NHTSA Complaint #10221916 — 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX

I RECEIVED A LETTER TODAY INFORMING ME OF A GM RECALL FOR MY 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 3.8L V6 W/SUPERCHARGER CONCERNING ENGINE FIRES BECAUSE OF A LEAKY GASKET. I HAD A SIMILAR OIL LEAK ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD WHICH CAUSED MUCH SMOKE AND SMELL. I HAD TO REPLACE BOTH ROCKER ARM GASKETS TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. MY CONCERN IS THAT GM IS RECALLING MY CAR TO FIX THE FRONT GASKET LEAK AND NOT THE REAR GASKET LEAK. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT MY REAR GASKET LEAK WAS MUCH WORSE THAN THE FRONT LEAK AND WAS DRIPPING DIRECTLY ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. I HAD NO IDEA THIS COULD EVER CATCH FIRE. I SAW DOCUMENTED PICTURES OF ANOTHER BURNED GRAND PRIX ON THE INTERNET TODAY AS I RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE TODAY. I WAS UTTERLY SHOCKED. AND WHEN I HEARD GM IS ONLY GOING TO FIX THE FRONT GASKET, I KNEW I HAD TO OPEN UP A COMPLAINT. I COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN THE NEXT VICTIM OF GM'S INACTION. MY PROBLEM WAS FIXED ON 4/24/07 BUT PRIOR I DROVE THE CAR AND WOULD PUT UP WITH THIS SMELL UNTIL I SAW THE SMOKE ARISING WHILE I WAS AT A DRIVE-THRU RESTAURANT. GM ALSO IMPLIES IT WAS RELATED TO HEAVY BRAKING. WELL THAT MAY BE TRUE INITIALLY, BUT ONCE IT STARTED LEAKING IT NEVER STOPPED. YOU MUST FORCE THEM TO FIX BOTH GASKETS BEFORE SOMEONE DIES IN A FIRE BECAUSE OF THEIR DESIGN FLAW. I PAID $44.47 FOR BOTH GASKETS AND THAT WASN'T WITH GM'S VOLUME PURCHASING DISCOUNT. SO THE DIFFERENCE IS $20 DOLLARS. I CANNOT BELIEVE GM IS ONLY FIXING HALF OF THE PROBLEM, BUT YOU NEED TO GET INVOLVED AND FORCE THEM. ANY OF YOUR ENGINEERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO ARGUE THIS POINT WITH THEM. IF YOU NEED ME TO GET ON A CONFERENCE CALL WITH THE ENGINEERS AND PRODUCT MANAGERS, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO. THIS WAS THE URL WITH THE BURNED GRAND PRIX: HTTP://WWW.GMINSIDENEWS.COM/FORUMS/F33/UPCOMING-RECALL-07035-97-03-GP-REGAL-3800-S-C-VIN-1-A-61961/INDEX3.HTML THE FIRE WAS HORRIBLE! *TR