2000 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GTP. AFTER BEING PARKED FOR FIVE MINUTES THE VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING UNDERNEATH THE HOOD, AND THEN THE VEHICLE IGNITED INTO FLAMES. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 145,000.*AK

I HAD A 2000 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX WITH 120,000 MILES, THAT HAD BEEN MOSTLY NO TROUBLE. WE HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY TIL 75,000 MILES, AND ALL THE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. WHEN DRIVING HOME FROM WORK (<15MILES), I STOPPED AT THE GROCERY STORE FOR 20 MINUTES OR LESS. BEFORE I CAME OUT, MY CAR WAS TOTALLED IN FLAMES, AND 2 FIRE DEPARTMENTS WERE THERE DOUSING MY ENGINE. THERE WERE NO PRIOR LEAKS/NOISES/ WARNING LIGHTS. THIS OCCURRED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, 4:30PM, ALONG A MAJOR ROAD. MY HUSBAND IS A CERTIFIED IN ARSON INVESTIGATION, AND STATED THE FIRE BEGAN AT THE FRONT LEFT CORNER OF THE ENGINE, WHERE THE FUEL LINE IS. IT WAS MORE SEVERLY MELTED IN THAT AREA. WE HAD THE COMPREHENSIVE INSURANCE DISCONTINUED ABOUT 2 MONTHS PRIOR,DUE TO HOUSE INSURANCE UP A THOUSAND DOLLARS, ETC, FROM THE HURRICANES, SO I HAD NO FIRE COVERAGE, AND AM OUT OF A VEHICLE. I CALLED GM, AND THEY OFFERED TO HAVE AN "INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATOR" LOOK AT IT FOR ANY POSSIBLE COMPENSATION. ( I DID NOT CALL THEM FOR MONEY, BUT CALLED TO REPORT THE INCIDENT, FOR SAFETY REASONS). THEIR 'INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATOR' REPORTED IT WAS 'IGNITED FROM AN OUTSIDE SOURCE, UNDERNEATH THE TRANSMISSION'. I ASSURE YOU THIS EXTENSIVE FIRE WAS NOT STARTED BY A CIGARETTE BUTT, AND I DO NOT HAVE ANY MAFFIA CHASING ME TO IGNITE MY CAR. I ASSURE YOU NO ONE IN BROAD DAYLIGHT ON A MAJOR ROAD TORCHED MY CAR. I AM VERY ANGRY WITH GM FOR MAKING SUCH A CLAIM. I HAD A VEHICLE THAN RAN WELL AND WAS PAID OFF OVER A YEAR AGO, AND WAS IN GOOD CONDITION...ASK ANYONE WHO I WORK WITH OR ANY NEIGHBOR. I THANK GOD THE CAR WAS NOT IN MY GARAGE WHEN THIS HAPPENED, OR MY HOUSE WOULD BE GONE, AND MAYBE US, TOO. OR, ON THE ROAD IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC.

AFTER DRIVING FOR A SHORT TIME, 10 MINUTES, I PARKED AND TURNED OFF MY 2000 GRAND PRIX GTP. APPROXIMATELY 10 - 15 MINUTES LATER A LOUD NOISE, EXPLOSION, WAS HEARD AND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE CAR WAS ENTIRELY IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND SUBSEQUENTLY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. PONTIAC INVESTIGATED AND CLAIMED TO FIND NO EVIDENCE OF LIABILITY. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE AND HAD BEEN REGULARLY MAINTAINED. *JB

DUE TO THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH I DO NOT HAVE HAZARD OR BRAKE LIGHTS ON MY 2000 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX I DO KNOW THERE IS A INVESTIGATION ON IT NOW AND I KNOW MANY OTHERS IN MY AREA WHO I HAVE TALKED TO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. IT IS NOT CHEAP TO FIX AND I'M UNABLE TO GET IF FIXED AT THE MOMENT SO I USE SOMEONE ELSE'S CAR WHEN I GO. THIS MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH HAS MY BRAKES AS WELL AS MY HAZARD WARNING LIGHT NOT WORKING. THIS IS A MANUFACTURER'S ERROR AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE SOON. *JB

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER RESEARCHING THE INTERNET SHE DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION ABOUT THE MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH MALFUNCTIONED FOR THE 2000 - 2002 GRAND PRIX. THE CONTACT'S BRAKE LIGHTS AND HAZARD LIGHTS WERENOT WORKING. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 126000. UPDATED 03/19/07. *JB

I DROVE ABOUT 3-4 MILES FROM MY WORK TO PICK UP MY NEWBORN SON FROM MY MOTHER, WHO WAS BABYSITTING. I PARKED MY CAR IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE SCHOOL AND WENT INSIDE (CAR WAS NOT ON). I HAD ENOUGH TIME TO USE THE RESTROOM AND CHANGE MY SON'S DIAPER (10 MINUTES) AND WE GOT A PHONE CALL FROM THE MAIN OFFICE ON THE 1ST FLOOR TO TELL US THAT MY CAR WAS SMOKING. I RAN TO THE WINDOW AND SAW BLACK SMOKE BILLOWING FROM MY HOOD. I RAN DOWNSTAIRS TO THE 1ST FLOOR, BUT BY THE TIME I GOT NEAR ENOUGH TO SEE, I COULD SEE ORANGE FLAMES UNDERNEATH THE CAR. I DIDN'T DARE GO NEAR THE CAR TO RETRIEVE MY BELONGINGS (PURSE, CAR SEAT, CD'S, ETC) FOR FEAR THAT THE FLAMES WOULD SPREAD TO THE GAS TANK. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GOT THERE, THE FLAMES WERE 5-8 FEET HIGH. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS, BUT I HAVE NOT GOTTEN A QUOTE MY INSURANCE COMPANY AS OF YET. *JB

REAR RIGHT TURN SIGNAL NOT WORKING, NOT BULB OR FUSE ISSUE, SOME KIND OF MALFUNCTION. *NM

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GTP WITH AN ODOMETER READING OF 112365 MILES. IN SEPTEMBER 2005 THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE STOPPING FOR 10 - 15 MINUTES. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS WERE INVOLVED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CONFIRMED THAT THIS WAS A FUEL RELATED FIRE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN PARKED SINCE ,AND NO REPAIRS HAS BEEN PERFORMED ON IT SINCE THERE WAS NO INSURANCE. THE CONTACT FILED COMPLAINT ABOUT THE VEHICLE AS A SAFETY PROBLEM WITH GM. *AK

THE ABS HARNESS THAT CLIPS TO THE BACKING PLATE IS COMING UNCLIPPED ON THE BACK PLATE WHILE MAKING A SHARP LEFT HAND TURN. ITS HITTING THE LOWER A-FRAME AND COMING UNCLIPPED. I KNOW THIS BECAUSE, MY HUSBAND IS A MECHANIC, IT BECAME UNCLIPPED AND WRAPPED AROUND THE C.V SHAFT AND TORE THE CLAMP OFF THE OUTER BOOT AND GREASE WENT EVERYWHERE. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT CALLED REGARDING THE 2000 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE CONTACT PARKED THE VEHICLE AND APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES LATER HE WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. IT WAS CONTAINED TO THE HOOD AREA OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THERE HAD NOT BEEN ANY RECENT REPAIR WORK ON THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE INSURANCE COMPANY TOOK PICTURES OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000. *AK UPDATED 2/27/2007 - *NM