1993 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT Complaints

THIRD SUDDEN FAILURE OF BELT RETRACTOR WITHIN 18 MONTHS OUT OF SIX ORIGINAL ASSEMBLIES IN VEHICLE. DEALER CONTACTED UPON ALL 3 OCCURRENCES, QUOTED COST OF REPLACEMENT. DEALER INDICATED THAT NO SERVICE BULLETINS, SPECIAL WARRANTIES, OR RECALLS APPLIED TO THIS OUT-OF-WARRANTY VEHICLE. OPTED TO PURCHASE REPLACEMENT ASSEMBLY ON FIRST TWO OCCURRENCES, AND REPLACED MYSELF. UPON THIRD (MOST-RECENT) FAILURE OF YET ANOTHER ORIGINAL RETRACTOR, DECIDED TO CONSULT NHTSA WEB SITE. FOUND NO OFFICIAL OPEN CASE, BUT MANY REPORTS OF SAME PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE THROUGH THE 1995 MODEL YEAR. CONTACTED DEALER AND PONTIAC CUSTOMER SERVICE, WHO APOLOGIZED, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. DISCOVERED WHEN OBTAINING PRICE QUOTE FOR PART THAT THE ORIGINAL PART WAS DISCONTINUED IN 1995, REPLACED WITH A NEW DESIGN AND PART NUMBER. FIND THIS LOGICAL, AS THE COMPLAINTS TO NHTSA DROP DRAMATICALLY DURING AND SINCE 1995. HAVE HAD MANY VEHICLES NEW AND USED IN MY LIFETIME, AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH SAFETY BELTS IN ANY OTHER. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ANY OF MY REMAINING ORIGINAL BELTS ARE TRUSTWORTHY IN A SUDDEN STOP OR COLLISION, BASED UPON THE SUDDEN FAILURES OF THE FIRST THREE WHILE SIMPLY PULLING THE BELT OUT OF THE RETRACTOR TO FASTEN IT. SPRING IN RETRACTOR FAILS, LEAVING ALL BELT LENGTH UNWOUND, AND THUS, THE SEATING POSITION UNPROTECTED UNTIL THE RETRACTOR IS REPLACED. I CONSIDER THIS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM, BUT WILL BE FACED WITH A $700.00 EXPENDITURE IF I DECIDE TO HAVE THE DEALER REPLACE THE CURRENT FAILED BELT AND THE REMAINING ORIGINAL THREE THAT I EXPECT TO FAIL SOON. EVEN THOUGH THIS VEHICLE WAS SOLD IN LIMITED QUANTITY, I URGE FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THIS PROBLEM, WHICH I SUSPECT AFFECTS A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF UNITS STILL ON THE ROAD. I PLAN TO APPEAL AGAIN TO PONTIAC IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET SOME MONETARY RELIEF WITH REPLACING THE CURRENTLY-FAILED AND REMAINING THREE ORIGINAL BELTS.*AK

FRONT PASSENGER AND SECOND ROW RIGHT SEAT BELTS FAIL TO RETRACT, CONSUMER REQUESTS DEALER REPLACE DEFECTIVE PART. *SLC

WHEN DRIVING ON HIGHWAY CONSUMER WAS ALERTED THAT VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER THEN DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH NO RESPONSE. GOT VEHICLE TO STOP AND NOTED THAT TRANSMISSION WAS ON FIRE WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. CONSUMER WAS UNAWEAR OF THE RECALL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

DRIVER SHOULDER BELT FAILED TO RETRACT. INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE LOCKING MECHANISM IN THE RETRACTOR ASSEMBLE FAILED, THE SEAT/SHOULD BELT WOULD NOT RESTRAIN THE DRIVER IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT, REPLACEMENT PART IS DIFFERENT FROM THE ORIGINAL PART, PART IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION

FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT AND SECOND ROW PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT. VAN WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. REPAIRS WERE MADE AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. ENTIRE SEAT BELT MECHANISM HAD TO BEL REPLACED FOR BOTH BELTS. *AK THIS VEHICLE HAD TWO PREVIOUS SEAT BELT RECALLS. *YH

SLIDING DOOR CAME OPEN INTERMITTENTLY. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. DEALER STATED THAT THERE WERE TOO MANY MILES ON VEHICLE. *AK

WHILE THE DRIVER WAS GOING AT 63 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE CAME OFF (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). YH

FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT SHOULDER HARNESS NO LONGER RETRACTS RESULTING IN THE SHOULDER HARNESS BEING TOTALLY DISABLED.

OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES HAVE BROKEN ON THE DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE DOORS, CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK *ML

ROTORS HAVE TO BE TURNED EVERY 34,600 MILES. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, BRAKE PULSATION OCCURS. DEALERSHIP HAD INSPECTED BRAKE SYSTEM AND CERTIFIED THAT IT IS WORKING PROPERLY. CONSUMER CONCERNED THAT SEVERE VIBRATION COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF CONTROL. *AK *ML