1994 Pontiac Trans Am Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1994 Pontiac Trans Am, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Fuel system323.1%
- Driver assistance215.4%
- Visibility215.4%
- Electrical215.4%
- Brakes215.4%
- Engine17.7%
- Transmission17.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE LEAKS OIL FROM IN BETWEEN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THE ENGINE BLOCK. DEALER SAID INTAKE MANIFOLD NEEDED TO BE TAKEN OFF, AND A NEW HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED. *AK
FUMES ENTERING VEHICLE CAUSING CONSUMER TO BECOME DIZZY, LIGHT HEADED, NAUSEOUS AND DISORIENTED.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE ABS SYSTEM WILL NOT WORK UNLESS I TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON WHILE DRIVING. JUST ORDERED THE PARTS TO FIX IT, THEY SAID I NEEDED THE MOTOR AND MODULATOR. PARTS ALONE COST ME $1,170.
THIS VEHICLE IS A 1998 MODEL. CONSUMER HAD TURNED FROM A STOP SIGN, VEHICLE ACCELERATED ABOUT 45MPH. REMOVED FOOT FROM PEDAL IT WENT TO THE FLOOR . CONSUMER CUT OFF THE SWITCH AND RESTARTED ENGINE. SOMETIMES VEHICLE WILL BE DECELERATING, SOMETIMES IT WILL STILL BE ACCELERATING. ON JULY 18, 1998, WHEN VEHICLE CRASHED THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE, EVEN AFTER CONSUMER SWITCHED IT OFF ON TWO OCCASIONS. DECELERATION HAD BEGUN, CONSUMER LOST CONTROL, RAN OFF ROAD, HITTING TREES. SPLIT THE FRONT END. THE MOTOR FIRST FLEW OUT APPROXIMATELY 250YARDS. THEN THE BACK HIT SOME TREES, AND BACK END TORE APART. THE TRUNK AND EVERYTHING WAS GONE. THE VEHICLE SPLIT INTO APPROXIMATELY 4 PARTS. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE EXPERIENCING WINDSHIELD WIPER WORKING INTRMITTENTLEY OR NOT AT ALL; CONDITION CAN REDUCE DRIVER'S VISIBILITY AND INCREASING THE RISK OF VEHICLE CRASH. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS:
THE ABS SYSTEM WILL NOT WORK UNLESS I TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON WHILE DRIVING. JUST ORDERED THE PARTS TO FIX IT, THEY SAID I NEEDED THE MOTOR AND MODULATOR. PARTS ALONE COST ME $1,170.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
THE DELCO CD PLAYER IS TOO HOT, IT CAUSES TO BURN THE CD AND MAY CAUSE A SHORT CIRCUIT AND CAUSE A FIRE. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT WON'T ASSIST THE CONSUMER. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE ABS SYSTEM WILL NOT WORK UNLESS I TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON WHILE DRIVING. JUST ORDERED THE PARTS TO FIX IT, THEY SAID I NEEDED THE MOTOR AND MODULATOR. PARTS ALONE COST ME $1,170.
ABS BRAKES FAILED, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT, ALSO TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE LEAKS OIL FROM IN BETWEEN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THE ENGINE BLOCK. DEALER SAID INTAKE MANIFOLD NEEDED TO BE TAKEN OFF, AND A NEW HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
ABS BRAKES FAILED, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT, ALSO TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .