Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA
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Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 Pontiac Gto submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
I WAS DRIVING MY CLUTCH AND GAS WENT TO THE FLOOR AND MY STEERING WHEEL BROKE AND I RAN THROUGH THE WOODS. *TR
I GOT NEW TIRES PUT ON YESTERDAY. THEY ARE THE STOCK SIZED TIRES. SHORTLY AFTER I HEARD A LOUD SOUND COMING FROM THE BACK RIGHT SIDE. I NOTICED THE TIRE WAS RUBBING ON THE FENDER. THE CAR SAGS MORE AND MORE EACH DAY. THEN YESTERDAY, I WAS JUST DRIVING NORMALLY FROM STOP LIGHT TO STOP LIGHT, AND MY CAR WOULD WOULDN'T GO INTO 3RD OR 4TH GEAR. SO I CHECKED FLUIDS AND IT WAS OK ON THAT. I HAD TO DRIVE 30MPH BACK HOME. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC GTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN AUSTRALIA, AND THAT THEY SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO SHIP THE 2004 DEFECTIVE MODELS TO THE UNITED STATED. HE IS EXPERIENCING SUSPENSION FAILURE, IN WHICH THE VEHICLE DOES NOT DRIVE IN A STRAIGHT LINE. THE VEHICLE VEERS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. THE CONTACT MUST USE BOTH HANDS TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. HE STATED THAT THE SUSPENSION AND MOTOR WERE CHANGED. THE MOTOR WAS CHANGED BECAUSE IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO SHIFT AND IT WOULD SLIP AND MAKE NOISE. THERE WAS ALSO TRANSMISSION FAILURE WITH THE VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING OVER A MINOR BUMP AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE WOULD BREAK DOWN. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD PISTON SLAP. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING, HE COULD HEAR A TICKING NOISE. THE NOISE WAS CAUSED BY THE PISTON STRIKING THE TOP OF THE MOTOR HEAD. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WITH THESE CONCERNS, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE MILEAGE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TRADED IN WAS 3,600. UPDATED 07/29/08 *BF UPDATED 07/29/08. *JB
PURCHASED 2004 GTO WITH 37,500 MILES HAD THE CAR A WEEK,SON WAS DRIVING AND HEARD AND FELT A LOUD CLANGING NOISE. HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALER. THEY FIXED UNDER GM CERTIFICATION. IT WAS MISSING LEFT SIDE AXLE BOLTS AND ALL THE RIGHT SIDE WERE VERY LOOSE. *TR
I HAVE 29,222 MILES ON MY 04 PONTIAC GTO WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME. OVER TIME ALL 6 BOLTS THAT HOLD MY HALF SHAFT TO THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL HAD BACKED OUT IT LEFT ME STRANDED IN A BUSY INTERSECTION RIGHT WHEN I GOT OFF THE FREEWAY. I5 AND 17TH ST. WITH NO BOLTS HOLDING THE HALF-SHAFT IN IT WAS FREE TO SPIN FREELY AND HIT OTHER PARTS UNDERNEATH MY CAR, DAMAGING THE AXLE, AND RIPPING THE BOOT. I RESEARCHED, AND FOUND OUT THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE EARLY PRODUCTION 04 MODELS. I TOLD THE DEALER THIS AND THEY REFUSE TO REPLACE THE PARTS UNDER WARRANTY. THEY TRIED BLAMING ME BECAUSE I HAD INSTALLED DIFFERENT REAR SPRINGS, AND SAID I HAD REMOVED AND RE-INSTALLED THESE BOLTS FOR THE SPRING INSTALL. THESE BOLTS DID NOT NEED TO BE TOUCHED DURING THE SPRING INSTALL, I'VE TRIED EXPLAINING THE INSTALL TO THEM, BUT THEY WONT LISTEN... HORRIBLE SERVICE... *NM
I HAD BEEN WAITING FOR TRAFFIC TO CLEAR TO TURN RIGHT ON RED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. IT APPEARED THAT CROSS TRAFFIC WAS BEGINING TO SLOW DOWN TO STOP. I PULLED OUT ONLY TO REALIZE I HAD MADE A GRAVE ERROR IN JUDGEMENT AND THAT THE CROSS TRAFFIC WAS STILL COMING. IN A MOMENT OF PANIC I HIT THE ACCELERATOR ONLY TO GET LITTLE RESPONSE AT WIDE OPEN THROTTLE. THE CAR DID NOT DOWN SHIFT NOR ACCELERATE PROPERLY CREATING A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
WHILE DRIVING MY NEW PONTIAC GTO THE BOLTS THAT HOLD DRIVERS SIDE HALF SHAFT IN FELL OUT CAUSING THE HALF SHAFT TO FALL OUT IF I WOULD OF BEEN GOING FASTER THEN 20 MPH IT COULD OF CAUSED SERIOUS DAMAGE AND OR INJURY. WHEN I SHIFTED FROM FIRST TO SECOND THAT'S WHEN IT FELL OUT. IT IS AT DEALER CURRENTLY WILL CALL TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. DO NOT KNOW WHY THEY WERE NOT TIGHT IN THE FIRST PLACE AS I WAS ON WWW.LS1GTO.COM AND FOUND PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS I DO BELIEVE SIX OF THEM ALL HAD THE DRIVER'S SIDE INNER HALF SHAFT BOLTS FALL OUT! *NM
DRIVING IN 2ND GEAR (MANUAL TRANSMISSION), 25MPH, I HEARD A LOUD CLUNK AND THE CAR NO LONGER ACCELERATED. GOT OUT AND FOUND 6 BOLTS THAT HOLD THE DRIVERS SIDE HALF SHAFT TO THE DIFFERENTIAL WERE LYING IN THE ROAD. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO ULTIMATE PONTIAC,FREDERICKSBURG, VA. IT HAS BEEN THERE SINCE AUGUST 9TH WITH PARTS ON BACK ORDER.*AK
WHEN PROCEEDING NORMALLY FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT THE CAR STOPPED ACCELERATING RIGHT AFTER SHIFTING INTO SECOND GEAR. CAR WAS TOWED TO LOCAL DEALER. FOUND THAT ALL 6 BOLTS AND 3 RETAINERS HOLDING THE DRIVER'S AXLE SHAFT TO THE DIFFERENTIAL HAD FALLEN OUT. NEXT DAY I FOUND ALL BOLTS AND RETAINERS WITHIN 50 FEET OF EACH OTHER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I WAS SEVERELY HARASSED BY THE DEALER AND THEY REFUSED TO FIX IT. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE SELLING DEALERSHIP AND I WAS HARASSED THERE ALSO, BUT THEY FIXED IT UNDER WARRANTY AS A "FAVOR". CORRECTED BY REPLACING THE INNER CV JOINT, OUTPUT HUB AND INSTALLING NEW BOLTS AND RETAINERS. SINCE MY MISHAP, THIS HAS HAPPENED TO AT LEAST 3 OTHER CARS. BOTH DEALERSHIPS ARE INCOMPETENT AND DO NOT KNOW THE CAR, THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS HORRIBLE. *JB
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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