1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

CLEAR PLASTIC PORTION OF HEAD LAMP ASSEMBLY FELL OFF AFTER CONDENSATION CAUSED GLUE TO FAIL. THIS HAPPENED ONCE WITH EACH HEAD LAMP. *JB

I BOUGHT THIS CAR BRAND NEW. IN JANUARY OF 2003 THE CAR STARTED DYING WHILE DRIVING IT AT SLOW SPEEDS. THIS USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN I AM SLOWING DOWN FOR A STOP SIGN OR RED LIGHT. IT ALSO HAS TWICE STOPPED WHEN I AM GOING SLOW ON A LARGE LOOPING ENTRANCE RAMP TO THE INTERSTATE. EACH TIME THE CAR WILL START RIGHT UP AGAIN AND RUN FINE. THERE IS NO PRIOR WARNING THE CAR IS GOING TO DIE. I FIRST NOTICED IT DIED WHEN I WA NO LONGER ABLE TO STEER THE CAR, BECAUSE THE POWER STEERING IS GONE. IN FEBRUARY 2003 I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM TO HAVE THE PROBLEM CHECKED OUT. I WAS CHARGED $36.25 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC ON THE VEHICLE AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I ASKED WHAT I SHOULD DO SINCE THE CAR KEEPS STALLING AND I BELIEVE IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I WAS TOLD TO TRADE IT IN. *JB

SRS AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON. I ASSUME THAT IS THE PASSENGER SIDE HARNESS FAILURE WHICH I SEE SO MUCH INVESTIGATIONS ON. I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER INVESTIGATIONS, WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, SO I AM REPORTING THIS IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET A RECALL CAMPAIGN STARTED. *JB

THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED TO TURN TO THE LEFT, HOWEVER IT TURNED COMPLETELY AROUND. THE DEALER STATED THE RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *JB

TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. MR THE TRANSMISSION WAS FIRST REPLACED AT 22,748 MILES. 8,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THE THIRD TRANSMISSION IS NOW HAVING PROBLEMS. *JB

I HAVE VERY RECENTLY HAD TO PURCHASE TWO VERY EXPENSIVE "HEADLIGHT CAPSULES" AS THE PLASTIC COVER OF THE HEADLIGHT FELL OFF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY OUTSIDE FORCE BEING APPLIED. BOTH HEADLIGHT COVERS FELL OFF THE CAR WITHIN WEEKS OF EACH OTHER. I BELIEVE THE PART - AND MORE SPECIFICALLY THE GLUE HOLDING THE COVER ON - IS DEFECTIVE. I WOULD LLIKE MY $226.09 REIMBURSED FOR THE PARTS AND LABOR REQUIRED TO FIX THE CAR. I COULD UNDERSTAND IF ONE COVER FELL OFF, I MIGHT THEN BE ABLE TO ATTRIBUTE THIS TO A DEFECT (1 IN 10,000 OR 1 IN 100,000), BUT FOR BOTH TO FALL OFF IN A MATTER OF WEEKS - THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. AGAIN, THE CAR WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT, NO FORCE WAS APPLIED TO THE HEADLIGHTS - THE COVERS SIMPLY "POPPED" OFF THE CAR.

I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON MY 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX (CAMPAIGN ID 02V286000) REGARDING THE RACK AND PINION STEERING. AT THE END OF DECEMBER, 2002, I STARTED EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL NOTICE. HOWEVER, PRIOR TO MY RECEIVING THE RECALL NOTICE, I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE PONTIAC DEALER BECAUSE I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY MAKING LEFT TURNS. AT THAT TIME, I WAS TOLD THE GEAR BOX ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I OPTED TO GET A SECOND OPINION, AND IN THE MEANTIME I WENT TO THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND DISCOVERED THE RECALL. I RECEIVED MY RECALL NOTICE MID-FEBRUARY BUT HAD TO WAIT SEVERAL WEEKS TO GET INTO THE DEALER DUE TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ALREADY SCHEDULED WITH THIS RECALL PROBLEM. MY CAR IS AT THE DEALER'S RIGHT NOW (3-25-03) AND I'M BEING TOLD THAT SINCE THE BEARING IS NOT DAMAGED, THEY CAN'T REPLACE THE GEAR BOX ASSEMBLY UNDER THE RECALL. I WAS TOLD THAT EARLY ON, THEY WERE REPLACING GEAR BOX ASSEMBLIES TO CORRECT THE STEERING PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THE BEARING WASN'T BAD, BUT WHEN THEY SENT THEM TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR REIMBURSEMENT, THEY WERE TOLD THAT SINCE THE BEARING WASN'T BAD THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE REPLACED THE GEAR BOX, AND THEREFORE WEREN'T REIMBURSED. NEEDLESS TO SAY, ALL THEY ARE DOING NOW IS REPLACING THE BEARING, WHETHER OR NOT IT'S DAMAGED WHICH THEY HAVE DONE TO MY CAR. BOTTOM LINE, I STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH DIFFICULTY MAKING LEFT TURNS, BUT BECAUSE MY BEARING WASN'T DAMAGED, IF I WANT IT FIXED, IT WILL BE AT MY EXPENSE. I'M EXTREMELY UNHAPPY THAT THE MANUFACTURER SO OBVIOUSLY HAS FIGURED IN A LOOP HOLE TO LIMIT THEIR EXPOSURE UNDER THIS RECALL, SINCE FROM WHAT MY DEALER TOLD ME THERE HAVE BEEN OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN FORCED TO PAY TO CORRECT THE SITUATION FOR THE SAME REASON. I BELIEVE THIS RECALL NEEDS FURTHER INVESTIGATION AND AMENDMENT TO THE POLICY.

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING THE DRIVING BELT SNAPPED AND CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK UP. DEALER NOTIFIED. *NLM

THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS AFTER THE RECALL WORK WAS PERFORMED ON THE LOWER PINION BALL JOINTS. RECALL NUMBER UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE THE DEALER NAME, ADDRESS AND NUMBER. *NLM

THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A RECALL REGARDING THE RACK AND PINION, HOWEVER WHEN THE RECALL WAS FINISHED, CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING. *NLM