1999 Pontiac Trans Sport

SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE AVAILABLE WITH AN OPTIONAL POWER SLIDING DOOR.THE INTERIOR HANDLE IS ORIENTED IN THE VERTICAL POSITION IN THE DOOR PANEL AND LINES UP AT THE ELBOW LEVEL WHEN THE OCCUPANT IS SEATED IN THE 2ND-ROW OUTBOARD POSITION.IF THE OCCUPANT HOLDS THE INTERIOR HANDLE IN THE THUMB UP POSITION DURING POWER-ASSISTED OPENING, THE ARM/WRIST CAN BE PUSH BACK WITH FORCE AGAINST THE 2ND-ROW BUCKET SEAT OR CAPTAIN'S CHAIR SEAT BACK CREATING A RISK OF INJURY (OTHER SEATING CONFIGURATIONS HAVE AMPLE SEAT TO DOOR CLEARANCE TO AVOID ENTRAPMENT OF THE LOWER ARM).AMONG THE 103 TOTAL REPORTS, THERE WERE 102 ALLEGED INJURIES INCLUDING ARM/WRIST, THUMB AND SHOULDER INJURIES.A COUNT OF INJURIES REVEALS THAT 76 INJURIES WERE A FRACTURED OR A BROKEN ARM/WRIST REQUIRING AN IMMOBILIZING CAST FOR FOUR-TO-SIX WEEKS.ALL INJURIES INVOLVE THE RIGHT SIDE POWER SLIDING DOOR.THE LEFT SIDE POWER SLIDING DOOR IS ON FAR FEWER VEHICLES, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT PRODUCES LESS FORCE.GM NOTIFIED THE AGENCY BY LETTER DATED DECEMBER 21, 2004, THAT IT WILL RECALL MODEL YEAR 1997 THOUGH EARLY 2005 GM U-VAN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A RIGHT SIDE POWER SLIDING DOOR AND WITH 2ND-ROW BUCKET SEATS OR CAPTAIN CHAIRS (NHTSA RECALL #04V597).AS PART OF THE RECALL REMEDY, GM WILL REPLACE THE DOOR HANDLE WITH A FLUSH MOUNTED HANDLE THAT WILL PREVENT AN OCCUPANT FROM GRASPING THE HANDLE WITH THE PALM BETWEEN THE HANDLE AND DOOR PANEL (THUMB UP ORIENTATION) AND THUS ELIMINATE THE POTENTIAL FOR ARM/WRIST ENTRAPMENT.THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.

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.

There is no summary currently available

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE WENT OFF THE ROAD AND STRUCK A TREE. WHEN THIS OCCURRED, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT SHOULDER STRAP DID NOT LOCK. THE DRIVER HIT THE STEERING WHEEL CAUSING MINOR CHEST INJURIES, THEN THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. ALSO, THE MIDDLE ROW DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT CAME UNLOCKED. THIS CAUSED THE OCCUPANTS LEG TO BE CRUSHED, RESULTING IN SURGERY. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD AND INSPECTED BY THE MANUFACTURER, BUT IT WAS DETERMINED NOT TO BE A DEFECT.

NHTSA ID

10154440

Incident

Apr 3, 2006

Mileage

57,000 mi

WITH RESPECT TO MY 1999 PONTIAC TRANSPORT VAN, OCTOBER OF 2003 THE ENGINE STARTED OVERHEATING AND WE DISCOVERED THAT THE COOLANT WAS LOW. WE ADDED COOLANT AND SOME TYPE OF SEAL INTO THE COOLANT BECAUSE WE WERE TOLD BY SEVERAL GM MECHANICS THAT IT WAS PROBABLY THE HEAD GASKET AND THIS SEAL WOULD HELP TO GET US BY UNTIL WE COULD HAVE IT FIXED. I CALLED THE COMPANY WHERE I PURCHASED THE VAN (2ND HAND) AND THE VAN WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY (OVER BY 4,000 MILES AT THE TIME). I DID PURCHASE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. WE PRICED AROUND FOR THE COST TO HAVE THE HEAD GASKET REPAIRED/REPLACED AND FOUND THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO SPEND BETWEEN $800 AND $1,000 TO GET IT FIXED. OUR VAN IS NOW SITTING IN A GARAGE BEING TORN APART AND THE HEAD GASKET WAS THE PROBLEM. PRIOR TO OCTOBER 2003 WE HAD THE COILS CHANGED AND THE #5 PLUG WAS SHOWING A MALFUNCTIONING PROBLEM WHICH WAS SHOWING UP ON THE COMPUTER. WHEN WE BROUGHT IT TO THE GARAGE THEY REPLACED THE PLUGS. WE WERE TOLD BY THE MECHANIC WHO IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE GASKET THAT THE COOLANT WAS LEAKING OUT ON THE #5 GASKET AND THIS WAS THE PROBLEM PREVIOUSLY WHICH WAS NOT PICKED UP ON BY THE PAST MECHANIC. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR US SINCE ABOUT JUNE OF 2003.*AK

NHTSA ID

10061990

Incident

Jun 1, 2003

Mileage

44,000 mi

PROBLEMS WITH THE SLIDING DOOR, HEADLAMP FELL OFF, AUTOMATIC LOCKS/WINDOW AND ETC. *PH THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE VEHICLE HAS A COOLANT LEAK. THE FUEL MODULATOR AND SPARK PLUGS WERE REPLACED. *JB

NHTSA ID

10065330

INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS (UPPER & LOWER) NEED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT IS LEAKING ENGINE COOLANT. ALSO NEED TO REPLACE THERMOSTAT AND GASKET. COST $900.

NHTSA ID

10069942

Incident

Jan 15, 2003

Mileage

900 mi

TRANSMISSION FAILURE CAUSED BY ANTIFREEZE IN TRANSMISSION. CORROSION OF RADIATOR CAUSING ANTIFREEZE TO MIX WITH TRANSMISSION FLUID. NOW IS OVERHEATING CAUSED BY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKING ALLOWING ANTIFREEZE TO GET INTO CRANKCASE. POTENTIALLY FATAL FOR ENGINE. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10014253

Incident

Feb 10, 2003

Mileage

44,402 mi

RETRACTOR MOUNT NOT SECURED TO UPPER PANEL, TOP THREADS INTO PILLAR NOT DONE, INSTALLED MISSING BOLT IN SEAT BELT MOUNT.

NHTSA ID

9005150

Incident

Oct 3, 2001

WHILE EXITING A PARKING LOT, THE REAR SLIDING DOOR OPENED, THE DEALER FOUND THAT A BENT BRACKET IN THE DOOR MOUNTING WAS THE APPARENT CAUSE OF THE DOOR FAILING TO LATCH PROPERLY. NLM

NHTSA ID

562656

Incident

Aug 12, 2001

WHILE IN DRIVEWAY WAS ADJUSTING FRONT SEAT AND VEHICLE STARTED SMELLING LIKE SMOKE. CONSUMER LOOKED UNDER SEAT, AND ONE OF THE WIRES WAS COMPLETELY BARE. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER DID REPAIRS. BUT, WIRES WERE STILL HANGING FROM UNDER SEAT. *AK

NHTSA ID

894050

Incident

Aug 5, 2001

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

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 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.