1998 PONTIAC Grand Prix

Entire hood paint peeled up over last night Nov 24, 2010, and I mean a total down peel. It is a 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix.

The passenger side headlight lens cover fell off and was not recovered. Just after I replaced this one the driver’s side fell off. (The light bulbs explosed after being exposed to the weather)

the lense of the headlamp fall off this is the third time of replacing the headlamp $275.00 is the cheapest replacment each time the problem occures

THE HEADLIGHT PLASTIC COVER FALLS OFF. BOTH HEADLIGHT COVERS HAD FALLEN OFF. THE GOODYEAR EAGLE GT TIRES WORN BALD AT 18,000 MILES

the coolant leaked into the engine and mixed with oil because of poor upper intake manifold. (3.8L V6)

Steering rack slipped causing loss of power assist when taking left turns. Rack was replaced. There was a recall for this on some 1998 Pontiac Grand Prixs but evidently they didn’t check far enough so as to include my vehicle in the recall.Thus I was told I am not going to be reimbursed for repairs.

Service Engine problems from the beginning. Almost every exhaust-related component was replaced before a new computer cut down on the problem. I still had an episode or two after that installation, but have had no episodes in two years now.Airbag light came on shortly after warranty expired, but I knew about the technical service bulletin on that one and it was fixed for free.Driver side window button died a few months after purchase, but it was replaced free under warranty.More recently two windows have stopped working when the weather is warm. I am living with my power window problems because I don’t want to pay to have two motors replaced. No winter problems in the winter.Most recently my lens cover on the right headlight fell off. It cost me over $100 for an aftermarket replacement and home installation, but GM was going to charge me $250 plus labor.

Rust coming through approximately two thirds up the inside face of the drivers side rear strut tower. Inside of trunk.

On 5/15/03 I went to the grocery store. After returning from the store, I unloaded my groceries. I went into my house and with in 5 minutes my car burst into flames. I have found out that they GM used a plastic intake manifold. The car is a total loss. My house received smoke dameage on the outside and the car bumbers melted on my parking pad. Cars are not supposed to start on fire. No smell of fuel or anything. The car had 65,000 miles.I contacted GM and they said they would look into it. I doubt anything will be done. GM has received 525 complaints about engine fires and the NHTSA has received 44 complaints. Thes fires happen to 3.8 ltr engines from 1996 to 2000

In May, the passenger rear coil spring broke for no appant reason. It lodged into the tire and ruined it. This happened before it was rearended in January 2003. Now the rear driver coil spring has broken. I have never heard of coil springs just breaking for no reason. Is there a recall that I do not know about?

I have not yet had a failure, however there is some popping when I steer. You can feel it in the steering wheel when I turn. I have had it looked at but no one can figure it out.At one time I had heard there was a recall on a problem with the steering mecanizm. As a matter of fact I had pulled up this recall on the internet, and it stated that GM would be sending out recall notices. I have not received anything. Can you tell me more? I do not want to have any problems to occur.Thank you,Kerry Sammons

I don’t have the exact dates with me. My vehicle is currently at dealership for repair. Problems: over the 4 years the vehicle would stall from a stop position usually when at a traffic light our when making a turn from a blvd. In all cases I’m in a panic situation to re-start the car. The car has been into the dealer and they cant diagnose the problem but charged be $80 for the diagnoses. This is an ongoing issue.. I feel very serious. Headlight capsules fell off, left side November 2001 and just now the right side June 2003. I feel this should be considered a recall item. Powerwindow (left rear) motor had to be repalced and the right rear goes on and off at times. Windsheild seal leaks and water runs into the overhead light counsel and over the passenger seat, I’m also told by the dealer that the weather guard is bad around the passager front left door. Dash light for the Performance Shift doesnt work, but dealer indicates that the shift botton works. I have all of my service records and have used the original selling dealer for all of my service needs since I purchased the vehicle. I’m interested in addressing my mechanical issues. The current mileage for my 1998 GP is 47,000.

Coolant turned to slugde in radiator. Radiator flushed of dex cool replace with green coolant. Dex xool ate away at intake manifold gasket allowing coolant into engine. Replacing gasket.

Back in may of 2003 i noticed water in the passenger side of car in the well. i thought it was a leak in the winshield because i had another car that had a leak and it was the winshield. the autoglass dealer told me it was the vent system and not the winshield. since then, the air conditioning has just stopped working. i am about to take the car to the dealer but i don’t know if it is worth the cost of fixing, do you have any advice?

Consumer states that his 1998 pontiac grand prix caught a fire several years ago and pontiac denied any responsibility but now they are being recalled. *nj the consumer referenced recall # 09v116000. *jb

1998 grand prix with a recall on the rack and pinion. consumer would like to know if there was a time limit on this recall or can he still have it inspected. he states that the retainer may not have been crimped properly. *kb recall # 02v286000. *jb

Nar 3-11-03 the consumer received a letter from pontiac stating that a recall had been issued for the power steering gear. the consumer had recently paid approx $1,192.09 for repairs to fix the steering gear on his vehicle. the consumer then sent in the receipts of the amount of money spent to fix the problem and requested reimbursement but his claims were rejected. *cb *jb

My air bag sensor light has come on after i had trouble with my electric windows. i understand this isn't covered by warranty.*ak

Returned to work from lunch went inside started back to work with in 10 minutes co workers was telling me my car was on fire fire department arrived minutes later put the fire out fire department said fire started in front part of engine compartment i believe it was caused by the recall on my vehicle that was never completed.

Tl* the contact owned a 1998 pontiac grand prix. while driving 67 mph, the vehicle shook violently. the contact coasted to the side of the road and noticed flames under the hood. the vehicle caught fire, which was extinguished by the contact. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to an independent mechanic. there were no injuries and a report was not filed. the vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 09v116000 (engine and engine cooling). the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 167,000.

Car caught fire in my driveway and was destroyed on 04/05/2016, engine fire. my driveway was fried, imprint of car still there. i filed a claim with gm last year.,have not heard a thing since. vehicle loss was $2800 driveway repair is $3200

There are a lot of recalls on my poniac grand prix se. they have affected the safety of myself and my child. the steering fluid leaks from the car after something was replaced on a recall a while back. recently while i was in traffic my car stopped going and overheated a lot. this car always runs hot. it may have something to do with the most recent recall. but this car will no longer even start up. how do i find out if the recalls are responsible for my car breaking down on me? also in the letter i received in the mail said to park my car and not drive it. yet the didn't have the parts in to replace and fix the issue. is there a way to be compensated for this. i need a reliable car and really wish i hadn't purchased one with so many issues.

Tl* the contact owned a 1998 pontiac grand prix. after the vehicle was driven 50 miles, it suddenly caught fire soon after being parked. the fire department was called and the fire was extinguished. the vehicle was destroyed and towed. a police report was filed. the contact received a recall notification after the fire occurred for nhtsa campaign number: 08v118000 (engine and engine cooling). the approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

I just found out my vehicle has a recall on it

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. upon purchasing the vehicle, the contact replaced the power steering pump due to a steering failure. there were no warning indicators illuminated. an independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and informed the contact that the rack and pinion needed replacement. the manufacturer and dealer were not informed of the failure. the failure mileage was 168,000. *tr *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact stated that the windshield fluid reservoir was leaking fluid. the vehicle was taken to becker buick gmc, inc. (located at 636 e sprague ave, spokane, wa 99202, (509) 455-3550) where it was diagnosed that the plastic reservoir was fractured and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 159,000. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling). the dealer was unable to determine when the second notification letter would be sent by the manufacturer to determine when the parts would be available. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. parts distribution disconnect.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact noticed oil emerging from the rear valve cover of the vehicle. the contact stated that the vehicle was repaired on march 7, 2016 for the front valve cover gasket. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 119,212.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v701000(engine and engine cooling). the part was not available within a reasonable time frame to schedule the recall repair. the dealer did not give a specific date for when the part would become available. the manufacturer could not provide an estimated date for when the contact's vehicle would receive the recall repair. the contact was not experiencing a failure. vin tool confirms parts not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact stated that nhtsa campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling) had exceeded a reasonable time for repair. the contact received recall notification on february of 2016. however, the dealer advised that the manufacturer provided two parts per week. the contact was placed on a waiting and the repair will be performed within six months. the contact did not experience a failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the vin was not available.

1998 pontiac grand prix. consumer writes in regards to replacement parts not available to complete front valve cover and gasket recall notice. *smd *js

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part needed to perform the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. vin tool confirms parts not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. while driving 25 mph, smoke emitted from under the dashboard on the passenger side. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling) and stated that the part needed for the repair was not available. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 124,000. vin tool confirms parts not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under a recall issued by the manufacturer, but the vehicle was still leaking oil. the dealer would not repair the vehicle twice. the manufacturer was notified of the recurrence. the vehicle was not repaired a second time. the nhtsa campaign number was unknown. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. parts distribution disconnect.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact discovered oil leaking from the front and rear valve cover gaskets onto the exhaust manifold. the vehicle was not diagnosed, but was taken to the dealer to be serviced under nhtsa campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling). the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 150,000.

Re: gm recall15757. concern continuing failure to repair my vehicle (according to gm, parts on indefinite recall). vehicle was recalled and repaired (supposedly), original recall no. 07035 in april 2008. recalled for same issue in december 2015 and notice by gm of parts available and solution in february 2016. took vehicle (3 weeks ago) to chevrolet/gm dealership. informed yesterday and today by both dealer (henry brown, casa grande, az) and pontiac customer assistance center that repair parts have not been distributed and are on permanent backorder. i have complied, tried to not park vehicle in garage (even though against tenants/cc's of hoa). gm sent letter in february saying parts were available, repair would take approximately 55 minutes and to contact a gmc dealership to have repairs made. today they say no repairs whatsoever across the entire nation have not been made because repair parts not available. this do not seem to be an acceptable solution, especially since they notified owners that a second repair had been re-engineered and parts were available. the last letter was sent by jeffery m. boyer, vp, global vehicle safety, gmc. can you please help!!!

My husband and i was driving my 1998 pontiac grand prix to the gas station.there was a vehicle in front of us so he turned the engine off to wait for a pump.the store employees came running out yelling your car is on fire.we all got out and pushed it back away from the pumps.this could have hurt a lot of people.it was a very tramatic experience!the fire department showed up and put the flames out.it burned the engine,hood,bumper,tires.left me without a car! this car had been taken to the dealer and the recall was fixed the first time there was a recall.why did it take so long to figure out the first recall wasn't going to work.was this covered up too.i got a recall notice dated december 2015.that's the reason i found this site.

1998 pontiac grand prix. consumer writes in regards to vehicle fire and recall notice repairs. *ld the consumer stated since the fire, the abs and temperature light illuminated, the traction light and electrical components stopped working.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part needed to perform the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. vin tool confirms parts not available...updated 03/16/16 *bf the dealer informed the consumer, the vehicle was fixed. updated 03/30/16.*jb

Per gm safety recall #15757 national highway traffic safety admin id # 15v701 speaks of fire potential, getting runaround about my leaving the car for them to fix, and providing a loaner, as per owners manual. went to moran chev dealer, waste of time, called pontiac customer assistance number several times, over several days, just got runaround from 5 people. have to drive hoping no fire while waiting for service notice. tracking #10825633

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling) and stated that the part needed for the repair was not available. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. vin tool confirms part not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. vin tool confirms parts not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact stated that the vehicle was leaking engine oil. the failure occurred without warning. the contact received notification of nhsta campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 125,000. vin tool confirms parts not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. while driving 25 mph, the contact smelled smoke and saw flames under the hood of the vehicle. the fire department extinguished the fire. the contact did not sustain any injuries. a police report was filed. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the failure mileage was 91,000. updated 03/10/16*lj updated 03/14/16.*jb

Tl* the contact owned a 1998 pontiac grand prx. after adding anti-freeze to the vehicle parked in the shed, the contact noticed a small flame under the hood of the vehicle. the fire department was able to extinguish the fire. the vehicle was destroyed. there were no injuries. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part for the recall was unavailable. the contact stated that the failure was directly related to the consequence of the recall. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000. vin tool confirms parts not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 mph, smoke emitted from underneath the hood. the vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road where the contact noticed that flames ignited from the engine compartment area. the contact extinguished the fire himself. there were no injuries. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who stated that drops of engine oil deposited onto the exhaust manifold. the mechanic replaced the valve cover gasket, the spark plugs and the belts. the vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the vehicle was repaired prior to the recall notification being received. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 200,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Takata recall i have several recalls that pertain to my vehicle. i was notified that it should not be driven until i receive notice when the service parts become available. i am wonder what my next step should be in resolving this matter since there are several recalls that apply. my vehicle is constantly leaking engine oil, fluids causing it to over heat. i was informed that it is part of gm recall 15757 among various others.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact stated that there was a progressive leak of oil onto the engine. the vehicle was taken to a repair shop and the dealer several times for months and they were not able to replicate the failure to prevent the condition from worsening. the contact later received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling) and the dealer was unable to supply the part within a reasonable time frame to receive the repair. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and was unable to determine when the part would become available for the recall repair. vin tool confirms parts not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact stated that the engine was over heating and that the thermostat reading kept fluctuating higher as the failure progressed. the vehicle was taken to two different dealers for several repairs that did not remedy the failure. the contact later received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling) years after experiencing the failure and was to schedule the recall repair appointment with the dealer. the manufacturer was notified of the failures. the failure mileage was not available. vin tool confirms parts not available. ......updated 04/01/16 *bf updated 05/10/18*jb *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. while the vehicle was parked, smoke appeared and there was a strong odor of burning oil. the contact checked the engine and noticed oil leaking from the rear head gasket onto the exhaust manifold. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 140,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. after reversing from the driveway, the contact noticed fluid leaking on the pavement. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that there was a fuel and transmission fluid leakage. as a result, the transmission kit and oil pan were replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 210,000. updated 02/18/16*lj *js

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 mph, there was an odor of burning oil emitted into the vehicle. in addition, the vehicle was leaking oil and smoking from the hood. the failure occurred several times. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

I am aware of the recall on valve cover gaskets but my car the oil pan gasket is also leaking and was told this is another common problem . leaks a quart per month. was told on first recall about oil pan gasket.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. while driving at an unknown speed, excessive force was required when attempting to make a turn. the dealer stated that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 02v286000 (steering). the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 127,921.

Updated information. above. sent 2 i was driving on an intrastate road. traffic was moving at @60mph. after passing a curve i suddenly came upon a car completely stopped in the left lane. i reacted quickly and came to a full stop. i left @9 ft. in front of me. i was unable to change lanes. within seconds i was hit from behind. i woke up with a brain injury as well as other physical injuries. tbi as a result,i lost all but 2 in family and friends. i endured more than anyone can imagine. i am still waiting for help. after seeing all of the recalls on other 1998 grand prix, where is the warning about failing seat restraints? my mechanic gave me a print out showing the part. unfortunately i did not have a lawyer.. the ny times article prompted me to write this. i was not able to! before this. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact stated that the key would remain stuck in the ignition switch without warning. the failure recurred multiple times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed but not repaired. the details of the diagnostic testing results were not available. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 107,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel seized, the vehicle overheated, and there was a burning odor. the failure recurred on various occasions. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 149,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact stated that there was a fuel odor coming from the vehicle. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

Traveling approximately 35 mph down a dual lane (each way) heavily traveled road when i attempted to stop the car & the brake pedal went to the floor. after i was able to stop, i discovered brake fluid was dripping from the underside of the automobile where the brake line had apparently ruptured. front brake line connectors & rear line was replaced at a cost of $900 by a professional mechanic at a local garage. *tr

This vehicle was sold and stolen from me. i bought it and made my first payment. the guy stole it after 4 days. the police wont even help me out. this guy has syole my money and my property my kids things and i just want the respect to get it back. *tr

1998 pontiac grand prix. consumer writes in regards to vehicle engine recall notice. *smd the vehicle caught on fire.

Airbags deployed in a car wreck in tulsa, oklahoma 10/09/2012. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact was driving 40 mph when the smell of burned oil emitted inside of the vehicle. the contact confirmed there was oil leaking from exhaust manifold. the failure recurred after the factory engine was replaced by a private mechanic. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 171,900 and the current mileage was 172,008.

