2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE IN GARAGE 10 MINUTES AFTER PARKING IT. ON CHECKING THE INTERNET, THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS CAR, BUT I WAS NOT NOTIFIED. NHTSA ID #08V118000, ISSUED 3/12/08. OWNER'S LETTERS FOR RECALL NOT SENT OUT BY GM BECAUSE OF INSUFFICIENT PARTS. "EDMUNDS.COM" WEB SITE INDICATES THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY INCIDENTS OF FIRE, SOME REPORTED TO NHTSA. I HAVE CONTACTED GM AND THEY HAVE BEEN UNRESPONSIVE. SINCE I HAVE INSURANCE THEY FEEL THAT IS SUFFICIENT. I AM A SENIOR CITIZEN, MY CAR WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND PAID FOR. NOW I MUST PURCHASE ANOTHER CAR, INCUR DEBT, ALL BECAUSE GM FAILED TO NOTIFY ME THAT THERE WAS A DEFECT THAT NEEDED TO BE FIXED. *TR

I EXPERIENCED DUAL AIR BAG FAILURE IN MY 2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX IN JANUARY 2009. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 45 MILES AN HOUR AND HIT A TREE HEAD ON. THE IMPACT WAS HARD ENOUGH THAT THE CAR BOUNCED OFF THE TREE AND SPUN AROUND IN THE ROAD. THE INSURANCE COMPANY TOTALED OUT THE CAR AFTER DETERMINING THAT THE COST TO REPAIR IT WOULD BE WELL OVER $6000. ALL THE DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR AND THE ENGINE. LUCKILY, I WAS WEARING MY SEATBELT WHICH SAVED ME FROM BEING SERIOUSLY INJURED. I AM NOT LOOKING FOR COMPENSATION BUT I DO WANT SOMEONE AWARE THAT THE 'SAFETY MEASURES' THE MANUFACTURER INSTALLED ARE NOT RELIABLE. HAD I BEEN FATALLY INJURED, I AM SURE THAT MY FAMILY WOULD HAVE SUED FOR THE MANUFACTURER'S NEGLIGENCE. UNFORTUNATELY, UNTIL THE AIRBAGS ARE NEEDED, YOU WON'T KNOW THEY ARE FAULTY. *TR

2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GT OF MINE HAS A DRIVER'S POWER ADJUST SEAT WHICH TENDS TO MOVE FORWARD ON ITS ON MOST RECENT DATE OCCURRED BELOW. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS ONLY A PIECE OF PLASTIC USED TO CLOSE THE ETR VALVE AT THE FUEL INJECTOR RAIL. THIS IS WHERE THE FUEL LINE CONNECTS WITH THE MOTOR. THE FAILURE CAUSES THE GASKET TO OVERHEAT, AND COULD LEAD TO AN ENGINE FIRE DUE TO FUEL LEAKING INTO THE OVERHEATED MOTOR. THE CONTACT IS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE.

2003 GRAND PRIX 3800 SERIS II ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES I FOUND THAT THE CONNECTION FROM THE FUEL SUPPLY LINE TO THE FUEL RAIL FAILS WHEN ENGINE IS TURNED OFF THIS POOLS UP BY THE INJECTORS AFTER THE OWNERS ARE WELL AWAY FROM THE CAR. THERE IS A WEB SITE WWW.EDMUNDS.COM THAT TALKS OF A OIL LEAK FROM THE SUPERCHARGER, I THINK A CLOSER LOOK AT THE FUEL CONNECTION IS THE PLACE THE FIRES ARE COMING FROM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE CONTACT TOOK HIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V118000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). AT THAT TIME, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR GASKET ON HIS ENGINE WAS ALSO LEAKING. THE FRONT GASKET WAS REPLACED UNDER THE SAFETY RECALL REPAIR AND HE WAS CHARGED $200 FOR THE REPAIR OF THE REAR GASKET. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 46,620.

I HAVE A 2003 GRANDPRIX AND THE FIRST TIME I USED THE HAZARDS ON FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES THE COLUMN STARTED SMOKING. IF I TURN THEM ON NOW IT WILL START INSTANTLY. THE OUTSIDE BRAKE LIGHTS HAVE ALSO QUIT WORKING AS A RESULT. I'M TOLD THAT IT IS BECAUSE OF THE WIRING IN THE COLUMN AND THAT EVERYTHING GOES THROUGH A CENTRAL LOCATION WHICH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. APPARENTLY BY STEERING THE CAR OVER TIME IT EVENTUALLY REMOVES THE OUTER COATING OF THE WIRING. I FEEL THAT GM SHOULD REPAIR THIS AT NO COST. I'M ALSO CONCERNED THAT PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW OF THIS PROBLEM AND IF THEY TURN THE HAZARDS ON AND WALK AWAY, THEY MAY NOT HAVE A CAR. *TR

LOUD TICKING AND OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHEN CAR STARTED. CHECKED OIL AND THE OIL WAS READING FULL. TOOK CAR TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAY CAR NEEDS A NEW ENGINE. $7000 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THERE IS 90,000 KMS ON CAR AND IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED AND SYNTHETIC OIL AND PREMIUM GAS USED. DEC/06 HEARD TICKING TOOK CAR TO DEALERSHIP, THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE PROBLEM DID A HOT OIL CHANGE AND TICK STOPPED OR WAS MASKED. NOW WE HAVE A SEVERE PROBLEM, NEW ENGINE REQUIRED AND THE CAR IS WORTH NOTHING. IT ALSO APPEARS TO BE A GASKET PROBLEM. WAS THERE A RECALL, THIS SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM?

IN FEB OF 2003 MY PONTIAC GRAND PRIX CAUGHT FIRE AFTER I PARKED FOR THE EVENING. SINCE THEN, INSURANCE REFUSED COVERAGE FOR "SUSPICIOUS IN NATURE. IN 2003 PONTIAC CLAIMED NO RESPONSIBILITY, GM'S 100,000 MILE WARRANTY WAS A REFUSED. AFTER COMPLAINING AGAIN IN 2006 PONTIAC CALLED AGAIN TO SAY THEY WERE NOT AT FAULT AND HAD NO RESPONSIBILITY. I ASKED THEM FOR CORRESPONDING VIN NUMBERS AND WAS REFUSED. I HAVE LOCATED OVER 15 ADDITIONAL GRAND PRIX ENGINE FIRES WHERE GM / PONTIAC IS CLAIMING NO RESPONSIBILITIES. ONCE ? TWICE ? 10 + ? I READ THAT NHTSA HAD BEGUN ANOTHER INVESTIGATION IN FEB 07 AND WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON THIS. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO FORWARD COPIES OF ANY OF MY MATERIALS INCLUDING 2 SEPARATE FIRE INVESTIGATIONS THAT CLAIM MY FIRE STARTED BY THE DRIVERS HEAD LAMP UNDER THE AIR FILTER ASSEMBLY, INCLUDING RECEIPTS THAT SHOW WHERE GM SERVICED MY FUEL ASSEMBLY 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE FIRE... *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE 2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX ON A SUNNY DAY AT 35 MPH A DEER RAN OUT IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE HE SWERVED IN ORDER NOT TO HIT THE DEER AND RAN INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE AND WAS CONSUMED BY THE FIRE. HE HAD A HARD TIME GETTING OUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR, IT WOULD NOT OPEN. HE HAD TO CRAWL OUT THROUGH THE BACK WINDOW. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87000 MILES.*AK