1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

OUR SON WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN HE NOTICED FLAMES COMING OUT OF THE HOOD AND DOWN THE SIDE OF THE CAR. HE COULDN'T GET IT TO STOP COMPLETELY BUT DID GET IT SLOWED DOWN ENOUGH TO JUMP OUT. THE FIRE DIED DOWN A LITTLE BUT FLARED BACK UP, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD TO PUT IT OUT. THE POLICE WERE CALLED BUT DIDN'T MAKE A REPORT BECAUSE THEIR WASN'T A ACCIDENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE SHE NOTICED A LOUD POPPING SOUND IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES, SHE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 250,000.

THERE IS A RECALL OF 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX #02V286000. RECALL DATE 11-04-2002 FOR ASSEMBLY DATES 1-1-1996 THROUGH 10-31-1997 MY CARS ASSEMBLY DATE IS 8-30-1996. MY CAR HAS THE EXACT CONSEQUENCE OF THIS RECALL. THE RECALL LISTING IS: CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES AND MINI VANS HAVE LOWER PINION BEARINGS IN THE POWER RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY IN WHICH THE RETAINER TABS WERE NOT CRIMPED PROPERLY. THESE AND SOME OTHER RETAINERS USED IN VEHICLES ASSEMBLED BETWEEN JANUARY 1, 1996 AND OCTOBER 31, 1997, COULD FAIL AND PERMIT THE BALL BEARINGS TO ESCAPE. CONSEQUENCE: IF THIS OCCURS, THE PINION SHAFT CAN BE FORCED UPWARD DURING LEFT TURNS AND BACK DOWN AS THE STEERING WHEEL IS MOVED BACK AND TO THE RIGHT. IF THE PINION SHAFT MOVES FURTHER, THE DRIVER WILL NEED TO EXERT MORE EFFORT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, SIMILAR TO A VEHICLE WITHOUT POWER ASSISTED STEERING. IF THE PINION SHAFT MOVES EVEN FURTHER, THE DRIVER WILL REQUIRE MUCH HIGHER EFFORT TO TURN LEFT AND MAY NOT BE ABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL AS MUCH AS INTENDED. WITH THE MAXIMUM PINION SHAFT MOVEMENT, WHICH REQUIRES INTERNAL GEAR COMPONENT DAMAGE, THE DRIVER CAN ENCOUNTER HIGH RESISTANCE TO TURNING LEFT, FOLLOWED BY UNINTENDED POWER ASSIST TO THE RIGHT. IN ANY OF THESE CONDITIONS, A CRASH COULD OCCUR. I TOOK THE CAR TO A REGULAR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC THERE USE TO BE A GM MACHANIC AND HE SAID I HAVE THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE RECALL PROBLEM. AND CAN'T BELIVE THAT GM WILL NOT COVER THIS CAR. ALL THE SYMPTOMS ARE THE SAME. AND THE BEARINGS ARE GONE FROM THE RACK. *TR

ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE DUE TO AN OIL LEAK, THE FIRE SPREAD. DESTROYED THE ENGINE. THIS HAPPENED ON A DAY IT WAS RAINING. I PULLED INTO A REST AREA. THAT WAS WHEN SMOKE WAS SEEN COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I LIFTED THE HOOD AND THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND MY CAR STARTED BRINGING IN SMOKE FROM THE AIR VENTS. I WENT TO PULL OVER AND LOST ALL POWER. AS I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THE HOOD WAS IN FLAMES. MY CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *TR

1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX HAD AN ENGINE FIRE IN OCTOBER 2007 AND WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED SHE RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER AFTER THE FIRE OCCURRED. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE CALLED PONTIAC ON MAY 21, 2008 AND ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS ON HER VEHICLE AND SHE WAS TOLD NO. *JB

1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX SAFETY RECALL 09047. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE AT A GAS STATION, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE IS IN STORAGE. THE CONSUMER READ WHERE A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THEY HAD NO RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. *JB

1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX IGNITION KEY FAILURE. THERE ARE MANY THOUSANDS OF PONTIACS WITH THIS SAME EXACT PROBLEM. KEY WILL NOT COME OUT OF IGNITION SWITCH,KEY WILL NOT TURN CAR ON,I HAVE TO PUSH GEAR SHIFT FROM LOW TO PARK NUMEROUS TIMES TO GET KEY TO START CAR ,THEN AGAIN TO RELEASE KEY FROM IGNITION SWITCH.THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED SINCE IT EFFECTS PONTIACS 1996,97,98,99,2000,2001,2002. MANY THOUSANDS OF PONTIAC CARS HAVE THIS PROBLEM. *TR

RECALL NOTICE FOR 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX (09047). CONSUMER STATES THAT HIS VEHICLE FIRE OCCURRED TWO YEARS AGO AND THAT THE DEALERSHIP KEPT TELLING HIM THE VEHICLE WAS FINE. *NJ RECALL 02V293000. *JB

I HAVE A 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX AND I JUST RESEARCHED THE RECALLS FOR THOSE MODELS. I SEE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND IT IS FOR WHAT MINE HAVE RECENTLY DONE. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS HAVE STOPPED WORKING AND I HAVEN'T HAD MY CAR OVER 2 YEARS. I JUST GOT THE CAR IN 2008 AND I WANTED TO KNOW IF THE RECALL WAS ON THAT CAR AND WAS IT EVER DONE. I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT AND THEY STARTED TO NOT WORK AFTER WE HAD A BIG SNOW STORM HERE IN VIRGINIA. *TR