1998 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT Complaints

DEFECTIVE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY- THE LEFT HEADLIGHT LENS CAME OFF THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. THE DEALER SAYS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. THE GMC CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE ALSO KNOW OF THE PROBLEM,BUT SAY THAT NOT ENOUGH COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED TO WARRANT A RECALL. THIS IS BULL. ALSO THE PLASTIC ON THE LENS CRYSTALLIZES,CAUSING REDUCED LIGHT OUTPUT FROM THE HEADLAMP.*AK

CURRENTLY I HAVE 56,187 MILE'S ON MY 1998 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT AND HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING EXCESSIVE OIL USEAGE SINCE THE SECOND YEAR OF OWNERSHIP AS WELL AS JUST RECENTLY EXPERIENCING THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE GOING PAST THE 210 MARK DESPITE IT ONLY BEING 60 DEGREES OUTSIDE AND DRIVING SHORT DISTANCES. I HAVE FOUND A NUMEROUS AMOUNT OF COMPLAINT'S REGARDING ISSUES COMPARABLE TO THIS INCLUDING A BULLETIN THAT WAS IN FACT DISTRIBUTED TO G.M DEALERS IN CANADA AND THE U.S (BULLETIN # 03-06-01-010) DATED MARCH, 2003.TITLED ENGINE OIL OR COOLANT LEAK (INSTALL A NEW DESIGN INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. THIS BULLETIN DESCRIBES COMMENT'S FROM OWNER'S AS FOLLOWED. AN APPARENT OIL OR COOLANT LEAK. ADDITIONALLY , THE COMMENTS MAY RANGE FROM SPOTS ON THE DRIVEWAY TO HAVING TO ADD FLUID. CAUSE, INTAKE MANIFOLD MAY BE LEAKING ALLOWING COOLANT, OIL OR BOTH TO LEAK FROM THE ENGINE. I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS HAS BEEN A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM SINCE 1998 BUT HAS YET TO BE AN ACTUALL RECALL ON THESE VAN'S. MANY OF THE COMPLAINT'S MENTION COOLANT FOUND IN THE ENGINE OIL. I HAVE COME ACROSS SEVERAL COMPLAINT'S OF MOTOR'S HAVING TO BE REPLACED IN THESE VEHICLES DUE TO THIS PROBLEM WITH THE CONSUMER HAVING TO ENDURE THE COSTLY REPAIR FINANCIALLY. I PRIMARELY USE MY VAN TO TRANSPORT MY 16 YEAR OLD SEVERELY DISABLED SON TO AND FROM SCHOOL WITH HIS WHEEL-CHAIR AS WELL AS TO DR APPOINTMENT'S. THE RECENT PROBLEM'S WITH TICKING SOUND'S AS WELL AS AT TIMES IDLING ROUGH AND CHUGGLING WHILE DRIVING WITH THE TEMPERATURE GAGE AMPING PAST THE 210 MARK IS NOT A GOOD SIGN. AT 56187 MILES I SHOULD NOT BE EXPERIENCING MAJOR PROBLEM'S WITH THIS VEHICLE. WITH THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINT'S ON THIS MATTER BEING CONSIDERED I AM REQUESTING AN INVESTIGATION THAT WILL LEAD TO A VERY MUCH NEEDED RECALL ON THE 1998 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT AS WELL AS THE OTHER YEAR'S THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THIS MAJOR FLAW FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *LA

CONSUMER STATED SEAT BELTS BEHIND PASSENGER AND MIDDLE BACK SEATS LOCKED UP. THEY DID NOT WORK. ALSO, AIR BAG LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT, BUT AIR BAG LIGHT STILL CAME ON.*AK

TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY ON VACATION WITH WIFE AND THREE KIDS. 71000 MILES ON VERY WELL MAINTAINED VAN. WE BOUGHT IT WITH 8,000 MILES ON IT. NO WARNINGS, NO NOISES, NO SMOKE, NO OVERHEATING. ENGINE JUST QUIT RUNNING AND WE COASTED TO A STOP ON VERY BUSY INTERSTATE. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT. DEALER PROMISED "AT LEAST 50% WARRANTY" THEN RETRACTED OFFER TWO DAYS LATER PENDING TEAR DOWN AND DIAGNOSIS. DIAGNOSIS SPUN CRANK BEARINGS/ BENT RODS DUE TO COOLANT IN OIL. COST $2050 AFTER 50% WARRANTY. TWO WEEKS LATER, TOLD CAMSHAFT WAS BROKEN IN HALF AND THAT OUR ENGINE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED. I ASKED WHY THEY DIDN'T KNOW THAT BEFORE. SVC MGR SAID THEY JUST PULLED THE ENGINE OUT THAT DAY. THIS WAS NOT TRUE SINCE MY WIFE AND I SPOKE WITH THE TECHNICIAN THREE DAYS PRIOR AND HE WAS ALL BUT READY TO REINSTALL OUR ENGINE. THE BARE BLOCK WAS ON AN ENGINE STAND WHEN WE SPOKE WITH HIM. SVC MGR THEN SAID WARRANTY WAS IN QUESTION. I HAD MEETING WITH MGMT ABOUT "BAIT & SWITCH" TACTICS. SVC MGR THEN SAID PONTIAC WOULD INSTALL BRAND NEW "CRATE" ENGINE FOR THE $2050 WE WERE QUOTED TWO WEEKS PRIOR. NO ONE FROM THE SVC DEPT EVER CALLED US ABOUT DELAYS OR WHEN OUR VAN WAS DONE. TOOK 34 DAYS TO COMPLETE REPAIRS. AFTER GETTING IT BACK, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE AXLE RETAINING NUTS ON BOTH SIDES WERE ONLY FINGER TIGHT/READY TO FALL OFF. WENT BACK AND HAVE THEM TORQUED TO SPECS. THEY WONDER WHY GO TO A LOCAL SHOP FOR ROUTINE SERVICE RATHER THAN THE DEALER. THIS WAS THE MOST ABSURD FIASCO I HAVE EVER SEEN. WE ARE SEEKING RESTITUTION. GM SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECALL THESE ENGINES FOR INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILURES AS THIS WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE ROOT CAUSE.

WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED TO THE LEFT IT LOCKED UP WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *JB

THE CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE POWER STEERING LOCKED UP. THE CONSUMER VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SYMPTOMS OF RECALL 02V-286000 WHICH IS RELATED TO A STEERING RACK DEFECT. *AK *NLM

PROBLEMS WITH ENGINE'S HEAD GASKETS AND INTAKE GASKETS. *MR WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING A TICKING SOUND. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT THE HEAD GASKET AND INTAKE GASKET FAILED AND CAUSED COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE GASKETS. *NLM *JB

1998 PONTIAC TRANSPORT MINIVAN 3.4 LITER, COOLANT LEAKING FROM THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. MECHANIC BELIEVES IT IS A GENERAL PROBLEM WITH THE GASKET. MAJOR EXPENSE TO REPAIR ON VEHCILE WITH 75,000 MILES.

MY 1998 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT MINIVAN HAS DEVELOPED A PROBLEM WHERE THE DEXCOOL COOLANT IS LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE...MY MECHANIC FOUND COOLANT IN THE ENGINE OIL. I CALLED MY DEALER, THE MAN FROM WHOM I BOUGHT THE CAR, AND HE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM ON HIS GM MINIVAN. I DID AN INTERNET SEARCH AND FOUND NUMEROUS OTHERS (WWW.GM-V6LEMONS.COM, AND OTHER PLACES) WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. IT SEEMS CLEAR THAT THE MANIFOLD GASKET IN THESE VEHICLES DEVELOPS LEAKS WHEN EXPOSED TO THE DEXCOOL COOLANT. IN MY CASE, THE VEHICLE IS 5+ YEARS OLD, AND HAS 59,000 MILES...SO THERE IS NO WARRANTY IN EFFECT. GM SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECALL THESE VEHICLES AND REPAIR THIS PROBLEM.*AK

MY 1998 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT, WITHOUT WARNING, DEVELOPED A BROKEN ACCELERATOR CABLE AND ACCELERATED FULL SPEED OUT OF CONTROL. I WAS LUCKY TO GET IT STOPPED WITHOUT A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.*AK