1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

WAS DRIVING CAR WHEN IT BECAME NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER THE CAR TO THE LEFT. TURNING THE CAR RIGHT WORKED NORMALLY. MY REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THAT THE PINION BEARING ON MY RACK AND PINION UNIT HAD FAILED AND REQUIRES REPLACEMENT. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM ON LINE, I FOUND A RECALL WAS IN EFFECT FOR THIS PROBLEM. AFTER CONTACTING MY LOCAL DEALER TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM THEY STATED THAT MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, DESPITE THE FAILURE MATCHING THE RECALL POSTED ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND GM'S OWN DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM. I THEN CALLED THE ZONE REPRESENTATIVE FOR PONTIAC TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM AND GOT THE SAME VIN NUMBER STORY AS THE DEALER GAVE ME. IT SEEMS THE SCOPE OF GM'S RECALL IS INADEQUATE AND NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. MY CAR IS IN THE SHOP NOW AWAITING A REPLACEMENT GM UNIT. I HAVE TAKEN PICTURES OF THE FAILED UNIT, AND IT SHOWS THE FAILED PARTS. *NM

SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT, FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS, MY AIR BAG LIGHT HAS COME ON IN MY 1998 GRAND PRIX GTP. I HAVE SEARCHED FOR RECALLS AND NOTHING COMES UP. IT WOULD COME ON FOR 6 MONTHS AND THEN GO OFF FOR 6 MONTHS. FOR THE LAST YEAR IT HAS STAYED ON. 5 MECHANICS HAVE LOOKED AND IT AND COMPUTER DID NOT COME UP WITH ANY CODES. FINALLY I WENT TO A NEW MECHANIC THE OTHER DAY AND THEY SAID I HAVE TO CARRY IT TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER CALLED AND SAID THE PART IS $21.00, BUT THE LABOR WILL BE $500.00. SOMETHING ABOUT THE HARNESS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. SAID THEY HAD THE PART IN STOCK, BECAUSE THEY HAVE ALREADY REPLACED SEVERAL OTHERS. HOW DO YOU GET A RECALL ON THESE. *JB

DT*: DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING RACK AND PINION FAILED CAUSING THE VEHICLE NOT TO TURN LEFT. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, #02V286000, REGARDING THE STEERING RACK AND PINION. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. UPDATED 04/06/06. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THERE IS NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID 02V286000 CONCERNING THE STEERING RACK AND PINION. THIS VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL, BUT IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN DONE. *AK

EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN STEERING WHEEL LEFT AT LOW SPEEDS. WHEEL TURNS TO RIGHT LIKE NORMAL. REPAIR SHOP SAYS NEW RACK IS NEEDED. *JB

DT: THE STEERING IS GOING OUT ON THE VEHICLE WHEN TURNING LEFT, IT'S LIKE THERE IS NO POWER STEERING. THERE IS RECALL 02V286000, BUT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. THE VEHICLE IS DOING THE EXACT SAME THING AS MENTIONED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WILL PULLS TO THE RIGHT LIKE IT IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. THIS STARTED ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2005. CONTACTED THE DEALER, THEY WERE GOING TO CHARGE THE CONSUMER JUST LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME THE CONSUMER DRIVES THE VEHICLE. *AK *JB

THREE (3) OF THE POWER WINDOWS DROPPED WITHOUT NOTICE BECAUSE THE ELECTRIC MOTORS FAILED DURING OR AFTER DRIVING THE CAR! THE DEALERS WILL NOT REPLACE OR HELP WITHOUT CHARGING YOU FULL PRICE FOR REPAIR. GM WILL NOT REPAIR OR HELP IN COST EITHER. (EDMONDS.COM STATES THIS IS A CUSTOMER COMMON COMPLAINT !)*JB

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE POWER STEERING RACK MALFUNCTIONED WHEN NEEDED TO TURN LEFT. THE CONTACT HAD A HARD TIME STEERING THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS A RECALL LISTED ON THE INTERNET. HE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE PROBLEM STARTED ON AUGUST 5, 2005. COULD NOT HEAR ANY NOISE WHILE STEERING. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE FINE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE HE WAS GOING STRAIGHT. HOWEVER, IF THE CONTACT NEEDED TO TURN LEFT HE HAD A HARD TIME. HE DID NOT ENCOUNTER A PROBLEM WHEN URNING RIGHT. *AK

I OWN A 1998 GRAND AM. DUE TO A RECALL NOTICE, I HAD MY CAR SHIPPED TO DETROIT FOR SERVICE, SINCE I AM I N THE SERVICE, GUARDING AN EMBASSY OUT OF THE STATES. MY MOTHER, WANDA GRIFFIN, 19347 REVERE, TOOK MY CAR ON MONDAY, MAY 23, 2005 TO RAY LAETHEM PONTIAC, INC., 17677 MACK IN DETROIT, MICHIGAN FOR SERVICE PER INSTRUCTIONS ON THE RECALL NOTICE. THE CAR RAN BEAUTIFULLY FOR TWO DAYS, BUT ON THURSDAY, MAY 26, THE CAR WOULD NOT START. SHE WAS TOLD BY RAY LAETHEM SHE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR TOWING THE CAR, AND IF THE PART IS DEFECTIVE SHE WOULD HAVE TO BEAR THE COST. I FEEL THIS IS VERY UNFAIR BECAUSE IF THE PART IS DEFECTIVE, SHE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PUT IN THIS DISPOSITION. I AM WRITING FOR CLARITY OF YOUR POLICY AND TO SEE IF SHE COULD BE REIMBURSED FOR COST OF TOWING, SINCE WE LIVE A CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE FROM THE COMPANY.

. I WAS MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN INTO A PARKING SPACE AND MY POWER STEERING LOST POWER STEERING. I WAS ABLE TO NARROWLY AVOID BOTH THE CAR NEXT TO THE PARKING SPACE AND A PEDESTRIAN. I LOOKED UP SYMPTOMS ONLINE AND CAME ACROSS THE RECALL FOR THE RACK AND PINION STEERING FOR GM VEHICLES BUT MY VIN WASNT IN THE RECALL LIST. IM IN THE MIDST OF PRICING THE STEERING REPLACEMENT AND FEEL MY CAR SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THIS RECALL. IM ALSO HOPING I DONT CRASH BEFORE I GET IT FIXED.