1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

ON MAY 24, 2005, MY CARE (1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX) HAD A HARD TIME STARTING. IT SEEMED AS IF THE CAR DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH POWER. I IMMEDIATELY SUSPECTED THE BATTERY. I DROVE THE CAR AROUND TO SEE IF IT WOULD RECHARGE ITSELF. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR, I LET IT SIT FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND TRIED IT AGAIN. THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. I DECIDED TO PULL THE BATTERY AND HAVE IT TESTED. I DISCONNECTED THE (-) TERMINAL AND NOTICED THE THE (+) TERMINAL WAS VERY CORRODED AND THERE WAS A LOT OF CORROSION DOWN THE SIDE OF THE BATTERY AS WELL. WHEN I PULLED THE CAP OFF THE (+) TERMINAL THE ENTIRE TERMINAL PULLED OFF THE BATTERY AND BATTERY ACID SPILLED OUT ONTO THE BELTS, HOSES, AND CABLES IN THAT PART OF THE CAR. I QUICKLY PULLED THE BATTERY OUT OF THE CAR AND PUT BAKING SODA ON THE ACID TO NEUTRALIZE IT AS BEST AS POSSIBLE. I HAVE PURCHASED A NEW BATTERY BUT NOW HAVE TO REPLACE THE (+) BATTERY CABLE AS IT IS SO CORRODED, I CANNOT GET THE TERMINAL OFF. I HAVE A HUGE BATTERY ACID STAIN ON MY GARAGE FLOOR WERE THE ACID SPILLED OUT. AT THIS TIME I DO NOT KNOW IF THE OTHER BELTS, HOSES OR CABLES NEED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. I HAD TO DISPOSE OF THE BATTERY, BUT I STILL HAVE THE CABLE. MY CAR HAS NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NOR HAS IT BE DRIVEN OVER ROUGH ROADS. I SPOKE WITH A FRIEND WHO HAS THE SAME CAR AND HE HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO HIM A YEAR AGO. AFTER FIND THIS OUT, I WENT BACK TO LOOK AT WHERE THE BATTERY SITS AND NOTICED THAT THERE IS NOTHING THERE TO REALLY HOLD THE BATTERY DOWN EXCEPT FOR THE CABLES. THE PRESSURE OF HOLDING THE BATTERY IN PLACE IS RESTING ON CABLES AND TERMINALS WHICH WERE NOT MADE FOR THAT PURPOSE.

THE INTAKE ON MY CAR HAS CRACKED AND BEEN REPLACED TWICE IN TWO YEARS. THE CAUSE IS STILL UKNOWN.

STEERING IN MY 1999 GRAND PRIX GT FAILED IN THAT IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN TO THE LEFT (SUCH AS WITH NO POWER STEERING) AND APPEARS TO TURN NORMALLY OR POWER ASSISTED TO THE RIGHT. THIS PROBLEM APPEARED SUDDENELY AND HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE IT FIRST APPEARED. A TALK WITH A LOCAL PONTIAC SERVICE MANAGER SAYS THE PROBLEM SYMPTOMS ARE EXACTLY THE SAME AS IN THE 1998 GRAND PRIX WHICH WERE RECALLED FOR BEARING FAILURE IN THE RACK AND PINION. PONTIAC CUSTOMER SERVICE STATES THAT NO RECALL IS IN EFFECT AT THIS TIME FOR MY VEHICLE AND SEEMED MORE CONCERNED THAT WE HAD UNOFFICIALLY TALKED TO A SERVICE ADVISOR ABOUT THE PROBLEM RATHER THAN HAVING AN OFFICIAL SERVICE VISIT TO REPAIR/DIAGNOIS THE PROBLEM. THEY ADVISED TO TAKE THE CARE TO A DEALER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO HAVE THE PROBLEM DOCUMENTED BUT STATED THAT THERE WOULD BE A CHARGE FOR THE DIAGNOSIS. THE REPAIR HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED AS YET AND THE CAR REMAINS "OFF THE ROAD" IN HOPES THAT SOMETHING CAN BE WORKED OUT WITH PONTIAC.

DT: WHEN THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES, A METAL SOUND WAS HEARD. THE DEALER SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG, WHEN THE CAR BROKE DOWN IT WAS TOWED TO MEINKE MUFFLER SHOP AND THEY SAW THE PROBLEM RIGHT AWAY. THEY SAVED THE DEFECTIVE PARTS. WHEN POINTED OUT TO DEALER THEY SAW THE PROBLEM. 2 DIFFERENT DEALERS SAID THIS NEVER HAPPENS AND THEY FELT IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. MANUFACTURER SAID FOR THE DEALER TO CALL BUT THE DEALER WILL NOT CALL MANUFACTURER. *JB

STEERING WHEEL LOCKED ONLY WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN. DEALER STATED THE RACK AND PINION STEERING WAS DEFECTIVE. *AK *JB

VEHICLE WAS IDLING ROUGH ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE, ALL FUEL INJECTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, ONE OF THEM TWICE. VEHICLE STILL IDLES ROUGH ON OCCASION.*AK

LEAKS ANT FREEZE INTO THE BLOCK SAID IT WAS THE UPPER AND LOWER INTAKE GASKETS. NEED A RECALL ON THAT. *JB

THERE WAS A LEAK OF RADIATOR FLUID INTO THE PISTONS. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE PLASTIC LINE IN THE ENGINE WAS DEFECTIVE, AND THEN WAS REPLACED.*AK *TC

POWER STEERING IS VERY HARD TO TURN WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN. CONSUMER STATED THAT A RECALL WAS ISSUED ON THE 1997 AND 1998 PONTIAC, GRAND PRIX. TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, WHO DETERMINED THAT CONSUMER NEEDED A RACK AND PINION, WHICH WOULD COST CONSUMER ABOUT $800.00.*AK

DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE FOR APPROX 100 MILES, ENGINE TEMPERATURE SUDDENLY OVERHEATED. SON AND WIFE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND SHUT MOTOR OFF. THEY WAITED APPROX 30 MINUTES FOR ENGINE TO COOL OFF. THEY TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE, BUT IT DIDN'T SOUND RIGHT SO THEY STOPPED. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER IN SPRINGFIELD, VT FOR REPAIR. INFORMED ON MONDAY THAT ENGINE INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED CAUSING LOSS OF COOLANT. CAR HAD APPROX 79500 MILES ON IT. VIN # IS [XXX] .*AK UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)