RoadVitals

2004 Pontiac Gto Transmission Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Transmission reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Mar 17, 2010
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
3%
of 245 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. 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. 8 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.

Owner reports naming transmission

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Transmission
Filed Mar 17, 2010

MY PROBLEM WAS WITH THE 6 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION WHICH WOULD CAUSE A GRINDING SOUND WHILE SHIFTING AND "POPPING" OUT OF GEAR WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS THE CLUTCH. THEY REPLACED THE CLUTCH BUT THE PROBLEM NOT ONLY STILL EXISTED BUT IT GOT WORSE. IT BECAME SO BAD THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR AT ANY SPEED. I HAD THE CAR TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER ABOUT A WEEK LATER. NOW THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION. OK. SO I TOLD THEM TO REPLACE IT BUT IT TOOK 4 WEEKS UNTIL GM COULD SUPPLY ONE. IT CAME WITH A 3 YEAR, 100K WARRANTY AT A COST OF $4000. THIS PLUS THE $1200 FOR A NEW CLUTCH MADE FOR A VERY EXPENSIVE OUT-OF-WARRANTY REPAIR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10320434
Incident
Dec 18, 2009
Mileage
72,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Mar 12, 2007

MANUAL TRANSMISSION IS VERY DIFFICULT TO PUT INTO REVERSE. TRANSMISSION WILL ALSO OCCASIONALLY POP OUT OF A GEAR WHILE DRIVING. IN ORDER TO PUT TRANSMISSION INTO REVERSE I HAVE TO PUT THE TRANSMISSION INTO ANOTHER GEAR FIRST, THIS WORKS OVER HALF OF THE TIME, SOMETIMES I HAVE TO PUT IT IN 3RD, 4TH, THEN GO UP TO REVERSE. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE I FIRST PICKED UP THE CAR. HAD DEALER LOOK AT IT, THEY CLAIMED THERE WERE NO TSB'S OR RECALLS FOR THE 2004 GTO SO THEY FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND SENT ME ON MY WAY SAYING "AT LEAST YOU HAVE REPORTED IT, THAT MAY COVER YOU IN THE FUTURE IF IT FAILS." ALSO, DEALER DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY GM TELLS THEM TO USE THE SAME FLUID THAT GOES INTO FRONT DRIVE AUTOMATICS, THIS COULD CAUSE GTO MANUAL TRANSMISSION TO BURN OUT FASTER.*JB

NHTSA ID
10184872
Incident
Mar 9, 2007
ElectricalFuel systemExterior lighting+4 more
Filed Feb 15, 2007

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT TIRES TWICE DUE TO INSIDE TIRE WEAR/PREMATURE WEAR/STRUT RUB (ALL INSIDE WEAR NEAR STRUT). THE INTERMITTENT WIPERS DO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY (ALL THE TIME). GIVE A FALSE ERROR OF OVERHEATING WITHIN MINUTES OF START-UP (HAPPENED ABOUT A DOZEN TIMES). ANALOG SPEEDOMETER WAS VERY ERRATIC, MOVED ALL AROUND FROM 0 TO 200 MPH WHILE CRUISING AT 65 MPH (2 TIMES) AND READ 140 MPH WHILE STOPPED. PAINT ON THE DOOR HANDLES STARTED PEELING OFF WITHIN 3 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP (BOUGHT BRAND NEW). DAMPNESS BEHIND THE DRIVES SEAT ON THE FLOOR (OFTEN AFTER DRIVING IN RAIN). RADIO CONTROLS ON STEERING WHEEL DO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY, A BUTTON HAS THE FUNCTION OF THE ONE ABOVE IT (OFF & ON ALL THE TIME). GAS CAP REPLACED DUE TO PREMATURE WEAR, CAUSED ENGINE LIGHT TO TURN ON (OFTEN, STILL HAPPENS ONCE IN A WHILE WITH THE NEW CAP). HARD TO SHIFT IN REVERSE AT TIMES, HELPS TO SHIFT IN ANOTHER GEAR FIRST. SHIFTER RATTLES OFTEN DURING ACCELERATION. POPS OUT OF 2ND GEAR (MOSTLY DURING COLD MORNINGS, ALSO HARD TO SHIFT INTO 2ND GEAR ON COLD MORNINGS. LIGHTS STAY ON AFTER CAR IS SHUT OFF WHILE IN AUTO-MODE; WORKED CORRECTLY AT FIRST, BUT NOW THEY ALWAYS STAY ON (ALWAYS OPERATE THEM MANUALLY NOW TO KEEP FROM DRAINING BATTERY). *NM

