2002 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

MY 2002 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 40TH EDITION ENGINE COMPARTMENT STARTED ON FIRE ON 10/12/07 APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES AFTER PARKING IT IN MY DRIVEWAY. THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER SAID THE CAR WAS TOTALED. *TR

2002 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX TIRE FLEW OFF THE VEHICLE BOUNCED DOWN THE HIGHWAY HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE OHIO TURNPIKE. *KB (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT)*JB

2002 GRAND PRIX GT LEAKS COOLANT AT UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 31,000 MILES. UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED THUS ALLOWING COOLANT TO LEAK INSIDE AND ON TOP OF THE ENGINE. THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM FLUSHED FOR ANY CONTAMINANTS. GM TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT THE GASKET WAS REPLACED WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED GASKET. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BY GENERAL MOTORS (NHTSA 10006144) AND THEIR SOLUTION IN 2003 WAS TO ADD COOLANT PELLETS AND TO CHANGE THE NUTS ON THROTTLE BODY. IN MY OPINION, IF THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE GASKET BEFORE THE RECALL, THE COOLANTS PELLETS WOULD HAVE ONLY PROLONGED THE TIME IT TOOK FOR THE GASKET TO TOTALLY FAIL. THUS FORCING THE CUSTOMER TO PAY TO FIX A KNOWN DEFECT SINCE THE CAR IS WAS NO LONGER UNDER THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY. *JB

BRAKE LIGHTS AND THE TAIL LIGHTS DON'T WORK AND CAN'T USE MY HAZARDS. I FOUND RECALLS FOR THIS SITUATION ON OTHER GM VEHICLES BUT FOR SOME REASON NOT THE 2002 GRAND PRIX. I HAVE COME ACROSS SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND I'M SHOCKED THAT THIS WAS DEEMED NOT AN ISSUE. THIS IS WIDE SPREAD AND THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH IS NOT CHEAP. PLEASE RESEARCH THIS ISSUE AGAIN. *JB

ALL 4 POWER WINDOWS DO NOT OPERATE IN WARM TO HOT WEATHER. EACH WINDOW HAS IT'S OWN, DIFFERENT, UNIQUE, TEMPERATURE IN WHICH IT WILL NOT OPERATE INDEPENDENT OF THE OTHER WINDOWS. DRIVER'S WINDOWS STOPS OPERATING ABOVE 60, DRIVER'S SIDE PASSENGER WINDOW STOPS OPERATING ABOVE 65, SHOTGUN WINDOW STOPS OPERATING ABOVE 85, AND SHOTGUN SIDE PASSENGER WINDOW STOPS WORKING ABOVE 80. ALL DEGREES ARE FARENHEIGHT. THIS IS A SAFETY FACTOR AT TOLLS, GOVERNMENT INSTALLATION FRONT GATES, MILITARY BASES, ETC. ALSO IS A GENERAL SAFETY ISSUE (FOGGING, BUGS, EMERGENCY EXITING).

DRIVER'S SIDE REAR LIGHT ASSEMBLY FILLING WITH WATER. AFTER SEARCHING ONLINE, THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON ISSUE. COULD RESULT IN FAILURE OF REAR LIGHTS AND POSSIBLE ACCIDENT.

BRAKE LIGHTS NOT WORKING AND WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED. HAZARD SWITCH IS STUCK. AFTER CHECKING ONLINE THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM RELATED TO THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH. IT APPEARS THAT GM IS WAITING FOR A FEW FATALITIES TO OCCUR BEFORE TAKING ANY ACTION!!

DEALERSHIP FOUND PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WHEEL BEARING FAILURE. DRIVER SIDE FRONT WHEEL BEARING AT MECHANICAL WEAR LIMIT. BOTH WERE REPLACED, AS WELL AS TRANSMISSION MAIN SEALS FROM AGE/WEAR/LEAKAGE AND FRONT PASSENGER SIDE LOWER BALL JOINT. ONE MONTH PRIOR TO THIS REPAIR, THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING AND NO ELECTRICAL WARNING OR LIGHTS WHILE BEING DRIVEN. BECAUSE RELATED OTHER PARTS WERE REPAIRED PREVIOSLY AND REPORTED DEFECTIVE VIA THIS SYSTEM ON ODI ID 10107847 AND 10148428 AND DURING THIS REPAIR REPORTED REPAIR TO PONTIAC, THE OTHER ASSOCIATED PARTS WERE IN SPECIFICATION. ONE LOWER PASSENGER SIDE BALL JOINT WAS AT THE MECHANICAL LIMIT DUE TO BAD LOCAL ROADS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE EDGE OF ROAD/POTHOLES AND PUBLIC UTILITY ACCESS PATCHES. WORN HUBS (FOR THE SECOND TIME HERE, LISTEN UP) ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION IF NEEDED. BOTH TIMES THIS OCCURRED, WE NOTICED THE FAILURES EITHER AUDIBLY (HUMMING) OR DURING STATE INSPECTION, OR BOTH, AND IN ALL CASES, THE REPAIR CONDITIONS WERE SET BY THE DEALERSHIP DURING THE INSPECTION PHASE. AT NO TIME DURING THE INSPECTION WERE APOLIGIES OFFERED, OR BETTER PARTS ENGINEERED, TO PREVENT THIS FROM RE-OCCURRING. JUST TOLD THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS VEHICLE, GOOD THING WE CAUGHT IT BEFORE WE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT (WE?) AND WE CANNOT OFFER A BETTER PART TO FIX THIS PROBLEM PERMANENTLY. THEY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE MATERIALS USED TO PRODUCE AND INVESTIGATE MANUFACTURED ITEMS FOR COMPLIANCE WITH MATERIAL(S) ENGINEERING AND SPECIFICATION, AS WELL AS WEAR TESTING DATA THAT MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY REPORTED TO PRESENT A FAVORABLE OUTCOME OF TEST FAILURE ANAYLSIS. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. HE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE BEGAN DIESELING WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO START IT. INITIALLY AFTER DIESELING, THE ENGINE WOULD START HOWEVER; HE WAS CURRENTLY UNABLE TO START THE VEHICLE. THERE IS A SAFETY RECALL FOR THE FUEL SYSTEM STORAGE TANK ASSEMBLY (NHTSA CAMPAIGN #07E021000). THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WAS 29,000. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 02-01-08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AS OF YET. UPDATED 02/01/08 *TR

SEPARATION OF OUTER PLASTIC LENSE FROM MOUNTED FIXTURE RESULTING IN RAIN SETTLING IN THE INTERIOR OF TAIL LIGHT: MAY RESULT IN FAILURE OF BULBS