1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

ENGINE FAILED SUDDENLY ON I-55 NEAR CHICAGO AT RUSH HOUR.I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF AND GET THE CAR TOWED 160 MILES TO CHAMPAIGN. WE WERE TOLD OF AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT FAILURE BY THE DEALER, WHO HAS ALWAYS BEEN HELPFUL. THE CAR HAS BEEN REGULARLY MAINTAINED BUT THE DEALER SAID SUCH PROBLEMS "JUST HAPPEN". THIS SUGGESTS A DESIGN FLAW. IF WE HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO PULL OVER THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A MULTIPLE CAR ACCIDENT AND PROBABLY SEVERAL FATALITIES. A PART THAT CONTROLS SUCH CRITICAL FUNCTIONS SHOULD HAVE A WARNING SIGNAL AND A BACKUP. I CONTACTED GM AND HAD AN EXTENDED EMAIL EXCHANGE BUT THEY WERE QUITE UNRESPONSIVE.

VEHICLE STALLED AND WOULD NOT START WITHOUT WARNING ON RAINY NIGHT. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED AWAY. PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AS CRACKED FUEL PUMP RESISTOR LOCATED ON FRAME RAIL. PART REPLACED WITH KIT RELOCATING RESISTOR FROM FRAME TO UNDER HOOD. EXTENSIVE LABOR CHARGES INVOLVED.

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT WARNING. THIS OCCURRED 4 TIMES IN DIFFERENT DRIVING CIRCUMSTANCE. THIS FAILURE COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. THE DEALERSHIP HAS SERVICED THE VEHICLE 5 TIMES AND PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST, BUT NO FAILURE CODE WAS FOUND. *NM

WHILE DRIVING NORTH BOUND ON US 31 HIGHWAY ON THE MORNING OF MARCH 12, 2004, THE CAR SUDDENLY DIED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. WITH SOME EFFORT, I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE CAR OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WHEN I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR, IT WOULD START AND SUDDENLY DIE AGAIN. HAD CAR TOWED TO NEAREST GM DEALER FOR REPAIR. THERE WAS NO EARLY INDICATION OF A MALFUNCTION (IE. NO WARNING LAMPS OF A POTENTIAL PROBLEM). ROOT CAUSE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A FUEL PUMP RESISTOR. SEARCHING THIS WEBSITE REVEALED THAT A RECALL HAD BEEN CONDUCTED FOR A CERTAIN REGION REGARDING THIS MALFUNCTION. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A POTENTIALLY FATAL INCIDENT HAD A DIFFERENT SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES BEEN IN PLACE.*AK

1998 GRAND PRIX VIN #[XXX] BUILT 11/3/1997. I AM EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM THAT IS RECORDED ON RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID 02V286000. ON LEFT TURNS EXTREME FORCE MUST BE APPLIED TO THE WHEEL TO COMPLETE TURN AND AT TIMES CANNOT TURN AS MUCH AS I SHOULD. IT THEN TAKES EXTREME FORCE TO PULL THE WHEEL BACK TO THE RIGHT. ON THREE OCCASIONS ON THE DAY LISTED BELOW THE WHEEL ACTUALLY STUCK IN THE LEFT TURN POSITION HEADING MY CAR TOWARDS ON COMING TRAFFIC. I FEEL THAT A REVIEW SHOULD BE DONE ON THE PERIOD OF TIME MY CAR WAS ASSEMBLED. IT APPEARS MY CAR WAS ASSEMBLED ONE MONTH AFTER THE PERIOD IDENTIFIED IN NOTICE 02V286000. *AK UPDATED 07/30/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

POWER WINDOW CABLES ARE GETTING IN FRAID OUT. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME IT HAS BEEN REPLACED. I FOUND THE PART COST $328.00 FOR ME TO JUST DO IT MY SELF. I HAVE TALKED TO OTHER PEOPLE HOE DRIVE A PONTIAC GRAND PRIX FOR THE YEARS OF 1997-2000 THAT HAVE HAD TO GET IT FIXED. THE SHOP SED IT WOULD BEE ABOUT $200+ IN LABER PLUS PARTS. I FOUND ON ANTHER WEBSIT MORE PEOPLE THAT HAVE PONTIAC CARS THAT ARE BIG LIKE BONT. GRAND PRIX GTP. AND THE GRAND AM. ALL HAVE THE SAME THING GOING WRONG WITH THE POWER WINDOWS. ALL THE PEOPLE TELL ME THE MOTOR IS STILL GOOD IT IS JUT THE CABLES AND THE KEEPER THAT HOLD THE CABLES IN PLACE.

THIS IS THE SECOND TRANSMISSION THAT I HAVE HAD TO PUT INTO MY WIFE'S 1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE FIRST ONE DIED AT 3600 MILES AND GM INSTALLED THAT ONE UNDER WARRANTY. NOW WITH JUST 57,700 MILES ON THE CAR I AM HAVING THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM AND THE CAR IS TECHNICALLY OUT OF ITS 5 YEAR/50,000 MILE WARRANTY. THE CAR IS IN NO WAY ABUSED AND I RELIGIOUSLY CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID EVERY 20,000 TO 25,000 MILES. I AM AN ENGINEER AND I KNOW WHAT QUALITY IS. FROM MY SEARCH ON THE INTERNET IT'S OBVIOUS THAT THERE IS A BIG PROBLEM WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS AND IT APPEARS THAT GM IS COPING OUT ON ITS RESPONSIBILITIES TO ITS CUSTOMERS. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1969 PONTIAC LEMANS AND WITH 220,000 MILES ON IT I STILL HAVE THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION (THAT'S QUALITY). IT'S TIME THAT GM OWNS UP TO THIS APPARENT DESIGN DEFICIENCY AND REIMBURSE GRAND PRIX OWNERS FOR THIS PROBLEM. I CAN ASSURE GM THAT THIS IS THE LAST AMERICAN CAR THAT I EVER BUY AND THE SAME GOES FOR MY CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDREN!!!! *AK

RECALL 02V286000 REPAIRS CONCERNING POWER STEERING ASSEMBLY WERE PERFORMED. CONSUMER STILL HAD DIFFICULTY STEERING OR TURNING THE VEHICLE. DEALER WOULD CHARGE CONSUMER TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS NOT DETERMINED BECAUSE CONSUMER REFUSED TO PAY FOR A PROBLEM RELATED TO RECALL REPAIRS. *AK

MY 1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GTP WAS PARKED AND THE ENGINE STARTED ON FIRE AND MELTED THE ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT TO THE GROUND. *AK

BOTH HEADLIGHT LENSES FELL OFF IN LESS THAN 6 MONTHS OF EACH OTHER. ALSO THE COOLING SYSTEM FAILS TO KEEP THE CAR COOL IN MODERATE WEATHER.*AK