1998 pontiac grand prix. consumer writes in regards to safety recall *tgw the consumer stated the vehicle caught on fire as a result of a recall. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact stated that while driving, the vehicle caught on fire from the engine. the contact merged onto the shoulder where the fire was extinguished. a police report was not filed nor was the dealer contacted. the manufacturer denied any assistance with repairs to the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 145,316.

The gas tank is not sealed in the middle allowing gas and fuel vapor to leak from car! all the sway bar on the driver side has separated due to the rack and pinion, car has no sound when turning to the right but if you try and turn the car to the left it is as if the power steering is going out and make a loud grinding noise and is getting very difficult to turn left, also the windshield wiper do not work proper and cause problems in the rain, the key get stuck in the ignition all the time,feel as if motor is twisting or moving forward, will be contacting pontiac due to recalls and problems arising. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. while driving approximately 40 mph, the contact heard a ticking sound from the engine. the vehicle suddenly stalled. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. the technician stated the engine needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 143,900.

1998 pontiac grand prix, 147,000 miles. signs and symptoms of steering failure are consistent with gm recall #02049 and nhtsa campaign id 02v28600. failure of the rack and pinion steering system. can barely turn the car left anymore due to the failure of the rack & pinion system. several calls to gm and pontiac ended with them saying my vin # is not in the recall. when the car causes a crash and kills someone, i plan to sue both pontiac and gm. *tr

98 grand prix loses power steering when turning left at low speed. this is exactly like the problem described in recall#02v286000. this car was brought in for that service recall back in 2003 at 39,000 miles. the car now has 95,000 miles and the problem is back. it would appear that the recall fix was only temporary. the cars are still potentially dangerous to drive after the recall fix has been performed. gm will not repair the car again since they claim they only have to fix it once. the problem has returned, and if it was not safe the 1st time and had to be recalled, it should be recalled again until they get it right. *tr

During a snow storm, my car got stuck on my driveway. in trying to start the car, it wouldn't turn-over. the next day, it had to be towed to a service station. the starter had ruptured & was replaced. during the diagnostics to verify the repair, the coolant disappeared from the radiator. diagnosing this problem, the mechanic discovered that the plastic intake manifold had cracked, causing the coolant to leak out. (this reminded me that in jan 2005, i had a problem with sudden coolant & oil loss. i never found the reason for that occurrence, but now know it was related to the cracked manifold.) the plastic manifold was replaced with another plastic manifold. parts are not available. *tr

While driving on the parkway, the steering suddenly tightened up, making turning the steering wheel difficult. then the battery/alternator indicator light turned on along with other indicator lights. suddenly, the engine stalled & the car coasted to a stop. opening the hood, i noticed the accessory belt was missing (actually, it had come off & was sitting on the front suspension). checking the belt pulleys, i found that the accessory belt idler pulley bearing had seized, causing the belt to come off. i was towed to a service station, where they replaced the accessory belt idler pulley bearing. the old part is not available. *tr

1998 pontiac grand prix. consumer states vehicle caught fire and melted the motor *tgw the consumer received a recall notice after the fire. *jb

I received a notice in the mail from gm on 5/14/2009 that my vehicle had been recalled over an issue involving a safety recall 09047. this was on thursday and that following saturday my car caught fire. i had not had time to schedule an appointment with a dealership. my car ran fine and had no problems prior to the fire. the fire happened under the hood. i had to call the fire department to have the fire put out. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the vehicle suddenly caught fire soon after being parked. the fire department was called and the fire was extinguished. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to the driver's home. the failure and current mileage were unknown. the vin was unknown.

Turned heater on and headlights went off. not repaired yet

1998 pontiac grand prix engine compartment fire*cw the consumer received a letter regarding a recall, however when he contacted gm, he was informed that was a general letter that was sent out to all owners, but within the next month, another letter would go out to those owners affected by the recall. the consumer stated he still has not received a letter. *jb

Certain passenger vehicles and mini vans have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. these and some other retainers used in vehicles assembled between january 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997, could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. after her son dropped a small amount of oil under the hood of the vehicle, the intake manifold area burst into flames. he was able to put the fire out with an extinguisher. a technician from an authorized dealership stated that the vehicle repair would be covered under recall 09v116000 (engine and engine cooling). however, after speaking with representative from the manufacturer, she was told that it would not be covered because the fire resulted from engine oil being poured by her son and not actually spilling from the engine onto the manifold by hard braking. the vehicle was repaired at the owners expense. however, she experienced other failures including : the dipstick, and the front coil fractured. she believed that the failures were subsequences of the fire. the current mileage was approximately 59,500. the failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. during an oil change, a mechanic stated that the vehicle was leaking radiator fluid. the dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided because there were no recalls on his vehicle. the failure mileage was 131000. the current mileage was 132000.

1998 pontiac grand prix had an engine fire and vehicle was totaled. consumer states that gm denied the claim for the recall notice for the engine fire. *nj the consumer stated her son didn't receive the recall, because he moved several times since the vehicle was purchased. gm denied the claim because it was their understanding that the controlling of liability against gm would be breach of warranty. the breach of warranty statute of limitations in wisconsin was six years from the date of the original purchase date. the original owner purchased the vehicle in april 1998, so gm claimed their liability expired in april 2004. *jb

I had my 1998 pontiac grand prix with the l67 supercharged engine serviced under the recall notice last year (nhtsa id number 08v118000), but it is now leaking the same way from the rear valve cover, with the same attendant smoke on shutdown, and i presume, the same fire hazard.. gm informs me the recall only extended to the front valve cover leakage, but isn't this the same or a related issue? should i expect an american car to be at risk from bursting into flame through normal use? *tr

Reimbursement for taking care of the problem before the defect was conducted. 1998 pontiac grand prix. *tr

The fuel pump resistor went out on my 1998 pontiac grand prix gtp. after researching the issue, this seems to be a common occurrence on 1997-98 grand prixs and buick regals with the l67 supercharged motor. the resistor goes out without warning, causing the engine to kill seconds after starting. this part was recalled in areas of canada per gm customer satisfaction campaign #01033. *tr

My car burned up due to wires under hood. *tr

1998 pontiac grand prix gpt, sitting in my drive way, caught fire and under the hood is basically toast. we have to totally replace everything...cars that are not started, should not catch fire. *tr

Consumer's 1998 pontiac grand prix was damaged due to a fire . *nj a recall letter was attached to the complaint. the consumer's insurance company is seeking reimbursement due to the recall.(insurance company on behalf of consumer) *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. while driving 5 mph and attempting to park the vehicle, the contact noticed that the steering wheel was difficult to turn left. the wheel felt as if there was no power steering and it was nearly impossible to maneuver the vehicle. the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 02v286000 (steering:rack and pinion). he called pontiac directly and they stated that they were not responsible for the repairs since the vehicle was excluded from the recall. currently, the vehicle is parked at the contact's residence and has not been repaired. the current and failure mileages were 145,000.

Consumer states that his 1998 pontiac grand prix caught a fire several years ago and pontiac denied any responsibility but now they are being recalled. *nj the consumer referenced recall # 09v116000. *jb

My 1998 pontiac grand prix 3.8 litre v6 caught on fire on april 6 2009 and then a couple days later the recall came out. my car is a total loss. i have contacted pontiac as of 4-16-2009 and i am waiting to hear from them! there is no police report, but there is a fire report due to the fire dept coming to extinguish the flames. *tr

After taking my car in for a recall (nhtsa id number 08v118000) i notice that the oil leak that i was experiencing would be fixed. when the oil leak returned, i took it back to the dealer to see if the repair was not fixed correctly. i was informed that the back valve cover and manifold was now leaking and the recall only fixed the front valve cover. i was also informed that the leak could cause a fire similar to the one that was the recall was suppose to correct. i informed gm support of the problem and they stated that unless a recall was issued, i would have to pay the cost of the repair ($1300). since the problem seems to be related to oil leaks similar to recall, i think it should be covered under the recall campaign. thank you. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. while attempting to make a left turn at 40 mph, the vehicle continued to drive forward. upon further investigation, the contact determined that the rack and pinion was the cause of the failure. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 02v286000 (steering:rack and pinion). the contact is in the process of taking the vehicle to the dealer. there will be no compensation provided. the failure mileage was 105,000 and current mileage was 107,000. updated 03-06-09 *bf updated 03/09/09*jb

The driver side power window will not work. i put it down one day and when i tried to put it back up, it went half way and stopped. i was parking at a hockey game and had to get my window up! my husband had to push it up but when we came out from the game, it was back down. luckily nothing was bothered in the car. now it is up with small wood shims stuck down in the door so the window won't fall down. i have been searching every where for the motor and regulator but just like everyone else, the part is gone before i can get it. this should be a recall. it seems to be an ongoing problem and pontiac should fix it. it is a 1998 grand prix daytona pace car with only 93,000 miles on it. *tr

My 17 year old son was driving on ice and started to slide and he slid into a ditch. no damage was done to the outside of the car, he was driving approx. 15 mph and once the car was pulled out of the ditch it was driven the rest of the way home. both airbags deployed, the passenger side deployed w/ such force that it shattered the windshield and the drivers side had enough force that it hit my son in the face hard enough to shove his head into the headrest. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 08v441000 (electrical system). the contact stated that the rear of the vehicle was leaking oil. he noticed oil spots on his garage floor. there were no performance issues with the vehicle; however, the contact smelled oil inside the passenger compartment. he took the vehicle in for the recall repair and informed the dealer that the rear gasket was leaking. the dealer later confirmed the failure, but stated that the recall only pertained to the front rocker. the manufacturer was not notified. the current mileage was approximately 61,500 and failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

I purchased a 1998 pontiac grand prix gtp from a friend of mine with about 97,000 miles on it. he said it was in good shape and running good. about 4 months after i bought it, it had around 102,000 miles on it and the transmission started to go. it suddenly wouldn't shift from park into gear sometimes. i had very little power in reverse, i had to rev the engine to 3500 rpms to get the car to budge in reverse. then the check engine light came on. i took it to a mechanic and he said the transmission had to be replace. he referred me to a shop that only works on transmissions and they confirmed that it had to be rebuilt. it cost around 2,000$ dollars and i have since read that this model car has a known problem for transmission failure around 100,000 miles. *tr

Intake manifold gasket needed to be replaced because of use of orange coolant--also serpentine belt replaced because of orange coolant spray all over it. water pump had to be replaced 3 months later. *tr

Drove to the store and home, parked my car and walked inside. within 5 minutes neighbors reported my car was on fire. fire dept. came and put it out. everything under the hood is burnt. i took the vehicle to the dealer in april for a recall repair, but it still caught fire. i have receipts. *tr

I purchased a vehicle. within 10 minutes, still in the same spot where i purchased the vehicle i noticed that the dashboard and the miles seem to have been tampered with. there is also a sticker on the window that says get your next oil change at 245k. i did not pay attention to the fact that he advertised the car as having 122k but the odometer read 116k. he had left his home and i had to keep calling him on his cell phone. after finally reaching him, because his wife told him that the police was at his home, i asked him for a refund and he said no, i don't do refunds for nobody. the police agreed that the dash and the miles seem to have been tampered with but it would be a civil matter and that i would have to take him to court if i wanted a refund. he said that i can switch the car out for another car that he owned but i would have to pay more and that car did not have the right miles on it either. i did some research and found out that he has many cases in clayton county that have been brought against him about cars. i called and left messages about the car not having and failing the emissions that i paid for and he has not returned any of my calls. i tried to get an emission test on october 18, 2008 and it failed. i called him and again my calls went unreturned. *tr

1998 pontiac grand prix gtp -- rear valve cover gasket design is extremely poor -- it is only the size of a spaghetti noodle. it can not contain the oil pressure flow, thus leaks engine oil down the rear side of the engine onto dangerously hot components -- this results in: 1)a high concentration of toxic burnt engine oil fumes entering the passenger compartment, 2) engine oil leaking/spraying back onto the extremely hot catalytic converter, exhaust manifold header, exhaust pipe and 3) a very high risk of fire in the engine compartment and under the car. *tr

1998 pontiac grand prix will not turn left. consumer states that the vehicle had some trouble and eventually escalated to not turning left at all. he states he had to turn the wheel all the way to the right then back in order to turn left. *kb the dealer informed the consumer that the steering rack was binding which required a complete replacement. the consumer paid for the repairs, however years later, the consumer discovered a recall regarding the steering rack and pinion. *jb

There was a fire under the hood of my car. after a about 6 months they recalled my car and the front rocker cover gasket needed replacing, after call gm and talking to 10 different people and 2 months later they had someone come to look at my car and at this point they offered me only 3000. for it. my problem is that i kept this car up i only drove it in the snow once a year, changed the oil when due, just had new struts on it new tires and it is in new condition. i looked up the blue book value of the car and it was 5,600. i fell as though i should get 5,000. for my car. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact stated that his vehicle caught fire while parked. smoke appeared from the front end of the vehicle. the fire department extinguished the fire and the vehicle was destroyed. a police report was filed. the contact called pontiac and informed them about the safety issue with the vehicle, but was offered no assistance. he recently received a recall notice after the fire for nhtsa campaign id number 08v118000 (engine and engine cooling). the failure mileage was 90,000.

I've owned a 1998 grand prix gt for 7yrs and i have often had problems with overheating. especially when the temperature was 90 degrees or above. on the 30th of may, i was driving home and the engine temperature spiked and smoke began pouring out of the engine compartment. i stopped the car quickly and discovered that the intake manifold gasket was blown and it was spewing water into the oil reservoir and the engine compartment. i have seen multiple complaints on other site about the plastic intake manifold gasket that's included with the 1998 grand prix and i thought i should post a complaint. the best estimate i've had for repairing my car is $1000.00... i think that general motors should issue a recall for this error and pay for my repairs. *tr

1998 grand prix with a recall on the rack and pinion. consumer would like to know if there was a time limit on this recall or can he still have it inspected. he states that the retainer may not have been crimped properly. *kb recall # 02v286000. *jb

Wiring harness to air bag shorted out. *tr

I received a recall letter,then i moved to a new residents 2wks. later i parked my car in the driveway went into the house maybe 2-3 min i noticed flames coming out of the hood. i ran and got the water hose and put it out. i called the dealer they weren't aware of a recall i had to show proof letter. i faxed it then they towed the car to the dealers gmc was called they called the dealer .04-25-08 i called gmc stated since the car caught on fire they need to send fire investigator out. he came to the dealers took pictures and report and fedex it to gmc mich. then they gave me another adjuster darlene clemens. on may 2nd i called gmc again i was given another adjuster why she wouldn't tell me just gave me the persons name jemeia price since then i been playing phone tag no one can help me i am without a car no loaner or any concern since my car is paid off. since then i found out about other recall the dealer said no not on gmc list or website the recall#for the car is #07035 and my other concerns were recall# 02v286000 or 02049 and#07e021000 im worried i could died or more damage to my car i keep go care of my car gmc doesn't care i need help *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would hesitate, misfire, and then completely shut off. the vehicle finally restarted after several attempts and then began smoking inside the passenger compartment. the contact opened the hood and noticed that the converter was fiery red. she performed a diagnostic on the vehicle, which produced code number 1374. the crankshaft position sensor was replaced twice. the current mileage was 122,749 and failure mileage was 120,439.

Front valve cover leaking onto exhaust manifold. smoke exiting the from of the vehicle after a hard stop. *tr

Driver needs to exert more effort than normal to turn the steering wheel to the left, similar to a vehicle without power assisted steering. increasingly, the driver requires much higher effort to turn left and may not be able to turn the wheel as much as intended and encounters high resistance to turning left. although 1998 pontiac grand prixs are included in recall campaign(02v286000) and this vehicle suffers from the same component failure as described by odi, manufacturer says that this vin is not included and will not repair vehicle. *tr

1998 pontiac grand prix. second time in two years i have had to replace the electric window regulator on front passenger side door. first time over $380.00 today, $410.00. *tr

2 days ago we had a huge snow storm. i was trying to get my car unstuck. the car was idling and i was outside digging out the car, and my girlfriend was sitting in the car, she said it was smokey inside. i just thought it was overheating, and it got worse and worse. i finally thought, ok this just isn't overheating, so i shut the car off and popped the hood. the whole rear of the engine was on fire. i got the fire out and managed to save the car. about 6 months ago i had a engine light come on and the code said small evap leak. he said it was my cold air intake and my gas cap. so i replaced the gas cap and drove around with the engine light on, not knowing that there was a actual evap leak. so it was coincidental that the engine light came on 2 days after i put my intake on. and also it was coincidental that it happened on the day with all the snow. so my mechanic said, that i did have a pinhole leak, and that the sparks from the alternator ignited the vapors. also the foam underneath the engine cover acted like a sponge sucking in the all fumes and then boom. *tr

I have a 1998 pontiac grand prix gtp that caught fire while driving yesterday, 12/6/07. i had noticed nothing odd other than on the evening of 12/5/07, my cruise control cut-out on me twice while driving home, which i just thought of as odd. 12 hours later, i was driving to work and the car started stuttering. i then lost all power and pulled to the side of the road, as i looked up after popping the hood, i noticed flames on the passenger side of the car. after a few minutes, local fire crews were onsite to put the fire out. the whole engine compartment melted and the car is a total loss. i don't know what caused this, but am reading reports of 1999-2002 supercharged gtp's having this same problem, but wanted the nhtsa to be aware of this occurring in a 1998 vehicle. the car is totaled and i am quite frustrated. i never thought this would occur in a million years. *tr

I drove from my work location at 2pm to a store 15 minutes away. the car was running normal. i entered the store for 10 minutes and when i came out, i noticed that the car had smoke coming from under the hood. i also noticed that the rear of the hood had brown discoloration marks. i attempted to put out the fire with an extinguisher but was not able to put out the fire. a police man also attempted to put out the fire with another fire extinguisher but also was not able to put out the fire. the fire department arrived in 9 minutes and put out the fire. the complete front of the car was destroyed. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. while attempting to make a left turn at 5 mph, the steering wheel jerked towards the right. the contact attempted to maneuver the steering wheel back to the left, but failed. after the turn was completed and the speed was increased, the failure ceased. the dealer stated that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 02v286000 (steering:rack and pinion). the current and failure mileages were 97,000.

The exterior lighting lenses of the headlight have fallen out and have broken from the headlight. he states that the vehicle produces projectiles as well. he states that he has contacted the manufacturer and filed a complaint and they have not offered any assistance to him (71532337325-gm complaint case number).he states that there about 20 people that have reported this issue to general motors. he states that when he took the vehicle to the dealer, they stated that there is corrosion on the chrome of the seal of the headlight. according to the contact, the service manager stated that this was a cosmetic concern and that there is nothing that they could do. the failure mileage is 58,000 and the current mileage is 103,000.--ds updated 09/18/07 *tr

My pontiac grand prix was taken to jiffy lube for an oil change and engine flush. after the work was completed, the employee drove the car out to the parking lot. while he was driving it, the engine compartment caught fire. the employee escaped with minor injuries. the engine was totaled and the car was no longer drivable. *jb

There are multiple problems with the coolant (dexcool) used in gm vehicles such as the 1998 pontiac grand prix gt. that is the car i have. the coolant used iin the vehicle deteriorates the gaskets and allows for coolant to leak into the cylinders which cause engine failure and possibly a fatal crash? gm is aware of this issue and issued fixes for it, but will not take responsibility for their act. the procedure to fix it costs upwards of $800 and isn't covered by warranty, unless its new. i'm sure this isn't the first complaint you received for this problem, just search the grand prix club websites and see all the similar problems in the country, it's in the millions. *tr

Steel brake line corrosion resulted in rotted through steel brake line and loss of fluid resulting in lost of brake function. the ultimate safety in stopping a vehicle depends on hydraulic brake lines that will last. *tr

I have a problem that is exhibiting the exact behavior as outlined in gm recall no. 02049, nhtsa campaign id 02v286000. my steering is very difficult when making left hand turns only. the problem is intermittent. i found out about this recall through the internet - i didn't actually receive a recall notice in the mail. i went to somerset pontiac in troy, michigan, to discuss the issue and they told me i missed the recall campaign because my car was actually built on november 23rd, 1997. the recall campaign was only for vehicles built between jan. 1, 1997 to oct. 31, 1997. my vehicle was built on nov. 23, 1997 - i missed the campaign by 23 days. the dealer told me there was nothing they could do. the vehicle is currently at a local repair shop having the steering rack replaced at my expense. i believe gm should pay for this repair because this is the exact problem for which the recall was issued. because my car was built 23 days later proves the campaign should have been extended another month. the repair shop is holding on to my original parts at my request in case i need them for proof in this case. they are charging me $145 to do so since there is a core charge on the steering rack. the problem actually began at about the beginning of this year. please let me know if i have a case here and if i should hold on to these parts. thank you very much for your time and your help. -steve *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact parked the vehicle in his garage after driving 12 miles at 30 mph under normal driving conditions. 15 minutes later he smelled smoke and realized that the vehicle was on fire. the vehicle was inspected by the insurance company and the fire department, and both stated that the fire was caused by an electrical source from under the hood. there were no injuries. the current and failure mileage was 120,000. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. on december 17, 2006 the serpentine belt broke and was repaired. while driving 35 mph on 1/9/07 the vehicle shut off. however, the contact was able to drive it home. the engine locked, and she was unable to restart it. no warning lights illuminated on the dashboard. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by a mechanic. the current and failure mileage were 83,712.*ak

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact stated that the vehicle would not steer straight and made a clunking noise. the vehicle has not been diagnosed. the manufacturer stated that recall # 02v286000 (steering:rack and pinion) did not apply to the vin. there were no warning indicators. the current and failure mileages were 93,991.

My 1998 pontiac grand prix gtp spontaneously combusted on march 2, 2007. visiting freinds in blacksburg va. the car was driven up hill for about 1/2 mile with the supercharger engaged the whole time. we parked at the top of the hill and went into the house. 10 minutes later a neighbor informed us that the car was on fire. 14 foot flames from the engine compartment. fire department was called to put it out. the car was totalled. it was only by the grace of god that we had not pulled our car into our garage and gone to bed when this happened. at the least, our house would have been burned to the ground. at the worst my family would have been burned alive.*ak

Tl* - the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. while backing the vehicle out of the driveway it became stuck in the snow. the contact left the vehicle, and 20 minutes later he heard a loud noise and saw flames coming from the engine. the contact stated he did not leave the vehicle running. the fire department came and extinguished the fire. the fire was contained to the engine compartment. the vehicle was destroyed. the failure and current mileage were 135,000. *ak updated 04/12/07. *jb

Steering locked up will not turn left

I drove this vehicle home from work, approximately 25 miles. parked in my garage and went in the house, approximately 10-15 minutes later, my wife, daughter and i left to go out to eat, we drove 10 miles to the restaurant. we were in the restaurant no more late 10 minutes when someone commented there was a vehicle out front smoking, i realized that it was our vehicle, and went outside, i approached the car and smelled a burning smell vs. overheating smell. i lifted hood and saw the engine was on fire, i proceeded to put out the fire with nearby snow, and with a fire extinguisher. fire dept was called to make sure fire was out. i then a called tow company and the had car towed back to my home. the car has not been repaired at this time. most of fire was contained to engine area, no damage to paint, and some underhood insulation charred. *jb

Tl*- the contact stated that he was unable to insert the seat belt latch into the buckle on the driver's side of the 1998 pontiac grand prix. the contact took the vehicle to the dealership, and they informed him he should replace the seat belt latch assembly. the contact replaced the seat belt latch assembly, and had not any problems with inserting the seat belt. the vehicle currently had 62000 miles.*ak

Windshield wipers park in wrong position when snowing or icy outside. this causes wiper arms to criss-cross and bend badly and becomes dangerous when conditions are bad outside. *nm

I went to the store, drove about 40 feet and got stuck in snow. realized i was bottomed out in snow when i opened my door. i didn't try to get unstuck. i shut off engine and went into house. several minutes later, i heard a noise and looked out and saw flames shooting from under hood. i immediately called 911 and fire department was there within 5 minutes and truck was there within 10. they immediately asked me if the car was left running at the time the fire started. i said,"no, i was inside at least 20 minutes before i heard this noise and looked out." the engine and front end of car is a complete loss. cracked windshield, melted lower left hand corner of windshield and front of instrument panel. their were no flames that reached the inside thru the firewall. unfortunately i am not insured and wife and i are disabled, the car being our only source of transportation. throughout the websites i researched, i saw several dozen people with the same circumstances as i had with their grand prix gtp's. fireman said cause was unknown, but looks like it may have been electrical or maybe fuel related. *jb

Tl*- the contact stated that yhe 1998 pontiac grand prix gtp, ha had windshield wiper motor problems. t in 2001 he had the windshield wiper motor replaced. the contact stated that the windshield wipers may stop working due to a separation between the drive pin and the crescent in the crank assembly. while driving in the rain the drive's pin separated again ,and driver's side wiper stopped working again. the contact stated that he contacted general motor to try and get them to take responsibility for this problem. the contact found a recall 99v348000 with the same problem on the 1997 pontiac gran prix. the contact felt that all grand prix vehicles with this type of pin in the wiper should be on the recall. the contact called gm and filed a complaint with case# 71-481-566-952. the current mileage was 104000, and the failure mileage was 62000.*ak

Drove 15 minutes and parked the car and went inside the doctor's office. within 10 minutes after shutting my car off engine compartment burst into flames. fire near front top of the engine. fire department deemed an electrical fire. car is a total loss within 15 minutes. *nm

I hit a very small pothole. heard clunking and rubbing noises. was told sway bar was cracked right in half, not to drive the car because it would create tension on other parts. had car towed. sway bar was replaced. owner of the garage that did the work said this repair was quite common in this car. *nm

My 1998 pontiac grand prix gtp has had multiple failures of the wiper assembly, leaving me in dangerous situations. these failures occur primarily in winter but sometimes in warmer weather. the wipers fail to function with little or no warning, and are expensive to repair. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while at a gas station the vehicle caught on fire without warning. the fire department extinguished the fire and determined the fire was confined to the engine area. a report was filed by the fire department. the vehicle was deemed totaled and towed to an independent repair shop where it remains. the manufacturer has been alerted. *ak

Dex cool cause intake manifold to fail causing coolant to enter engine. replace intake manifold gasket and flush out dex cool replace with green coolant, flush engine to remove coolant in engine. total cost 600.00 can get the old part. *nm

While making a left turn onto a secondary road, speed at about 10-12 mph, the steering wheel seemed to lock-up half way through the turn, i immediately slowed to 2-3 mph and was able, with great difficulty, to turn the steering wheel enough to complete the turn. while steering to straighten the wheels the power steering appeared to return suddenly and caused the car to lunge to the right. the problem appeared to be inconsistent as it did not always "lock-up" while making the same turn except in the case of backing up (wheels turned to the right). every day i leave work the same way. as soon as i attempt to go forward and steer to the left the power steering appears to fail. suspecting that the problem was just a bad part that needed to be replaced i began searching the internet for parts. i found the safety recall notice at "autobuyguide.com". upon further research of the problem, i found that most people do not report problems like this. so in the interest of "statistical accuracy" i am reporting that i have this problem with my 1998 pontiac gran prix gt (~125,000 miles). i have contacted a local dealer to schedule an appointment but i had to leave a message. no response at this point. *jb

Dt*: the contacted stated while attempting to make a left or right sharp turn at any speed there is a clunking noise coming from the front of the vehicle. it was taken to an independent repair shop for inspection where the mechanic detected a problem with the lower rack and pinion bearings. there is a nhtsa recall, # 02v053000, regarding the steering: rack and pinion. the vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however it is not included in the recall due to the vin.

My low coolant light came on during a drive and wouldn't go away even after i filled the reservoir. i took it to be serviced at a aaa facility where they gave me the news that the intake had a leak such that air and oil had mixed in with the coolant. they said that the intake should be recalled because they have had to replace so many of them on this vehicle. it cost $860 plus to fix. *jb

Was driving car when it became nearly impossible to steer the car to the left. turning the car right worked normally. my repair shop determined that the pinion bearing on my rack and pinion unit had failed and requires replacement. after researching this problem on line, i found a recall was in effect for this problem. after contacting my local dealer to resolve this problem they stated that my vin was not included in the recall, despite the failure matching the recall posted on the nhtsa website and gm's own description of the problem. i then called the zone representative for pontiac to solve this problem and got the same vin number story as the dealer gave me. it seems the scope of gm's recall is inadequate and needs to be corrected. my car is in the shop now awaiting a replacement gm unit. i have taken pictures of the failed unit, and it shows the failed parts. *nm

Service air bag light, for the last 5 years, my air bag light has come on in my 1998 grand prix gtp. i have searched for recalls and nothing comes up. it would come on for 6 months and then go off for 6 months. for the last year it has stayed on. 5 mechanics have looked and it and computer did not come up with any codes. finally i went to a new mechanic the other day and they said i have to carry it to the dealer. the dealer called and said the part is $21.00, but the labor will be $500.00. something about the harness on the passenger side air bag. said they had the part in stock, because they have already replaced several others. how do you get a recall on these. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the front end made a popping noise at any speed. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop for replacement of the tires. the repair shop found a recall, #02v286000 for the rack and pinion and determined the popping was a direct result of the rack and pinion. the vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however, it is not included in the recall due to the vin.

Dt*: dt: the contact stated the steering rack and pinion failed causing the vehicle not to turn left. there is a nhtsa recall, #02v286000, regarding the steering rack and pinion. the vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however it is not included in the recall due to the vin. updated 04/06/06. *jb

Extremely hard to turn steering wheel left at low speeds. wheel turns to right like normal. repair shop says new rack is needed. *jb

Dt: the contact states there is nhtsa recall campaign id 02v286000 concerning the steering rack and pinion. this vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall, but it is not included in the recall due to vin. no repairs have been done. *ak

Power steering fails at low speeds when turning left. *nm

Three (3) of the power windows dropped without notice because the electric motors failed during or after driving the car! the dealers will not replace or help without charging you full price for repair. gm will not repair or help in cost either. (edmonds.com states this is a customer common complaint !)*jb

Dt: the steering is going out on the vehicle when turning left, it's like there is no power steering. there is recall 02v286000, but this vehicle is not included due to vin. the vehicle is doing the exact same thing as mentioned in the recall. the vehicle will pulls to the right like it is out of alignment. this started on september 9, 2005. contacted the dealer, they were going to charge the consumer just look at the vehicle. this happens every time the consumer drives the vehicle. *ak *jb

Intake manifold gasket leaks. *nm

Dt: the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. the power steering rack malfunctioned when needed to turn left. the contact had a hard time steering the vehicle. there was a recall listed on the internet. he contacted the dealership, and they said that there was no recall. the problem started on august 5, 2005. could not hear any noise while steering. the road conditions were fine while driving on the highway because he was going straight. however, if the contact needed to turn left he had a hard time. he did not encounter a problem when urning right. *ak

I own a 1998 grand am. due to a recall notice, i had my car shipped to detroit for service, since i am i n the service, guarding an embassy out of the states. my mother, wanda griffin, 19347 revere, took my car on monday, may 23, 2005 to ray laethem pontiac, inc., 17677 mack in detroit, michigan for service per instructions on the recall notice. the car ran beautifully for two days, but on thursday, may 26, the car would not start. she was told by ray laethem she would be responsible for towing the car, and if the part is defective she would have to bear the cost. i feel this is very unfair because if the part is defective, she would not have been put in this disposition. i am writing for clarity of your policy and to see if she could be reimbursed for cost of towing, since we live a considerable distance from the company.

. i was making a left hand turn into a parking space and my power steering lost power steering. i was able to narrowly avoid both the car next to the parking space and a pedestrian. i looked up symptoms online and came across the recall for the rack and pinion steering for gm vehicles but my vin wasn’t in the recall list. i’m in the midst of pricing the steering replacement and feel my car should be covered under this recall. i’m also hoping i don’t crash before i get it fixed.

Intake gasket failure on my 1998 pontiac grand prix 6 cylinder 191 m 3.1l sfi engine was told by gm because car has over 100,000 miles they may not be able to help. i did some research and gm has a tsb stating that the material used for the gasket was defective if that is the case what does milage have to do with it?*ak

1. have had problems with windshield wipers for past 2 years 2. wipers stay in upright position impairing vision 3. am now having repairs done at my own expense. gm knows there has been a problem and had a recall on some older models (my son's - this is how i know) and refuses to repair all vehicles with the same problem. i have e-mailed my complaint to them amd have gotten the run around.*ak

While driving at 25 mph and upon turning into a residential street smoke starting coming from underneath the driver's seat. upon existing the vehicle, the driver's seat was engulfed in flames. the fire department was contacted and extinguished the fire. there was a large burnt hole, the size of a basket ball in the center of seat. the fire reached the rear driver's side seat. a gm investigator, after inspection, indicated that an umbrella caused the fire. the umbrella was on the floor in the rear of the vehicle at the time of the fire, but had not burned, melted or scoured marks on it. *ak the motor wiring in the electric seat was found to be the cause of the fire. *sc *jb

The passenger front seat belt was shredded. no passenger can sit in the seat. the seat belts have practically split in half.*ak

1998 pontiac grand prix rack and pinion problems that are identical to the description in the recall, but my vin # was not one that was included...i've tried to resolve this with gm and the local pontiac dealerships and to no avail i could not get them to even look at the car to inspect it to see if it had the same problems (retainer tabs were not crimped properly) because it was something that was internal and it would have to be replaced once it was opened and explored..that's what i gathered from talking to 2 different people at the 2 local pontiac dealerships....and after reading the recall i have now learned that it could cause serious impact if this were to break while being driven..which when i took the car in approx. 4 months ago to get an estimate to what was wrong with the car they never told me that it could perhaps cause an accident it they were to break while trying to turn the steering wheel and then not being able to proceed on with your driving intentions, they only told me that it would get harder and harder to steer until it finally locked up. i was hoping someone would review this and help to resolve it. thanks, jennifer fiorilli 1/19/2005

The front lens covers are falling off the vehicle. the consumer has not taken the vehicle in for repair. *jb

Super charger had to be replaced at 55,000 miles. noticed a burning smell.*ak

While driving and upon making right or left turn vehicle loses power. once straightening the vehicle up consumer can proceed to drive. there is recall 02v286000 concerning power steering assembly, which the consumer states is the problem. *ak

The consumer took the vehicle in to a mechanic to have the rack and pinion replaced. the dealer replaced the part. the consumer retrieved the vehicle, but it made a loud noise. the dealer called the consumer to state the recall part was defective and needed to be replaced again. please provide additional information. *jb

On two separate occasions the headlight lens came off. how they came was undetermined? dealer was notified. the dealer informed the consumer that part was not covered under a recall.*ak

Rack and pinion steering failed twice. it was replaced on 10/28/2002 and 11/19/ 2004. once again vehicle not included in nhtsa recall 02v286000. *ak. *ak

Car is making a popping noise while turning. happens mostly at lower speeds. had rack and pinion replaced, but problem still there.*ak

Headlights on 98 grand prix gt are fogging up and getting moisture inside the protective cover and reducing the light the headlight is sending out. this is making night time driving very difficult and dangerous. noone has been injuried yet and the number of failures is daily because the lamps never clear up. happened after warranty expired and should not be placed on the owner to fix, because this is a fault caused by the failure of parts.

I own a 1998 pontiac grandprix and my steering got very hard to tun to the left and it seemed just like the same problem that i read about nhtsa campaign id # 02v286000 everything in that was what was happening to my car i took it into the dealer and they said it was the gear box which is also known as the rack and pinion but that this car was not under the recall because it was made in 8/13/98. and it only went on the recall till oct 31, 1997. i think that this should be looked into as i beleive this problem did not stop in 1997 production.*ak

Replaced oil pan gasket due to leakage. started leaking again. oil pan was not designed right, has ripples in it. *bf the consumer was told there was a technical service bulletin out which recommended using silicone as a gasket. *jb

1998 grand prix with about 59000 miles. power steering to the left seemed to be cutting out periodically about a week before all power steering to the left failed. very difficult to turn left at low speeds. fine turning to the right, but very difficult to turn left, must use a lot of muscle. also makes a grinding or whining noise when turned all the way left. steering failed all of the sudden. nearly had an accident. luckily going slow enough to stop without getting hit. very difficult to steer left.*ak

Consumer was traveling 65 mph applied the brakes and the pedal went to the floor. then, vehicle suddenly accelerated uncontrollably. vehicle continued to speed. consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle by pulling the emergency brake in order to stop. took vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the problem could not be duplicated. *ak

While driving, the vehicle stalled. the consumer tried to restart the vehicle but was unable to do so. the consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic was unable to duplicated the problem. the consumer informed the mechanic that this problem has occurred more than once and the problem has not been resolved. please fill in additional information. *jb

Coolant elbow produced a crack. as a result, anti freeze leaked. the part was replaced twice. however, the problem recurred. *ak

An electrical issue caused the vehicle to catch on fire. *jb *nm

While driving consumer heard a loud clanking noise. brakes dropped an inch. the shaft that went from the pedal to the booster broke in half. the steel sleeve that encased the booster was shattered. *ak

I was in a car accident. a car went through a red light and struck me.the airbag on the passenger side deployed and broke the windshield. the airbag did more damage to the car.*ak

All four of my windows have gone out! i have power windows, and none of them work. one goes down about two inches, two don't budge, and the other falls down if it isn't propped up with something wedging it between the glass and the door. i have been told this will cost me well over $1500 to fix, and i know there's a problem if all four quit working in the same year!*ak

1998 pontiac gran prix daytonia limited edition 3.8 v6 super charger engine. less that 50,000 miles. a/c compressor has gone out , service mgr. (rick) bob neill pontiac, winston-salem, nc has advised us that warranty expired in may 2004. company will not do anything to correct this problem. in a car with less than 50,000 miles the a/c compressor should last longer. also own 1992 chrysler t & c mini van a/c still going strong original parts and a/c coolant. *jb

April 18, 2003 recall 02049 was performed on my car at golden ponitac in reading, pa - 61,518 miles. febuary 2004 noticed steering to the left was becoming more difficult. april 2004 i took car back to golden pontiac and complained about the steering. they could not find any problems. steering continued to get worse and i took car to john bailey pontiac in buford, ga - 73,135 miles. they replaced the steering pump, steering gear and outer tie rods - $ 1139.58. i think when the recall was done they should have replaced the gear assembly per the recall notice. see other odi # 10057963 and 10083428. i think i should be reimbursed the above amount due to the recall not being performed in it's entirety. i have spent a total of $1606.69 on the car this summer!!!! *jb

The power steering is defective. consumer was having difficulty when turning left. this problem occurs intermittently. owner has taken the vehicle to the dealer and was told that it was the power steering gear is defective. the repair cost is 1300.00. *la

Vehicle was parked in a parking lot when flames came from the engine compartment. the flames burnt up the entire engine. fire department had to burst the driver side window to let the smoke out of the cabin . a fire report was filed. *ak *nm

When turning to the left from a low speed power steering failed. a recall 02v049000 was issued for the rack and pinion, however the consumer's vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin. *ak *nm

The plastic headlamp protectors fall off while driving down the road. *jb

When driving the vehicle at night, the headlight lenses fell from the vehicle. please provide any further details. *jb

While driving driver's seat belt unlocked. the seat belt did not lock up properly. consumer drove the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that seat belt needed to be replaced. *ak

Steering rack slipped causing loss of power assist when taking left turns. rack was replaced. there was a recall for this on some 1998 pontiac grand prixs but evidently they didn't check far enough so as to include my vehicle in the recall.thus i was told i am not going to be reimbursed for repairs.

Service engine problems from the beginning. almost every exhaust-related component was replaced before a new computer cut down on the problem. i still had an episode or two after that installation, but have had no episodes in two years now. airbag light came on shortly after warranty expired, but i knew about the technical service bulletin on that one and it was fixed for free. driver side window button died a few months after purchase, but it was replaced free under warranty. more recently two windows have stopped working when the weather is warm. i am living with my power window problems because i don't want to pay to have two motors replaced. no winter problems in the winter. most recently my lens cover on the right headlight fell off. it cost me over $100 for an aftermarket replacement and home installation, but gm was going to charge me $250 plus labor.

I don't have the exact dates with me. my vehicle is currently at dealership for repair. problems: over the 4 years the vehicle would stall from a stop position usually when at a traffic light our when making a turn from a blvd. in all cases i'm in a panic situation to re-start the car. the car has been into the dealer and they cant diagnose the problem but charged be $80 for the diagnoses. this is an ongoing issue.. i feel very serious. headlight capsules fell off, left side november 2001 and just now the right side june 2003. i feel this should be considered a recall item. powerwindow (left rear) motor had to be repalced and the right rear goes on and off at times. windsheild seal leaks and water runs into the overhead light counsel and over the passenger seat, i'm also told by the dealer that the weather guard is bad around the passager front left door. dash light for the performance shift doesnt work, but dealer indicates that the shift botton works. i have all of my service records and have used the original selling dealer for all of my service needs since i purchased the vehicle. i'm interested in addressing my mechanical issues. the current mileage for my 1998 gp is 47,000.

The coolant leaked into the engine and mixed with oil because of poor upper intake manifold. (3.8l v6)

The passenger side headlight lens cover fell off and was not recovered. just after i replaced this one the driver's side fell off. (the light bulbs explosed after being exposed to the weather)

In may, the passenger rear coil spring broke for no appant reason. it lodged into the tire and ruined it. this happened before it was rearended in january 2003. now the rear driver coil spring has broken. i have never heard of coil springs just breaking for no reason. is there a recall that i do not know about?

Back in may of 2003 i noticed water in the passenger side of car in the well. i thought it was a leak in the winshield because i had another car that had a leak and it was the winshield. the autoglass dealer told me it was the vent system and not the winshield. since then, the air conditioning has just stopped working. i am about to take the car to the dealer but i don't know if it is worth the cost of fixing, do you have any advice?

Front headlight lenses fell out without being jarred or bumped. apparent failure of adhesive holding lens to assembly body.

Engine failed suddenly on i-55 near chicago at rush hour.i was able to pull off and get the car towed 160 miles to champaign. we were told of an electrical circuit failure by the dealer, who has always been helpful. the car has been regularly maintained but the dealer said such problems "just happen". this suggests a design flaw. if we had not been able to pull over there would have been a multiple car accident and probably several fatalities. a part that controls such critical functions should have a warning signal and a backup. i contacted gm and had an extended email exchange but they were quite unresponsive.

Vehicle stalled and would not start without warning on rainy night. vehicle had to be towed away. problem diagnosed as cracked fuel pump resistor located on frame rail. part replaced with kit relocating resistor from frame to under hood. extensive labor charges involved.

Transmission started making a whining noise and at times would shift hard and sudden. took to trans. shop, was told pontiac had put out a bulletin stating a problem with the trans. and what was wrong if a certain code came up.it turns out they have been having trouble with the pressure sensors on the trans.,and need to be replaced.this ended up costing 500.00. i called the pontiac dealer and was told it was something they were having trouble with but there was no recall.*ak

Rear seat belts do not latch properly. *ak

While driving the vehicle stalls without warning. this occurred 4 times in different driving circumstance. this failure could result in an accident. the dealership has serviced the vehicle 5 times and performed a diagnostic test, but no failure code was found. *nm

While driving north bound on us 31 highway on the morning of march 12, 2004, the car suddenly died in heavy traffic. with some effort, i was able to pull the car over to the side of the road. when i tried to restart the car, it would start and suddenly die again. had car towed to nearest gm dealer for repair. there was no early indication of a malfunction (ie. no warning lamps of a potential problem). root cause was determined to be a fuel pump resistor. searching this website revealed that a recall had been conducted for a certain region regarding this malfunction. my concern is that this could have been a potentially fatal incident had a different set of circumstances been in place.*ak

This is the second transmission that i have had to put into my wife's 1998 pontiac grand prix. the first one died at 3600 miles and gm installed that one under warranty. now with just 57,700 miles on the car i am having the same exact problem and the car is technically out of its 5 year/50,000 mile warranty. the car is in no way abused and i religiously change the transmission fluid every 20,000 to 25,000 miles. i am an engineer and i know what quality is. from my search on the internet it's obvious that there is a big problem with these transmissions and it appears that gm is coping out on its responsibilities to its customers. i am the original owner of a 1969 pontiac lemans and with 220,000 miles on it i still have the original transmission (that's quality). it's time that gm owns up to this apparent design deficiency and reimburse grand prix owners for this problem. i can assure gm that this is the last american car that i ever buy and the same goes for my children and their children!!!! *ak

Power window cables are getting in fraid out. this is not the first time it has been replaced. i found the part cost $328.00 for me to just do it my self. i have talked to other people hoe drive a pontiac grand prix for the years of 1997-2000 that have had to get it fixed. the shop sed it would bee about $200+ in laber plus parts. i found on anther websit more people that have pontiac cars that are big like bont. grand prix gtp. and the grand am. all have the same thing going wrong with the power windows. all the people tell me the motor is still good it is jut the cables and the keeper that hold the cables in place.

1998 grand prix vin #[xxx] built 11/3/1997. i am experiencing the same problem that is recorded on recall nhtsa campaign id 02v286000. on left turns extreme force must be applied to the wheel to complete turn and at times cannot turn as much as i should. it then takes extreme force to pull the wheel back to the right. on three occasions on the day listed below the wheel actually stuck in the left turn position heading my car towards on coming traffic. i feel that a review should be done on the period of time my car was assembled. it appears my car was assembled one month after the period identified in notice 02v286000. *ak updated 07/30/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Both headlight lenses fell off in less than 6 months of each other. also the cooling system fails to keep the car cool in moderate weather.*ak

My 1998 pontiac grand prix gtp was parked and the engine started on fire and melted the entire engine compartment to the ground. *ak

Recall 02v286000 repairs concerning power steering assembly were performed. consumer still had difficulty steering or turning the vehicle. dealer would charge consumer to inspect the vehicle. cause of the problem was not determined because consumer refused to pay for a problem related to recall repairs. *ak

While driving steering wheel locked up. vehicle was towed to the dealer, and they replaced the rock and pinion. *ak

When turning left the power steering stops functioning and turning becomes very difficult. this happens most frequently at lower speeds, but also has occured at higher speeds. this condition appeared about one year ago and has continued to worsen.*ak

Steering pulled to the right causing vehicle to leave road, crash into tree, and burst into flames.

While traveling consumer noticed headlights fell off, resulting in poor visibility. dealer was contacted, and headlights were replaced twice. *ak

The rubber seal became loose around the windshield, flapping while driving.*ak

Within seconds of parking the vehicle, the engine compartment caught of fire. the dealership indicated it was due to a short in the electrical system. *jb

Car died when driving on interstate. when attempted to restart, would start, but then when accelerate, car would die.*ak

Power window motors on both sides are broke. apparently this is an recurring problem considering the price of the regulators. pontiac needs to recall this defect.*ak

The rubber molding around the front windshield on the right hand side has come loose. the window on the passenger side in the front only works occasionally. i have had to replace the headlamp on my car twice (one actually fell off on the highway while driving) and the condensation/moisture is horrible inside the headlamps making for poor visibility.

