NHTSA Complaint #703183 — 1985 PONTIAC FIERO

MY CAR STARTED TO DEVELOP WHAT I THOUGHT WAS AN EXHAUST LEAK FROM NORMAL WEAR & TEAR. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO SEVERAL EXHAUST SPECIALTY SHOPS (I.E. COLE MUFFLER, MIDAS, ETC.) TO HAVE THE PROBLEM CORRECTED AT MY EXPENSE WHEN I WAS TOLD THAT IT HAD DEVELOPED A CRACK IN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. MUCH TO MY SURPRISE ONE OF THE GARAGES HAD TOLD ME THAT THIS HAS BEEN A CONTINUAL PROBLEM (MANUFACTURER DEFECT) ON THIS PARTICULAR MAKE & MODEL & THAT THERE WAS A RECALL AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. WHEN I CONTACTED MY LOCAL PONTIAC DEALER THEY HELPED ME VERY LITTLE & INSISTED THAT I MAKE 700.00 WORTH OF REPAIRS MYSELF TO CORRECT IT. DISCOURAGED & UPSET I TRIED TO CONTACT GENERAL MOTORS MYSELF DIRECT. GENERAL MOTORS WILL NOT EVEN ADMIT THAT THERE HAS EVER BEEN ANY KIND OF RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE & HAS DONE ABSOLUTLY NOTHING TO HELP ME OR RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. (MY COMPLAINT / CASE NUMBER WITH GM IS #99027524) ON 12/31/98 WHILE TRAVELING OUT OF TOWN TO VISIT RELATIVES THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF THE CAR FILLED WITH SMOKE & EXHAUST FUMES & AT THAT POINT I THOUGHT THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. AFTER PULLING OVER & MAKING AN EMERGENCY STOP I WAS TOLD THAT IT JUST MAY HAVE BURNED THROUGH & WAS NOT ON FIRE. ALL I WANT IS SOME HELP FROM THE MANUFACTURER TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM. TO DATE MY COMPLAINTS GO UN-ANSWERED. I AM NOW DEALING WITH CONSTANT EXHAUST FUMES ENTERING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT & MAKING MYSELF & PASSENGERS SICK TO OUR STOMACHES WITH THE CONSTANT CARBON MONOXIDE SMELL & YET FACE THE RISK OF A POSSIBLE FIRE. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP THAT YOU PEOPLE MAY BE ABLE TO GIVE ME IN GETTING THIS SITUATION SETTLED WITH THE MANUFACTURER. I ALSO SEE AFTER SEARCHING OVER YOUR DATABASE FOR RECALL INFORMATION THAT THERE WAS ALSO A RECALL FOR THE PARKING BRAKE ALSO AN ITEM THAT HASN'T WORKED ON MY CAR FOR YEARS!!! AGAIN GENERAL MOTORS, PONTIC, & THEIR RELATED DEALERS HAVE NO RECORD OF THIS BEING AN ACTUAL COMPLAINT AND/OR RECALL AT ANY TIME! IT JUST SEEMS IRONIC THAT THEY WILL NOT HELP IN ANY WAY