2000 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

ON 5/15/2008 I PURCHASED A WHEEL BEARING FROM ADVANCED AUTO PARTS FOR MY 2000' PONTIAC GRAND PRIX PART # NT513121AND INSTALLED IT THE SAME DAY AS PER SPECIFICATIONS. ON 5/31/2008 MY SON WAS DRIVING THE CAR TO PICK ME UP FROM WORK WHEN HE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT THE FRONT WHEEL HAD SUDDENLY FELL OFF THE CAR. SOMEONE SUMMONED THE POLICE AND A TOW TRUCK. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO MY HOME AND I FOUND THAT ALL 5 STUDS HAD BROKEN OFF OF THE BEARING HUB. ON 6/1/2008 I PURCHASED A NEW BEARING (BETTER QUALITY). AT THAT TIME I DID NOT RETURN THE DEFECTIVE BEARING. I RETURNED HOME AND INSTALLED THE NEW BEARING. ON 6/2/2008 WHEN I RETURNED TO WORK I HAD A ROCKWELL HARDNESS TEST DONE ON THE ONLY REMAINING STUD. WE FOUND IT ONLY HAD RC OF 22. BY THE STAMPING ON THE STUD (10.9 METRIC) WHICH IS EQUIVALENT TO GRADE 8 OR 33 TO 44 R.C. THIS WAS A GRADE 3 CASE HARDENED STUD WHICH SHOWED A TENSION BREAK. I THEN CALLED THE MANUFACTURER NTP BEARING (1800-322-8983) AND TOLD THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP. WHAT HAD HAPPENED. HE TOLD ME TO RETURN THE BEARING WHERE I PURCHASED IT AND INCLUDE MY NAME, ADDRESS AND WHERE I COULD BE CONTACTED FOR ANY CLAIM. THE REASON I AM REPORTING THIS IS IF THERE ARE MORE BEARINGS ON THE MARKET WITH THIS DEFECT IT COULD BE CATASTROPHIC IF THIS HAPPENS AT ANY SPEED. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF NTP FOLLOWS UP. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME AND STOPPED TO LET MY SON OUT TO VISIT HIS FRIEND. WHEN HE GOT OUT OF THE CAR I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. I GOT AROUND THE CORNER TO MY HOUSE AND MY CAR BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AND I COASTED INTO THE DRIVEWAY. AT THAT POINT THERE WAS SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD AND MY HUSBAND OPENED IT. THERE WERE FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD AND MY HUSBAND PUT OUT THE FIRE WITH A HOSE. WE HAD TO REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR AND IGNITION WIRES, SO FAR. I AM NOT SURE WHAT ELSE IS DAMAGED AT THIS POINT. THE CAR HAD BEEN RUNNING FINE PRIOR TO THIS. *TR

2000 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX WITH RECALL FOR ENGINE OIL LEAK. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A MAJOR OIL LEAK. CONSUMER HAD THE HEAD GASKET REPAIRED. HE THEN RECEIVED A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. MANUFACTURER WILL ONLY REIMBURSE PARTIAL. *KB THE PROBLEM WAS THE VALVE COVER GASKET WHICH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER HAD THE REPAIRS MADE AT A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. GM INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT ONLY A PARTIAL REIMBURSEMENT WOULD BE MADE BECAUSE HAD THE DEALER PERFORMED THE REPAIRS, IT WOULD HAVE ONLY TAKEN AN HOUR TO COMPLETE.

THERE IS A RECALL ON THE CAR FOR LEAKING ROCKER COVER GASKETS WHICH MAY LEAD TO FIRES. THE RECALL ONLY COVERS THE FRONT GASKET (SEEMINGLY BECAUSE IT IS CHEAPER AND EASIER TO REPLACE) YET BOTH GASKETS LEAK. THE REAR GASKET IS LEAKING WORSE THAN THE FRONT BUT THE RECALL DOESN'T COVER THE REPAIR.

RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE ON MY 2000 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX FOR VALVE COVER GASKET LEAK. UPON TAKING IT IN FOR INSPECTION BY GM DEALER FOUND OUT BOTH VALVE COVER GASKETS WERE DEFECTIVE. THE RECALL NOTICE WAS FOR ONLY THE FRONT VALUE COVER GASKET. I TOOK IT IN AND HAD THE REPAIRS DONE BUT THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE REAR VALVE COVER GASKETS EVEN THOUGH IT LEAKS. THE CAR ONLY HAS 49,000 MILE ON IT SO I DON'T FEEL THIS SHOULD BE HAPPENING. *TR

BRAKE LIGHTS WENT OUT, BULB AND FUSE OK, DEALER TESTED AND SAID MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH IS CAUSING ISSUE ALTHOUGH ALL OTHER LIGHTS ARE FINE AND FUNCTIONING. REPLACE MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH, BULBS OK. MILEAGE 130,000. *TR

2000 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GTP WITH RECALL FOR FRONT ROCKER COVER GASKET TEMPERATURES. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE MECHANIC WHO LOOKED OVER THE VEHICLE NOTICED TWO OTHER HEAD GASKET LEAKS. *KB THE MECHANIC STATED THE OTHER ROCKER COVER GASKET WAS LEAKING AS WELL AS THE INTAKE GASKET. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. HE ALSO NOTICED A LEAK COMING FROM THE VALVE COVER GASKETS. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND HAD THE VALVE COVERS REPLACED. A YEAR AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE MADE, HE BEGAN TO NOTICE SPOTS AND LEAKS ON THE FLOOR AGAIN, AS WELL AS SMOKE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE LOWER INTAKE GASKETS AND THE SUPER CHARGER GASKETS AT 65,000 MILES. THE CONTACT CALLED GMC TO EXPLAIN HOW HE FELT THAT THE OTHER GASKETS SHOULD HAVE ALSO BEEN REPLACED AND INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. HE FEELS THAT GMC DID NOT ADDRESS HIS ISSUES PROPERLY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 72,000. UPDATED 07/10/08. *LJ UPDATED *JB

2000 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX CAUGHT FIRE. CONSUMERS INSURANCE COMPANY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHO IS HANDLING THIS CASE. *KB

THERE IS A STRONG MUSTY SMELL, MOST NOTICEABLE IN THE WARMER WEATHER MONTHS. HAVE NOTICED WATER COMING INTO THE FRONT AREA BY DRIVERS RIGHT FOOT AND PASSENGERS LEFT FOOT AREA. I AM ALMOST CERTAIN THAT IT IS COMING FROM THE AIR CONDITIONING. MUSTY SMELL IS MOST LIKELY FROM THE CARPET GETTING WET AND PRODUCING THE ODOR. *TR