2004 Pontiac Grand Prix Transmission Problems

I STARTED MY 2004 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GTP ONE VERY COLD MORNING AND NOTICED A WHINING NOISE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE USED IN 2005 WITH ABOUT 16,000 MILES ON IT. ONCE THE CAR WARMED UP, THE WHINING NOISE WENT AWAY UNTIL I DROVE IT. I HEARD THE NOISE AGAIN WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED FROM FIRST GEAR. AT THAT TIME, THE MILEAGE WAS ABOUT 74,800. ABOUT ONE 3 DAYS LATER, I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL LUBE SHOP TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGED. AFTER THE FLUID WAS CHANGED, I DID NOT HEAR THE WHINING SOUND AGAIN UNTIL ABOUT 2 DAYS LATER ON MY WAY HOME FOR A LUNCH BREAK. THE NEXT MORNING, I HEARD THE WHINING WHEN I STARTED THE CAR TO WARM IT UP. AFTER THE CAR WARMED FOR A WHILE, IT HESITATED TO MOVE WHEN I PUT IT INTO REVERSE TO GO TO WORK. IT ALSO HESITATED TO MOVE WHEN I PUT IT INTO DRIVE. THE MILEAGE, AT THAT POINT, WAS ABOUT 75,000 MILES. I BROUGHT IT BACK HOME AND CALLED A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHO ENDED UP LOOKING AT IT AND SAID THE TRANS WAS SHOT. I THEN CALLED GM ABOUT TO EXPRESS MY DISSATISFACTION AND TO ASK FOR SOME TYPE OF ASSISTANCE. THEY REFERRED ME TO A DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS. I TOOK IT TO SULLIVAN PONTIAC AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH THE VALVE SEAL. THE ESTIMATED COST TO REPAIR WOULD BE 2,600. CONSIDERING I DO NOT DRIVE MY CAR UNDER HEAVY CONDITIONS AND THE RECOMMENDED TRANS SERVICE IS DUE AT 100K FOR THOSE DRIVING CONDITIONS, I DO NOT THINK THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE OCCURRING AT THIS MILEAGE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10259646

Incident

Feb 20, 2009

Mileage

74,000 mi

TRANSMISSION SLIPS OCCASIONALLY WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. WHEN ITS COLD OUTSIDE, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARD, ESPECIALLY AFTER CAR WARMS UP. *TR

NHTSA ID

10248365

Incident

Dec 23, 2007

Mileage

65,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CONTACT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. ONCE THE LIGHT CHANGED, HE DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT GEARS, BUT THEY WERE NOT OPERATING. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THREE MONTHS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED ON FIVE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THEY STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION AND ALSO STATED THAT IT SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED AT THIS MILEAGE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 56,000. UPDATED 06/16/08 *BF IN THE PAST 2 YEARSM, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED 5 TIMES. UPDATED 06/16/08

NHTSA ID

10229322

Incident

May 23, 2008

Mileage

56,000 mi

2006 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX V6 TRANSMISSION CLUNKING NOISE: TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARD INTO DRIVE AND REVERSE AND HAS SINCE I BOUGHT IT (ABOUT A WEEK AFTER). SHIFTING GEARS (AUTOMATIC) IS HARD AND HAVE TO TAKE IT EASY ON THE ACCELERATION. BOUGHT VEHICLE AT 27000 MILES AND CURRENTLY IT IS 68000. CANT AFFORD TO FIX, TOO EXPENSIVE. OCCURS ALL THE TIME. APPARENTLY IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND YEAR, JUST GOOGLE IT, YET NO RECALLS. EMAILED GM AND DID NOT GET A COURTESY EMAIL OR CALL AFTER COMPLAINT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10228352

Incident

Jan 5, 2007

Mileage

27,000 mi

I OWN A 2004 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GT2. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED WITH 12,000 MILES ON IT. MY VEHICLE HAD NO PREVIOUS OWNERS EXCEPT GM ON THE TITLE DUE TO ITS STATUS AS A DEMONSTRATOR. I DROVE THIS CAR UP UNTIL 56,487 MILES WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT PROPERLY FROM A STOP. A SEVERE SHUDDER IN FIRST GEAR FOLLOWED BY A MISSED SHIFT IN SECOND RENDERED THE VEHICLE ALMOST PARALYZED. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AT A LOCAL PONTIAC DEALERSHIP WERE I WAS INFORMED THAT THE INPUT CLUTCH PISTON SEAL WAS BLOWN OUT AS WELL AS SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE CLUTCHES. I HAD NO OTHER OPTION BUT TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION WHICH COST ME $2,690.00. MY VEHICLE HAS THE 4T65E AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WHICH IS COMMON AMONG GM 3800 ENGINE VEHICLES. FURTHER RESEARCH HAS SHOWN A COMMON THEME AMONG THESE TRANSMISSIONS. MOST REPORTS OF TRANSMISSION TROUBLES INVOLVING THE 4T65E CLAIM TO HAVE SHIFTING PROBLEMS IN FIRST AND SECOND GEAR WHICH SEEM TO OCCUR AROUND THE 60,000 MILE RANGE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10209771

