1997 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT Complaints

REAR PASSENGER POWER SLIDING DOOR WILL NOT CLOSE PROPERLY DUE TO A FAULTY LATCH. DEALER WILL REPLACE THE LATCH ONLY AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE. *AK CONSUMER HAS TO PHYSICALLY LEAN ON THE DOOR TO CLOSE. *LA

GENERAL MOTORS 1997 PONTIAC TRANSPORT MINIVAN- INTAKE MANIFOLD REPLACED AT 55,000 MILES AND 72,000. *NM

LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET IS LEAKING DUE TO FAULTY PLASTIC MATERIALS. DEALER ADVISES IMMEDIATE REPAIR TO AVOID ENGINE FAILURE. DEALER INDICATES THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH NO RELIEF FROM GENERAL MOTORS. GM HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN TO ITS DEALERS REGARDING THE PROBLEM. BULLETIN #: 03-06-01-010 MARCH 2003. *AK

HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY PLASTIC FALLS OFF EXPOSING BULB TO MOISTURE/RAIN WHICH CAUSES THE BULB TO BURN OUT. THEREFORE, LOSING THE ILLUMINATION OF ONE LAMP AND LIMITING VISABILITY WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT.*AK

1997 PONTIAC TRANSPORT. FAILED INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET CAUSED DEXCOOL TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE. THIS HAPPENED WHILE MY WIFE WAS RETURNING TO ST. LOUIS FROM FLORIDA. VEHICLE STARTED MAKING STRANGE NOISES ON THE TRIP BACK. SHE BARELY MADE IT HOME. ALTERNATOR BURNED OUT THE NEXT DAY. HAD IT REPAIRED. NEXT DAY, THE ENGINE JUST DIED. WE WERE TOLD IT WAS A BLOWN HEADGASKET. HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT IT IS ACTUALLY THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET THAT FAILED. GM KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM YET REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR AN OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW. THEY HAVE REDESIGNED THE GASKET. THEY ARE EVEN PREMPTIVELY HAVING PEOPLE FIX THESE PARTS BEFORE THEY FAIL WITHOUT TELLING PEOPLE WHAT IS REALLY WRONG. GM SHOULD BE FIXING THIS FOR FREE! YOU PEOPLE NEED TO DO YOUR JOB AND MAKE THESE CROOKS OWN UP TO THE PROBLEM. THIS DOES NOT EVEN APPROACH THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEX-COOL ANTIFREEZE RUSTING OUT THE COOLING SYSTEM.

SPARE TIRE IS STORED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AND IS RAISED AND LOWERED BY A CRANK. DUE TO ITS LOCATION, IT IS SUBJECT TO THE ELEMENTS, AND OVER TIME, THE WIRE USED TO RAISE AND LOWER THE TIRE CORRODES CAUSING THE TIRE TO FALL. IF YOU ARE LUCKY IT HAPPENS WHILE CLOSING THE TAILGATE IN A PARKING LOT. IF YOU ARE UNLUCKY, IT HAPPENS WHILE TRAVELLING DOWN THE ROAD. GM CANADA APPARENTLY HAD AN 'EXTENDED WARRANTY' IN PLACE BUT IT WAS DISCONTINUED IN DEC 2002.

OUR CYL HEAD GASKETS HAD TO BE REPLACED AND OUR CYL HEADS HAD TO BE MACHINED, WE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE OUR FUEL PUMP AT THE SAME TIME

