NHTSA Complaint #10061990 — 1999 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT

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