RoadVitals

1997 Pontiac Trans Am Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints 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.
12
Latest Oct 25, 2002
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.
1
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Jun 5, 2000

What this page shows

Our database holds 12 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1997 Pontiac Trans Am. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–12 of 12

Airbags
Filed Oct 25, 2002

THE CONSUMER WAS PULLING INSIDE OF THE PARKING LOT AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOY. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS

NHTSA ID
8021618
Incident
Oct 24, 2002
Electrical
Filed Feb 8, 2002

THE LEAD CONTACT POINTS FOR THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE MELTING AFTER APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS OF USE. THE ACTUAL FILMENTS ARE STILL INTACT AND THE FUSE DOES NOT BLOW. THE TAIL FIN BRAKE LIGHT STILL WORKS BUT THE ACTUAL BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT WORK AFTER THE LEAD CONTACT POINTS MELT.*AK

NHTSA ID
757967
ElectricalEngine
Filed Nov 7, 2001
Fire reported

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE WHILE DRIVING, TOTALLED VEHICLE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD, HE PULLED OVER OPENED THE HOOD AND THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE.*SLC

NHTSA ID
898856
Incident
Oct 17, 2001
Electrical
Filed Aug 29, 2001

WHEN THE CAR GET WET IT WILL MISFIRE AND GO DEAD, BEEN IN SHOP 69 TIMES SAME PROBLEM, THE CAR WILL LOOSE ALL POWER, SUNRISE PONTIAC WOLFCHASE SAYS THEY REFUSED TO WORK ON IT BECAUSE THEY DONT KNOW WHY IT HAPPENING, THE CAR IS PRESENTLY AT SUNRISE COVINGTON PIKE. *AK

NHTSA ID
751324
Incident
Jun 16, 1998
Exterior lighting
Filed Nov 6, 2000

HIGH BEAMS SHINE LIKE LOW BEAMS SHOULD. LOW BEAMS ARE TO DIM THAT THEY DONT ILLUMINATE THE ROAS ENOUGH. FORCING ME TO ALWAYS USE MY HIGH BEAMS. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND SHOULD NOT HAVE TO HAPPEN.*AK

NHTSA ID
735843
Exterior lighting
Filed Nov 5, 2000

THE SEALED-BEAM HEADLIGHTS SUPPLIED BY THE PONTIAC FIREBIRD TRANS AM MODEL DOES NOT LIGHT THE ROADWAY SUFFICIENTLY. THIS HAS ENDANGERED MYSELF AND OTHERS IN MY CAR SEVERAL TIMES AND REQUIRES EYE STRAIN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. NO RECALL OR TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN HAS BEEN ISSUED TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM, NOR HAS GMC RETURNED LETTERS OR E-MAIL SENT IN CONCERNS TO THIS PROBLEM. USING THE HIGH-BEAMS ON THE HIGHWAY (WHEN CLEAR ENOUGH TO DO SO), BARELY SUPPLIES LIGHTING EXPECTED BY THE LOW-BEAMS. LOW-BEAMS ARE VIRTUALLY USELESS TO THE DRIVER AND SERVE ONLY TO SHOW APPROACHING CARS I AM ON THE ROAD.*AK

NHTSA ID
735754
Incident
May 4, 2000
Transmission
Filed Sep 15, 2000
2 injuries reported

I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH , I WENT TO PASS A CAR TRANSMISSION DROPPED DOWN TO A LOWER GEAR ,AS THAT HAPPENED MY BODY WEIGHT PUSHED BACK IN THE SEAT , THE HEAD REST THEN SUDDENLY RELEASED WHICH ALLOWED MY HEAD TO FLING BACK.THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE PAIN IN MY NECK THEREAFTER.*AK

NHTSA ID
731593
Incident
Jun 5, 1998
Visibility
Filed Jul 12, 2000

WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH, A ROCK HIT PASSENGER SIDE "T" TOP TEMPERED GLASS SHATTERING IT TO PIECES WHICH SPREAD THROUGOUT THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. YH

NHTSA ID
552995
Incident
Jun 6, 2000
Fuel system
Filed Jun 19, 2000

INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKS OIL, ETC... AT 39,000 MILES. THE OIL IS CHANGED EVERY 3,000 MILES. WELL TAKEN CARE OF. SHOULD NOT HAVE OIL LEAKS. DEALER STATED NOT RESPONSIBLE 3,000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY. NOT ACCEPTABLE TO ME.

NHTSA ID
724227
Incident
Jan 1, 2000
AirbagsSuspension
Filed Jun 19, 2000

WHEN CAR GETS WET, THE SES LIGHT APPEARS, ENGINE VIBRATES. DEALER SERVICED (5) DIFFERENT TIMES COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM. INCONVENIENT TO KEEP MAKING SO MANY TRIPS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID
724225
Incident
Jan 3, 1998
Body & structure
Filed Jun 15, 2000

THE GLASS IN THE "T" TOP PASSENGER SIDE WHEN STRUCK BY A PROJECTILE FROM A TRUCK EXPLODED INTO PIECES CARRIED BY THE WIND BLAST THROUGHTOUT THE VEHICLE. I THOUGHT STANDARD NO. 205 INDICATES ALL GLASS IN THE DRIVERS FACE MUST BE A TYPE OF SAFETY TYPE THAT DOES NOT ALLOW THE BROKEN GLASS TO FLY ABOUT THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID
724054
Incident
Jun 13, 2000
Brakes
Filed Jun 5, 2000

BRAKES HAD TO BE REPLACED THE ELEVENTH TIME. WHEN CONSUMER APPLIES BRAKES THEY PULSATE, AND VEHICLE SHAKES AND TREMBLES. *AK

NHTSA ID
863024
Incident
Oct 22, 1997

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.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .