NHTSA Complaint #755651 — 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX

MY 1997 GRAND PRIX WITH A 3.1 L ENGINE WAS CONSUMING COOLANT FOR A FEW MONTHS. ON DECEMBER 6 2001 I NOTICED COOLANT IN THE OIL.I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO MY MECHANIC AND HE THOUGHT THE HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN.HE TOLD ME TO GO TO PONTIAC TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE FOR THE HEAD GASKETS.WHEN I WENT TO MY LOCAL PONTIAC DEALER I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE HEAD GASKETS.I WAS FURTHER INFORMED BY A REPRESENTIVE AT PONTIAC THAT IT WAS PROBABLY NOT THE HEAD GASKET LEAKING BUT RATHER THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WHIUCH THEY SEE ABOUT 10 TIMES A WEEK IN THESE ENGINES.A OBVIOUS DEFECT WHICH GM IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT.MY MECHANIC CHECKED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET AND INDEED IT WAS LEAKING INTERNALLY INTO THE ENGINE.THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR JUST OVER 600.00 DOLLARS. PONTIAC HAS DONE NOTHING TO TRY AND RECTIFY THIS SITUATION AS THE NEW GASKETS PURCHASED FROM PONIAC WERE THE SAME AS THE ORGINIALS.PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AS IT APPEARS GM IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT A MAJOR DEFECT.THANK YOU.*AK