NHTSA ID
10182719
Incident
Dec 30, 2005
Transmission
Filed Jan 23, 2007

HAD TROUBLE WITH CLUTCH. POPPING OUT OF GEAR, HARD GOING INTO GEAR, LOSS OF CLUTCH PEDDLE, LOUD ROARING SOUND THAT WOULD GO AWAY WHEN TO PRESSED IN THE CLUTCH BUT WOULD RETURN WHEN THE CLUTCH PEDDLE WAS RELEASED. DEALER REPLACED CLUTCH, VEHICLE STILL POPS OUT OF GEAR ON 4 AND 5 GEAR. VEHICLE SHAKES SOME AND STILL HAS A LOUD ROARING SOUND THAT WILL GO AWAY WHEN THE CLUTCH IS PRESSED IN BUT STILL COMES BACK WHEN THE CLUTCH IS RELEASED. DEALER STATED THE DRIVE SHAFT WAS OUT OF ROUND. THEY REPLACED THE DRIVE SHAFT, BUT IT DID NOT CHANGE ANYTHING. STILL HAVING TROUBLE WITH CLUTCH, ROARING SOUND. *NM

NHTSA ID
10179474
Incident
Dec 26, 2006
Mileage
31,425 mi
SuspensionTransmission
Filed Apr 12, 2006
Crash reported

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A 1 CAR ACCIDENT. FOR NO KNOWN REASON THE VEHICLE WENT OUT OF CONTROL WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT. UPON REMOVAL OF THE DAMAGED FRONT FENDER IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TIRES ON THIS VEHICLE WERE BALD ON THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE. THIS DAMAGE TO THE TIRES IT WAS ULTIMATELY CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. THIS DEFECT IS WHAT IS KNOW AS STRUT RUB AND IS CAUSED BECAUSE OF A DESIGN FLAW IN THE PARTICULAR VEHICLE. PONTIAC 2004, GTO IN ADDITION TO THIS ISSUE MY VEHICLE HAS HAD NUMBER ISSUES WITH THE SHIFTER. IT HAS BEEN LOOKED AT BY THE DEALER 6 TO 7 TIMES AND SHIFTER WAS REPLACED ONCE. WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS THE SHIFTER STARTS RATTLING AGAIN. THIS VEHICLE IS DEFINITELY A LEMON AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. GM REFUSES TO BUY BACK THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT WAS IN AN ACCIDENT, EVEN THOUGH THE ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY THE DEFECT IN THE SUSPENSION ON THIS VEHICLE. ALSO, EVEN THOUGH THIS VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, THE MANUFACTURER STATES THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AND HAS INSTRUCTED US TO DRIVE IT. THERE ARE NUMEROUS OCCURRENCES DOCUMENTED ON VARIOUS WEB SITES, SUCH AS GTO FORUM. I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO PRINT OUT THIS INFORMATION FOR YOUR REVIEW!!! *JB

NHTSA ID
10155138
Incident
Mar 4, 2006
Mileage
2,000 mi
Fuel systemTransmission
Filed Jun 11, 2005

MY 2004 PONTIAC GTO REPEATEDLY COMES OUT OF OR WILL NOT GO INTO GEAR. THIS OCCURS MOSTLY WHEN GOING INTO 2ND BUT ALSO IN 1ST AND REVERSE. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO 3 GM DEALERS AND NONE OF THEM HAVE CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE SINCE I CANNOT GET THE CAR UNDER CONTROL IF I CANNOT GET IT INTO GEAR. I ALSO CANNOT ACCELERATE IF THE VEHICLE COMES OUT OF GEAR. MANY TIMES THIS HAS NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THE ARIZONA GM REPRESENTATIVE CONFIRMED AND WITNESSED THE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION BUT TOLD US TO SUE GM BECAUSE HE WOULD NOT REPURCHASE THE CAR OR FIX THE CAR. GM WILL NOT DO ANYTHING EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE FOUND SERVICE BULLETINS FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM ON YOUR WEBSITE. YOUR HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.

NHTSA ID
10125015
Incident
Sep 21, 2004
Mileage
600 mi
Transmission
Filed Aug 29, 2004

TRANSMISSION IS DIFFICULT TO PUT INTO REVERSE. DOUBLE CLUTCHING DOES NOT REMEDY AND YOU ALMOST HAVE TO FORCE THE GEAR SHIFT INTO REVERSE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT TAKES AN UNACCEPTABLE AMOUNT OF FORCE (IN LBS OR NEWTONS) TO FORCE VEHICLE INTO GEAR. TRANSMISSION ALSO OCCASIONALLY "POPS" OUT OF GEAR. GEARS ALSO GRIND SOMETIMES WHEN CLUTCH IS FULLY ENGAGED. VEHICLE HAS ONLY 7000 MILES. *JB

NHTSA ID
10088787
Incident
Aug 2, 2004
Mileage
4,300 mi
ElectricalTransmission
Filed May 28, 2004

PUT KEY IN IGNITION, TURNED KEY TO START POSTITION, RADIO, EVERYTHING WAS RIGHT, THEN BELLS STARTED GOING OFF, AND ERROR SAID ABS FAULT, WENT TO START VEHICLE, AND ERROR SAID AIRBAG FAULT. CAR WOULDNT EVEN TURN OVER, JUST A CLICK. I HAVE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS GETTING TRANSMISSION INTO GEAR, ANY GEAR, HAVE HAD IT POP OUT OF GEAR WHILE DRIVING, AND THERE IS ALSO A GRIND IN THE FRONT RIGHT WHEN I TURN. VERY UNSATISFIED. *LA

NHTSA ID
10073298
Incident
May 28, 2004
Mileage
2,800 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .