1997 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT Complaints

PROBLEM #1 - SEAT BELTS. FOUR OUT OF THE SEVEN SEAT BELTS IN THE CAR HAVE FAILED. SPECIFICALLY THE RETRACTION SYSTEM. FOUR OUT OF SEVEN GOING BAD TO ME, MEANS THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED FAILURE. I'M CONCERN ABOUT THE OTHER 3 WORKING IF IN AN ACCIDENT. DEALERS CONTACTED WANT TO CHARGE ME $800 - $1000 TO FIX FOUR SEAT BELTS. NEED TO GET IT FIXED, BUT NOTHING TO BELIEVE I WON'T BE ASKING THAT SAME DEALER TO FIX THE OTHER 3 SEAT BELTS WHEN THEY GO BAD TOO. DEALERS SAY HIGH COST OF REPAIR IS DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTED TO THE COST OF PARTS. UNLIKE AN ALTERNATOR, OR OTHER ENGINE COMPONENT, THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY IS SOLE SOURCED FROM ONE MANUFACTURER. LOCKED IN TO A NON-COMPETITIVE PRICE (AND OBVIOUSLY OVER INFLATED). PROBLEM #2 - RACK AND PINON STEERING. I NOTICED ON YOUR WEB SITE WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE THE SAME PROBLEM UNDER PONTIAC TRANSPORTS. BASICALLY TOLD BY DEALER THE RACK AND PINON STEERING SYSTEM IS BAD. OUT OF WARRANTY, SO BIG BUCKS. HAVE HAD TO PAY QUITE A BIT IN DEALER REPAIR BILLS ALREADY ON VEHICAL. FOR EXAMPLE, PROBLEMS WITH AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, BACK HATCH, SIDE WINDOW, PUSH BUTTONS ON DOOR ARM REST, AIR CONDITIONING.....ALSO POOR DESIGN WITH PLASTIC PARTS IN HIGH STRESSED POINT AREAS.*AK

THE STEERING COMPLETELY LOCKED UP WITHOUT WARNING. FORTUNATELY I WAS JUST PULLING OUT OF A PARKING PLACE IN A SHOPPING CENTER, SO THERE WAS NO OTHER ACCIDENT OR ACTIVITY ENVOLVED. I PAYED TO HAVE THE RACK & PINION UNIT REPLACED AND HAVE HAD NO FURTHER PROBLEM. I READ THE OTHER DAY THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION WAS CONDUCTING AN ENGINEERING INVESTIGATION ON STEERING LOCKUP PROBLEMS FOR CERTAIN GMC MODELS. AMONG THESE MODELS LISTED WAS MY 97 PONTIAC TRANSPORT SO I THOUGHT I WOULD REPORT MY EXPERIENCE.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING ON A SIDE ROAD AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN STEERING LOCKED UP, PREVENTING VEHICLE TO MOVE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

LOSS OF COOLANT FROM THE TAIL PIPE. VEHICLE TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP AND INFORMED THAT INTAKE MAMIFOLD GASKET WAS CRACKED. DEALER AND MANUFACTUERER WERE NOTIFIED. *AK THE COOLANT IS GETTING INTO THE MOTOR OIL WHICH COULD CAUSE ENGINE FAILURE. CONSUMER WOULD LIKE ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER BECAUSE IF THE PROBLEM GETS WORSE, A NEW ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE PUT IN. *JG

I RECEIVED A SERIOUS CONCUSSION IN A REAR END/FRONT END COLLISION DUE TO THE FACT SEAT BELT FAILED TO HOLD ME IN PLACE. I HIT THE SUNVISOR AND THEN HIT THE BACK HEAD REST SO HARD I BROKE THE SEAT.*AK

REPAIR POWER SLIDING DOOR BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT WORK, REPLACE PSO MODULE, DOOR FAILED AGAIN. CHANGED ALL THE PARTS IN THE DOOR AT NO COST. DOOR OPENED WHILE THE VAN IN MOTION, WILL NOT CLOSE ALL THE WAY, MAY CLOSE BUT ALARM SOUNDS, FAILED TO OPERATE AT ALL.

VEHICLES SEAT BELT BUCKLE IN THE MIDDLE BEHIND DIVER WILL UNLATCH ONCE BUCKLED. NOW THE BUCKLE RELEASE BUTTON STAYS DOWN AND SEAT BELT IS OF NO USE. *JG

RECALL 01V067000 ON POWER SLIDING DOOR WAS DONE IN APRIL 2001, VEHICLE HAS SINCE BEEN TAKEN BACK TO DEALER 3 TIMES FOR THE DOOR OPENING RIGHT AFTER CLOSING IT. DEALER CANNOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM.*AK *YH

WHILE TURNING LEFT, FRONT WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN, STEERING WAS POPPING. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. DEFECT IN GEAR WAS THE CAUSE PER DEALERSHIP.*AKCONSUMER HAD TO RUN INTO THE CURB TO AVOID TRAFFIC. *JG

SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE AUTOMATICALLY. DOOR WOULD NOT LATCH. BUZZER WOULD SOUND AND DOOR WOULD COME OPEN, EVEN WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN TWICE UNDER RECALLS. ONCE UNDER RECALL 01 V 224 000 FOR SLIDING DOOR AND SECOND TIME UNDER RECALL 01 V 067 000. NEITHER RECALL CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. *AK. CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL WAS INOPERATIVE, THE DEALER REPLACED THE TURN SIGNAL BULB, ALSO THERE WAS A RATTLE NOISE WHEN VEHICLE WAS IN IDLE, DEALER REPLACED THE BELT TENSIONER.*JB