AT 51000 MILES THE 3.4L ENGINE HAD LOWER INTAKE GASKET FAILURE IN WHICH THE DEX-COOL ANTI FREEZE DUMPED INTO THE CRANKCASE MIXING WITH THE OIL. THIS ONLY HAD ONE WARNING A COUPLE MONTHS EARLIER AS THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON AND I ADDED 1/2 GALLON DEX-COOL WITH NO SIGNS OF LEAKAGE. NEXT TIME IT HAPPENED WAS WHEN MY WIFE WAS TAKING DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL AND TEMP. LIGHT CAME ON. VAN WAS NOT DRIVEN OVER 2 MILES TO DEALER, AS LIGHT WENT OUT. DEALER SAID EXTREME MIXTURE IN BOTH CRANKCASE AND RADIATOR. RECOMMENDED REPLACE RADIATOR, WATERPUMP, INTAKE GASKETS, FLUSH BOTH SYSTEMS AT A COST OF 1500 NOT TO BE APPLIED TOWARD ENGINE REPLACEMENT IF FAILURE ON START UP. DEALER HAD JUST HAD VAN IN WEEK BEFORE FOR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND STEERING RECALL AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG !!!! WE TRADED IT IN AT A LOSS AS I CHECKED INTO THE PROBLEM AND LEARNED ABOUT THOUSANDS OF OTHER OWNERS WITH SAME PROBLEMS WITH TOTAL ENGINE FAILURES AFTER REPAIRS MADE. WE LOST OVER $3000 EQUITY BETWEEN WHAT TRADE VALUE WOULD HAVE BEEN IF NO PROBLEM WITH ENGINE AND LETTING DEALER FIX PROBLEM AFTER TRADE. VAN HAD MANY PROBLEMS SINCE WE BOUGHT IT NEW BUT WE ALWAYS HAD THEM FIXED AND WAS WELL MAINTAINED. LOOKED NEW WHEN WE TRADED WITH ONLY 50,000 MILES. PAINT ON HOOD BLISTERED TWICE, STEERING / BRAKES WOBBLED SINCE NEW AT VARYNG SPEEDS, ALWAYS HAD TICKING SOUND IN ENGINE DEALER SAID WAS "NORMAL", REAR SEATS WOULD JAMB UP IF YOU TRIED TO REMOVE, WIPER ARMS FAILED TWICE, SERPENTINE BELT TENSIONER BROKE OFF ON ENGINE START UP IN DEC. 2002. COST $375 WITH TOWING, POWER WINDOW SWITCH FAILED IN DOWN POSITION AT REPLACEMENT COST OF ABOUT $175. ENGINE UNDER WARRANTY WHEN IT HAD A SEVERE GAS SMELL THAT NEARLY CAUSED A FIRE IN ABOUT 1999. THEY KEPT IT A WEEK AND NEVER SAID WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THEY HAD JUST WORKED ON IT FOR TICKING SOUND. (PROBABLY INTAKE GASKETS THEN ALSO). GM WAS NO HELP AFTER WARRANTY WAS UP.

ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO LEAKING INTAKE MAIFOLD GASKET ON 3.4L ENGINE. ENGINE WAS METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED TO THAT POINT, WITH ALL SERVICE RECEIPTS TO PROVE THAT FACT. NO PERVIOUS COOLANT LEAKAGE WAS NOTED BEFORE THE PROBLEM. ENGINE BEGAN MAKING SEVERE KNOCKING NOISES WHILE DRIVING IN MOUNTAINS OF WYOMING. SERVICE TECH AT LARAMIE GM AUTO CENTER SAID THAT THE ENGING WAS LOSING OIL PRESSURE AND CONSUMING (LOSING) COOLANT. COOLANT LEAKED INTO THE INTAKE MAINFOLD THROUGH THE FAULTY INTAKE MAINFOLD GASKET. I HAD THE REPAIR DONE, AND NOW 28,000 INTO THE NEW ENGINE, I AM HEARING VARIOUS ENGINE NOISES AGAIN. WILL GO TO NEW LOCAL DEALER FOR ANALYSIS. GM SHOULD REPAY ME FOR THIS--THEY WILL NOT ADMIT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROBLEM, ONLY OFFERING A DISCOUNT ON A NEW GM CAR. I AM STILL PAYING ON THIS VEHICLE, BECAUSE THE MONEY THAT WOULD HAVE GONE INTO PAYMENTS WENT TOWARD THE NEW ENGINE AT 67,950 MILES. DRIVER'S SIDE POWER WINDOW REGULATOR HAS ALSO FAILED. $650 ESTIMATE TO REPLACE IT. NUMEROUS OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR--MANY HAVE BEEN REPAIRED THROUGH RECALLS. THE ENGINE ISSUE SHOULD BE A RECALL AS WELL, OR A CLASS ACTION SHOULD BE STARTED.

THIS VEHICLE WAS VERY WELL MAINTAINED OILCHANGE EVERY 3K MILES, TRANSMISSION SERVICED EVERY 30,000 MILES. THE RACK&PINION WENT OUT IN OCTOBER 2003. THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT IN MAY OF THIS YEAR AND NOW THE ENGINE. VAN WAS RUNNING HOT, WE REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT, WATER PUMP, OXYGEN SENSOR, MAIN RADIATOR HOSE AND FLUSHED RADIATOR, AND PURCHASED A NEW RADIATOR CAP. IT IS STILL RUNNING HOT. IT HAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET, AND A WARPED HEAD, NO TELLING WHAT THIS WILL COST.