1997 Pontiac Trans Sport Exterior lighting Problems

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

MY TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE AND I AM ALREADY HAVING PROBLEMS WITH IT AGAIN, IT'S ONLY BEEN A YEAR SINCE IT WAS REPLACED. BOTH OF MY FRONT WINDOWS ARE POWER WINDOWS AND I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE LITTLE MOTOR FOR THEM TO GO UP AND DOWN TWICE AND THE PASSENGER IS NOT WORKING AGAIN. MY LEFT FRONT SIGNAL LIGHT NEVER WORKS, IT GETS REPLACED AND A DAY LATER IS NOT WORKING AGAIN. I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY STEERING WHEEL, IT IS VERY HARD TO TURN RIGHT, THIS WAS ALREADY FIXED AND I'M HAVING PROBLEMS AGAIN. I NEED TO KNOW IF THERE ARE OR THERE WHERE ANY RECALLS RELATED TO MY PROBLEMS. I HAVE READ ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THANK YOU. *JB

NHTSA ID

10156528

Incident

Feb 8, 2005

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE HEADLIGHT LENSES ARE FOGGED UP AND DO NOT ILLUMINATE THE ROAD PROPERLY. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE LENSES NEED TO BE REPLACED.

NHTSA ID

10153233

Incident

Mar 20, 2006

Mileage

130,624 mi

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, THE HEADLIGHT COVER FELL OFF AND SHATTERED ON THE STREET. A NEW ONE IS ALMOST $200!*JB

NHTSA ID

10132008

Incident

Jul 13, 2005

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A HEADLIGHT PROBLEM. WHILE DRIVING HEADLIGHT COVER POPPED OFF, CAUSING THE LIGHT BULB TO BLOW OUT. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED TWO TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE DUE TO THE SEALANT.*AK

NHTSA ID

10103871

Incident

Dec 8, 2004

DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT MISSING. THE HEADLIGHT WAS IN PLACE IN THE A.M. IN THE AFTERNOON, AFTER ARRIVING AT A FRIENDS HOME, I NOTICED THE HEADLIGHT WAS MISSING. *AK THIS IS THE THIRD TIME I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE A HEADLIGHT AT MY EXPENSE. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE. IT'S NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN A WRECK. I SEE ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WHY A SEALED HEADLIGHT SHOULD FALL APART IN THIS MANNER. THE REPLACEMENT IS OVER 200 DOLLARS. I BELIEVE THE MANUFACTURE SHOULD REPLACE THIS UNIT AT THEIR EXPENSE.

NHTSA ID

10075205

Incident

Jun 10, 2004

HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY PLASTIC FALLS OFF EXPOSING BULB TO MOISTURE/RAIN WHICH CAUSES THE BULB TO BURN OUT. THEREFORE, LOSING THE ILLUMINATION OF ONE LAMP AND LIMITING VISABILITY WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT.*AK

NHTSA ID

10062784

Incident

Feb 14, 2004

Mileage

86,000 mi

BOTH, NOT JUST ONE OF MY HEADLIGHTS CASINGS POPPED OFF WITHOUT WARNING. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THEM. WHICH I HAVE NEVER HAD TO DO WITH ANY OTHER CAR I HAVE OWNED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10052607

Incident

Oct 15, 2003

FUSES BLOW WITHIN MINUTES OF BEING INSTALLED. REAR SIGNAL LIGHT DOES NOT FLASH. PH

NHTSA ID

10022357

FRONT HEAD LIGHTS HAVE ALWAYS HAD MOISTURE. AT CERTAIN TIMES OF THE YEAR THEY HAVE CONTAINED 1-3 INCHES OF WATER. PONTIAC REFUSED TO CORRECT PROBLEM. THE PAST MONTH BOTH LENS COVERS HAVE FALLEN OFF WHILE DRIVING. *JB

NHTSA ID

10018456

Incident

May 2, 2003

Mileage

35,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT LENS BLEW OFF THE VEHICLE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10017534

Incident

Mar 15, 2003

THE HEADLIGHT LENS POPPED OFF WITHOUT WARNING, THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE SEAL AROUND THE LENS WAS EXCESSIVELY CORRODED.*JB *TS

NHTSA ID

10011370

Incident

Feb 25, 2003

WHILE DRIVING IN RAINY WEATHER, THE HEAD LIGHT LEN COVERS FELL OFF DUE TO INFERIOR ADHESIVE CAUSING THE BULBS TO BURN OUT. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. *TT