Headlight plastic covers, on separate occasions, fell off while driving. the entire headlight assembly needed to be replaced, per dealership.*ak

Headlights lenses are not bonded correctly resulting in water collecting in the headlights. *mr this caused the headlamp to fog which reduced the amount of illumination. the left headlamp had fallen off. *scc *jb

Ignition key occasionally (sometimes for few minutes,sometimes for days) gets stuck in the ignition lock in a slightly turned position. i've had this problem since 2002. one repair shop suggested that there may be a problem with shifter - brake pedal - ignition lock, but decided not to touch it. *la

1998 pontiac grand prix has continued problems when making a left turn. was told it is the rack and pinion steering, needs to be replaced. also told it is unusual for this to happen and could be a defect. *la

There are occasions when turning off the vehicle that the ignition will not turn to the off position, making it impossible to remove the key. *la

Intake manifold gasket leak in pontiac 1998 3.1 liter engine. *la

Power window regulator failed (front driver side). *jb

The consumer stated the vehicle experienced the same problem with the rack and pinion as stated in the recall, however the vehicle identification number was not included. *ph the vehicle was hard to steer left. *ts *jb

My 1998 pontiac grand prix has the same windshield wiper parking problems as the 1997 were recalled for. they park in the middle of the windshield, causing restricted vision when driving. gm acknowledges that the 1997's were recalled for the same problem, but they will not fix the 1998's, and we have had to have them fixed twice. also two headlight lenses have popped out, causing the headlights to burn out, leaving us unexpectedly with no lights at night. *nlm

Front driver's side headlight cover became separated while driving down highway.the cover hit my windshield and bounced over the top of the car and the car behind was back enough that it hit the highway first and then flew under their car.*ak

The dealership is refusing to honor recall 02v28600 for power steering assembly. *ak

When shutting the car off the key gets stuck in the ignition. when i put the car in park if i don't hear a click, i know the key is going to be stuck in the ignition. i have to back up and down the driveway and pop the steering wheel up and down several times and then the key will come out. and if it chooses to not come out no matter what i do it locks the whole car up and the remote keyless entry will not work and it drains the battery. also the driver side window switch has shorted out causing a slight shock. i have had to replace the alternator, and have had problems with the traction control light coming on for no reason. passenger side headlight lens popped out and made the bulb burst. very costly to have replaced. i have called 2 pontiac dealers about the ignition and all the tell me is that it's going to run me around $800.00 to have a new ignition installed. and another $600.00 to have the wiring repaired or replaced for the window switch. the alternator was $500.00. head lamp was $75.00. and i have had to have 3 complete brake jobs done on the car in 2 years. *ak

Consumer called complaining about having problems with the steering wheel lock.consumer was driving at 70 mph and the steering wheel locked . he was aware that there was a recall o n the same type of vehicle.manufacturer was contacted, and stated that they were concerned, but have not yet done anything about it. *ak

I have lost both lens cover to headlights, causing the bulbs to go out. had to pay $70.00 for replacement of entire light component. dealer said lens cover was not available????*ak

Battery blew-up and started small fire after i noticed the positive termanal leeking as i diconected the battery it blew acid all over the car and myself causing a small fire after replacing the factery ac delco battery the transmision slips when switching from 2nd gear to 3rd gear.*ak

The delco battery is either faulty or not properly secured and prone to leaking. we have had four batteries go bad in five years in this vehicle.*ak

While turning onto street or highway there is a knocking noise coming from underneath the vehicle, and the steering column is loose. *ak

While traveling on the highway and without prior warning the steering wheel made a certain turn. unable to control the vehicle, hit a tree, and caught on fire. *ak

Both headlight lenses on my wifes 1998 grand prix went flying through the air at different times while driving down the freeway.*ak

I own a 1998 pontiac grand-prix. my windshield wipers stop in the up-right position. this has caused impaired vision. i know that the 1997 model was recalled for the same malfunction. i am the mother of three children and safety is most important issue when i purchase a car. unfortunately this is not under warranty and a very expensive part to replace. i do not feel this should go out at only 94,000 miles. *nlm

Right side headlight lens separation. left side lens has water inside of it. this is a known problem by gm, but gm refuses to address it. they have even mfg'd a new part that, in theory, does not have this problem. this should be recalled, as the expense in repairing it is roughly 150$ in parts alone. in addition, this problem can (and did in my case) cause the halogen bulb to explode from water impacting it.

Vehicle experienced the same defect with its steering rack and pinion as stated in recall 02 v 286 000, butthe vin number was not included. *tt the steering was extremely difficult from a stopped position and was a little less difficult while in motion. *scc *jb

Defective ac delco batteries installed in new vehicles leak acid from the positive terminal (known problem to dealer service department) posing a possible explosion hazard in a confined space (under hood). leaks contribute to gases under hood and over time build up of corrosion on the terminal leading to arcing. discovered this while inspecting vehicle during routine preventive maintenance. ac delco and gm is unwilling to take responsibility for this product. *nlm

The engine caught on fire, while the vehicle was parked. *jb

See nhtsa campaign id no. 02v286000: my 1998 pontiac grand prix is having the exact symptoms as described in this notice, which i obtained from the odi.nhtsa.dot website. on 6/4/03, at 9:48 a.m., i contacted braley & graham pontiac, in my hometown of sacramento, ca, at 916-481-2200 and spoke to brian at ext. 4248. brian checked my vin and told me, "there is no recall or open campaign on your car". i then contacted pontiac at 800-762-2737 and spoke to sean armstrong, (gm request no. 1-105820909) who, at first, could find no recall at all. when i told him that i had the nhtsa campaign id number and then the gm recall no (02049), he put me on hold then came back and said that he had, in fact found the recall, but it did not include my vin. i explained that my problem was exactly the problem listed and he said it was not covered. he suggested i take the car into a dealer and have them check it, (at my own expense), and possibly it could be used to extend the range of vins covered. i requested that gm provide a free inspection to determine the fact, rather than taking it in at my expense (and at my peril, as i have already had an experience with the local dealer that convinces me that they are not completely honest !). he said that was not possible. i then tried to call nhtsa auto safety hotline at 888-327-4236 to request further assistance in getting this safety issue resolved. i got a recorded message that "due to an unexpected emergency...(they were not available to answer my call)" i left a rather frustrated message with my phone number and name, and then immediately turned on my t.v. to see what unexpected emergency had shut the u.s. government down. i can understand that the indictment of martha stewart may be of interest to many, but (since it is the only lead news story i can find) i have difficulty understanding how that could be the source of shutting down the nhtsa safety hotline. *nlm

Transmission sometimes will start to make a loud whining noise and start to shift hard and sudden. doesn't do it all the time,usually after i have been driving a while. also sometimes feels like it is surging. i heard the 3800 transmissions were a good transmission, i don't know. *nlm

The keys had to be turned in the ignition twice, to start the vehicle. also the a/c, radio, and defroster button malfunctioned. the dealership indicated the ignition wiring was lose.*jb

The air bags deployed without impact. *jb

Nhtsa recall 02v286000 the vehicle experienced the same problem with the rack & pinion, however the vehicle was not included under the recall, due to the date of manufacturing. *ak *jb

This winter i had noticed that the moisture (fogging) problem in the headlights was particularly bad. within a 4 weeks period, both headlight covers came off and the light bulb blew out. cost to repair $160 each. *nlm

1998 pontiac grand prix headlamp failures caused by defective covers. bad glue - dealer playing dumb, but the web has hundreds of complaints. gm's daylight running lamps and headlamps are part of the car's critical safety system. nhtsa should issue a safety recall.*jb

Defect in rack and pinion steering gear. *ak

Nar 3-11-03 the consumer received a letter from pontiac stating that a recall had been issued for the power steering gear. the consumer had recently paid approx $1,192.09 for repairs to fix the steering gear on his vehicle. the consumer then sent in the receipts of the amount of money spent to fix the problem and requested reimbursement but his claims were rejected. *cb *jb

Clear plastic headlight lens cover on the driver's side fell off. it appears the adhesive failed. the other headlight is showing signs of moisture entry. *nlm

The vehicle was taken in for a recall regarding the rack and pinion (recall #02 v 286 000). upon picking up the vehicle, consumer noticed the steering wheel was no longer in its original position. *jb the dealer resolved the problem. scc

The vehicle experienced a problem with the rack and pinion, there was a recall regarding the issue, however the vehicle identification number was not included in the recall. *jb when the consumer made a left turn in the parking lot, he heard a snapping noise in the front end and the steering had become hard. the steering remained hard to the left, but easy to the right. scc the consumer requested reimbursement. *jb

Recall #0 2 v 28 6000. consumer was informed by dealer that his vehicle has the same problem but the recall regarding the rack and pinion did not apply to vehicle, the vehicle identification number was not included in the recall. sc

The engine stalled, and the ignition locked up.*jb

Srs air bag light illuminated on dash. dealer diagnosed (for $85) that driver's side air bag unit needed to be replaced at cost of $1100. car never in accident. light just stayed on one morning on start.**** dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over from artemis****760791. *ak *jb

Water leaked into the vehicle, which caused mildew. *jb

Rack and pinion gear binds when turning left, dealership replaced rack and pinion. car not covered under nhsta campaign id number 02v286000. request vehicle be included in recall. *nlm

The passenger side headlight lens fell off. *jb

Original equipment battery leaked with positive terminal post falling out. *nlm

I walked outside and noticed my passenger headlight lens had fallen off. *jb

Air bag light stays on. scanner says do not drive. passenger side air bag. called gm and they said there are no recalls on air bags. i noticed that there was a similar problem with the 1999 air bags on drivers side. has anyone else had a complaint? the air bags should have a lifetime warranty. *jb

Recall on 1998 grand prix gt. (rack & pinion) pontiac refuses to repair their recall on the 98 grand prix.... here is a letter i sent them.....i became aware of the current recall and took my car to the dealer. the steering gear condition has happened to my car. the rack and pinion has released which has caused my car to have no power steering to the left. this occurs when driving at low speeds. it has made it very difficult to drive thecar. i was informed that my vin number was not recalled at this time. the service manager at coggin pontiac is aware of the condition of the car. he was able to drive it and stated that the car has the exact problem that is being recalled. the service manager said we could fix the problem and get reimbursed for the service if the car is recalled. this part is very expensive and i do not want to take the chance that the car is not one of the ones being recalled. i talked to pontiac customer service manager on the phone and she referred me to everit howell, i have not had a chance to contact himyet. she did state that car would not be fixed because of the vin number. i find it strange that you are recalling the same car i own for the same problem i have but because my vin number is not reported the car will not be fixed. i love my pontiac and i would hate for a problem like this to encourage me to go to a different manufacturer for my next car. i think they need to look more into this recall. there is no telling how many other cars are out there just like mine.*jb

The car for the past 2 years has had an overheating problem. first in 2000 the water pump was replaced. 3 months later trouble came back and thermostat was replaced. 2 months later overheating again and this time coolant leaking. they replaced a clamp on the heat pump hose. 6 months later trouble is back again this time it overheated and blew the heater pump hose and coolant went everywhere. all in all it cost me out of pocket $1600 because none of the repairs were covered by any warranty included the extended i had purchased.*jb

The front passenger tire blew out.*jb

The problem with the air bag harness was fixed on 5/22/2000 and i was charged $172.70 for the repair. my contention is that the fix ought to be free of charge as this is a known documented safety related concern *ak *jb ****dimsii ivoq entry posted on 12/12/02 cut -over to artemis*****724576.

Rack and pinion steering failed, vehicle lost control, resulting in a collision. *ak

Nhtsa#02-v-286-000: consumer has the same problem. this vehicle is not include due to the vin. dealer has been notified. ph

I own a 1998 pontiac grand prix which exhibited the same problem described in 99v348000. it has come to my attention that gm has added the 1998 models to ther service bulletin (http://www.pace317.com/gp/tsb/98wipers.html) it would be helpful if the 1998 model were added to this recall.

The windshield wipers on my 1998 pontiac grand prix fail when ice builds up under them. this has happened 3 times in the last 2 years. the cost of repairing this is between $120.00 and $140.00. this is hazardous because the wipers stop in the middle of the windshield and obstructs the driver' vision. i have contacted pontiac numerous times concerning this problem but to no avail. many other owners of this style of automobile have had the same problem.

On the exterior lights, the light lense cover has fallen off on the drivers side. i called the pontiac dealer and was told "yes, we have them in stock, they fall off all the time". the bargain price was $70, which i have replaced with plastic for now because of budget purposes, only to have the left side fall off 2 months later. shouldn't this be a recall if it "happens all the time"??

Consumer states that the gear shift broke. dealer notified, repaired and 20,000 miles later problem reoccurred. ph

The headlight lens (cover) came off on the passenger side (this was due to bad adhesive) the light buld exploded when it came in contact with the weather. checked the driver's side and that one is ready to fall off also. this happened on 1/6/2003

The lense on the passenger side head light just fell off in my driveway as i was coming home from work one afternoon. my husband found it in the driveway and a friend had ran over it. so now we have to spend 78.00 and buy the whole assembly in order to get a lense replaced because the thing just feel off.

Recall number 02v286000 i have the problem that is stated on the recall. i called pontiac at 188 762 2737 around 12-12-02. they said the recall should not have been released to the public yet. i woould have to wait till dealer got the recall notice before they would pay to have my car fixed.that it would be the first of the year before the dealers got the notice. my car has been parked sense then. am a fraid to drive it. something needs to be done.i need a loaner car or mine fix. can you help ?

While driving, the vehicle makes an extremely loud noise when making a right or left turn causing a distraction. ts the dealer stated that the rack and pinion assembly needs to be replaced. *jg

Headlight face falls off and then i loose the use of the headlight until it is replaced. this has happened with both of my headlights

- defective high pressure transission line - defective crimp - hose separated from metal tube, causing severe fire damage in engine compartment

Consumer states that the rear main engine crankshaft seal is leaking oil. problem has occurred twice, 1st time at 55k miles and 2nd time at 95k miles. ts

A check for transmission fluid leak, bolts loose on pan tighten and top off, pan and/or gasket transaxle oil replaced. popping noice when braking now crunching noise. brake pedal bushing noisey, blower motor noisey. r&r or replace pedal and/or bushing, brake, motor and/or fan. vehicle will not start and battery is leaking, due to cracking, replace. pass headlamp fills with water, improperly sealed.

Consumer states when turning left the steering wheel locks up. please provide any additional information. ph

Consumer walked out to start vehicle and noticed the drivers side lense that covers headlight had fallen off vehicle. consumer stated when water would get inside head light, it would short out, which would cause vehicle to have no lights, the headlight assembly was replaced at owners expense.ts *tt *jb

My second rear main seal leaking oil with only 61,000 miles on the car. my first was fixed under warranty at 34,000 miles and 27,000 miles later i have the exact same problem. i was told it would cost me 1100 dollars to fix and that there is nothing they can do about this being the second repair in such a short time. customer care said all they could do was offer a discount on a brand new vehicle. i thought that was laughable. will the rest of the problems i've had i will never touch a gm product again. 3 repairs fixed under warranty are now doing the same thing again and need repair. ts

Consumer noticed that the lense had fallen off drivers side headlight. consumer states when water gets behind lense it causes the light to short out. consumer feels this is dangerous because cover could fly off on the highway and distracted another driver vision and cause an accident. please provide any further information. ts

Consumer stated that they could change the gears when foot is off brakes. dealer notified ts

While driving consumer made a left turn. while turning consumer heard a loud noise from the front of the vehicle. within seconds of consumer hearing the noise they lost power steering. consumer had vehicle towed. dealership replaced the serpentine belt and other parts. please provide more details. ts

Consumer states that the interior rearview mirror is distorted and causes poor visibility when used. dealer and the manufacturer has been notified. feel free to provide any further information. ts

The 1998 grand prix gt was sitting in the driveway, the vehicle had not been driven for over 24 hours , a fire started in the dash of the car

The consumer found a bolt head and washer on his driveway and took the vehicle to the dealer. the dealer found that the sheered off bolt held the back struts to the wheel axle. he also found that the left rear bolt had sheered off *jb *nlm

Headlight lenses fall off while driving. this causes bulb to blowout. dealer has been contacted. please provide any further information.*ak

Airbag light stays on. dealer notified. *ak

While driving 30-35 mph consumer's vehicle t-boned another vehicle. upon impact, front air bags did not deploy. contacted dealer, and dealer could not find cause of problem.*ak

Headlight lens separated from vehicle, exposing wires. dealer has been contacted. please provide further information. *ak

While driving headlight lenses popped off, causing headlights to fail. this could cause and accident. cause unknown. dealer notified. *ak consumer stated that both headlight lenses popped out twice. *yh

While driving vehicle at any speed applied brakes and without warning vehicle would vibrate violently.*ak the front brakes failed causing the steering wheel to shudder. the front pads were warped and were gripping unevenly, also the right and left rotors had metal flake. *yh

While driving right headlight cover fell off,.one week later, left headlight cover fell off.*ak

While driving 40mph was involved in a collision, and airbags failed to deploy.*ak

Windshield wiper cam had to be replaced on four separate occasions because wipers would stop operating while running. dealer notified. feel free to provide any further information.*ak

Headlight lenses are falling off while driving, and causing loss of headlight operation. dealer / manufacturer notified. feel free to provide any further information.*ak

Consumer states that when turning on the air conditioner the headlights and other lights in the vehicle have gone out. nlm

Lenses on headlights keep falling off, causing headlight lamp to fail.*ak *jb

There is alot of condensation that builds in lenses of headlights which causes poor vision when consumer tries to travel at night.*ak

Consumer went to get in vehicle and noticed one of the headlights fell out. contacted dealer. *ak *slc

While driving approximately 20 mph and making a ninety-degree left turn the steering wheel locked up and driver was unable to control direction of vehicle, consumer was able to stop vehicle in the lawn in front of an office building, an independent mechanic diagnosed that rack and pinion gears failed and had to be replaced. *ak *jg

Consumer stated the drivers side headlight feel out, consumer has contacted dealer. *ak *slc

While driving steering locks up and makes a popping noise. steering rack and pinion has been replaced. however, it did not solve the problem. please provide any further information.*ak

While driving headlight lens fell off vehicle, exposing the light, which had shattered.pleas eprovide further information. *ak

While driving headlight lens fell off vehicle, exposing the light, which had shattered. please provide any furter information.*ak

Steering rack and pinion failed. towed to dealer, and informed by mechanic that rack and pinion was binding, causing inoperable steering. please provide further details.*ak

1998 grand prix. consumer writes in regards to vehicle fire and engine oil on exhaust manifold possibly caused engine compartment fire recall notice. *smd

The vehicle was experiencing a problem with the power steering which caused the vehicle to grab when turning to the right. please provide any additional information. *nm

Coolant system is using a lot of coolant. manifold intake has a leak that is leaking out the coolant.*ak

Airbag light is illuminated on the dashboard. consumer has contacted dealer, dealer stated that airbag may not deploy in a frontal collision. please provide further details.*ak

Plastic cover that protects headlight lens completely fell off, exposing the bulbs. please give any further details. *ak

On two occasions 3.8 v6 engine shut off while traveling at highway speed of 65 mph. vehicle was taken to dealer on two occasions, and was unable to duplicate problem. *ak the fuel pump fuse is blowing, but dealer does not know what is causing the fuse to blow and therefore can not fix this problem.

