1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE LOOP THAT ATTACHES THE HOOD LATCH BROKE OFF ,AND HIT THE WINDSHIELD ON THE CONTACT'S SON'S VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO FREE REMEDY.*AK UPDATED. 01/19/06. *JB

RECALL 02049,02V286000-STEERING RACK-N-PINION WAS PERFORMED BY LARRY STOVESAND'S PONTIAC,GMC INC3100 IRVIN COBB DRIVE PADUCAH KY 42003,ON MY 97 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX ON 04/29/05. THE CAR HAD NONE OF THE DESCRIBE PROBLEMS AT OR BEFORE THIS TIME. ON 09/17/05 THE CAR STARTED HAVING THE PROBLEMS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL LETTER HARD TO( IMPOSSIBLE) TO TURN LEFT AT LOW SPEED. RETURNED THE CAR TO THE BEFORE MENTIONED DEALERSHIP. AFTER INSPECTING THE CAR THEY CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS AND TOLD ME THEY HAD DONE THE WORK REQUESTED OF THE RECALL AND THAT GM SAID IN ORDER FOR THIS TO GET FIXED WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. ON 09/26/05 MY HUSBAND CALLED GM AND THEY CONFIRMED WHAT THE DEALERSHIP HAD ALREADY STATED. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED BEARING K 6.835 ON THE INVOICE LOWER PINION BEARING. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED AT COURTESY AUTOPLEX 3100 IRVIN COBB DRIVE PADUCAH KY 42003 ON OR AROUND 06/15/00. *NM

POSITIVE BATTERY TERMINAL HAS FAILED 3 TIMES ON MY 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE FIRST TIME WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY IN 1999. THE DEALER REPLACED WITH ANOTHER DELCO BATTERY. THE SECOND TIME WAS JUNE, 2004, DELCO WOULD NOT REPLACE THE BATTERY UNDER WARRANTY SO I REPLACED WITH WAL*MART EVERSTART BATTERY. THEN, IN AUGUST, 2005, THE BATTERY POSITIVE TERMINAL BROKE AGAIN. THIS TIME, BATTERY ACID DESTROYED A VACUUM THAT CONTROLS THE INSIDE HEATER VENTS RENDERING HVAC ADJUSTMENTS INOPERATIVE. I HAVE READ OTHER ACCOUNTS OF THIS BEING SOME TYPE OF DEFECT IN THE BATTERY CABLE. I HAVE ASKED GM AND MY GM DEALER AND HAVE REPEATEDLY BEEN TOLD THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BATTERY CABLE. GM CLAIMS NO AWARENESS OF THIS BEING AN ISSUE. *NM

DT: CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN AND LOST ALL POWER STEERING. NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS. THERE WAS A RECALL 02V286000 REPAIRS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICL. THE RECALL INVOLVES STEERING WITHIN RACK AND PINION. DID NOT RECEIVE RECALL LETTER BUT DUE TO ANOTHER SERVICE BEING PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. DEALER RAN VIN AND DETERMINED THE RECALL REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE SERVICE. THIS WAS IN MARCH 2003. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE AT THIS TIME, BUT DEALER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED OFF A GM DEALERSHIP BECAUSE IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. CONTACTED GM, AND CONSUMER FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THEM. *AK

I PULLED INTO A CAR WASH STALL AND SHUT MY CAR OFF TO WASH IT. AFTER WASHING IT I GOT BACK IN MY CAR AND TRIED TO PUT IT IN GEAR, BUT THE SHIFTER WOULD NOT MOVE. THANK GOD I HAD MY CELL PHONE, I HAD TO CALL MY HUSBAND OUT OF WORK TO COME CHECK OUT THE CAR. HE CONCLUDED THAT I HAVE TO STICK A INK PEN IN THE SHIFT RELEASE HOLE TO PUT IT IN GEAR. I HAD OUR THREE MONTH OLD WITH ME AND IT WAS COLD THAT DAY, IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN NICE IF I WOULD HAVE HAD TO WALK WITH THE BABY. ANYWAY I HAVE PUT IT IN THE SHOP TO GET IT CHECKED AND THEY DO NOT KNOW THE PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD IT MAY COST ME A LOT OF MONEY TO GET IT FIXED BY THE TIME THEY FIND THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A SEVERE SAFETY PROBLEM TO ME. WHAT IF THIS HAPPENS TO SOMEONE ELSE WITH SMALL CHILDREN AND THEY DO HAVE TO WALK. I ALSO KNOW FROM CALLING AROUND TO PART STORES THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO AT LEAST 6 OTHERS JUST IN THE MUSKEGON AREA, THAT SHOULD CALL FOR A RECALL IN ITSELF. *JB

FIRST MY KEY WOULD NOT RELEASE OUT OF THE IGNITION. I HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING STUCK UP IN THE RELEASE BUTTON THINGY TO GET IT TO RELEASE THE KEY. NOW THE SHIFTER WILL NOT MOVE UNLESS YOU DEPRESS THE SHIFT LOCK RELEASE BUTTON. THANK GOD I KNEW ABOUT THE BUTTON BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE BEEN STUCK OVER 100 MILES AWAY FROM HOME WITHOUT ANY HELP IN SITE. I HAVE HAD OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR BUT FORTUNATELY FOR ME THAT WAS WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. I'M SURE MY 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX SE ISN'T THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM.

