1997 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT Complaints

Sliding door on passenger side locked up trapping passenger inside. Door cannot be opened manually or electronically. A loud buzzing noise then a thud was heard prior. Can't open door any way now scary.

THE FUEL GUAGE GIVES FALSE READING, THE NEEDLE WILL POSITION WAY PASS THE "FULL". AFTER PUTTING IN FUEL, IT WILL MOVE TO THE "FULL" MARK OR SHOW JUST ANY AMOUNT WITHOUT THE TANK BEING FULL. IT IS AVERY HARD ACT TO FOLLOW ESPECIALLY IN THESE TIMES WHEN I CANNOT AFFORD TO TOP OFF THE TANK. IN OTHER WORDS, THIS FUEL GUAGE IS VERY UNRULY AND HAS ITS OWN WAY IN REGISTERING WHAT IT FEELS LIKE SHOWJNG ME. IS THERE A RECALL?. HOW CAN I CORRECT THIS EMBARASSING SITUATION?. *TR

DRIVING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, ON CONGESTED FREEWAY, AT 55 MPH THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME WAS SLOWING DOWN AND I ALMOST REAR ENDED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. DROPPED IT IN FIRST GEAR, APPLIED EMERGENCY BRAKE AND MADE AN EVASIVE LANE CHANGE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER AND LET IT SLOW DOWN BY ITSELF. PULLED OFF ON THE FREEWAY SHOULDER GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND I NOTICED THE BRAKE LINE RIGHT UNDERNEATH THE DRIVER SIDE LEAKING AT A HIGH RATE AND BRAKE FLUID PUDDLING UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. ONLY GOD'S GRACE THAT I DIDN'T REAR END ANYBODY OR GOTTEN INTO A CAR CRASH. DISAPPOINTED IS NOT A STRONG ENOUGH WORD TO USE FOR WHAT HAPPENED. I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED A BRAKE LINE BURST IN A VEHICLE. DOING SOME ONLINE SEARCHES ON GM BRAKE LINE FAILURES I FOUND A LOT OF REPORTED CASES OF GM VEHICLES HAVING SEVERELY RUSTED BRAKE LINES THAT HAD CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR. HOPE THAT YOU'LL OPEN AN INVESTIGATION INTO THESE CONCERNS IN ORDER TO AVOID ANY FUTURE INCIDENTS.

IN NOV. OF 2007 I WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH MY VAN OVERHEATING AND WAS LOSING ENGINE COOLANT BUT COULD NOT SEE WHERE IT WAS GOING. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT I HAD A FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, WHICH COST ME OVER 800.00 TO REPAIR. NOT LONG AFTER THE GASKET WAS REPAIRED THE VAN STARTED OVERHEATING AGAIN AND I DISCOVERED THAT THE WATER PUMP WAS BLOWN, THAT WAS ANOTHER 174.00 TO REPAIR. NOW I AM STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE VAN OVERHEATING AND COOLANT LEAKING AND I WAS JUST INFORMED THAT IT IS A HEAD GASKET WHICH IS GOING TO COST ME OVER 1700.00 TO FIX. THIS IS RIDICULOUS, I KNOW 3 OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL VAN AS I DO WITH THE SAME ENGINE AND THEY ARE ALL ALSO HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THEIR VANS. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS IS TOO MUCH OF A COINCIDENCE AND THAT THEIR SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL IN PLACE TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEMS WITH THESE FAULTY PARTS. THESE ARE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE REPAIRS AND I PERSONALLY DO NOT HAVE AN EXTRA $1700.00 JUST LAYING AROUND, SO NOW I AM FACED WITH THE CHOICE OF JUNKING MY VAN AND TRYING TO GET A NEW ONE WHICH I CANNOT AFFORD OR FIXING IT WHICH I ALSO CANNOT AFFORD. *TR

