NHTSA Complaint #10144002 — 2000 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX

SHORTLY AFTER I BOUGHT MY USED 2000 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX WITH 52,000 MI. IN MAY 2004, I NOTICED IT WAS GOING THROUGH AN UNUSUALLY LARGE AMOUNT OF ENGINE COOLANT AND OIL. I TOOK IT TO 2 DIFFERENT SHOPS AFTER HAVING MY LOW COOLANT LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY COME ON BETWEEN OIL CHANGES. BOTH SHOPS TOLD ME THAT IT NEEDED A NEW INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, WHICH WAS AROUND $700 TO REPAIR DUE TO THERE BEING SO MUCH LABOR INVOLVED. (AND SAID IF I DIDN'T GET IT FIXED, IT COULD LEAD TO MY ENGINE OVERHEATING AND BLOWING UP!) BY THE TIME WE REALIZED WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, MY WARRANTY HAD ALSO RAN OUT. I GOT IT FIXED ONCE THE PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED IN NOV. 2004, WHEN THE CAR HAD 61,000 MILES. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE A FEW MONTHS LATER, FOUND THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE QUITE A COMMON PROBLEM IN PONTIAC'S AROUND THAT YEAR, ONCE THEY GET TO AROUND 50,000 MILES. OR SO (WHICH MY CAR WAS AT WHEN PURCHASED) I DON'T FEEL THAT A 4 YEAR OLD CAR WITH MILEAGE THAT LOW SHOULD ALREADY HAVE SUCH AN EXPENSIVE PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT IS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM, THEY PUT IN FAULTY, TEMPORARY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS IN THEIR CARS AND THEY SHOULD PAY TO REPLACE THEM. *JB