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT NIGHT, THE HEADLAMPS SEEM TO SHAKE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT HEADLAMP LENS WAS LOOSE AND THE LEFT HEADLAMP LENS WAS LOOSE AS WELL. THE REASON THE SHAKE WAS NOTICEABLE IS BECAUSE BOTH LENSES ARE MARRED BY SUN DAMAGE AND PROBABLY AGE. I WAS ABLE TO GLUE THE LENS BACK IN PLACE, BUT THAT IS JUST A TEMPORARY REPAIR.

ENGINE COOLANT LEAKING FROM INTAKE MANIFOLD. REPAIR SHOP SAYS" IF ITS ANY CONSOLATION IT IS A DESIGN DEFECT BY THE MANUFACTURUR" WELL ITS NOT ANY CONSOLATION ,IT COST ME $600 TO FIX A DESIGN FLAW?

012703 RECALL P02049-S INDICATING THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE LOWER PINION BEARING IN THE POWER STEERING WHICH MAY SEPARATE. 062703 TOOK 1997 PONTIAC TO CUNNINGHAM OF BAYSIDE HAD REPAIRS DONE INVOICE#PNCS37064. 050705 ENROUTE TO VISIT FAMILY, SLOWING DOWN AT THE INTERSECTION, I FELT THE STEERING TIGHTEN AND RELEASE. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A LEFT AND THE STEERING TIGHTENS, THE TURNING RATIO WAS REDUCED AND I WAS HEADED TO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I STOPPED IN TRAFFIC IN ORDER TO KEEP CONTROL. I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE. I WAS MAKING ANOTHER LEFT TURN AND NOT EXPECTING THAT THE CAR WOULD REACT THE SAME. I BEGAN TO STEER LEFT ACROSS ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHEN THE STEERING FAILED AGAIN EXPOSING US TO POSSIBLE SERIOUS INJURIES. I TOOK CAR TO A MECHANIC IN THE AREA. THE MECHANICS CHECKED THE STEERING AND SAID, ITS THE RACK AND PINION BEARINGS AND THE SHAFT COVER IS MISSING. I TOLD HIM A RECALL HAD BEING ISSUED FOR THE BEARING; AND PART OF THE PROBLEM WAS UNABLE TO TURN. I TOLD THE MECHANIC, I'LL CALL GM TO SEE IF THEY WOULD COVER THE REPAIR. 050705 I CALL GM AND SPOKE TO DUANE,(D') EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT I HAD TO DO. D' STATED THAT IN ORDER TO COVER COST THE DEALER WOULD HAVE TO MAKE THE DETERMINATION THAT THE MECHANICAL FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE RECALL. I THEN ASKED D' IF GM WOULD TOWED THE CAR FROM THE SHOP TO THE DEALER IN ORDER TO PERFORM THE INSPECTION. D' SAID NO, AND THAT I SHOULD DRIVE THE CAR TO THE DEALER. I TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE, BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO MAKE A SAFE LEFT TURN AND THAT I COULD CRASH. D' STATE THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY WAY THAT THEY COULD BE SURE THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE RECALL. I TOLD D' I SEE WHAT I CAN DO, BUT THAT I WAS NOT DRIVING THE CAR. I PLAN TO HAVE THE REPAIRS DONE A THE GARAGE AS I FEEL THAT THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. AND GM WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE TOW TO THE DEALER. THIS IS WHY IM WRITING THIS LETTER. NEW AMERICAN OF VALLEY STREAM 227 N CENTRAL AVE VALLEYSTREAM NY11580 TEL.5168259562

THE EBCM (ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE) HAS GONE OUT. THIS EFFECT THE POWER STEERING AND THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. THE PROBLEM IS THAT A NEW COST $700.00. OUR GTP DOESN'T HAVE TRACTION CONTROL AND WE ARE UNABLE TO FIND A USED OR REMAN. EBCM W/O TRACTION CONTROL. THE NOSE CONE ON THE SUPERCHARGER IS ALSO BAD. IT HAS A RATTLE IN IT THAT WON'T GO AWAY. IT WAS THAT WAY WHEN WE BOUGHT THE CAR WITH 68,000 MILES ON IT, NOW HAS 102,000.