I HAVE OWNED BOTH A '92 AND A '97 TRANSPORT AND BOTH HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. THE POWER WINDOW CONTROLS POP LOOSE OF THE DRIVER'S DOOR AND THE WINDOWS FAIL TO OPERATE. THE REAR DOOR LOCK FAILS. THE BLINKER AND CRUISE CONTROL LEVER SNAPPED OFF THE STEERING COLUMN SO THE BLINKER DOESN'T WORK. THE WINDOW WIPER CONTROL MODULE FAILED. THE TRANSAXLE HOSES SPRUNG A LEAK AT THE METAL CONNECTIONS CAUSING THE TRANSAXLE TO LOOSE FLUID AND THE VEHICLE TO BE STRANDED. *TR

OUR 1997 PONTIAC TRANSPORT HAS HAD 3 HEAD GASKET FAILURES. THE FIRST WAS AT 72000, SECOND AT 88,000 AND IS CURRENTLY DEAD IN FRONT DRIVE WITH WATER IN THE OIL AGAIN. HAD NEW HEADS PUT ON AT 72000. VEHICLE OVERHEATS AND DOES NOT SHOW ON GAUGES. YOU HEAR IT BUBBLING WHEN IT'S SHUT OFF. ALSO HAD TO REPLACE ALTERNATOR 3 TIMES AND VAN ONLY HAS 110,000 MILES ON IT. WE'VE HAD SINCE NEW. *TR

MY WIFE'S 1997 PONTIAC TRANSPORT MINI-VAN HAS THE PLASTIC HEADLIGHT LENSES, THAT ARE NOW YELLOW AND CLOUDY, AND NIGHTTIME VISIBILITY IS SO POOR THAT SHE DOESN'T DRIVE AT NIGHT UNLESS SHE HAS TO. ALSO MY 2000 NISSAN FRONTIER TRUCK IS SUCCUMBING TO THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT IT IS NOT AS SEVERE YET. I HAVE TRIED HIGH-OUTPUT ZENON, BLUELIGHT, AND ULTRA WHITE BULBS BUT THE YELLOWING/CLOUDY PLASTIC LENSES GREATLY REDUCES THE PERFORMANCE QUALITIES OF THESE BULBS. I CANNOT SEE THE SAFETY BENEFITS OF HAVING PLASTIC HEADLIGHT LENSES THAT WON'T SHATTER LIKE GLASS IN AN ACCIDENT IF YOU CANNOT SEE MORE THAN 20 FEET IN FRONT OF YOUR VEHICLE AT NIGHT. I STILL BELIEVE GLASS IS THE BEST MATERIAL FOR HEADLIGHTS, I SEE CARS AND TRUCKS FROM THE 70'S, 80'S, AND EARLY 90'S THAT STILL HAVE GREAT WORKING HEADLIGHTS. *TR

VAN STARTED ON FIRE, IN DRIVER'S DOOR ORIGINATING FROM POWER WINDOW CONTROLS. PARKED IN DRIVEWAY NEXT TO HOUSE,NOT RUNNING. VAN WAS A COMPLETE LOSS,ONLY VEHICLE WAS ONLY ONE FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR. *TR

I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR 7 YEARS AND HAVE ALWAYS HAD PROBLEMS WITH COOLING SYSTEM LOSING ANTIFREEZE. NOW I AM TOLD THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET HAS BEEN NEEDS REPLACED. *TR

MY 97 PONTIAC TRANSPORTS HAS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR IS INOPERABLE. THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN AND APPERAS TO NOT BE CLOSED ALL THE WAY. THE DOOR IS TURNED OFF VIA THE SWITCH AND THE LOCK WILL NOT RELEASE VIA THE UNLOCK SWITCH OR THE MANUAL LOCK MECHANISM ON THE DOOR. IN THE EVEN OF AN ACCIDENT THIS DOOR COULD NOT BE USED AS AN EXIT. I ALSO HAVE CONCERNS OF THE DOOR POSSIBLE COMING OPEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION.