1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

VEHICLE PARKED 10 MINUTES WHEN FIRE DETECTED, REPORTED AND EXTINGUISHED BY LOCAL FD, ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT DESTROYED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO TURN HIS STEERING WHEEL WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE RACK AND PINION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS UNAWARE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS DEFECT, OTHERWISE HE WOULD HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HE WAS NEVER NOTIFIED DUE TO AN INTERNAL ERROR ON THEIR BEHALF. THE DEALER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS INCLUDED IN RECALL NUMBER 02V286000 (STEERING:RACK AND PINION). BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY AN INDEPENDENT DEALER/MECHANIC, THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT REPAIR OR REIMBURSE THE CONTACT, EVEN THOUGH THEY ADMIT TO THEIR INTERNAL ERROR. THE FAILURE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 235,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 176,000.

1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT ON FIRE APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES AFTER PARKING. CALLED FIRE DEPARTMENT WHICH STATED CAUSE WAS ELECTRICAL. ENGINE COMPARTMENT TOTAL LOSS. HOOD DAMAGED BY FIRE DEPARTTMENT. TO GAIN ENTRY., PAINT MELTED. CAR IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. NO REPAIRS OR CHANGES MADE.*AK

BROUGHT CAR TO DEALER FOR REGULAR OIL CHANGE AND WAS TOLD THE OIL WAS FULL OF COOLANT. WAS TOLD BY MECHANIC THAT THIS WAS A COMMON" PROBLEM ,AND HE HAD CHANGED SEVERAL UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS ON PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 3.8 V6 ENGINES SEVERE CASES, INCLUDED CHANGING UPPER AS WELL AS LOWER GASKETS ,AND HEAD GASKETS DUE TO COOLANT LEAKS. ON A FEW OF THE CARS THE DAMAGE WAS BEYOND REPAIR, AND NEEDED NEW ENGINES DUE TO SEVERE COOLANT LEAKS. THE UPPER INTAKE PLENUM HAD MELTED, RESULTING IN A COOLANT LEAK, COOLANT IN THE OIL, AND VICE VERSA. HAD TO HAVE ANOTHER OIL CHANGE A WEEK LATER TO GET THE REST OF THE GUNK OUT, AND WILL HAVE TO BRING IT IN AGAIN NEXT WEEK TO CHECK FOR ANYMORE TRACES OF COOLANT IN THE OIL. IF FOUND WILL HAVE TO POSSIBLY CHANGE THE LOWER INTAKE GASKET, AND POSSIBLY HEAD GASKETS. IF DAMAGE WAS REALLY BAD, NEW ENGINE. IF THIS IS SUCH A "COMMON" PROBLEM GM PUTTING A PLASTIC PART WOULD BE INSTALLED. WHY WAS THERE NO RECALL ON IT? I HAVE CHECKED MESSAGE BOARD AFTER MESSAGE BOARD AND THIS PROBLEM WAS WIDE SPREAD.. LOTS OF COMPLAINTS, BUT THE CONSUMER WAS STUCK FITTING THE BILL FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE PART. *AK

I PARKED MY 97 GRAND PRIX GTP AT THE OTTAWA AREA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT ON THE MORNING OF APRIL 27, 2007 AND WENT INTO THE BUILDING. ABOUT 5 MINUTES LATER I HEARD SOMEONE YELL MY NAME AND THAT MY CAR WAS SMOKING. WHEN I GOT TO THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND FIRE AROUND THE TIRES AND BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE. THREE OF MY CO-WORKERS TRIED PUTTING OUT THE FIRE WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER BUT COULD NOT GET THE HOOD OPEN. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND WAS ABLE TO PRY OPEN THE HOOD WITH A BAR. THE ENGINE SMOKED AND BURNED FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS. THE FIRE FIGHTERS CUT OFF THE BATTERY IN CASE OF FURTHER FIRE IGNITING. THE FIRE DID NOT SPREAD TO ANY OTHER VEHICLES BECAUSE THE CAR WAS PARKED IN THE BACK OF THE LOT. ALSO FIRE DID NOT SPREAD TO THE REST OF THE CAR DUE TO THE QUICK ACTION OF FIRE AND RESCUE. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS. *TR

AIR BAG PROBLEM LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR YEARS AND NOW I FIND THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL FOR MY CAR BUT ONLY FOR NEWER CARS LIKE 2006 IF I REMEMBER WHAT I WAS TOLD A FEW YEARS AGO. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT CALLED REGARDING A 1997 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS. THE CONTACT STATED ON FEBRUARY 3, 2007 WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE SHE NOTICED THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING, THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 99,000. THE CONTACT PUT POWER STEERING FLUID IN THE VEHICLE, AND IT ALL LEAKED OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC. THE CONTACT DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MECHANIC SAID NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE BLOWER FOR THE HEATER ONLY BLEW COLD AIR. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE FEBRUARY2006. SHE HAD IT REPAIRED. HOWEVER, IN MAY 2006 IT FAILED AGAIN. *AK

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR, THE LIGHT ON DASH BEGAN TO FLASH AS I SLOWED TO READ IT, THE CAR SHUT OFF. I WAS JUST GOING TO TRY TO RESTART IT WHEN I NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT FROM UNDER HOOD. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND WAS GOING TO GO GET MY HUSBAND WHO WAS A LITTLE OVER A HALF MILE AWAY. I REACHED INSIDE THE DRIVERS DOOR TO PUT ON THE FLASHERS AS I DID THIS I HEARD A SIZZLING NOISE AND THE FLASHERS DID NOT ENGAGE. I STARTED RUNNING TO GET HELP AND WHEN I LOOKED BACK I SAW EMBERS DROP FROM THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE BY THE PLUG WIRES. I GOT TO A PHONE AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED JUST AS VISIBLE FLAMES COULD BE SEEN FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *JB UPDATED 3/20/08

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED VEHICLE EXPLODED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE ENGINE. IT WAS A COLD MORNING ,AND ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT EXPLODED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HAD NO PROBLEMS PRIOR TO STARTING THE VEHICLE. *AK

I OWN A PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 97, 3.8. I HAVE COME TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY CAR OVERHEATING DUE TO MY MANIFOLD INTAKE GASKETS. I RECENTLY WENT TO THE SHOP TO HAVE THEM FIXED AND THE SHOP OWNER TOLD ME THIS IS THE DEFECT FROM THE DEALER WHICH IS COSTING ME A LOT OF MONEY TO BE FIXED. THE OWNER SAYS HE GETS A LOT OF THE PONTIAC GM CARS THAT ALSO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. I WOULD LIKE IF SOMEONE CAN LOOK INTO THIS. I ALSO WAS ON YOUR WEBSITE AND NOTICED THAT YOU HAD THIS ALSO ON YOUR DEFECT INVESTIGATIONS. I WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IF YOU CAN LOOK INTO THIS FOR ME AND THE OTHER OWNERS OF THESE CARS. *JB