1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

ENGINE RUNS ROUGH, LOSS OF POWER, ENGINE SEIZES UP - THIS OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY SEPT 2002. INITIAL DIAGNOSIS: BLOWN HEAD GASKET OR HEADERS. INITIAL ESTIMATES TO FIX: APPROXIMATELY $4000-4500. INITIAL CALLS TO PONTIAC/GM WERE FRUITLESS. RESULT: REPLACED ENGINE OCT 2003 (APPROXIMATELY $3500 W/WARRANTY). INCIDENT OCCURS A SECOND TIME APPROXIMATELY 3 WEEKS AFTER NEW ENGINE INSTALLED. DIAGNOSIS: INTAKE MANIFOLD COOLANT LEAK, BROKEN PISTON ROD. CALLS TO PONTIAC/GM FRUITLESS ONCE AGAIN. RESULT: AWAITING ANOTHER ENGINE AND MANIFOLD REPAIRS. TO MAKE A LONG AND ARDUOUS 14 MONTHS SHORT - AFTER A CONSIDERATE NUMBER OF CALLS TO PONTIAC, I WAS EVENTUALLY ABLE TO SPEAK WITH A PONTIAC ENGINEER (PE) WHO SPECIALIZES IN FUEL AND EXHAUST SYSTEMS. PE EXPLAINED THE CAUSE OF MY PROBLEM, WORSE CASE SCENARIO AND THE SOLUTION: THE PROBLEM LIES WITHIN THE LOWER (ALUMINUM) INTAKE MANIFOLD. WITHIN IS A TUBE THAT HOUSES THE EGR VALVE AND CARRIES EXHAUST GASES. THIS TUBE WAS MADE RELATIVELY LARGE AND RUNS EITHER THROUGH OR CLOSE TO THE UPPER (PLASTIC) INTAKE MANIFOLD. OVER TIME, THE EXTREMELY HIGH TEMPERATURES OF THESE EXHAUST GASES CAUSES THE UPPER MANIFOLD TO MELT AND CREATES A COOLANT LEAK INTO THE FUEL SYSTEM. AS THIS LEAK INCREASES IN SIZE, INCREASED AMOUNTS OF COOLANT MAKE ITS WAY INTO THE PISTON CHAMBERS. EVENTUALLY, COMPRESSION IS LOST AND THE PISTON RODS CAN EITHER BEND OR BREAK. BOTH THE LOWER AND UPPER MANIFOLDS NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE LOWER HAS BEEN REDESIGNED WITH A SMALLER TUBE THAT HOUSES THE EGR VALVE, THEREFORE, IT DOES NOT LIE AS CLOSE TO THE UPPER MANIFOLD. PE EVEN FAXED ME A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL BULLETIN IN REFERENCING THIS PROBLEM FOR 1998 AND OLDER PONTIACS. RECALLS: 2000-2003 MANIFOLDS. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE 99'S? THERE WERE NO DESIGN CHANGES ON THE MANIFOLDS FOR THE 98'S, 99'S AND 00'S. MOST DEALERSHIP MECHANICS WON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. PONTIAC IS AWARE OF THE INITIAL DESIGN DEFECT. THEIR OFFICIAL BULLETINS PROVE THIS. WHY SHOULD THE CONSUMER HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR DESIGN DEFECT? *LA

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS REPLACED A YEAR AGO AND MAY HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. *AK THE ROD BEARINGS FAILED. THE HEAT GAUGE WAS NOTICED WARMER THAN USUAL AND EVENTUALLY OVERHEATED AND SHUT OFF. GM DEALERS AGREED THE CAUSE WAS DUE TO THE FAILED PLENTUM. *SCC *JB

RPMS JUMP 100 - 200 RPMS IN THE MATTER OF A SECOND OR TWO WHILE CAR IS ACCELERATING AND THE CAR "SURGES" OR "BUCKS" WHILE RPMS JUMP UP AND DOWN. TCC SOLENOID IN TRANSMISSION THOUGHT TO BE PROBLEM.*AK

1999 GRAND PRIX WAS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE INTO THE MOTOR. A KNOWN FAULTY DESIGN. THE 2000 AND 2001 MODELS ALL HAVE RECALLS FOR THE SAME DESIGN/PROBLEM. CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND THIS MODEL WAS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL. *LA

INTERMITTENT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. SEEMS TO OCCUR MORE WHEN THE CAR IS HOT. TRANSMISSION "SLAMS" WHEN UPSHIFTING INTO ANY GEAR. *LA

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS OVER THE LAST 6 WEEKS THE CAR HAS STOPPED/TURNED OFF/STALLED. SOMETIMES IT RESTARTS EASILY AND SOMETIMES IT WON'T RESTART. CAR HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES AND THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE/DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. HAPPENED 3 TIMES ONE NIGHT WHEN IT WAS RAINING. *LA

FACTORY CD RADIO DISPLAY WORKS INPROPERLY. AT TIMES WHEN RADIO IS ON THE DISPLAY WILL NOT WORK AT ALL. AT OTHER TIMES WHAT IS DISPLAYED ON THE RADIO HEADS DISPLAY IS FROZEN OR UNREADABLE. RADIO HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES NOW BY THE DEALERSHIP AND IT CONTINUES TO DO THE SAME THING.

COOLING SYSTEM.. INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAK. IT WAS GOING ON FOR OVER A YEAR AND A HALF AND PEPBOYS DID NOTHING BUT CHANGE THE THERMOSTAT AND THEN IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN. THEN ONE DAY THEY DECIDED THAT THE GASKET WAS LEAKING AND WANTED TO CHARGE ME $600.00 TO FIX. *JB

MY FIANCE AND I BOTH HAVE THE SAME 1999 GRAND PRIX AND WE HAVE BOTH HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AT DIFFERENT TIMES WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING LEAKING ALL OVER THE PASSENGER FLOOR. THE ENTIRE FLOOR IS SOAKED. THE BELT SQUEALS EXTREMELY LOUD IN BOTH CARS STILL WHEN THE FAN IS ON WHETHER IT IS THE HEAT, AIR CONDITIONING OR JUST THE FAN ON. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON IN HIS CAR FOR 6 MONTHS NOW AND JUST STARTED IN MY CAR ABOUT A MONTH AGO. I JUST FIND IT IRONIC THAT THEY BOTH CAME FROM DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS AT DIFFERENT TIMES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I ALREADY CHECKED INTO A RECALL AND HAVE NOT FOUND ONE. PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH ANY INFORMATION YOU MAY HAVE ON THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. MY FIANCE'S VIN # IS [XXX] FOR REFERENCE PURPOSES.*AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

ENGINE/COOLING SYSTEM ANTI-FREEZE DEX-COOL LEAKS INTO THE ENGINE AND I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE HEADS ON THE ENGINE TWICE COSTING ME OVER 2,000 AND CONSUMER REPORTS ON CHANNEL 3 REPORTED THAT OVER TIME THE ANTI-FREEZE THAT ONLY NEWER GM MODELS USE IS BAD FOR THE ENGINE EVENTUALLY WEARING DOWN THE PARTS IN THE ENGINE.I WOULD LIKE FULL REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE COST OF REPAIRS AND IF POSSIBLE TO CHANGE THE CAR OVER TO THE REGULAR GREEN ANTI-FREEZE CAR MAKERS HAVE BEEN USING FOR YEARS.*AK