Within 2 weeks, both headlight covers fell off of vehicle, resulting in loss of headlamp lights. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak

Glue that is used to keep tail light cover on taillight assembly is not sufficient, allowing water and moisture to get inside housing unit, and causing headlights and turn signals/ blinkers to completely malfunction. please give any further details. *ak

There was a noise in right rear of vehicle. rear trailing arms hit on bottom of vehicle on driver's side and passenger's side which was worse on passenger's side. consumer contacted dealer, dealer stated will not fix vehicle under warranty because car has been towed and been in ditches. but consumer stated vehicle has not been towed. please provide any further information. *ak

Both headlamp covers have fallen off during operation of vehicle. dealership stated that glue which pasted the covers to vehicle was not effective when condensation entered headlights. *ak service department stated pontiac was aware of the problem, but were not going to do anything about it. *slc

Headlight covers have fallen off vehicle twice, exposing wires, and resulting in an electrical short. dealer has replaced headlight twice. please provide additional information. *ak

Plastic shield for lens cap in headlight assembly has unglued itself from bulb, causing bulb to burn out. consumer must purchase a complete headlight assembly instead off replacing plastic shield. consumer has original part. *ak *jb

Cover on left headlight disconnected and fell off. customer service representative for pontiac would not elaborate on a reason for defect. *ak *slc

Airbags keep malfunctioning, causing airbag light to come on. consumer has taken vehicle to dealer twice, but defect has reoccurred.*ak air bag circut failed due to a bad moduele. *yh

In august of 2000, vehicle began overheating, dealer states that the heater core went out, new thermostat was put in, dealer stated there was a chemical reaction between dexcool coolant and engine block causing coolant to rust. *slc

Consumer was involved in a very minor collision that was not worth reporting, no damage. after driving approximately 60-70mph on freeway off from incident hood came up and wrapped around windshield, and and went through sunroof due to a failed hook that snapped into hood latch.*ak

There's recall 99v348000 on 1997 pontiac, grand prix for windshield wipers, but not for 1998. consumer stated that when turning off windshield wipers they suppose to park and stay down, but instead they come back up, and edhalf, blocking driver's vision. *ak

Plastic headlamp cover keeps falling off,there is a waiting list for the part through junk yards and body shops. *ak the cover fell off while in traffic causing a flat tire, vehicle began to spin and ended up in a ditch, front bumper and tire had to be replaced. *slc

Like driving an army tank consumer can't steer. once while traveling with children, consumer turned steering wheel, and it would not turn back. if on a highway, someone could have been hurt. *ak consumer believes there were quite many vehicles of this model experiencing steering problem. *yh

Driver headlight cover fell off. *ak

Front headlight cover came off, then bulb blewout because it was exposed to snow. took to dealer to get a headlight replaced. consumer stated cover on driver's side came off. first, it was the passenger's side.*ak

Consumer accelerated to pass a car and throttle stuck open, consumer was unable to get it to release, the brakes were burned while attempting to stop vehicle, pontiac would not fix vehicle until a satisfactory reason for the throttle sticking was found. *slc

Headlight lens cover had fallen off. light bulbs have been blown due to contact with water and no covering. problem was not covered under warranty.*ak *slc

Front headlight lens is attached with glue. glue has started to dissolve, causing lens to separate. headlight assembly has to be replaced. dealer has been ocntacted.*ak

Headlight lenses keep falling off, all replacement were done at consumer's cost. dealer notified, and informed consumer that defective part was not cover under a manufacturer's recall. *ak

While driving on interstate at 70mph steering wheel started shaking from side to side, then it would stop. took to mechanic, and they had to replace braking system. *ak

Headlight concealment lens fell off while driving. passenger's side fell off 2 weeks ago, and then the driver's side fell off. took to dealership, and mechanic replaced headlight concealment lens. *ak

While driving at around 20-25mph and making a left turn, then trying to turn back to right, vehicle would turn back. vehcile would not let consumer turn to right. contacted dealer, and dealership fixed problem . *ak

Driver's headlight lense fell off, and that made bulb sensitive to anything and it has blown out. currently, passenger's side has done samething. consumer has no headlights at night.*ak the head light covers for both left and right sides fell off one after the other resulting in bulbs breaking off. the bulbs were ultra sensitive. *yh

Clear plastic over headlights has fallen off, causing inoperative headlights, and poor visibility. *ak

Vehicle revved up to maximum of 4000 rpms. consumer had to shut engine off, speed was 20 mph . vehicle started to accelerate. but, due to snow on road tires were just spinning. consumer was able to shut off engine. *ak

Airbag light normally flashes on, then it goes off. but, currently airbag light won't go off. dealer said there was no extended warranty, consumer would have to pay.*ak

Pulling out of dry concrete driveway at approximately 8-10 mph ,applied brakes to make a stop at a merging highway, and vehicle made grinding noise and did not stop. *ak

While traveling at any speed vehicle would stall without any indication. dealer has been notified. please provide further information.*ak

Vehicle keep experiencing problem with headlight lens keep coming off; 1st incident occurred with left len, which the dealer replaced. within a few days later, right side len came off, dealer was not contacted at this time. please feel free to provide any further details. *ak

Driver's and passenger's side power windows work intermittently. the windows do not roll down all the time. dealer has been contacted. *ak

3 out 5 lugs: nuts fell off which could have caused wheel to come off,and result in loss of vehicle control / crash. dealer is replacing all wheels. please provide further information. *ak

Vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly accelerated to 75mph. dealer inspected vehicle. *ak

In wet conditions vehicle is hard to stop. brakes feel okay, and show no sign of a problem when applying them. consumer will be taking vehicleto the dealer to have it looked at. *ak

The a/c control setting malfunctioned. if set at 70 degrees, it would go up to 90 degrees and higher and stay at that setting, if lowered the setting, it would go below the setting the occupant set it. tsb # 970901739017 please provide further information. *ak

When applying the brakes the vehicle makes a loud grinding/howling noise. dealer says it's a problem with the brake pads. problem still exists. *ak

While applying brakes there is a popping noise, sounds like a broken body mount. when turning hard to the right, sounds like a body mount broke. *ak

Vechicle was defective when consumer purchased the vehicle. it had 19,434 miles on it. ack pinion steering malfunctioned, and left wheel wouldn't start up at all. *ak

Company vehicle. headlight lens fogs up with moisture and causes the headlights to fail. dealer contacted and cannot remedy because warranty expired. problems still exist. provide further information. *ak

While driving the vehicle and attemtping to change lanes the car suddenly acceloratd and went into other lanes. *ak

Under wet conditions when the brake pedal was applied the pedal felt normal, but the brakes did not react. vehicle just kept rolling through an intersection. to stop the vehicle had to be slowed down by letting the vehicle cruise. this condition is present only in wet rainy conditions. dealer had been contacted. *ak

Driver's side exterior rearview mirror fell off this vehicle while driving. *ak

Passenger's side shoulder lap is twisted within the seat belt retractor. consumer has yet to contact the dealer regarding problem. please provide any further details. *ak

While driving at 70 mph on wet pavement vehicle slid off the road and hit a tree on the side. all four of the passengers were wearing seat belts, and the seat belt locks released on their own. one consumer was trapped in the vehicle. 2 sustained injuries. *ak

While traveling vehicle would stall without indications. dealer has been contacted. please provide further information. *ak

Headlights gets foggy all the time, and sometimes headlights are not that bright and the fog is there. *ak

Brakes do not operate properly when it rains. extended stopping distance occurs at any speed. dealer not aware of problem. problem still exists. provide further information. *ak

The oil gauge: indicator on the dash information center illuminated while checking the oil. engine suddenly ignited into flames. the fire was put out with a gallon of water. dealer has been contacted. *ak

When driving at any speed vehicle stalls intermittently, and dealer is aware of the problem. *ak

Consumer has exprienced 6 times failure of all lighting. there is no pattern for this,it happens at any speed and at any time. consumer took vehicle to two different dealers, and had sensors replaced/headlight switch replaced, but problem still occurs. *ak

While driving 20 mph driver's and passenger's airbags deployed, causing injuries and loss of vehicle control. there was no frontal impact or warning light. manufacturer stated it was not the consumer's fault , but could determine the problem. please provide further information and vin #. *ak

When driving at any speed and hitting a bump or any object or hitting the brakes, objects will fly from the back due to the rear passenger seat malfunctioning, has a defect. *ak

Consumer experiencing ongoing problem with vehicle running out of fuel before the tank is empty. dealer/mfr. notified. *ak consumer states that the vehicle has an 18 gallon tank and runs out of fuel after using 14-15 gallons of fuel. *yh

While driving one of the circuit board breakers on the instrument panel started smoking and melted the wires down in the dashboard. dealer determined problem caused by faulty i/p cluster. *ak *ml

Headlights retrieved water inside, causeing inadequacy lighting. dealer notified and informed consumer that this condition should clear up in 2-6 hours of dry conditions. problem has not been resovld at this time. *ak

While driving the engine shuts down, causing vehicle to stall. please provide details. *ak

The seat back latch does not work. if a sudden stop is made, the seat backs fall forward. dealer has seen vehicle twice. *ak

Driving at approximately 35 mph, went to slow down. applied brakes, felt vehicle caught. brakes were inoperative. went through intersection. standing on brake heard grinding noise, no brake reaction. dealer replaced brake master cylinder. this defect can result in an accident. *ak

When driving below 45mph the engine will totally die. vehicle will jerk so hard that the consumer is thrown foward. the tackometer will register 0-rpm. engine will die when in reverse. vehicle has been in shop april 27th computer was reprogramed. problem occurred again on may 11th. consumer was denied service, and again on may 26th. dealer is ordering a cluster module. manufacturer states that this should work since the tackometer was not the problem. vehicle is at the dealership at this time. consumer is being told that they do not know what the problem is. ronaldson pontiac chevroletdealership--913-294-5375, payola, kansas. *ak

While making a left turn the vehicle cut off, causing steering wheel to lock up which resulted in suspension damage. owner received no indication that the vehicle would cut off. the dealer has been notified. *ak

The trunk inner deck lid has "access holes" from which there are razors like poking out of the holes which injured the occupant. *ak

While at a stop light vehicle stalls and this is an intermittent problem. took to dealer and they still have not fixed the problem, vehicle still stalls. *ak

Srs air bag light is illuminated, consumer was informed that the air bag wiring harness needs replaced, consumer states there is a tsb for this problem. *slc

Vehicle stalls when stopping and then accelerating.

I had brought my car in because you couldn't drive it at night due to vapors on the inside of lenses on both sides of car. the water vapors on the lense was so great that the headlights gave off a blur so as not a clear lighting of the road was visable. as it went on the outside lense fell off and the dealership finally replaced the full section of the headlight. i then asked them about the other headlight and the service man told me that there was a recall on the headlights and when i got a notice they would replace the other headlight. i called pontiac and they told me that there was no recall on the headlights at all. in august of 1999 the other lense fell off the other headlight and they finally did replace the other headlight. now i have a problem with the headlights a night as you can't drive it still due to the position of the lights. on coming traffic turn on their high beams because they think we have our on. i have asked to have them fixed every time i go in for service and still no satisfaction. as a matter of fact my husband took it over yesterday 12/2/2002 and they told him it would be a 2 1/2 hr. wait just to have our headlights checked. it is to dangerous to drive at night so we avoid it as much as possible. dt

The fuel tank is suppose to hold 18 gallon of fuel but it hold 14.7 gallons. yh

Steering wheel jerked to the right, smashing into a curb, cracking a rim and destroying a tire. dt

Was driving to va from oh when i pulled off to get gas and food. i tried to pull into a parking spot but couldn't turn lef without a struggle. i ended up having to stay overnight in a disgusting motel and have a friend drive 3 hours to pick me up then drive back because a new rack won't be in for a few days. now i can't get the car until friday because i have no way of getting out there to pick up my car until then. dt

No summary. dt

While making a left hand turn the steering wheel became very difficult to turn causing me to slam on the brakes mid way through the turn. luckily, i was able to stop in time before hitting a street light pole. it was very difficult to even drive the car to the dealership for service. whenever turning left, it is almost impossible. going right seems only a little difficult. dt

While attempting to pass another vehicle at 70 mph, the vehicle does not have the ability to down shift out of overdrive. this is caused by a problem in the programming of the electronic module. the vehicle's engine will now completely shut down after pulling away from a stop sign.

Intermittent problem of vehicle failing to start/stalling while driving and not restarting. after a failure, vehicle will not restart for at least 30 minutes. when it does restart, vehicle acts normally.

At low speeds all power assist goes away when trying to turn left. extremely hard to turn, yet turning right works fine :*ak

Battery leaks acid from postive terminal. *ak

I am making this complaint with the nhtsa because it is a problem that is not uncommon among gran prix owners and i feel gm should recall these vehicles for this reason. no safety defect listed. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle.

I was backing up after getting gas and my vehicle would not turn left.*ak

Lens fell off headlight assembly due to bonding agent failure, other headlight foggy and moisture laden. bonding appears to be failing on that assembly also. dealer assumes no knowledge of chronic failure in these headlight lenses.manufacturer has not yet been contacted for their response but they will be.*ak

My air bag sensor light has come on after i had trouble with my electric windows. i understand this isn't covered by warranty.*ak

Second headlight failure customer service referred me to dealer, dealer offerer $9.80 toward second expendature by me. when i expressed dissatisfaction with the offer dealer referred me back to customer service. no one wants to accept responsibility for head light assemblies that simply fall apart without warning. *ak

When this switch fails it causes numerous seemingly unrelated system failures in the car, making diagnosis difficult and time-consuming. the drl system loses power so that the headlights will not functiona at all in the daytime as gm intended and will go out periodically at night without warning unless turned on manually with the headlight switch. the hvac system generally will not function due to this failure; although occasionally it will work with the fan on high speed. the electric rear window defogger will not function at all due to this failure. all of these safety-related systems pull their power from this poorly designed and inadequately sized component. upon disassembly of the failed part i noticed that the (6) contacts inside this switch are woefully undersized for the current that is passing through the switch. specifically, the drl contact and the hvac contact are burnt and blackened, thus shutting off power to those systems. i repaired this myself at a cost of approximately $70 for the part only. i have spoken to others that have paid in excess of $400 for the repair. i believe that this requires attention by both the nhtsa and general motors to correct this problem before someone who is not an electrical engineer has a serious crash due to no lights at an inopportune time.*ak

Headlight cover fell of approx. seven months after i bought the vehicle. approximatly three weeks later the other cover fell off, and both bulbs were shattered . in calling around to different auto salvage and parts stores it was brought to my attention that all the used headlight kits were unavailable due to the high demand. if the pontiac grand prix has a history of this peticular problem, why was there not a recall for them.*ak

The rack and pinion unit is going bad. loss os steering control is due to low pressure on the lines. can not steer the car sometimes.*ak

Right lens fell off. first pontiac dealer i contacted, jones motors in savannah, tn, (731-925-4923) told me in nov. 2001 that i had to buy whole headlight assembly at $225+ labor. trusting them, i bought and installed an entire aftermarket assembly. then i found service bulletin 010842004 at nhtsa.org, plus an independent body shop man told me the lens was available by itself. i called jones back today (4/22/02), hoping they had discovered and corrected their mistaken info. they still told me i had to buy the whole thing, but at $100+ labor this time. i don't know why the price had been cut in half. when i asked them about the service bulletin, they claimed total ignorance. the parts man said he did not have access to bulletins. his manager called me back later and offered to get me a lens off "one in the back" but i reminded him it was too late for me--i just wanted to make sure others did not get taken by their misinformation. then i called mathews' (1-800-wilson go), just to see if a much bigger dealership would not surely be more informed. they also told me the whole assembly was my only option. when i told the fellow about the bulletin, he too claimed to be in the dark about such matters. my question is, why do gm's own people not know about their service bulletins when independent body shop people do? is this a scam, or an inexcusable lack of communication?*ak

At 38,000 miles my dealer claims the transmission needs to be replaced. i believe this is a result of the uaw strike in 1998. *ak

Since about 90,000 mi. the steering power assist has been erratic. at low speeds, it feels like there is no power assist. just recently, at about 135,000, while making slow speed, right-hand turn, the steering locked entirely. at 111,000 miles, the dealer indicated that the steering rack was failing and would need to be replaced.