NHTSA ID

567376

Incident

Oct 1, 2000

THE LENS CAP FELL OFF OF THE FRONT LIGHT HEADLIGHT. THEY WILL NOT REPLACE IT. IT IS A DEFINITE DEFECT. I HAVE TO PAY $200 FOR A WHOLE NEW LIGHT. THEY SHOULD MAKE A LENS COVER. PONTIAC CLAIMS THAT THEY HAVE NOT GOTTEN MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS BUT WHEN I CALLED ONE SALVAGE YARD HE TOLD ME THAT HE ALONE GETS 10 CALLS A WEEK ON THIS PART!!!*AK

NHTSA ID

766675

Incident

Aug 12, 2002

REPLACED RIGHT HAND LENS AND IT FAILED ALSO.*AK

NHTSA ID

766489

Incident

Aug 24, 2002

BOTH HEADLIGHT LENSES KEEP FALLING OFF WITHOUT WARNING,RESULTING IN LOSS OF HEADLIGHTS.*AK

NHTSA ID

8016741

Incident

Jan 20, 2002

CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING, HE DISCOVERD THE SIGNAL LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING, THE FUSES HAVE BEEN REPLACED OVER A HUNDRED TIMES.*MJ

NHTSA ID

566926

Incident

Oct 1, 2001

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING ONE OF THE HEADLIGHT COVERS FLEW OFF. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE AFFECTED HEADLIGHT BULB EXPLODED FROM SUDDEN EXPLOSURE TO COLD AIR AND RAIN. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, CONSUMER FOUND HEADLIGHT COVER IN DRIVEWAY. THERE WAS ALSO CONDENSATION DISCOVERED IN THE OTHER FRONT LIGHT ASSIMBLIES (SIDE MARKER, TURN SIGNAL, ETC.). *TT

NHTSA ID

561242

SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE AUTOMATICALLY. DOOR WOULD NOT LATCH. BUZZER WOULD SOUND AND DOOR WOULD COME OPEN, EVEN WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN TWICE UNDER RECALLS. ONCE UNDER RECALL 01 V 224 000 FOR SLIDING DOOR AND SECOND TIME UNDER RECALL 01 V 067 000. NEITHER RECALL CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. *AK. CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL WAS INOPERATIVE, THE DEALER REPLACED THE TURN SIGNAL BULB, ALSO THERE WAS A RATTLE NOISE WHEN VEHICLE WAS IN IDLE, DEALER REPLACED THE BELT TENSIONER.*JB

NHTSA ID

8007704

Incident

Apr 16, 2001

CONSUMER HIT A BUMP AND BOTH LENSES FELL OUT OF HEADLIGHTS. ADHESIVE THAT HOLDS LENSES DRIED UP. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK *YD

NHTSA ID

8005659

HEADLIGHTS COVERS HAD FALLEN ONE AFTER ANOTHER WITHIN A WEEK APART. CONSUMER TRIED TO FIND OUT WHAT HAD CAUSED THIS SITUATION, COVERS COULD NOT BE PUT BACK. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

8000758

Incident

Dec 8, 2001

COVER FOR FRONT-LEFT HEADLIGHT FELL OFF DUE TO MOISTURE BUILD UP IN THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY, COMPONENT WAS REPLACED AT CONSUMERS EXPENSE, FRONT/RIGHT HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WAS STARTING TO SHOW MOISTURE BUILDUP, BUT HAS NOT DISCONNECTED TO THIS DATE. *AK CONSUMER REPLACED THE RIGHT FRONT HEADLAMP AT THE SAME TIME AS THE LEFT, AS IT HAS ALREADY LOST A GOOD AMOUNT OF THE GLUE, IT WAS LOOSE AND HAD A SERIOUS MISTURE BUILDUP CAUSING CORROSION INSIDE THE LIGHT.*SLC

NHTSA ID

899700

Incident

Oct 1, 2001

WHILE DRIVING PASSENGER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT LENS COVER BLEW OFF, ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT, SMASHING AGAINST ANOTHER VEHICLE'S WINDSHIELD. ALSO, LESS THAN A MONTH LATER, DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT LENS BLEW OFF TOO. CONSUMER COULD SEE THAT THE SEALER DRIES UP AND CRUMBLES OFF.*AK *JB

NHTSA ID

886531

Incident

Mar 1, 2001

PLASTIC LENS COVERS ON HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY HAVE FALLEN OFF, EXPOSING BULBS, AND CAUSING THEM TO PREMATURELY BLOWOUT. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

NHTSA ID

885749

HEADLIGHT COVERS FELL OFF, MOISTURE CAUSED BULBS TO EXPLODE. BOTH COVERS FELL OFF WHILE DRIVING, SIGNAL LIGHT COVERS AND OTHER LIGHT COVERS ARE FULL OF MOISTURE.*AK

NHTSA ID

885567

Incident

Mar 29, 2001