NHTSA Complaint #10112145 — 1997 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT

I NOTICED THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT WOULD GO ON SOMETIMES AND THE VEHICLE WAS GOING THROUGH COOLANT MUCH FASTER THAN ANY OTHER VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED. *NM I PERFORMED SOME RESEARCH ON THIS ISSUE AND DISCOVERED A SERVICE BULLETIN REGARDING THE FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET IN MODEL YEAR 1997 TRANSPORT VANS, AMONG OTHERS. THIS SERVICE BULLETIN CLEARLY INDICATES THAT THIS ISSUE A RESULT OF A POORLY DESIGNED GASKET. FURTHER RESEARCH INDICATED THAT HAVING THIS PROBLEM WITH YOUR VEHICLE COULD RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO THE LEAKING COOLANT GETTING INTO YOUR ENGINE. THIS NOW CREATES A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO THE UNPREDICTABILITY OF WHEN YOUR VEHICLE COULD BREAKDOWN. I TOOK THE VAN IN TO A GM DEALER THE NEXT DAY. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS A FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET THAT WAS CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK INSIDE THE ENGINE. THE REPAIR ESTIMATED TO $720, FOR PARTS AND LABOR AND $130 TO PAY FOR A FAULTY BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR THAT WAS ALSO DIAGNOSED. I CALLED GM TO REQUEST COST ASSISTANCE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE "CAR HAS TOO MANY MILES ON IT, WE CAN'T HELP YOU NOW". I WAS GIVEN THE REASONS THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT USED, AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOO OLD. ALTHOUGH I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM FIXED, GM CLAIMED NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ISSUE. FURTHERMORE, I AM NOT CONVINCED THAT HAVING THIS FAILURE DID NOT CREATE OTHER PROBLEMS THAT WOULD RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AT A LATER TIME.