NHTSA Complaint #10070686 — 1997 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT

AT 51000 MILES THE 3.4L ENGINE HAD LOWER INTAKE GASKET FAILURE IN WHICH THE DEX-COOL ANTI FREEZE DUMPED INTO THE CRANKCASE MIXING WITH THE OIL. THIS ONLY HAD ONE WARNING A COUPLE MONTHS EARLIER AS THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON AND I ADDED 1/2 GALLON DEX-COOL WITH NO SIGNS OF LEAKAGE. NEXT TIME IT HAPPENED WAS WHEN MY WIFE WAS TAKING DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL AND TEMP. LIGHT CAME ON. VAN WAS NOT DRIVEN OVER 2 MILES TO DEALER, AS LIGHT WENT OUT. DEALER SAID EXTREME MIXTURE IN BOTH CRANKCASE AND RADIATOR. RECOMMENDED REPLACE RADIATOR, WATERPUMP, INTAKE GASKETS, FLUSH BOTH SYSTEMS AT A COST OF 1500 NOT TO BE APPLIED TOWARD ENGINE REPLACEMENT IF FAILURE ON START UP. DEALER HAD JUST HAD VAN IN WEEK BEFORE FOR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND STEERING RECALL AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG !!!! WE TRADED IT IN AT A LOSS AS I CHECKED INTO THE PROBLEM AND LEARNED ABOUT THOUSANDS OF OTHER OWNERS WITH SAME PROBLEMS WITH TOTAL ENGINE FAILURES AFTER REPAIRS MADE. WE LOST OVER $3000 EQUITY BETWEEN WHAT TRADE VALUE WOULD HAVE BEEN IF NO PROBLEM WITH ENGINE AND LETTING DEALER FIX PROBLEM AFTER TRADE. VAN HAD MANY PROBLEMS SINCE WE BOUGHT IT NEW BUT WE ALWAYS HAD THEM FIXED AND WAS WELL MAINTAINED. LOOKED NEW WHEN WE TRADED WITH ONLY 50,000 MILES. PAINT ON HOOD BLISTERED TWICE, STEERING / BRAKES WOBBLED SINCE NEW AT VARYNG SPEEDS, ALWAYS HAD TICKING SOUND IN ENGINE DEALER SAID WAS "NORMAL", REAR SEATS WOULD JAMB UP IF YOU TRIED TO REMOVE, WIPER ARMS FAILED TWICE, SERPENTINE BELT TENSIONER BROKE OFF ON ENGINE START UP IN DEC. 2002. COST $375 WITH TOWING, POWER WINDOW SWITCH FAILED IN DOWN POSITION AT REPLACEMENT COST OF ABOUT $175. ENGINE UNDER WARRANTY WHEN IT HAD A SEVERE GAS SMELL THAT NEARLY CAUSED A FIRE IN ABOUT 1999. THEY KEPT IT A WEEK AND NEVER SAID WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THEY HAD JUST WORKED ON IT FOR TICKING SOUND. (PROBABLY INTAKE GASKETS THEN ALSO). GM WAS NO HELP AFTER WARRANTY WAS UP.