1998 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT Complaints

WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE, CAMSHAFT BROKE. PROBLEM WAS TRACED BACK TO A LEAKING INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, THAT OVER TIME, HAD CONTAMINATED THE OIL WITH ORANGE COOLANT, CAUSING CAMSHAFT BEARING FAILURE. AFTER REPLACING THE ENGINE WITH A USED, 60,000 MILE, REPLACEMENT, AND DRIVING THE VAN FOR ANOTHER 16,000 MILES, NOW THE REPLACEMENT ENGINE IS LEAKING COOLANT INTERNALLY, AND HAD CONTAMINATED THE OIL IN THIS ENGINE. OBVIOUSLY IT'S THE SAME PROBLEM, HOWEVER GM HAS ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN CHANGING THE GASKET DESIGN, AND NO REPLACEMENT GASKETS ARE AVAILABLE YET. SO, I CAN'T DRIVE IT, AND CAN'T REPAIR IT DUE TO LACK OF PARTS.

THE POWER LOCKS ON THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S SIDE DOORS DO NOT WORK CORRECTLY. THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WILL ONLY UNLOCK AND THAT WAS THAT WAY WHEN WE BOUGHT IT IN SEPTEMBR OF 2001. THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR USE TO LOCK AND UNLOCK BUT THIS YEAR IT STARTED GIVING US PROBLEMS AND NOW WILL ONLY LOCK. WE ALSO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE RATTLEING WHEN IT IS FIRST STARTS UP.

VEHICLE KEPT OVER HEATING. TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND THEY CHANGED OUT THERMOSTAT, WATER PUMP,TEMPERATURE SENDING UNIT, CATALYTIC CONVERTER. WAS STILL OVER HEATING. THE MECHANIC CHECKED THE ENGINE AND FOUND BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND CRACKED HEADS. THIS PROBLEM STARTED OUT ON INTERSTATE 15 NORTHBOUND RIGHT OUTSIDE OF BARSTOW, CA. HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND WAIT FOR IT TO COOL DOWN SEVERAL TIMES SO WE COULD GET TO AN EXIT.

HEADLIGHT LENS HAS FALLEN OFF DUE TO POOR SEAL AND NO SCREWS. THIS IS NOW THE SECOND HEADLIGHT THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ON THIS VAN. IN ADDITION, WE HAD A 1997 TRANSPORT AND BOTH HEADLIGHT LENSES FELL OFF THAT ONE AS WELL. AFTER MONTHS OF COMPLAINING AND LETTER WRITING, PONTIAC CORRECTED THE OTHER 3 HEADLIGHTS AT NO COST BUT WILL NOT DO SO WITH THIS ONE. THIS IS CLEARLY A PRODUCT DEFECT AND JUDGING BY THE NUMEROUS OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM.*AK

COOLANT LEAK AND INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILURE. DEALER DIAGNOSED COOLANT LEAKS FROM INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, VALVE COVER GASKET AND WATERPUMP AND RECOMMENDED COOLANT FLUSH - DEX COOL.*AK

A WELL MAINTAINED 1998 PONTIAC TRANSPORT WITH A 3.4 LITER ENGINE DEVELOPED A COOLANT LEAK. THIS WAS DIAGNOSED BY A LOCAL SERVICE CENTER. AS THEY EXPLAINED THAT MY VEHICLE HAS AN INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAK, IT WAS ALSO MENTIONED THAT THEY HAVE SEEN MANY MANIFOLD COOLANT LEAKS WITH THIS ENGINE. I DECIDED TO HAVE IT REPAIRED AT A GM DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THEY ALSO EXPLAINED THAT THEY SERVICE MANY OF THESE TYPE OF LEAKS. THEY EXPLAINED THAT THE REPAIR CALLS FOR A NEW TYPE OF MANIFOLD GASKET AND NEW BOLTS. THE MECHANIC EVEN SHOWED ME WHERE ON THE OLD GASKET THE FAILURE USUALLY OCCURS. ALTHOUGH IT MAY SEEM AS IF THESE COMMENTS WHERE ANECDOTAL, IT STILL APPEARS TO POINT TO A GENERAL FAILURE IN THE DESIGN OF THE MANIFOLD GASKET. THIS REPAIR WAS VERY EXPENSIVE. WHY HAVEN'T THESE 3.4 LITER BEEN RECALLED? ARE ONLY INEXPENSIVE MANUFACTURER DEFECTS RECALLED? HAD THIS COOLANT LEAKED INTO THE ENGINE WHICH IN SOME CASES IT DOES, BASED UPON MY RESEARCH OF THIS ISSUE, THEN EVEN MORE DAMAGE AND POSSIBLY RISK TO THE VEHICLE OPERATOR AND PASSENGERS COULD HAVE OCCURED. *AK

AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON. I'M AFRAID THE AIR BAGS WON'T DEPLOY IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. I WAS READING OTHER COMPLAINS OF OTHER OWNER OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL AS MY TRUCK. *LA

I OWN A 1998 PONTIAC TRANSPORT, BOUGHT NEW, AND HAS 80000 MILES ON IT. WAS JUST TOLD THAT THE INTAKE IS LEAKING, ANS WILL NEED MANIFOLD GASKET REPLACEMENT. WAS TOLD THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING. ALLED LOCAL PONTIAC DEALER (MATTHEWS PONTIAC, VESTAL, NY 607-798-8000) AND THEY CONFIRMED THIS, AND THAT THERE IS A NEW AND IMPROVED GASKET, BUT THEY WOULDN'T HELP WITH THE COST OF REPLACEMENT. ALSO REPORTED THAT MY HEADLAMP LENSES HAVE BEEN LOST (LOST 2 IN ONE YEAR) AND HAD TO REPLACE ENTIRE HEADLAMP UNIT AT MY OWN COST. DEALER SAID THIS IS COMMON ALSO, AND THEY BELIEVE IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ADHESIVE!! THEY WILL NOT HELP WITH THAT ONE EITHER. *AK

DRIVERS POWER SEAT HAS A POOR DESIGN. THE SIDE TRIM (RIGHT) BOTTOMS-OUT ON THE VEHICLE FLOOR AT THE BACK WHEN LOWERING THE POWER SEAT. THIS CAUSES THE SEAT TO TILT LATERALLY. AS A RESULT, THE TILTING OVER TIME HAS LOOSENED THE ENTIRE MECHANISM. I SUSPECT THAT IF THIS VEHICLE WERE TO BE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, THIS SEAT MECHANISM WOULD NOT RETAIN THE SEAT. WOULDN'T THIS CREATE A HAZARD FOR THE DRIVER? THE INCREASED MASS WOULD BE INCURRED BY THE DRIVER AND THE SEAT-BELT. *LA

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT AS STATED IN RECALL 02V286000 CONCERNING POWER STEERING ASSEMBLY FAILURE; BUT, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK