1997 Pontiac Trans Sport

ON NOVEMBER 18, 2002, ODI OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE02-086) TO EVALUATE ALLEGATIONS OF REAR AXLE TRAILING ARM FAILURES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES (U-VAN) WHICH INCLUDED TWO REPORTING CRASHES.ON APRIL 9, 2003, ODI UPGRADED PE02-086 TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA03-005) TO CONTINUE ITS EXAMINATION OF THE ISSUE. THE TRAILING ARM DESIGN IN THESE VEHICLES HAS BEEN USED IN THE U-VAN FROM MY 1997 THROUGH THE PRESENT.THE GM ANALYSIS CONCLUDED THAT THE SUBJECT TRAILING ARMS COULD CRACK OR BUCKLE IF THEY WERE DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY, PRE-DELIVERY HANDLING, OR SUBJECTED TO CERTAIN SERVICE RELATED ABUSE CONDITIONS SUCH AS IMPROPER TOWING OR JACKING.ANALYSIS OF ODI AND GM DATA HAS IDENTIFIED 19 INCIDENTS OF REAR AXLE TRAILING ARM FAILURES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THERE HAVE BEEN NO NEW REPORTS TO ODI OR GM IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS AND ONLY ONE NEW COMPLAINT IN THE LAST 21 MONTHS. DUE TO THE LOW COMPLAINT RATE AND THE ABSENCE OF A CONTINUING TREND IN REPORTED FAILURES, A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST. THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.

ODI IDENTIFIED 59 REPORTS WITH THE ALLEGED DEFECT.ODI WAS ABLE TO CONTACT 44 OF THE 59 CONSUMERS IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE SPECIFIC CAUSE OF THE LATCH PROBLEMS.OF THE 44 OWNERS CONTACTED, ODI DETERMINED THAT FOUR FAILURES WERE DUE TO AN OUT-OF-TOLERANCE LATCH PLATE, AND THAT 23 FAILURES WERE DUE TO A DISPLACED BUCKLE HOUSING COVER.THE REMAINING 17 FAILURES HAD INDETERMINABLE CAUSES.OF THE 59 REPORTS, THERE WERE THREE ALLEGED MINOR INJURIES.NO LEGAL CLAIMS OR LAWSUITS HAVE BEEN FILED WITH REGARD TO THIS ALLEGED DEFECT.BASED ON THE LIMITED NUMBER OF REPORTS, AND A DECLINING REPORT TREND, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEARED TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES. SEE ADDITIONAL SUMMARY REPORT.

THE LOWER PINION BEARING IN THE RACK AND PINION STEERING ASSEMBLY MAY FAIL.GM WILL RECALL 1997-98 GRAND PRIX BUILT BETWEEN 1-MAR-96 AND 31-OCT-97; AND 1996-98 U-VANS/J-CARS BUILT BETWEEN 1-JAN-96 AND 31-OCT-97.SEE ATTACHED SUMMARY.

Sliding door on passenger side locked up trapping passenger inside. Door cannot be opened manually or electronically. A loud buzzing noise then a thud was heard prior. Can't open door any way now scary.

NHTSA ID

11424900

Incident

Jul 4, 2021

THE FUEL GUAGE GIVES FALSE READING, THE NEEDLE WILL POSITION WAY PASS THE "FULL". AFTER PUTTING IN FUEL, IT WILL MOVE TO THE "FULL" MARK OR SHOW JUST ANY AMOUNT WITHOUT THE TANK BEING FULL. IT IS AVERY HARD ACT TO FOLLOW ESPECIALLY IN THESE TIMES WHEN I CANNOT AFFORD TO TOP OFF THE TANK. IN OTHER WORDS, THIS FUEL GUAGE IS VERY UNRULY AND HAS ITS OWN WAY IN REGISTERING WHAT IT FEELS LIKE SHOWJNG ME. IS THERE A RECALL?. HOW CAN I CORRECT THIS EMBARASSING SITUATION?. *TR

NHTSA ID

10443509

Incident

Jan 11, 2012

DRIVING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, ON CONGESTED FREEWAY, AT 55 MPH THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME WAS SLOWING DOWN AND I ALMOST REAR ENDED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. DROPPED IT IN FIRST GEAR, APPLIED EMERGENCY BRAKE AND MADE AN EVASIVE LANE CHANGE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER AND LET IT SLOW DOWN BY ITSELF. PULLED OFF ON THE FREEWAY SHOULDER GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND I NOTICED THE BRAKE LINE RIGHT UNDERNEATH THE DRIVER SIDE LEAKING AT A HIGH RATE AND BRAKE FLUID PUDDLING UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. ONLY GOD'S GRACE THAT I DIDN'T REAR END ANYBODY OR GOTTEN INTO A CAR CRASH. DISAPPOINTED IS NOT A STRONG ENOUGH WORD TO USE FOR WHAT HAPPENED. I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED A BRAKE LINE BURST IN A VEHICLE. DOING SOME ONLINE SEARCHES ON GM BRAKE LINE FAILURES I FOUND A LOT OF REPORTED CASES OF GM VEHICLES HAVING SEVERELY RUSTED BRAKE LINES THAT HAD CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR. HOPE THAT YOU'LL OPEN AN INVESTIGATION INTO THESE CONCERNS IN ORDER TO AVOID ANY FUTURE INCIDENTS.

NHTSA ID

10397911

Incident

Apr 25, 2011

Mileage

107,300 mi

IN NOV. OF 2007 I WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH MY VAN OVERHEATING AND WAS LOSING ENGINE COOLANT BUT COULD NOT SEE WHERE IT WAS GOING. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT I HAD A FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, WHICH COST ME OVER 800.00 TO REPAIR. NOT LONG AFTER THE GASKET WAS REPAIRED THE VAN STARTED OVERHEATING AGAIN AND I DISCOVERED THAT THE WATER PUMP WAS BLOWN, THAT WAS ANOTHER 174.00 TO REPAIR. NOW I AM STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE VAN OVERHEATING AND COOLANT LEAKING AND I WAS JUST INFORMED THAT IT IS A HEAD GASKET WHICH IS GOING TO COST ME OVER 1700.00 TO FIX. THIS IS RIDICULOUS, I KNOW 3 OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL VAN AS I DO WITH THE SAME ENGINE AND THEY ARE ALL ALSO HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THEIR VANS. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS IS TOO MUCH OF A COINCIDENCE AND THAT THEIR SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL IN PLACE TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEMS WITH THESE FAULTY PARTS. THESE ARE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE REPAIRS AND I PERSONALLY DO NOT HAVE AN EXTRA $1700.00 JUST LAYING AROUND, SO NOW I AM FACED WITH THE CHOICE OF JUNKING MY VAN AND TRYING TO GET A NEW ONE WHICH I CANNOT AFFORD OR FIXING IT WHICH I ALSO CANNOT AFFORD. *TR

NHTSA ID

10247940

Incident

Nov 10, 2007

I HAVE OWNED BOTH A '92 AND A '97 TRANSPORT AND BOTH HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. THE POWER WINDOW CONTROLS POP LOOSE OF THE DRIVER'S DOOR AND THE WINDOWS FAIL TO OPERATE. THE REAR DOOR LOCK FAILS. THE BLINKER AND CRUISE CONTROL LEVER SNAPPED OFF THE STEERING COLUMN SO THE BLINKER DOESN'T WORK. THE WINDOW WIPER CONTROL MODULE FAILED. THE TRANSAXLE HOSES SPRUNG A LEAK AT THE METAL CONNECTIONS CAUSING THE TRANSAXLE TO LOOSE FLUID AND THE VEHICLE TO BE STRANDED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10238776

Incident

Jul 15, 2008

Mileage

90,000 mi

OUR 1997 PONTIAC TRANSPORT HAS HAD 3 HEAD GASKET FAILURES. THE FIRST WAS AT 72000, SECOND AT 88,000 AND IS CURRENTLY DEAD IN FRONT DRIVE WITH WATER IN THE OIL AGAIN. HAD NEW HEADS PUT ON AT 72000. VEHICLE OVERHEATS AND DOES NOT SHOW ON GAUGES. YOU HEAR IT BUBBLING WHEN IT'S SHUT OFF. ALSO HAD TO REPLACE ALTERNATOR 3 TIMES AND VAN ONLY HAS 110,000 MILES ON IT. WE'VE HAD SINCE NEW. *TR

NHTSA ID

10235285

Incident

Feb 9, 2005

Mileage

72,000 mi

MY WIFE'S 1997 PONTIAC TRANSPORT MINI-VAN HAS THE PLASTIC HEADLIGHT LENSES, THAT ARE NOW YELLOW AND CLOUDY, AND NIGHTTIME VISIBILITY IS SO POOR THAT SHE DOESN'T DRIVE AT NIGHT UNLESS SHE HAS TO. ALSO MY 2000 NISSAN FRONTIER TRUCK IS SUCCUMBING TO THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT IT IS NOT AS SEVERE YET. I HAVE TRIED HIGH-OUTPUT ZENON, BLUELIGHT, AND ULTRA WHITE BULBS BUT THE YELLOWING/CLOUDY PLASTIC LENSES GREATLY REDUCES THE PERFORMANCE QUALITIES OF THESE BULBS. I CANNOT SEE THE SAFETY BENEFITS OF HAVING PLASTIC HEADLIGHT LENSES THAT WON'T SHATTER LIKE GLASS IN AN ACCIDENT IF YOU CANNOT SEE MORE THAN 20 FEET IN FRONT OF YOUR VEHICLE AT NIGHT. I STILL BELIEVE GLASS IS THE BEST MATERIAL FOR HEADLIGHTS, I SEE CARS AND TRUCKS FROM THE 70'S, 80'S, AND EARLY 90'S THAT STILL HAVE GREAT WORKING HEADLIGHTS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10218001

Incident

Jan 13, 2008

Mileage

92,846 mi

VAN STARTED ON FIRE, IN DRIVER'S DOOR ORIGINATING FROM POWER WINDOW CONTROLS. PARKED IN DRIVEWAY NEXT TO HOUSE,NOT RUNNING. VAN WAS A COMPLETE LOSS,ONLY VEHICLE WAS ONLY ONE FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10209694

Incident

Nov 21, 2007

Mileage

100,000 mi

This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8 starting/charging tester  and Vehicle Data Recorder tools, giving website address and step by step instructions to complete the update.

This informational bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Procedures to Unlock Delco Radio with Theftlock.

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to contact the radio unlock center to retrieve the unlock code from the scrambled code.  The PI update to version D is to advise the unlock procedure is temporarily unavailable.  E version update is to add administrative details.

This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to contact the radio unlock center to retrieve the unlock code from the scrambled code.  The PI update to version D is to advise the unlock procedure is temporarily unavailable.

This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.