1997 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT Complaints

MY VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO; TINNEY CHEVROLET, 11249 W. CARSON CITY RD., GREENVILLE, MI 48838 FOR TWO (2) EA. RECALL NOTICES; 1) POWER SLIDING DOOR 2) STEERING BUSHING RESULTS OF RECALLS: 1) POWER SLIDING DOOR WORKED FINE TILL ONE WEEK AFTER TINNEY SERVIE DEPT. WORKED ON IT. (DOESN'T WORK WITH POWER BUTTONS @ ALL NOW ) 2) UPON PICKING-UP VEHICLE FROM THE STEERING (BUSHING) REPAIR WE NOTICED THAT STEERING WHEEL WAS COCKED TO LEFT, STEERS HARD & PULLS TO RIGHT TINNEY CHEVROLET WAS NOTIFIED OF BOTH PROBLEMS AND SAID THAT THEY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH PROBLEMS. THE VEHICLE WAS FINE PRIOR TO TAKING IT TO THEM FOR THE RECALLS. UPON CONFRONTING THEM THE SECOND TIME, WE WERE INFORMED TO CHECK OUR OWN FUSES ETC.

OUR 97 PONTIAC TRANSPORT WAS FINE UNTIL LAST YEAR. NEW TRANSMISSION (70,000 MILES, O.K.) THEN A FEW MONTHS LATER IT BEGAN OVERHEATING--NEW THERMOSTAT, WHICH WORKED FOR A FEW WEEKS, THEN NEW RADIATOR, WHICH WORKED FOR A FEW WEEKS, THEN, WHEN THE MECHANIC SAID IT PROBABLY NEEDED A HEAD GASKET ($2000 OR MORE) WE DECIDED TO GET RID OF IT. BUT WE WERE NOT EVEN ABLE TO USE IT AS A TRADE IN, BECAUSE IT OVERHEATED SO BADLY. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAD ALWAYS BEEN QUIRKY, BUT LIVABLE (I.E. THE GAS GAUGE HAD NEVER WORKED, THE WINDOWS WERE VERY SLOW AND THE CELL PHONE PLUGS NEVER WORKED) I CALLED THE DEALER (PERUZZI, IN LANGHORNE, PA) BUT, OF COURSE, IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC TOLD US THAT GM WAS USING A NEW COOLANT IN THEIR 97'S WHICH BECAME PROBLEMATIC AS IT AGED--HE THOUGHT THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE ORIGINAL SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT GM HAS NOT ADMITTED TO ANY ERROR. WE WERE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS AND ALWAYS MAINTAINED THE CAR PROPERLY, FROM DAY ONE. THE MECHANIC IS A PERSONAL FRIEND, AND HAS AN EXCELLENT REPUTATION. THE CAR WAS SOLD FOR JUNK. IT'S VALUE, ACCORDING TO EDMUNDS.COM, WAS ABOUT $6000/7000 .

THE DAY BEFORE I TOOK THE VAN IN FOR REPAIRS IT STOPPED ON ME AND I COASTED HOME WITH HARDLY NO BRAKES AND BAD STEERING.THE REPAIRS THAT I WAS ABOUT TO HAVE DONE WAS FOR A LEAKING INTAKE GASKET.I DID NOT KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED UNTIL I READ ABOUT THE SAME THING HAPPENING WITH OTHER PEOPLE.SOME PEOPLE CALL IT VAPOR LOCK. IF THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN PEOPLE OR OTHER CARS IN MY WAY THIS COULD HAVE TURNED VERY BAD. ALL THE GM DEALERS SAY THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. WHEN I CALL GM THEY SAY THEY NEVER HEARD ABOUT IT. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE NOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU , SCOTT EGGEBRECHT

THE WINDOWS IN THE BACK WILL NOT GO OUT. THEY ARE POWERED AND THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WINDOW WILL NOT GO UP. THE WINDOWS ARE ALSO POWERED. THE CLOCK IN THE VAN QUIT WORKING ABOUT A YEAR AGO. THE ABS LIGHT AT THE LOWER PANEL CONTROL DOES NOT WORK. THE GAS HAND IS STARTING TO SHOW A FULL TANK OF GAS WHEN THERE IS NOT. THE DOORS SOMETIMES WILL LOCK AND THE KEYS ARE IN THE IGNITION. SOMETIMES THE SLIDING DOOR WILL NOT OPEN, WHEN YOU TRY TO OPEN IT.

THE BRAKE LOCKED UP AND THE PEDAL BECAME HARD TO PRESS TO DECELERATE THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER ALSO HEARD A LOUD CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE BRAKES. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *NM

BOTH, NOT JUST ONE OF MY HEADLIGHTS CASINGS POPPED OFF WITHOUT WARNING. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THEM. WHICH I HAVE NEVER HAD TO DO WITH ANY OTHER CAR I HAVE OWNED. *AK

MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS STAY STRAIGHT UP WHEN THEY ARE TURNED OFF. THIS IS OBSTRUCTING MY VIEW WHILE DRIVING. *NLM

NO STEERING CONTROL. STEERING WHEEL SPINS FREELY. INTERNAL POWER STEERING GEAR PROBLEM. *LA

THE POWER STEERING PRESSURE LINE MALFUNCTIONED, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BE UNCONTROLLABLE WHEN DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CAUSE HAD NOT BEEN DETERMINED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

SINCE HAVING THE RACK/PINION STEERING REPLACED TWICE (ONCE BEFORE THE RECALL AND ONCE AFTER), I HAVE AGAIN NOTICED DIFFICULTY PULLING OUT OF PARKING SPACES TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT (HARD TO TURN THE WHEEL/LOSS OF POWER STEERING?), ESPECIALLY, IN COLD WEATHER. AS YOU STRAIGHTEN WHEEL AND START DRIVING, PROBLEM SEEMS TO RESOLVE ITSELF. WENT TO DEALER WHO THOUGHT IT COULD NOT POSSIBLY BE THE RACK SO THEREFORE REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP IN EARLY NOVEMBER. THE FAILURE HAPPENED AGAIN TODAY. *LA