1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

MY VEHICLE BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE ELECTRICAL OUTAGES A MONTH AGO WHICH INCLUDED THE HEADLIGHTS, BLOWER MOTOR, AND GAS SENSOR. MY HEADLIGHTS WOULD SHUTOFF BY THEMSELVES AS WOULD MY BLOWER MOTOR, PERIODICALLY. I NOTICED THAT IT CORRESPONDED TO WHAT LEVEL MY BLOWER WAS PUT ON. LEVEL 5 WOULD KEEP THE SYSTEM ON BUT LEVELS 1-4 WOULD PROMOTE THE OUTAGES. I HAVE HAD THE BLOWER MOTOR AND BLOWER SWITCH REPAIRED ON MY CAR NOT MORE THAN A YEAR AGO BUT YET I AM EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE READ MANY OTHER BLOGS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE POSTED PROBLEMS WITH THEIR PONTIAC WHICH ARE IDENTICAL TO MINE. I SHOULD NOTE THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER THE PAST MONTH. *TR

DRIVING FROM THE HIGHWAY TO THE CITY AS NORMAL LIKE EVERY WEEKEND IN MY ONLY VEHICLE A 97 GRAND PRIX GTP, PULL INTO A DRIVE THROUGH AND GET TO THE WINDOW AND PLACE MY CAR IN PARK. WAIT FOR MY CHANGE AND ORDER THEN TRY TO PUT MY CAR IN DRIVE FROM THE PARK POSITION- AND IT WON'T MOVE! I GOT A FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE OF "ROAD RAGE" FROM OTHER PEOPLE YELLING AT ME AND CALLING ME NAMES TO GET OUT OF THE WAY WHEN I CAN'T! MY SHIFTER IS STUCK IN PARK (AND YES MY FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE.) LUCKILY 15 MINUTES LATER STILL STUCK IN THE DRIVE THROUGH I NOTICE A BUTTON TO THE RIGHT OF THE GEAR SHIFTER CALLED A SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SO I STICK A PEN DOWN IT AND FINALLY I CAN LEAVE. GET HOME, PUT THE CAR IN PARK, AND IT WON'T RELEASE MY KEY! SO NOW THE KEY IS STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND WON'T GO TO THE OFF POSITION. TRY TO LEAVE AGAIN AND THE ONLY WAY MY CAR WILL SHIFT FROM PARK IS IF I STICK SOMETHING DOWN IN THE HOLE FOR THE SHIFT LOCK RELEASE BUTTON. SEEING THE KEY DOESN'T COME OUT I'M CONSTANTLY PARANOID ABOUT SOMEONE SEEING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND STEELING MY VEHICLE! EVERY TIME I USE MY CAR I HAVE TO USE THE RELEASE BUTTON AND LEAVE MY KEY IN THE IGNITION! I'M TOLD BY THE REPAIR SHOP IT'S GOING TO COST ALMOST $400 TO FIX THE IGNITION LOCK SOLENOID (TO BE ABLE TO REMOVE MY KEY) AND TO FIX THE SHIFT LOCK SOLENOID (TO BE ABLE TO SHIFT WITH OUT SHOVING A '!@#$% PEN IN A HOLE!) MIND YOU- THE $400 DOES NOT INCLUDE LABOR!!!!!! THE SAD THING IS- I RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR!! WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY INCIDENTS! I DON'T SEE WHY I SHOULD PAY FOR A DEFECT THAT'S SO COMMON- TOO COMMON! I'M WAITING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM TO SEE IF YOUR ABLE TO HELP MY SITUATION FIRST. *TR

