1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

STEERING - RACK & PINION FAILED WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN - IT WAS VERY HARD TO TURN THE WHEEL SO THAT WE COULD CLEAR THE INTERSECTION. IT WAS ALSO DIFFICULT TO PARK THE VEHICLE. STEERING TO THE RIGHT WAS NORMAL. REPLACED RACK & PINION $780.54. HEADLIGHTS: MOISTURE BUILDUP IN FRONT HEADLAMPS. DEALER REPLACED SEALS 1/98 UNDER WARRANTY. ANOTHER MOISTURE PROBLEM DEVELOPED 3/99 -DEALER REPLACE BOTH HEADLAMPS. AIR CONDITIONER: SYSTEM FAILED ON7/01 - UNABLE TO ADJUST AIR FLOW AND AIR COULD BARELY BE FELT COMING FROM THE VENTS. DEALER FOUND THAT VAC LINE WAS SPLIT AT PUMP - $42.23 TO REPAIR. AIR SYSTEM FAILED AGAIN 6/99 - LOOSE VACUUM HOSE REPAIRED $21.59. AIR BAG INDICATOR COMES ON AND GOES OFF AT RANDOM. DEALER RAN A DIAGNOSTIC AND FOUND AN ERROR CODE, WHICH THEY CLEARED, BUT NO PROBLEM - ISSUE UNRESOLVED. REAR POWER WINDOWS FAILED - DEALER REPLACE REGULATOR ON BOTH REAR WINDOWS - COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. ALTERNATOR FAILED 10/01 - REPLACED $314.54

I READ IN THE NEWSPAPER THAT YOU WERE INVESTIGATING THIS PROBLEM. SO, I THOUGHT I WOULD ADD MY COMPLAINT TO THE LIST. PLEASE KEEP ME INFORMED ABOUT YOUR INVESTIGATION. THANKS. NO SAFETY DEFEC TMENTIONED. *AK

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 1997 GRAND PRIX ON THE HIGHWAY AND WENT O MAKE A LANE CHANGE TO THE LEFT. THE STEERING WENT OUT AND THE CAR WAS DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE SLOWER THE SPEED OF THE CAR, THE MORE DIFFICULT IT WAS TO STEER. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE RACK AND PINION SEIZED. THE COST TO FIX THIS WAS $1300 PLUS. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS DESIGN DEFECT AND LEADS TO VERY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE BY THE MANUFACTURER (REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIR?). I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT INFORM OWNERS OF PROBLEMS LIKE THIS. HOPEFULLY YOUR AGENCY CAN HELP.*AK

I WAS MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN AT AN INTERSECTION AND HALF WAY INTO THE TURN MY STEERING LOCKED UP AND ALL THE GAGES ON MY IP LIT UP. I LUCKED OUT, FOR THERE WAS A GRASSY AREA IN THAT CORNER OF THE INTERSETION AND LET THE CAR STEER INTO IT. I THEN TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON AND THE STEERING CAME BACK. I THEN PROCEEDED TO MY DESTINATION ABOUT A 1/2 MILE AWAY AND WHEN I PUT THE CAR INTO PARK THE ENGINE BEGAN REVVING UP AND DOWN. I TURNED IT OFF AND AFTER THAT THE CAR HAS SEEMED FINE. ANY INFO WOULD BE APPRECIATED. COULD THE STEERING LOCK ON ME AGAIN ??!!

STEERING IS STIFF AND LOOSE TO RIGHT, AND IT IS NOT RELATED TO POWER STEERING PUMP. THERE IS NO NOISE PRESENT WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE.*AK

VEHICLE IS VERY HARD TO STEER IN EITHER DIRECTION. VEHICLE NOT TAKEN TO DEALER YET.*AK CONSUMER STATES THERE IS ALSO A WINDING SOUND WHEN STEERING RIGHT OR LEFT, THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, STEERING WILL UNEXPECTEDLY LOCK UP, CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT STEERING HAS BEEN BINDING FOR THE PAST 1 AND A HALF YEARS, ON THE LAST DATE OF SERVICE, THE POWER STEERING GEAR WAS REPLACED. *JB

STEERING WENT OUT IN PARKING LOT. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN LEFT, BUT TURNING RIGHT SEEMS NORMAL. SINCE STEERING WENT OUT THE STEERING WHEEL IS NOW OFF CENTER TO THE LEFT.*AK

I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN AND COMPLETE FAILURE OF MY STEERING SYSTEM AND NARROWLY ESCAPED A MAJOR ACCIDENT. I CONTACED PONTIAC CUSTOMER CARE AND THEY HAVE BEEN TOTALLY UNHELPFUL. THIS RESULTED IN A $1200 OUT OF POCKET REPAIR. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THESE DEFECTIVE STEERING SYSTEMS OR PEOPLE WILL BE KILLED DUE TO THE SUDDEN NATURE OF THE FAILURE. I WILL CO-OPERATE FULLY WITH ANY FORMAL NHTSA INVESTIGATION IF IT LEADS TO A RECALL.*AK

ENGINE SHUTS OFF UPON ACCELERATION FROM A STOP. LIGHTS AND RADIO STILL WORK. THIS HAS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES, VEHICLE HAS ALWAYS STARTED RIGHT BACK UP. THE TACHOMETER ALSO DROPS WHILE DRIVING VERY FREQUENTLY.*AK