Transmission
Filed Dec 18, 2000
SHIFTER CAN BE MOVED FROM PARK TO REVERSE OR DRIVE WITHOUT PUSHING THUMB BUTTON OR STEPPING ON BRAKE PEDAL. ATTEMPTED REPAIR BY DEALER MADE PROBLEM WORSE NOT BETTER.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 737963
1996 Pontiac Trans Am
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
4
Latest Dec 18, 2000
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0
Overview
Our database contains 4 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1996 Pontiac Trans Am, most frequently naming the electrical, engine and interior & seats categories. 3 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 1999 | 1 | 1 |
| Apr 2000 | 1 | 2 |
| Aug 2000 | 1 | 3 |
| Dec 2000 | 1 | 4 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Electrical116.7%
- Engine116.7%
- Interior & seats116.7%
- Steering116.7%
- Suspension116.7%
- Transmission116.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
ElectricalInterior & seatsSteering
Filed Aug 19, 2000
FACTORY INSTALLED VEHICLE ANTI-THEFT ALARM SOUNDS WHEN VEHICLE GETS WET. DOME LIGHTS WON'T SHUT OFF. RESERVE POWER IN VEHICLE SHUTS DOWN WHEN IGNITION SHUT OFF. OPENED DOOR "DING" SOUNDS WHEN KEY IS PLACED IN IGNITION/VEHICLE NOT RUNNING/KEY NOT TURNED ON. ALL HAPPENS WHEN VEHICLE GETS WET. HAPPENS REPEATEDLY FOR UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF TIMES. INTERRUPTS SLEEP OF OWNER/NEIGHBORS. INTERRUPTS WORK OF OWNER @ WORK. CAN'T LOCK VEHICLE WHEN GOING INTO STORE. ALARM GOES OFF IF VEHICLE WAS WET OR DRIVEN ON DAMP ROADS. HAS TO LEAVE VEHICLE UNLOCKED OVER NIGHT. CANNOT DRIVE AT NIGHT WITH DOME LIGHTS AND MAP LIGHTS ON...THEY WON'T GO OFF EVEN WHEN VEHICLE IS SHUT OFF. DRAINS BATTERY. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN GARAGE 7 TIMES SINCE RECENT PURCHASE. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX. SERVICE BULLETIN FOUND ON THIS PROBLEM: BULLETIN # 970801738134 THROUGH INTERNET RESEARCH ON EDMUNDS.COM . NHTSA ITEM #SB054345. VISION GREATLY IMPAIRED WHEN NIGHT DRIVING BECAUSE OF LIGHTS NOT GOING OFF. VIN # NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME BECAUSE VEHICLE IS IN GARAGE AGAIN CURRENTLY FOR SAME PROBLEM. VEHICLE AT: MARSHALL PONTIAC, CLINTON IN...(765)832-2421. CALL FOR VIN# IF NEEDED.
- NHTSA ID
- 728417
- Incident
- Apr 1, 1999
Engine
Filed Apr 4, 2000
CONSUMER HAS NOTICED AN OIL LEAK. ALSO, COOLENT LEAKING, AND CAUSING VERY BAD FUMES/ODOR IN TO ENTER INTO THE PASSENGER'S COMPARTMENT. THE OCCUPANT BECAME SICK. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER HAS YET TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 859637
Suspension
Filed Jun 25, 1999
GRINDING AND PINGING NOISE FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE WHILE ACCELERATING AND BRAKING, DEALERSHIP HAS FAILED TO LOCATE NOISE AND FIX THE PROBLEM. *ET
- NHTSA ID
- 782382
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
130089009
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)
Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
876527
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
SOME VEHICLES EXPERIENCE ENGINE MISS/ POOR DRIVEABILITY SYMPTOMS. *YC
876002A
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
SOME V6 ENGINES MAY, ON A VERY INFREQUENT BASIS, HAVE AN OIL ODOR CONDITION THAT IS GENERALLY ENCOUNTERED AFTER THE ENGINE'S OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED.TYPICALLY THE ODOR LASTS APPROXIMATELY 1000 MILES AFTER THE CHANGE OF OIL AND THEN DOES NOT REAPPEAR UNTIL THE NEXT CHANGE OF OIL. *TT
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.