2005 PONTIAC GTO Complaints

2005 PONTIAC GTO HAS STRUT RUBBING ,THE UPPER STRUT BUSHING IS WORN. THE UPPER STRUT BEARING ALSO FAILED. THUS ALLOWING THE FRONT TIRES TO CONTACT THE FRONT STRUTS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SPRING PERCH. DEALER HAS DONE AN ALIGNMENT. THEY SAID STRUT BUSHING PASSED TEST. THEY WILL NOT REMOVE STRUT TO INSPECT BUSHING. I HAVE ORDERED THEM, AND WILL REPLACE THEM MYSELF. CAR ONLY HAS 5354 MILES ON IT AT THIS TIME. NHTSA INVESTIGATION NUMBER IS PE07010. *AK

THE 2005 PONTIAC GTO WITH 18,000 MILES WAS TAKEN TO TIRE SERVICE STATION FOR INSPECTION AND REPAIRS OF POTENTIAL NAIL PENETRATION TO FRONT PASSENGER TIRE ON APRIL 14, 2007. SLOW LEAK IN TIRE AFTER WINTER STORAGE IN GARAGE CAUSED THE TIRE TO BE FLAT. UPON REMOVAL FROM CAR THE DEFECTIVE TIRE DETERMINED THE ENTIRE INNER RIM WAS WORN OUT, EXPOSING WIRES. STATED I WAS LUCKY THE TIRE DID NOT BLOW,OUT AND RIP MY FENDER OFF, AND CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE WAS DAMAGED AS WELL, NOT SAFE TO DRIVE ON, BUT NOT AS BAD AS THE PASSENGER FRONT TIRE. SOMETHING WAS SEVERELY WRONG WITH CAR TO CAUSE THAT MUCH DAMAGE. PAID FOR A REPLACEMENT TIRE TO DRIVE TO DEALERSHIP. RESEARCHED INFORMATION ON INTERNET THROUGH FORUMS IN REGARD TO STRUT RUB ISSUE. DROPPED CAR OFF AT MOORMANS PONTIAC IN DAYTON, OHIO ON 05-07-07, AND SHARED STRUT RUB INFORMATION WITH THEM, AT WHICH TIME THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD NOT BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. THEY INSPECTED THE CAR AND INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF TIRE RUBBING ON THE STRUTS, AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ALIGNMENT AND NEW TIRES SINCE I HAD EVIDENTLY CAUSED THE PROBLEM MYSELF DUE TO MY DRIVING HABITS. QUOTED COST OF REPAIRS WOULD BE $881 PLUS TAX. ACTUAL INFORMATION ENTERED IN SERVICE TICKET READ CUSTOMER STATED TIRES WERE RUBBING FRONT STRUTS AND WEARING OUT THE TIRES. *AK

NOTICED BOTH FRONT TIRES WEARING BADLY ON THE INSIDE EDGE. AT 14K MILES, I ROTATED THE TIRES. WHEN I REMOVED THE FRONT TIRES, I NOTICED THE TIRE WAS HITTING THE STRUT ASSEMBLY. THERE WERE VISIBLE RUB MARKS ON BOTH FRONT STRUTS. NOW, AT 20K MILES I REMOVED THE TIRES FOR INSPECTION. THE FRONT 2 TIRES HAD ONLY BEEN ON FOR APPROX 6K MILES (SINCE ROTATION). BOTH FRONT TIRES WERE SEVERELY WORN ON THE INSIDE TO THE POINT THAT THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED/SPLIT AND YOU COULD SEE THE INNER CONSTRUCTION OF THE TIRE! I'M AFRAID IF I HADN'T CHECKED THESE TIRES WHEN I DID, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A BLOWOUT ON THE HIGHWAY WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED SEVERE INJURY.*JB

STOCK TIRE ONE (FRONT RIGHT) FAILED ON INTERSTATE DUE TO EXTREME TIRE WEAR ON THE INSIDE SECTION OF TREAD. THIS HAPPENED AROUND 18,000 MI ON THE GTO. I REPLACED THE TIRE. THE TWO ON FRONT LEFT FAILED VIA A SLOW LEAK AT 21,000 MI. WHEN REPLACING THE SECOND TIRE I NOTICED THE SAME EXTREME WEAR ON INSIDE PART OF THE TIRE(INTERNAL WIRE BELT SHOWING. I INSPECTED THE REAR TIRES , RECENTLY ROTATED, AND FOUND SAME EXCESSIVE INSIDE TREAD WEAR. AFTER INSPECTING THE WHEEL WELLS, IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THE TIRES ARE CONSISTENTLY RUBBING INSIDE AGAINST THE FRONT STRUTS DUE TO LACK OF CLEARANCE. I HAD TO PURCHASE A COMPLETE SET OF 4 NEW TIRES AND I ALSO PHOTOGRAPHED THE USED/WORN TIRES AND THE WORN/SCRATCHED FRONT STRUTS. THIS VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY AND I HAVE NOT YET REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP. *AK

I NOTICED THE INNER TREAD ON BOTH OF MY FRONT TIRES ON MY 2005 PONTIAC GTO WERE EXCESSIVELY WORN. THE CAR HAS APPROX. 18,500 MILES ON IT. I BROUGHT THIS TO THE DEALERS ATTENTION. THE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED A PROBLEM AND TOLD ME THAT THERE HAD BEEN AN UPDATE TO THE ALIGNMENT SPECS FOR THE CAR. THEY OFFERED TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT TIRES IF I PAYED FOR AN ALIGNMENT (APPROX $90). I WENT AHEAD WITH THE SERVICE. I HAVE NOT DRIVEN THE CAR MUCH SINCE THE CHANGES WERE MADE SO I DO NOT KNOW IF OR WHEN THE PROBLEM WILL OCCUR AGAIN. *TR

THE MANUFACTURER OF THE 2005 PONTIAC GTO HAS CHOSEN A STANDARD WHEEL/TIRE COMBINATION AND WHEEL ALIGNMENT SPECIFICATIONS THAT CAUSE EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR TO THE FRONT PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S SIDE TIRES. THE PROPER ALIGNMENT AS SET BY THE MANUFACTURER'S STANDARDS IS IN NEGLIGENCE TO POTENTIAL SAFETY STANDARDS AND GOOD PRACTICE FOR A PERFORMANCE TYPE CAR. DURING REGULAR DRIVING IT IS PROBABLE AND LIKELY THAT THE INSIDE OF BOTH FRONT TIRES WILL RUB IN A DANGEROUS FASHION ON THE SUSPENSIONS COMPONENTS (NAMELY STRUT) CAUSING THE TIRE TO FAIL PREMATURELY. THE FAILURE IS SUCH THAT THE TIRE BECOMES A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD SPECIFICALLY EXPOSING THE TIRE STEEL BELTS PRIOR TO THE VISIBLE "WEAR BAR" INDICATORS BEING EXPOSED. ONE PROPER CORRECTION TO LIMIT THE POSSIBILITY OF CONTINUED TIRE RUB WOULD BE TO ALIGN THE CAMBER IN A FASHION THAT IS MORE SPECIFIC THAN THE MANUFACTURER'S STANDARDS. AFTER HAVING AN ALIGNMENT AT THE MANUFACTURER'S CERTIFIED SERVICE CENTER, THIS CORRECTION WAS NOT PERFORMED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS FURTHER NEGLIGENT WHILE NOT PROPERLY INFORMING THE OWNER OR THE SERVICE CENTER STAFF ABOUT THIS TIRE RUB ISSUE. AFTER HAVING THE TIRES ROTATED AT THE AFOREMENTIONED SERVICE CENTER THE TIRES WERE NOT PROPERLY INSPECTED FOR SAFETY. THE EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR WAS VISIBLE AT APPROXIMATELY 18,000 MILES. AT THIS POINT, THE FRONT TIRES HAD FAILED AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO THE FACTORY ALIGNMENT SETTINGS. DURING THE FIRST 12,000 MILES ON THE CAR THE ORIGINAL FRONT TIRES HAD BEEN DAMAGED IN SUCH A WAY THAT STEERING ALIGNMENT COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED. THIS WAS OBSERVED FROM THE SERVICE CENTER STAFF. AT THAT POINT ON THE SAID MENTIONED DAY, THE REAR TIRES WERE ALSO FAILED. THE SERVICE CENTER WAS NOT PROPERLY INFORMED ABOUT THESE ISSUES CAUSING AN UNSAFE SITUATION. *TR

