2005 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2005 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. WHEN THE CONSUMER EXITED THE VEHICLE, IT ROLLED BACKWARDS AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING BUT THE TECHNICIANS WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000. UPDATED 02/14/12*LJ

I HAVE A 2005 GRAND PRIX GXP IN WHICH THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE LAST YEAR BECAUSE IT WOULD HESITATE FROM A STOP AND SLAM VIOLENTLY INTO FIRST GEAR. AT THE TIME THE DEALER COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE CONCERN AND TOLD ME TO BRING IT BACK WHEN IT GOT WORSE. MY EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT I PURCHASED SEPARATELY FROM GMPP EXPIRED ON THE 22ND OF SEPTEMBER. THIS IS A DANGEROUS FLAW WHEN YOU ARE UNABLE TO ACCELERATE WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC, ESPECIALLY ON THE GXP MODEL WHICH HAS OVER 300 HORSEPOWER AND TORQUE STEER THAT IS HARD TO CONTROL WHEN IT FINALLY SHIFTS INTO GEAR. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WITH THE HEATER ACTIVATED, A STRONG BURNING ODOR AND A MASSIVE AMOUNT OFF WHITE SMOKE SUDDENLY EMITTED THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DROVE TO A NEARBY SERVICE STATION, WHERE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED A FIRE UNDERNEATH THE FRONT PASSENGERS SIDE INSTRUMENT PANEL AREA. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,300.

TRANSMISSION SLIPS OR SHUTTERS FROM A STOP, THEN SLAMS INTO GEAR. SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND IS SLOW. SHIFTING MANUALLY WORKS OK. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE GM 5.4L ENGINE 4T65E-HD COMBINATION AND HAS BEEN HAPPENING NEARLY EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE CAR. LOCAL TRANSMISSION DEALER SAYS HE SEES THIS ALL THE TIME AND IS A KNOWN ISSUE. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR QUITE SOME TIME, BUT BECAUSE IT STARTED AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED THE DEAL WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING. *TT

TRANSMISSION SHOWING SIGNS OF FAILURE DESPITE USING THE BEST SYNTHETIC TRANNY OIL AND REGULAR TRANNY OIL CHANGES. THE CAR HAS ONLY 117 000 KMS AND SLAMS INTO GEAR AFTER A SLOW START. ALSO SHUDDERS SOMETIMES BEFORE A GEAR LOCKS IN. APPARENTLY THESE ARE COMMON PROBLEMS THAT OCCUR JUST BEFORE COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *TR

TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING FOR SEVERAL SECONDS, THEN CATCHING WITH A SUDDEN "THUNK". APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR GM CARS (PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GXP, CHEVY IMPALA SS & CHEVY MONTE CARLO SS) EQUIPPED WITH AN LS4 ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS IT COMES AND GOES WITHOUT WARNING. SOMETIMES EVERYTHING IS FINE, BUT IF YOU ARE PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC AND THE PROBLEM OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ACCELERATE APPROPRIATELY AND RESULT IN A CRASH. *TR

TRANSMISSION ON MY 2005 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GXP FAILED ON 11/23/09 AT 94,622 MILES. CAR WAS BROUGHT TO DAVE SINCLAIR BUICK/PONTIAC/GMC AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THE SECOND TRANSMISSION STARTED BUCKING WHILE GOING UP HILLS AT 120,000 MILES. TOOK THE CAR IN AT 120,703 TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND IT WAS IN GOOD CONDITION. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AGAIN AT 124190 WITH LESS THAN 30,000 MILES ON IT. DAVE SINCLAIR REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION FOR $2979.19. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO GM DISTRICT MANAGERS ABOUT THIS NOT BEING AN ISOLATED INCIDENT WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS AND THAT I SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS REPLACEMENT. THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE 4T65E-HD TRANSMISSIONS WHERE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH LINE PRESSURE GETTING TO THE TRANSMISSION DUE TO A FAULTY TRANSMISSION PAN MAGNET UNDER TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 08-07-30-040B FROM MAY 2009. SINCE MY TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED WELL AFTER THAT, MY TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED AS THE SYMPTOMS WERE EXACTLY THE SAME AS WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN WITH THIS ISSUE. FURTHERMORE, THIS NEW TRANSMISSION IS DOING ALL THE SAME THINGS THE OLD ONE STARTED TO DO BEFORE IT DIED. GM HAS DENIED MY REIMBURSEMENT CLAIM 2 TIMES AND I HAVE NOT STOPPED COMPLAINING. I AM ABOUT TO DROP OFF MY CAR FOR THE THIRD TIME IN LESS THAN A MONTH BECAUSE DAVE SINCLAIR HAS NOT RESOLVED THE ISSUES WITH THIS NEW TRANSMISSION. GM SHOULD RECALL THIS TRANSMISSION AND REIMBURSE ALL PEOPLE THAT HAVE PAID FOR REPLACEMENTS. *TR

1. EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE = REGULAR DAY-TO-DAY VEHICLE USE. 2. FAILURE = TRANSMISSION, WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO SLIP AND THEN SLAM INTO GEAR. ALSO, OCCASIONAL HARD SLAM INTO 2ND HEAR UNDER PART THROTTLE. 3. WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT FAILURE = REPAIR SHOP INSPECTION WITH PAN REMOVED 1-YEAR AGO, NOTHING FOUND. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.. *TR

MY TRANSMISSION HAS BLOWN ONCE, AND THE REPLACEMENT (FACTORY WARRANTY) IS ACTING UP AND GETTING READY TO GO AGAIN. (EXCESSIVE SLIPPAGE, GRABBING, AND FAIL TO ENGAGE). I AM NOT AN AGGRESSIVE OR SPIRITED DRIVER, SO THERE IS NO REASON TO HAVE TRANSMISSIONS FAIL THIS OFTEN. IN RESEARCHING ONLINE, IT APPEARS THIS IS COMMON WITH THIS VEHICLE/ENGINE COMBO. *TR

MY CAR AT ONLY 54K MILES, TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING TO LOOSE POWER IN TRAFFIC. I HAD THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT ($2400), 8 MONTHS LATER IT FAILED AGAIN ($1200), 2 MONTHS LATER, FAILED AGAIN ($0-WARRANTY). MECHANIC FINALLY FIGURED OUT IT WAS SOME PRESSURE RELIEVE VALVE ON THE TRANSMISSION, CAUSING PRESSURE TO BUILD UP, CAUSING THE TORQUE CONVERTER TO EXPLODE, SENDING DEBRIS THROUGHOUT THE TRANSMISSION. I DID NOT GO TO DEALER AS CAR FOR THAT MODEL YEAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, BUT WENT TO TRANSMISSION SHOP WHO HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS. I WROTE TO GM, BUT GOT NO MONETARY SATISFACTION. MANY PEOPLE I'VE READ ABOUT ONLINE WITH THIS TYPE OF TRANSMISSION HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I'VE NEVER HAD TRANSMISSION TROUBLE IN ALL THE CARS I'VE EVER OWNED. IT WOULD SEEM THERE IS A DEFECT IN THIS MODEL, AND WOULD LIKE TO RECOUP THE MONEY SPENT ON THIS ISSUE. IT SEEMS IT'S ON GM MODELS WITH A V8 FRONT WHEEL DRIVE TRANSMISSION. LIKE THE PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GXP, AND MONTE CARLO SS, BUICK LUCERNE V8. *TR