IT WAS AROUND 7:30 PM IN NOVEMBER OF 2001 WHEN I WAS DRIVING MY SON TO HIS FRIENDS HOME DOWN THE STREET FROM WHERE I LIVE. WE WERE DRIVING AT ABOUT 25 MILES PER HR AND WERE NEARING THE FRIENDS HOME WHEN SMOKE APPEARED TO BE COMING FROM UNDER THE ENGINE HOOD. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED INTO THE FRIENDS DRIVEWAY AND MY SON OPENED THE HOOD TO TAKE A LOOK AND FLAMES CAME OUT, MY ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. HE DOUSED IT WITH DIRT FROM THE GROUND. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE ELECTRICAL PARTS, UNDERHOOD, AND ENGINE AREA. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP AND REPAIRED TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY, BUT ISSUES CONTINUE TO ARISE TO THE POINT WHERE THE CAR IS NOW PARKED AS MORE REPAIRS ARE NEEDED. I WAS TOLD TO EXPECT OTHER PROBLEMS TO SURFACE BY THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. WHILE PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE'S HOOD IGNITED INTO FLAMES. THE CONTACT OBSERVED SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD PRIOR TO THE FIRE, BUT THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WAS MINOR PROPERTY DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 130,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE CONTACT ARRIVED HOME AND SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE. FOUR MINUTES LATER, HE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED SMOKE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. MORE SMOKE BEGAN TO APPEAR SHORTLY AFTER AND THEN FLAMES IGNITED UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THE CONTACT GRABBED THE WATER HOSE LOCATED IN FRONT OF HIS VEHICLE AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE ROCKER COVER GASKET AS STATED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V118000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 236,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE GASKET AND SPARK PLUGS. HE CALLED THE DEALER TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. WHILE AT THE DEALER, THEY CLAIMED THAT THE REPAIR HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REGULAR MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE DEALER HAD NOT MADE ANY REPAIRS. THE CONTACT IS UPSET THAT THE WORK HAS NOT BEEN PERFORMED ON HIS VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT RETURN HIS CALLS OR HELP HIM RESOLVE THE ISSUE. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 175,000.

I PARKED MY 1997 PONTIAC AT WAL-MART ONE DAY AFTER WORK. WHEN I CAME OUT OF THE STORE 30 MINUTES LATER, IT WAS ON FIRE, SURROUNDED BY 2 FIRETRUCKS. IT WAS BURNED BEYOND REPAIR. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS. *TR

97 GRAND PRIX, 3.8L HIGH OUTPUT ENGINE,4T65E 4 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, SE MODEL 4 DOOR. TRANSMISSION WAS AT FIRST HESITANT TO GO INTO REVERSE AT 100,000 MILES. AROUND 125,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION HAS NO REVERSE OR NEUTRAL MOVEMENT WHILE PUSHING THE CAR IN REVERSE. IN OTHER WORDS YOU CANNOT MOVE THE CAR IN REVERSE AT ALL, EVEN WITH THE ENGINE OFF AND IN NEUTRAL. SHOP TOLD ME I HAD A BROKEN REVERSE SHIFT FORK. TRANSMISSION SERVICE CENTER ADVISED THAT THE CAR'S USED VALUE DOES NOT WARRANT THE REPAIR COST OR PURCHASE OF NEW EQUIPMENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE UNDER THE HOOD AFTER BEING PARKED FOR TEN MINUTES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V118000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) WAS REFERENCED. BOTH A POLICE AND FIRE REPORT WERE FILED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 97,000.

MY VEHICLE IS AFFECTED BY THE RECALL INVOLVING POTENTIAL UNDERHOOD FIRES. IT IS A 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GTP. I RECEIVED THE "CUSTOMER ADVISORY LETTER" 3-4 WEEKS AGO STATING THE CAR WOULD BE SUBJECT TO A RECALL WHEN PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. I CALLED THE GM SUPPORT LINE AT 800-762-2737 TO FIND OUT WHEN THE ACTUAL RECALL WOULD COMMENCE, AS I HAVE INDEED SEEN PUFFS OF OIL SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD APPEAR UNDER HEAVY BRAKING. I TOLD THIS TO THE GM REP. THE REP STATED, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW WHEN PARTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR THE REPAIR OR WHEN THE ACTUAL RECALL LETTER WOULD GO OUT. SHE SUGGESTED I HAVE THE REPAIR DONE AND "PAY FOR IT YOURSELF", SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT "IF THERE IS A RECALL". I STATED REPEATEDLY WHY WOULD I PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR A SAFETY RECALL. THEY THEN CALLED BACK THE NEXT DAY AND STATED I COULD BRING THE CAR TO A DEALER AND "IF IT INDEED HAD THE CONDITION, THEY WOULD FIX IT", BUT IF IT DID NOT, "YOU'LL HAVE TO PAY A DIAGNOSTIC FEE". I AGAIN STATED I WOULD NOT PAY ANYTHING OUT OF POCKET FOR A MANDATORY SAFETY RECALL. GM'S SUPPORT PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE A VERY UNCONCERNED, DISMISSIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD MY CONCERNS AND FOR THIS RECALL. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND SOMEONE FROM YOUR AGENCY GET THEM MOTIVATED. *TR