PURCHASED VEHICLE NEW, WITH 13 MILES, ON APRIL 30, 2005. VEHICLE'S ECM FAILED AFTER 1025 MILES, AT END OF AUGUST, 2005. ECM REPLACED BY DEALER. FAILURE OF ECM PLACED UNDUE STRESS ON MOTOR. I BELIEVE THAT THIS LEAD TO THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE FAILURE REPORTED IN NHTSA CLAIM NUMBER 010188397. OLD ECM WAS RETURNED TO GM BY JIM ARMSTRONG PONTIAC. MOTOR FROM CLAIM NUMBER IS AVAILABLE UNTIL SERVICING DEALER COMPLETES WARRANTY WORK, AND RETURNS MOTOR TO GM. *JB

VEHICLE PURCHASED NEW. MOTOR FAILED AT APPROX 6,555 MILES. LOUD POOF FOLLOWED BY FLAMES SHOOTING OUT OF BOTTOM END OF MOTOR. ENGINE FAILURE ALSO SPRAYED HOT MOTOR OIL OVER UNDERCARRIAGE AND BODY PANELS. BLACK SMOKE FILLED PASSENGER CABIN RESULTING IN ZERO VISIBILITY AND FOUL ODOR IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKING ABILITY. AFTER ENGINE FAILURE, APPLICATION OF BRAKES WOULD NOT SLOW VEHICLE, REQUIRING DRIVER TO COAST TO STOP WITH ZERO VISIBILITY. AFTER VEHICLE CAME TO STOP, DRIVER EXITED AND RECEIVED MINOR BURNS FROM HOT OIL ON BODY PANELS. *JB

ON A LONG ROAD TRIP I STARTED TO NOTICE WHAT SMELLED LIKE HOT RUBBER. I NOTICED THAT THE INSIDE TREAD OF THE TIRES WAS WORN, ALMOST COMPLETELY BALD WHILE THE REST OF THE TIRE HAD TREAD. UPON REMOVAL OF THE TIRE I FOUND A WEAR MARK ON THE FRONT STRUT WHERE THE TIRE HAD BEEN RUBBING. THE CAR IS AT THE DEALER NOW, BUT THEY ARE CLAIMING THIS IS NOT A COMMON ISSUE. AFTER SOME RESEARCH, HOWEVER, I HAVE FOUND MANY FROM 2004 TO 2006 GTO OWNERS REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEM, AND 3 OUT OF THE 4 GTO'S THAT I KNOW THE OWNERS OF LOCALLY ARE HAVING THE PROBLEM.*AK

I OWN A 2005 PONTIAC GTO WITH THE FRONT TIRE STRUT RUB ISSUE. EVEN WITH ROTATING OF THE TIRES THE INSIDE EDGES OF ALL 4 OF TIRES WERE BALD AFTER ABOUT 12,000 MILES. I HAVE CALLED THE DEALER ABOUT THE PROBLEM, AND THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY FRONT SUSPENSION PROBLEMS, EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE 2 TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS, 040308014 AND 050308009, DEALING WITH THAT ISSUE. *AK