Incident

Oct 29, 2007

Mileage

56,487 mi

IT FEELS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IN DOWN IS -SHIFTING WHEN I TRY TO ACCELERATE. FIRST NOTICED ONLY ON OCCASION ABOUT 6 MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR. IT ONLY HAPPENED IN THE PASSING GEAR. NOW IT'S HAPPENING IN ABOUT 2ND GEAR. WHEN I TRY TO ACCELERATE IT FEELS LIKE IT'S IN NEUTRAL AND THE RPMS DROP. HAD IT TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AND OF COURSE, THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

10148814

Incident

Jan 26, 2006

Mileage

15 mi

I PURCHASED A 2004 PONTIAC GRAN DPRIX GT2 IN JUNE OF THAT SAME YEAR. ONE WEEK LATER THE REPAIRS BEGAN. THE MOST SCARY OCCURRING ON THE DATE MENTIONED ON THIS COMPLAINT, MAY 26, 2005, ELEVEN MONTHS AFTER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. MY CAR DIED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY THREE SMALL CHILDREN IN THE BACK SEAT. THE CAR HAD NO POWER WHATSOEVER, NO STEERING, NO GAS, NO LIGHTS, NOTHING. I THANK GOD WE ARE ALIVE. THE MECHANICS AT THE DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH. AFTER THIS INCIDENT I RENTED A CAR AT MY OWN EXPENSE FOR EIGHT WEEKS. WE DID NOT STEP FOOT IN THE VEHICLE FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME. FOR FINANCIAL REASONS I SLOWLY BEGAN DRIVING MY CAR AGAIN. THERE WERE REPAIRS BEFORE THAT EVENT AS WELL AS AFTERWARDS. THESE INCLUDE THE BRAIN, TRANSMISSION, BRAKES, AXLE, WHEEL BEARINGS, STEERING, SUNROOF, FUEL INJECTORS, AND SAFETY BELTS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10145430

Incident

May 26, 2005

DT: THE CONSUMER OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. SHE CAME HOME ON SUNDAY NIGHT AND WHEN PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY HER HUSBAND GOT OUT TO DO SOMETHING. WHEN THE CONSUMER LEFT THE VEHICLE HER SON WENT FROM THE BACK SEAT TO THE FRONT SEAT AND VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS DOWN THE DRIVEWAY BEFORE SHE COULD DO ANYTHING TO HER SON. HOWEVER, HUSBAND WAS ABLE TO THROW A TRUCK TIRE BEHIND THE VEHICLE AND STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER LIVED IN FRONT OF A MAJOR HIGHWAY AND THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN THREE DEATHS OR INJURIES. THE CONSUMER WAS HOLDING THE KEY IN HER HAND WHEN THE VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY. CHECKING LATER, SHE FOUND THAT ANY TIME THE KEY WAS NOT IN THE IGNITION THE GEAR SHIFTER MOVED EVEN WITHOUT APPLYING THE BRAKE. SHE TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT REPAIR VEHICLE BECAUSE IT WAS MANUFACTURED THAT WAY. SERVICE DEPARTMENT MANAGER STATED THAT THERE WAS A CERTAIN PERIOD OF VIN TIME WHEN THAT CAME OUT, AND HE COULD NOT ALTER SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT BY THE BOOK.*AK

NHTSA ID

10132275

Incident

Aug 7, 2005

Mileage

27,000 mi

SPORADICALLY THE CAR HESITATES WHEN STARTED AND PUT INTO GEAR. TYPICALLY, I START THE CAR AND THEN REVERSE OUT OF A PARKING SPACE. WHEN SHIFTING TO DRIVE AND THEN ACCELERATING, THE CAR HESITATES. THERE HAVE BEEN 3-4 INSTANCES WHEN IT SIMPLY SHUT OFF. I HAVE TAKEN IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG.*AK

NHTSA ID

10116622

Incident

Jun 24, 2004

MY CAR STALLED 5 DAYS AFTER I RECEIVED IT. IT WAS ABOUT 40 F OUTSIDE AND I REVERSED SLOWLY AND PUT THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE. IT SHUDDERED AND STALLED. THIS HAPPENED ONCE MORE THE NEXT DAY. ANY TIME THE TEMPERATURE IS BELOW 60 F THE VEHICLE SHUDDERS WHEN PUT INTO DRIVE. I'VE TAKEN IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP 4 TIMES FOR THIS SAME ISSUE BUT THEY SEEM UNABLE TO FIX IT. I'VE HAD THE PCM RE-FLASHED, INJECTORS CLEANED, AND SPARK PLUGS REPLACED. I HAVE HAD CONTINUED SHUDDERING AT LOW TEMPERATURES BUT NO MORE STALLING SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENTS. THERE IS ALSO A JERKING WHEN ACCELERATING QUICKLY. WHEN PRESSING THE GAS THE CAR HESITATES AND THEN JUMPS INTO GEAR.*AK

NHTSA ID

10082933

Incident

May 28, 2003

Mileage

800 mi