1997 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT Complaints

FRONT HEAD LIGHTS HAVE ALWAYS HAD MOISTURE. AT CERTAIN TIMES OF THE YEAR THEY HAVE CONTAINED 1-3 INCHES OF WATER. PONTIAC REFUSED TO CORRECT PROBLEM. THE PAST MONTH BOTH LENS COVERS HAVE FALLEN OFF WHILE DRIVING. *JB

THE DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS REAR SEATBELT LATCH DID NOT LATCH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TOTHE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *NLM SECOND ROW SEATS SEATBELT DID NOT LATCH PROPERLY.*TS

THE EXHAUST FUMES FROM OTHER VEHICLES CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO GET SICK FROM CARBON DIOXIDE POISON. *NLM

MY 1997 PONTIAC TRANSPORT ONLY HAS 54000 MILES ON IT AND THE ENGINE INTAKE MANIFOLD HAS GONE UP ON IT. AFTER LOOKING INTO IT I HAVE FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH GM CARS AND TRUCKS WITH A 3.4L ENGINE. THERE SEEMS TO BE A FAULTY DESIGN TO THE GASKET. I HAVE TAKEN CARE OF THIS VAN DOING ALL MAINTENANCE ON SCHEDULE. GM WILL DO NOTHING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE WELL AWARE OF THIS HAPPENING. THEY HAVE EVEN ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN TO DEALERS ON HOW TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM QUICKLY (TSB#02-06-01-014). WHEN THE GASKET GOES THERE IS A LOSS OF POWER IN THE ENGINE OR STALLING MAKING IT HARD TO STEER AND BREAK. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT LENS BLEW OFF THE VEHICLE. *JB

THE VEHICLE SLIDING DOOR FAILED TO UNLOCK. DOOR WAS REPAIRED, BUT FAILED TWO MONTHS LATER. *JB

1997 PONTIAC TRANSPORT TRANSMISSION FAILURE UNDER 70,000 MILES $2,500.00 REPAIR FAULTY INTAKE VALVE GASKET UNDER 70,000 $650.00 REPAIR. *NLM

VEHICLE: 1997 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT, VIN [XXX], 96,634 MI. ENGINE DEVELOPED SEVERE KNOCK AND STRONG SMELL OF COOLANT. TOOK VEHICLE TO FRANKLIN PONTIAC GMC IN FRANKLIN, TN AND WAS TOLD THE INTAKE GASKETS HAD FAILED AND CONTAMINATED OIL, AND THAT THIS WAS NOT UNCOMMON FOR THIS VEHICLE. REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF LIFTERS, PUSHRODS, INTAKE GASKETS, OIL AND COOLANT ON JAN. 17, 2003 FOR COST OF APPX. $1,100. REPLACED WATER PUMP ON OCT. 18, 2002 FOR COST OF APPX. $250. LOW COOLANT LIGHT HAD BEEN COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY FOR PAST SEVERAL YEARS, WITH FAINT SMELL OF COOLANT, AND I FILLED UP RADIATOR RESERVOIR WITH DEXCOOL THINKING IT WAS A NORMAL EVAPORATION THROUGH RESERVOIR CAP. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED OF MANY OTHER SIMILAR INTAKE GASKET PROBLEMS ON GM VEHICLES, AND AM WORRIED ABOUT ANOTHER GASKET FAILURE AS WELL AS WHAT UNKNOWN DAMAGE HAS OCCURRED TO MY ENGINE'S BEARINGS. *NLM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I TOOK MY 97 PONTIAC TRANSPORT INTO THE CHRISTENSEN DEALERSHIP AT 2125 N. UNIVERSITY PARKWAY. P.O BOX 1487 , PROVO UTAH 84604 FOR A RECALL ON MY WINDSHIELD WIPER PARKING ASSEMBLY. THE DEALERSHIP CHARGED ME $40.00 TO LOOK AT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT HONOR THE RECALL BECAUSE ANOTHER PERSON HAD TAKEN THE CAR IN BEFORE ME AND HAD ALREADY FIXED THE RECALL. IF A RECALL IS PLACED ON A ITEM AND THE DEALERSHIP FIXES THE ITEM WITH ANOTHER FAULTY ITEM SHOULDN'T THEY BE RESPONSIBLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM UNTIL THEY GET IT RIGHT? SHOULD THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE CONTINUE TO PAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM OVER AND OVER WITH A FAULTY ITEM THAT COULD ENABLE HIM TO DRIVE HIS VEHICLE IN A SAFE MANNER? I HOPE THIS IS NOT THE CASE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. JAMES BALDWIN. *NLM

ENGINE HAS BEEN OVERHEATING FOR A YEAR NOW. TOOK VEHICLE TO PONTIAC. THEY TESTED IT AND REPLACED THE WATER PUMP. STILL OVERHEATING SO THEY REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT AND RADIATOR CAP. STILL OVERHEATING. PONTIAC STATED IT NEEDED A NEW HEAD GASKET AND WANTED $3500.00 TO REPLACE IT. THEY FURTHER STATED THEY WERE NOT SURE THIS WAS THE PROBLEM EITHER. I HAVE ALREADY PAID $500.00 FOR THE PREVIOUS SERVICE. I HAVE READ THERE ARE MANY OTHERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH GM 3.4 LITER ENGINES. *NLM