NHTSA Complaint #10052341 — 2000 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX

ENGINE COOLING-SMELL OF ENGINE COOLANT-TWO VISITS AGO MY CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALER TO FIX THE RECALL FOR COOLANT LEAK PROBLEM-UPPER MANIFOLD. MONTH OR TWO LATER I RETURNED TO THE DEALER FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE, AND TO CORRECT A "SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT." DEALER INFORMED ME THAT MY CAR "NEEDED NEW THERMOSTAT." THOUGHT THIS WAS A NORMAL CONDITION-BUT EVEN AFTER RECALL FIXED MY CAR "SMELLED LIKE ENGINE COOLANT!" MY CAR HAS NEVER MISSED A REQUIRED SERVICE--I "OVER-SERVICE" MY CAR! THE NEEDED SERVICE COMPLETED BY DEALER REPLACING THERMOSTAT, BAD TEMPERATURE SENSOR, AND REQUIRED ROUTINE OIL CHANGE. AFTER PICKING UP THE CAR FROM THE DEALER-MY CAR OVERHEATED-BLOWING SMOKE OUT OF THE HOOD. IT SMELLED LIKE COOLANT, I THOUGHT CAR WAS GOING TO BURN UP! I HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED TO DEALER-WHERE DEALER INFORMED ME-THEY SPILLED COOLANT-AND THAT THE COOLANT SPILLED WAS SMOKING!--I THINK THERE IS A HUGE PROBLEM WITH THE COOLING SYSTEM WITH THIS SERIES ENGINE. I FEEL THAT GM IS COVERING UP A LARGER PROBLEM WITH THE 3800 SERIES ENGINE-I AM AFRAID THAT THIS CONDITION WILL CAUSE MORE DAMAGE-I FEEL THAT GM DOES NOT WANT TO ADMIT THERE IS A LARGE PROBLEM, AND SIMPLY FIX MY CAR! -RATHER THE DEALER STATES "THERE IS NOTHING WRONG." I LIKE MY CAR, AND JUST WANT IT FIXED RIGHT. I AM AFRAID THE DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE--IT IS ONE OIL CHANGE OUT OF THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY-I FEEL THAT I AM STUCK WITH A LEMON.--EBROCK *LA