Gm claims it is not common for rack & pinion failure, but i've read a number of complaints on http://www.clubgp.com/forum/topic.asp?topic_id=6400626&forum_id=5&cat_id=1&forum_title=quality+%2f+problem+issues&topic_title=steering+rack web site. i almost had a accident with my son in the car, because of this failure. are they waiting for people to die before any action?*jb

1997-1998 pontiac grand prix headlights are defective. the lens cover falls off. this happens on both front headlamps. i have read that a defective sealant is the cause. both covers have fallen off of my vehicle, with the last at nighttime during a rainstorm. this caused the bulb to become wet and explode during driving. this happened within a month of the first failure. if both had fallen off at the same time, i would have had no vision. performing a search on the internet, i find that this is a common problem that i am sure pontiac knows about. i know this may sound like a minor problem, but if possible i would like to request an investigation into this problem and a possible recall. new headlamps installed cost consumers $130.00 each.*ak

Steering binds when turning left, dealer said power steering pump bad, replaced pump problem continued. took vehicle to two other repair facilities and car was found to have bad steering rack. part not available for two weeks. researched issue and found nhtsa investigating 1997 model for same issue. same part on 1997 and 1998 models?*ak

Plastic headlight cover glue fails, causing the plastic cover to come off. when this happens the headlight will go out. i went to the dealer when i first noticed the covers coming loose when the car wasover 36000 miles and they told me it was a common occurrence on the grand prix for the cover to come off. it is expensive to fix $90+ for each one. i had the second one come off this week. again i was told although common it is not covered under any defect policy with gm. i called gm customer service in detroit. and given a customer complaint # s1-1898506. i was told by them to contact the better business bureau as it was not their problem. i feel that this is a dangerous problem as when the cover falls off the headlights blow. this could cause a accident at night. at the same time since gm knows about the problem they should fix them free of charge.*ak

While driving on the ohio turnpike, in heavy traffic, the car suddenly lost all power. i managed to maneuver the car to the side of the highway. when i attempted to restart the vehicle, it would turnover, but then immediately lose all power. we had the car towed to a garage. the problem was a failed fuel pump resistor, which was corroded due to its location as designed (in the passenger-side wheel well). apparently, in canada, owners have been contacted by gm and offered a free retrofit to the firewall. i believe it is a regional recall. shouldn't gm do the same in the states, i.e. at least states that exhibit similar weather patterns? the loss of power at high speeds seems to be a safety concern. less experienced drivers may not be able to avoid accidents at higher speeds.. *ak

The problem with this car is that the power window regulators have failed in each of the four windows at least once and in two of the windows a minimum of two times each. when this happens the window falls into the door and cannot be either raised or lowered. in effect you walk out to your car in the morning and the window is down. each occurrence cost $550 to repair. apparently, according to the dealer service writer this is a very common problem on grand prixs. there should be a recall for this problem as it is both a safety issue and unfair expense issue. i'll be happy to discuss this with anybody from nhtsa as i have complete documentation of the problem. *ak

Dealership/service dept having problems locating the correct part - car has been in for service for over 2 weeks. no summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

I purchased a 1998 pontiac grand prix gtp from van-trow oldsmobile in nov 1998. recently, i noticed that my right headlight lens was missing from my headlight assembly which caused my headlight bulb to blow. upon closer inspection, i noticed that the left headlight lens was also separating from the headlight assembly. the glue or silicon or whatever bonded the plastic lens to the assembly was rotten. i contacted van-trow oldsmobile to inquire as to whether this was a recall problem. they said there was no recall on the headlights. they said that i would have to purchase two whole new headlight assemblies at a cost of $260 each. i contacted the pontiac website and asked them why my headlight lens would separate from my headlight assemblies like this. they said that this was due to the milage (93,000) and that this was not a defect and not covered under warranty. i am trying to find out if this problem has occured with other grand prixs. it seems unlikely that this should happen to a car that is only four years old. i would welcome any input on how to proceed with this problem. thank you very much for your advice. sincerely, paul and margaret bain.*ak

Car had complete power failure after making a turn either right or left. had no lights, ignition or power steering or brakes. was able to put car in neutral and restart engine. *ak

Water entering through cowl ventillation evaporator box to floor damaging air bags/ air bag light now stays illuminated at all times.*ak

Dealer says there have been many replacements of the same problem so i would like to know why there is no recall on it up to this point. i feel i should not have to pay to replace an obvious defect.no safety defect listed. *ak

The left and right headlight covers had fallen off within days of each other, both times it had been raining this made the headlights fail pre-mature. i recovered the left lens and as of now is staying on, i contacted a dealer about the problem and was told to buy a new lens there is no recall! after doing research i have found this lens problem to be wide spread there should be a recall in effect for the defective parts and damage caused. (headlights,wires,ect. *ak

Steering locked as i was pulling into a parking space. vehicle had to be towed to a garage. entire rack and pinion unit replaced. i saw a newspaper article stating that your agency was investigating pontiac grand prixs that had this problem. cost of replacement - $825.

I was driving on a highway when the driver's side headlight cover flew off. i was lucky to have been driving during daylight hours because if the headlights had gone out at night i would have been driving on an unlit country highway with no way to see. when i contacted two auto body shops in the area, i was told they had had 2-3 complaints of the same problem hapening with pontiac vehicles. there appears to be a problem the sealant not sealing properly and the cover flies off with no warning. the passenger side headlight has condensation in the inside and i fear the same thing will happen again and i may not be so lucky to be driving during the day. i contatced gm and they refuse to pay for headlamp-stating they are not aware of problem. i explained i have heard of 2-3 incidents in less than month in a town with a population of 8,000. they said it wasn't their problem and i had a problem because i did not purchase my car from an authorizered dealer & the waranty expired 3 months earlier. i just want the gm to pay for the headlamp & replace the other one. i don't believe that is too much to ask considering the casualities that could happen if my headlights go out while i am driving in the dark. thank you.

Torsion bar rusted under bracket, nearly snapped in two. wheel was held to frame only by strut. two mechanics told me they "have never seen anything like this in their career as a mechanic" both with over 20 years experience. gm says its normal wear and tear. my mechanics believe it was inferior part that is expected to hold the wheel to the frame. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

The front and rear electric window motors are burnt out on passenger side. i've had the right wheel bearing hub replaced because it was defective and still have the same problem. moisture in the left headlight assembly. led read-out on am/fm/cd radio doesn't work at all times. squeaking motor on heater blower.

This car is only 3 years old and two of the four window motors are not working already. i did contact the local dealers part dept and was told i had to buy the motor and regulator together @ a cost to me of over 3 hundred dollars per window. i looked for used motors but as soon as they get one it's gobbled up by someone waiting for it.

I've had the driver side power window motor break 3 times now. originally it happened in september 98. once they replaced the motor it broke again within a week. now in december 2000 the motor has died again (and of course it is now out of warranty). i've seen other people list the same problem in the complaints database and on www.grandprix.net it is a grand prix owners group web page with listed problem. i really believe they have a defective part in the power window motors. i've never had a power window motor break on any other car i've owned.

08/21/2000, we had the syatem flushed out at the dealer, within two weeks we had to replace the heater core. there was an oily build up in the water, and the service manger (curtis medford) said it was a chemical reaction between the coolant and engine block. now we're having to replace another heater core. about four months or longer, i had written nhtsa about this, and as of today(08/19/2001), i haven't heard anything from them. we can't afford to keep putting hater cores in this car every four to six months. the service manger also said that it was causing the coolant to rust. i would like someone to help us with this matter. you can contact me this week at home (828-652-9664) or connie at work (828-584-9753). the car is also listed in her name too.*ak

Air conditioner odor due to water remaining in airbox fermenting , 4 years later no solution although repair shop says they replaced evaporator core they did not,, advised me to turn on fan for 5 minutes after using air conditioner, hardly reasonable to do, sit in car for 5 minutes before leaving, they did spray some kind of fungicidal into airbox once and have since been thinking about what to do.*ak

I was stopped in traffic when struck from behind by a car traveling well in excess of the 35 mph limit who never touched his brakes. upon impact i was driven into a truck stopped about 7 feet in front of me. my car was declared totaled by his insurance company with major damage to the front and rear. neither of my air bags deployed. i sustained a left shoulder/arm and left side neck injury which i started treatment on the next day. treatment has hopefully completed as of surgery on 7/16/2001 to remove dics, repair vertebrae, and place a titainum plate in my neck except of course 6-8 weeks of recovery from the surgery. in addition to medical cost, i , due to this accident have been not allowed to work for all but about 6 weeks in the 7 months since the accident and of course the 6-8 weeks left. i feel had the air bags deployed i would have not received any of the injuries i suffered. when this failure was addressed to the pontiac dealer it was stated that evidently the impact was not enough; that i doubt based on test i have seen and the damage to my car.*ak

Day after purchase, pointed out to dealer excessive condensation in headlamps. told this was normal. 1-1/2 months ago driver's side lens fell off and bulb exploded due to rain entering lamp fixture. purchased entire new assembly and replaced myself. this past weedend, the passenger side lens has fallen off. research indicates this is a common problem. so common the dealership is on a waiting list for replacement of the assembly. this is clearly a manufacturer defect.*ak

I had the left headlamp cover fall off in december 2000, which caused the headlight to burn out. the dealer claimed that warrenty would not cover, so i had to pay $110.00. in june, the right cover fell off and i refused to pay. the dealer paid for the 2nd incident, since i paid for the first and specifically requested them to examine the right cover. in may, the bottom molding on the right side, front and back doors came loose, which would not allow the back door to open. the "grand prix gt" lettering on the left side also fell off. after complainng to the dealer, they fixed the grand prix lettering for free and split the cost of the door molding with me. i feel that pontiac must be using a poor adhesive.*ak

Re: http://www.grandprix.net/ -- the headlamp lens cover of 1997 and 1998 models is a high-failure item. loss of lens in wet weather will cause immediate headlamp failure. this should be a recall. these lenses leak chronically, resulting in reflector corrosion and reduced illumination.*ak

The vehicle developed an antifreeze odor during 2000. on several trips to the dealer, no problem was found. the last trip to the dealer, just before the warranty expired, is when the problem was documented (12/26/2000, 15,930 miles) the dealer indicates no leak found. we had the car serviced at a local non-dealer facility, and they indicated that they believed the intake manifold gasket was the cause of the minor leak and antifreeze smell. the dealership now indicates that the "expansion plug" on the engine is faulty, and refuses to address this as a warranty issue (they will pay for parts but the total labor bill is in excess of $600, with parts unlikely to amount to a fraction the labor costs). the pontiac customer relations department refuses to intervene. your site indicates a service bulletin -- service bulletin number: 010601007, bulletin sequence number: 191, date of bulletin: 0102 , nhtsa item number: sb619176 , some owners may comment on engine coolant consumption, or an engine coolant leak near or under the throttle body area ofthe upper intake manifold. *tt. can you intervene as this is an identified product issue?

Tires (2) failed suddenly with belt failure, much tire shake, in well maintained oem tires on car. investigation shows catastrophic belt failure, and/or belt shift. *ak (dot number: m6x0bmwr tiresize: p225 60r16)

On at least 5 or 6 separate occasions this car stalls when i am leaving a stand still position. it has not happened for quite a few months, but it happened again today, and my wife is pregnant and when we have the baby this car is supposed to be hers but i fear that if she were driving with the baby in the car and went to pull out onto a highway, or a side street and a car coming at her could not stop in time for her to get the car restarted it could be a real problem. i also am aware that other drivers have complained about the same thing at a website devoted to this car. point your browser to: http://www.grandprix.net/?clkd=iwm and check out the section marked "under the hood". the one marked "engine shut down while driving." by timothy johnson is the exact same problem i am experienceing. there is a dashboard light marked "tcs off" which turns itself on, and cannot be shut off. tcs stands for traction controll system. the only way to get the light to shut off is to turn the car off. *ak

On march 10, 2001 i noticed that my left headlight lens cover and bulb were missing. the next day i called the dealer for a replacement and was told there was a backorder & i would be contacted when available. three days later i was driving home from school at 9:00 pm when i realized on a dark stretch of road that i had no headlights. i turned on my high beams which illuminated , on the right side, for about 2 seconds and then the bulb blew out. the other headlight lens had fallen off the car and the bulb broke off while driving. i had the police check my car because the dealership inferred that someone must have tried to steal my headlights. the police concurred that there was no damage around the headlight area and it was more than likely that the loss of the headlight was caused by a defect rather than a thief.

In may of 2000 may air bag light on my dash board indicated a problem by staying illuminated. fierer pontiac, hamilton, ohio repaired a "connector" which cost $498.50. in february 01 i noticed the air bag light was illuminated again. since i haven't been driving the car i asked my wife how long the light had been on. she said that it had been on for as long as she could remember (at least 6 months) and she thought that it was supposed to be illuminated. i took the car (98 pontiac grand prix se) back to the same dealership and now they want to charge me another $420.00 to fix it again. this time they say it's a bad module. i have a real problem paying almost $1000 to keep this safety equipment operating when it has never been used (deployed). i am of the belief that safety equipment is supposed to be very reliable because it is in fact "safety equipment". if general motors said that seat belts had to be replaced every 75,000 miles for $1000, people would be up in arms and the government would make gm design the "safety item" to last longer and be more reliable. doesn't the same thing apply here? please reply asap since this car is dissembled in the pontiac shop. i have contacted the pontiac customer assistance department and spoke to nancy perry @ 1-800-762-2737. i haven't received any satisfaction yet. can you please tell me what to say to get pontiac to fix this air bag system at no additional charge (other than the $500 i have spent already)? please phone me at 513-896-6169 or email me at [email protected] (friday morning). pontiac is also planning to charge me for the diagnosis. please help or let me know who to contact who can. thank you ! , kevin m west. *ak

Driverside headlamp cover fell off on 2/1/01. contact of moisture with bulb caused bulb fail. headlamp cover was not recovered. pass headlamp cover fell off on 2/23/01 with same result. part was recovered. glue which holds cover on headlamp assembly obviously failed. dealer said both assemblies need replacement @260/each + bulbs + labor. i believe my assemblies were defective as many identical complaints have filed with your organization as well as other consumer organizations. complaints have been filed reguarding this problem as early as 1998. will there be a recall or do people need to die for that to happen??

Both headlight assemblies have condensation and fogging inside. looks like seal failure. probably a matter of time before lens falls off of both assemblies. safety issue. *ak

I feel this is a real safety concern! please contact me! no safety defect listed within summary. *ak

Pontiac grand prix's and buick regals have a problem with the headlamp capsules falling apart and moisture getting inside and condensing on the inside of the front cover. i know of several owners affected, in fact at the time of this submission the list was up to 45 people long from just the club grand prix message board. since this list has continued to grow since i asked for those with this problem, you can check out an updated list at: http://newforum.clubgp.com/ubb/clubgp/forum1/html/010969.html. gm/pontiac has known about this problem and have even changed the design/sealant on the new headlight to prevent this from occurring. yet, they refuse to issue a recall and fix the potential problem on the majority of the cars out there. my main concern is that i do not want to have to worry about the front part of my headlamp falling off and the bulb getting shattered by debris and rocks on the roads or highways. i would like to think that you would consider this a safety hazard, especially since gm has added daytime running lights on almost, if not all, of their new vehicles. if those running lights are so much of a safety feature than do not you think that headlights at night would be an even better, more important safety feature. with the moisture in the headlights, the light is not projected as far, thus cutting down on the visibility at night. i find this dangerous and think that something should be done about this. thank you! craig olah. *ak

Driver's seat is heated and have had a dysfunctional on/off switch and/or relay. have complained 4 times to dealership as well as manufacturer and have advised them of burning ourselves (whoever drives car and uses seat) because seat heats up. dealership (not where purchased) has informed us they cannot duplicate problem although we don't feel they have actually listened to us give them the exact way the reaction happens. manufacturer released themselves of all responsibility even after informing them seat continually stays on and we are afraid heater will heat up seat foam and cause fire. after having car off and parked for 3 hrs 1/18/00 across street from dealership where complaints made, seat still extremely hot. drove right to dealership and service manager finally came out to verify seat still extremely hot (burning through a pair of denim jeans). had service technician pull heater relay out of seat and informed me it is defective so will get a new part within 4 business days. will be 4 days 1/24 (no word yet). this was a fire hazard and already burned my skin through clothes; it could have burned our home down. *ak

My car accelerator stuck on me this morning when i was pulling into a parking space and the next think i knew was up on a snow bank, then when i put foot on brake and was putting it into reverse to come off snowbank, before i could even go near the gas pedal, it flew backwards about 100 feet into a fence, and would only stop when i finally got a hold of the key to turn it off. whew!! could have been killed. took it to the pontiac dealer because it was still under warranty and they told me they could find nothing wrong, and charged me a 75.00 inspection fee. could not believe it. i almost killed myself and knew it wasnt me, because i was never even near the gas when it happened.*ak

Wiring problem; lost complete power to battery and then 3 window motors simultaneously. *ak

Headlight lens fell off while driving. dealer said entire headlight assembly was loose due to adhesive defect. i plan on taking the vehicle to the pontiac dealership for free repair. noticed several nh. *ak

When turning, the seat belt got caught under the audio switch housings on the steering wheel, locking the wheel. in the first incident, the left side housing pulled out completly allowing further operation of the steering wheel. in the second incident, the remaining right switch housing did not come out, the steering wheel was not operational, and the driver nearly hit another vehicle before being able to stop. the driver is a 5 ft tall woman who has the seat all the way forward so she can reach the pedals and see over the steering wheel. the dealer said we should buy blocks for the pedals and not sit so close to the wheel. pontiac customer service said we should have recognized this problem before we bought the car and not purchased it; they don't see it as a safety issue. i requested pontiac to replace the wheel with the switchless type and they refused.

Windshield wiper arm parked in the up position. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Power steering unit leaks. *ak

The seat back doesn't lock at all times. i can put on my brakes and when i don't have a passenger in the car you can see the passenger seat fall forward when the bkes are appkied and the drivers side seat will also go forward . i hospice an elderly patient with back problems and this a great concern to me. i purchased the car for this purpose of caring for my father in law who lives with my husband and i and on several occassions he has noticed this problem especially when we carry oxygen tanks in the back seat along with other medical equipment that can fly forward should i have to suddenly stop. i would like to know if this is a mantiory safty feature and if so should be taken care of immediatly at the companies expense. this car i purchased had only 22,000 miles when purchased and was a executive driven car of pontiac and as you can see i have not put on alot of additional milage in 1 year. your response to this would be greatly appreciated.*ak

Electric window failures. i have had every window motor replaced, some twice since i bought my car. i bought a very expensive extended warranty on my last visit to protect myself against costly repairs for future problems. per my conversations with the dealer, they are aware of problem (bad motors from manufacturer) and will replace them as needed. *ak

I am experiencing intermittent stalling condition. when completely stopped at a light and then you would press the accelerator to go through the light my car would move 10 feet and then stall out. it would also stall when slowing down to make a turn applying the brake and when you would take your foot off the brake and press the accelerator again the car would stall. the warning lights on the dashboard will come on and there would be loss of power steering. i have also experienced sluggishness when needing to accelerate. i press the accelerator and a few second later you can feel the transmisson jump into gear.

When crosing hwy 278 engine failed due to alternator. the car gave no warning that anything was wrong leaving car stranded in middle of highway.i was unable to move car out of oncoming traffic as the key could not be removed from ignition. nowhere in ownwers manual did it say that i needed ignition key to unlock gear shift column to move into nuetral from park. i was only able to move car after we tried to jump start car where ti allowed me to remove key from ignition and insert key into slot to shift car into neutral. this was a very dangerous intersection at 5:00 pm and could have resulted in serious injury had a highwy patrol officer not been at the scene. i feel that this is a very unsafe defect in the car design that needs repaired.

Trans. upshifted while accelerating, engine stalled on onramp. occurred 5x. original complaint documented @ dealer, happened numerous times since then and now out of warranty. $3000 to fix an obvious (and commonly reported) transmission problem on this car. narrowly avoided 2 accidents after engine died. dangerous safety issue that needs attention by nhtsa and pontiac.

The engine still having problems, battery leaking acid, power windos broke, etc.

Constant moisture in headlights, this causes limited visability. the passenger side mirror flew out while vehicle was in motion, this could have caused accident or injury to person in passenger seat. both power windows have failed twice, regulator has been replaced on drivers side, passenger side has been tightened and they are both broke again. drivers side mirror is loose could fly out. door panels are loose they have never been fixed. fog light and tail light have both burned out already. door lock cover popped out causing wires to be exposed. drivers side was loose had it fixed. cigerette lighter never worked. we are trying to determine if all of these things are related to an electrical problem in the car. manufacturer contacted nothing has been done as of yet. this is very frusturating

The transmission failed while i was accelerating onto an interstate highway from an on-ramp. this resulted in my inability to safely accelerate into traffic, forcing the traffic behind to take evasive maneuvers.

Positive terminal attachment base on original delco battery failed, causing a large acid leak into the rh engine compartment. failure gave no warning and looks to be due to metal fatigue. after failure, electrical systems were unresponsive and car would. *ak

Dealer said rare defect, costs $1200. to fix, no response from pontiac. no safety defect listed in summary. *ak

I was told by the dealer and gmc headquarter, in oder for me to get any kind of help from them or assistance, i would need to pay 300.00 first to find out if the trasnsmission is defect. and then they will what they can do for me. a customer service rep. told my husband boss that the company will give me the run around because i am a women. sgt lewis is in saudi for 3 mos. and i bridget lewis his wife have been dealing back and forth with the dealer and thegmc motors head office. i have sent letter to the bbb auto line they told me that they could not help me, because of the miles i have on our car. but i have been tolf that it is very unusally for a transmission to go out in a 98 . especally if you have kept up with all the car tune ups. from may 12 to may 17 my car was seen three time by a pontiac dealer. i have not bee able to get a good answer on why i am having this kind of problem. but the dealer in crestveiw fla. wants to charge me 2400.00 for a rebuild transmission. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Won't turn left. dealer advised very rare for gear box to go out in car. sounds like defect. very expensive, would like to know if common in grand prix. should maker refund repair.

Brakes fail to work effectively in rainy weather. you have to "stand" on the brakes to get the vehicle to stop. you have to anticipate your stop so you can begin braking very early. can cause a problem at intersections.*ak

Power window motors on both sides have broken 4 times. known problem with pontiac, but no recall issued. *ak

I have had the sun roof fixed 6 times. i was told by the mechanic, jon ziegler, on the last occassion that they could not fix it for me and that i should try another dealer. i believe that there is a flaw in the design of the sunroof as i have discussed this with other car owners who are having similar problems. *ak

I have had two car accidents. in both accidents the air bags did not come out and the seat belts offered no protection either. the design of the neck restrain allowed my neck to go back causing severe injury to a disc. if the saftey system failed one time i wondered. but failed twice the car or design has problems. when first purchasing my car they had to replace the shifter when i bought the car. again i am having the same problem will not shift out of park. *ak

On four separate occasions this car has stalled. all four times the car had been at a full stop, and when you hit the gas it stalled out. each time i mentioned it to the dealer they ask me what do you want us to do about it? fix it. *ak

Transmission problem to be looked into by dealer on 03-13-00

Transmission and braking problems could cause accident & should be recalled. *ak

Design of shoulder harness places belt across throat. shoulder harness is too tight, will not loosen. *ak

Pushing on brakes as hard as i could slowed the car very little during rain, until i got down to a low rate of speed, then they suddenly grabbed hard. paint has come off or the top coat spidered in 4 locations, dealer says it is enviromental. i know somone with the same car and color in my area with no problems. i think i have a car with defective paint. (dark green)

Already had to replace 2 fuel injectors after having car only eight months; child safety locks broke when purchased; motor in driver's power window control panel burnt out

Under wet conditions, brakes fail to respond for several seconds.

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Car was traveling approx.35-40 mph and hit two stopped cars. airbags did not deploy and seat belts did not lock up, causing driver to hit steering wheel suffering from concussion and acute herniated c5-6 in neck. an accident report was filed with manufacturer and the company fixing car did not understand why the airbags did not deploy. *ak

Brake fail at any speed while driving in rainy conditions. pedal is very hard. vehicle slows very slowly. have entered several intersections, and have not been able to sto, due to brake problems. *ak

Engine stalls out intermitinly and has happened numerous times once car stalled causing car to travel thru red light almost causing accident with my children in car dealer can not fix problem and cant get it to happen when they road test car interior lights do not operate properly wont come on when doors are open or when i manually try to put them on heater motor makes a cricket like noise on the low speed annoying noise dealer cant fix all these problems

At approx. 9200 miles a sudden increase in the braking distance and the pedal effort required to stp. when taking the vehicle in for scheduled maintenance at 9510 miles a noise in the front end was noticed that increased when turning. the noise was traced to the left front hub which was replaced. the brakes were said to be in specification although no quantifiable measurements were taken. the issue remains unresolved. *ak

Rear window defogger is taking 15 minutes to work. dealer says this is normal.*ak

Brakes do not work on wet roads or while it is raining.

Pontiac voided warranty due to stereo equipment. seat belt anchor attachment failed, pontiac refuses to fix. *ak

Left rear window motor failed. yh

For "eye que" system which is designed to project speed onto windshield, however causes visibility destraction. *yc

Abs system failed, causing vehicle to skid, resulting in accidents. *yc

Tail light assembly failed. *yc

Radio/cd player.

Front seat belt buckle inoperative. yh

Transmission is making noise and surging. yh

Fuel sensor failed. yh

Computer is not resetting properly when ignition is on and engine not running, consumer has to press accelerator three times in 5 seconds to engage resetting, oil light illuminates due to failure. mjs

Performance shift switch / handle failed. *yc

Engine experiencing a knocking sound. *yc

Rattling noise from front end.

The vehicle is experiencing alignment problems. it pulls to the right when in motion, there was also a noise coming from the struts. *jg

The drivers window is inoperative and the passenger side window scratches as it goes up or down. *jg

The brakes are emmitting a squeaking noise. *jg

The side view mirror needed replacing. *jg

Consumer stated that all four power windows are not working properly, will not go up or down. consumer is concerned about the safety. *yd

The glue that holds the lens to the light deteriorated allowing condensation to accumulate inside the lens, therefore causing the chrome to flake, gm will not provide any support to the consumer. nlm

The condenser was improperly sealed causing a leak on the passenger side of the vehicle. nlm

The passenger headlamp was improperly sealed causing it to fill with water. nlm

The rear window sealed is cracked causing the trunk lid to rub against it. nlm

The brake pedal bushing made a popping noise upon brake application. nlm

The fuel injector is inoperative. nlm

The blower motor is noisy. nlm

The headlights have a buildup of condensation inside the lamp which reduces the amount of light projected by the lamps reflectors, told that this is a standard and normal condition. nlm

Speed control was defective. nlm

Heater switch was defective. nlm

Consumer experienced oil leak and had the dealer repair on two occasions prior to the motor completely shutting down while driving at 65 mph, complete motor replacement was necessary.

The heater/air conditioner was serviced several times due to odor problems. *mjs

Driver seat broken, required a new cable to be installed. *mjs

Replaced window motor. *mjs

Battery replaced. *mjs

The ac delco battery was cracked, leaking and smoking causing the vehicle not to start, the battery leak also damaged the paint under the hood. nlm

The bolts on the oil pan were loose causing transmission fluid leak, the seal was also loose causing leak. nlm

Spark plugs cracked causing the check engine light to illuminate and the engine to run roughly. nlm

Vehicle stalls while driving and dealer is unable to find the problem.

Vehicle experienced failure of the recall component prior to notification resulting in additional repairs, consumer is having trouble obtaining refund for recall repairs that needed to be completed prior to notification. (spark plug wires) *mjs

Anti-lock brake system failed on three occasions, on one incident vehicle experienced brake failure which caused a collision damaging the rear bumper, resulting in injury. *yc

No deployment of air bags when vehicle hit a tree and rolled over causing drivers chest to hit the steering wheel and become bruised. nlm

The remote key does not unlock the vehicle at times and will not set the alarm. *yc

Back door panel is loose on the passenger side. *yc

Alarm system goes off and disables the vehicle. *yc

Trunk light does not come on all the time. *yc

Vehicle hesitates when accelerating. *yc

Headlights do not always work. *yc

Windows do not work properly. *yc

Brakes noisy when stopping. *yc

Steering is loose. *yc

Poor build quality and engineering of parts.

This vehicle stall upon acceleration and on all incidents except one it occurred during a right hand turn and acceleration, the other incident occured during the take off from a complete stop, these incidents have happened now on several occassions and have resulted i 3 near accidents because of stalling in front of traffic, one other note that the speedo needle occassionally accelerates to around 90-100 mph when starting vehicle but the engine does not race when this occurs. i currently have the vehicle in the shop for the 3rd time since my purchase for this stalling problem, it is to the point i am afraid for the safety of my family and others, that this vehicle may end up in an accident as a result of this problem.

Vehicle was approaching traffic light when incurred a surge in acceleration. driver applied brakes but also had to shift to neutral to avoid hitting other vehicle. drove vehicle .7 miles by shifting between drive and neutral with engine at high rpm. turned engine off and then plug wires and wiring harness burst into flames.

Abs brakes fail while traveling on wet surfaces.

Abs brakes fail on wet surfaces.

No summary

Abs brake performance greatly reduced in rain.

When at highway speeds in the rain the brakes do not engage for several seconds after applying pedal.

While adding oil in engine oil drops fell on the manifold causing fire.

Unspecified.

When brakes are wet there is little or no braking power for several seconds.

Driver's power window lock button inoperative.

Engine stalled.

After prolonged exposure to wet conditions brakes fade. when attempting to stop, it seems that in first initial seconds brakes are only half engaging and then become fully engaged.

Abs brakes fail during rainy conditions.

While making moderately hard stops the passenger's seatback tilted forward, allowing seatback to slide forward on its floor track, causing violent slamming.

Intermittent stalling; engine died 5 times.

Engine died suddenly without warning.

Vehicle stalled while going 20 mph. pulled over and restarted engine but lost all power and control of vehicle. also interior lights do not operate properly, only come on during daylight hours and not in the evenings. dealer cannot fix problem.

Vehicle stalled while going 20 mph. pulled over and restarted engine but lost all power and control of vehicle.

Right front seat belt retractor constantly retracts even when fully extended making it very uncomfortable and too tight to wear.

Accelerator cable came out of the normal channel in the firewall and was stuck in a wide-open position , causing sudden acceleration.

Design of seatbelt causes them to rest on the neck instead of the shoulder.

There is a continuous hiss of air noise coming from driver's side exterior mirror area. *ak

While driving coming off an exit at 15 mph vehicle burst into flames. fire department indicated problem was electrical. *ak

Rubber molding around windshield front righthand side came loose.mgm