, THE 3 YEAR OLD WENT TO THE DRIVERS SEAT. HE THEN SHIFTED THE CAR FROM PARK TO DRIVE WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE (HE IS 2 FEET TALL AND CAN NOT REACH THEM). THE CAR MOVED FORWARD STRIKING A RETAINING WALL, CAUSING MINOR COSMETIC DAMAGE. FORTUNATLY, NO ONE IN OR OUT OF THE CAR WAS INJURED, ALTHOUGH THIS COULD HAVE EASILY NOT BEEN THE CASE. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS, AND WOULD LIKE IT LOOKED INTO. I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THIS EVENT (SHIFTING WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE) EVERY TIME I HAVE ATTEMPTED IT SINCE THE CRASH INCIDENT. I REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO TOM, THE SERVICE MANAGER AT TATE CHEVY IN ANNAPOLIS, MD, WHO ADVISED THAT HE WAS AWARE OF THIS HAPPENING ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR WITH CHEVY VEHICLES. HE ADVISED ME TO HAVE THE CAR CHECKED DURING OUR NEXT ROUTINE SERVICE, OR TO BRING IT IN TO SPECIFICALLY HAVE THIS PROBLEM LOOKED AT. I PLAN TO DO THIS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT CERTAINLY WOULD PREFER CHEVYROLET TO COMP THE COST OF THIS SAFETY REPAIR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP.*AK

AFTER DRIVING FOR 20 TO 25 MILES THEN COMING TO A STOP. WHEN YOU TAKE OFF AGAIN CAR SLAMS INTO GEAR FROM 1ST TO 2ND. WE CURRENTLY HAVE $1,100. IN SERVICE BILLS AND STILL HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED. IN DOING RESEARCH FOUND MANY OTHER GMC OWNERS HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. WE FEEL THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AND HOPEFULLY RECALLED AS A FACTORY DEFECT.*AK

WHILE PUTTING VEHICLE IN PARK REAR END FELL APART. GEARS BROKE AND AXLE RELEASED. VEHICLE STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARD AND COULD NOT BE STOPPED. DEALER CONTACTED. PLEASE ADD VIN. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, AND WITHOUT WARNING, VEHICLE STARTED TO LOSE SPEED. RPMS WENT HIGHER THAN NORMAL. ALL GEARS, EXCEPT 1ST AND 2ND, FAILED TO WORK. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

TRANSMISSIONS PROBLEMS COMMON ON CHEVROLET TAHOES 1996-1998. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLES. *AK

CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PREMATURE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *JB

CONSUMER SLOWED DOWN AT A LIGHT, AND WHEN TRYING TO GO VEHICLE STARTED TO JOLT/ AND MADE A LOUD NOISE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WANTED TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION.*AK

SUDDENDLY AND WITHOUT WARNING DRIVER HEARD A LOUD "BANG, AFTER DRIVING A FEW HUNDRED MORE FEET THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR OR INTO REVERSE, VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *CJ

REAR DIFFERENTIAL/SPIDER GEARS CAME APART DURING NORMAL DRIVING, PARTS SHOT OUT OF TRANSMISSION CASE, MAJOR RUPTURE, HAS HAPPENNED ON NUMEROUS OTHER TAHOES, ASTRO VANS, S10S, ETC, THAT ALL HAVE THE SAME REAR END

FAILURE OF SUNSHELL AND 2-4 BAND ASSEMBLY. *AK

CONSUMER HAD SEEN VEHICLE LEAKING OIL. TOOK VEHICLE FOR REPAIRS AND TECHNICIAN FOUND OUT THAT OIL LEAKAGE WAS COMING FROM REAR AXLE, AND COULD NOT BE SEALED. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILURE, NO FOWARD OR REVERSE, WITH NO PREVIOUS WARNING.*AK

ONGOING PROBLEM WITH SLIP YOKE SINCE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, GM CLAIMS COMMON CHARACTERISTIC BUT HAS NO MEANS OF REPAIR AT CURRENT TIME(3 YRS NOW) CLAIMS THAT IT IS SAFE. TODAY, THE REAR AXLE WENT OUT LUCKILY I HAD JUST GOTTEN OFF THE FREEWAY, AND ONLY GOING ABOUT 5 MPH.PLEADE ADVISE ON ANY OTHER CASES.

WHILE TRAVELING NOTICE VEHICLE SHIFTING HARD WITH NOISE. DEALER HAS REPAIR THREE TIMES, BUT PROBLEM RETURNS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

REPORTED CLUNKING NOISES FOR THE PAST YEAR, ON OUR 2ND TRANSMISSION IS 2 1/2 MOS. *AK

DIFFERENTIAL MADE GRINDING NOISE WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP.

TRANSMISSION--REPLACED.

VEHICLE EXPERIENCING NOISE IN DRIVESHAFT, NOT ABLE TO BE RECTIFIED. *YC

ON THREE OCCASIONS THE TRANSMISSION EXPERIENCED LINKAGE SLIPPING. *YC

WHEN PUTTING VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL THE VEHICLE WILL BE IN DRIVE, AND WHEN PUTTING IT IN REVERSE IT WILL BE IN NEUTRAL. WHEN PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN PARK, THE VEHICLE WILL BE IN DRIVE.THE RPM METER WORKS, AND THE CONSUMER CAN SEE WHEN SHIFTING WHILE DRIVING. *AK

THE STICK SHIFT COMES OUT OF GEAR WITH BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED. TWO YEAR OLD CHILD WAS ABLE TO VEHICLE IN GEAR ALMOST RUNNING OVER ANOTHER CHILD.

WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, THE GEAR SHIFT HIT BY PASSENGER AND WENT COMPLETEY BACK TO PARK. THIS CAUSED THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL TO LOCK UP AND DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE.

DRIVE SHAFT CLINKS.

WHILE DRIVING THE TRUCK AND COME TO A STOP SIGN THE TRUCK WOULDN'T STOP, GOT OUT TO CHECK THE TRUCK AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR AXLE FLUIDS WERE LEAKING ON THE BRAKES, AND THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO A MECHANIC. *AK

PINION GEAR SEAL FAILED, CAUSING OIL LEAK.

REAR AXLE FAILED, DUE TO OVERHEATING, CAUSING GRINDING NOISE.