1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Engine And Engine Coolingenginegasoline Problems

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...

THE CAR, A '97 GRAND PRIX WITH A V-6 ENGINE, HAD JUST BEEN PARKED IN THE DRIVE WAY AND SOMEONE CAME IN ABOUT FIVE MINUTES LATER AND SAID "YOUR CAR IS ON FIRE" THE PERSON WAS ALREADY ON THE PHONE WITH 911. WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED 10 MINUTES LATER, THE CAR ALONG WITH ALL OF MY CDS AND OTHER ITEMS WERE A TOTAL LOSS AND I ONLY HAD LIABILITY INSURANCE SO IT WAS A TOTAL LOSS. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TOOK MY BLOOD PRESSURE AND IT WAS 210 OVER 130 AND TRIED TO GET ME TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL. THE CAR IS STILL IN THE DRIVE WAY COVERED WITH A TARP AND THE GARAGE STILL HAS THE SIDING HANGING DOWN WHERE IT MELTED FROM THE HEAT. THERE WAS NO POLICE REPORT EVEN THOUGH A DEPUTY SHERIFF WAS PASSING BY AND STOPPED AS THE WINDOWS AND TIRES EXPLODED. *TR

I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE, 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX ON 5/5/01 WITH 50,768 MILES. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER FOR A RECALL ON THE FRONT STEERING PINION. I HAD ASKED THEM TO REPLACE THE COOLANT SINCE THE MANUAL CALLED TO REPLACE AT 5 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS LEAKING AND WAS TURNING MY ANTIFREEZE INTO MUD. I ASKED THE SERVICE MANAGER WHAT CAUSED THE MANIFOLD TO LEAK. HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS WARPED AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE COST TO REPLACE IT WOULD BE $400.00. MY CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 13,000 MILES ON IT SINCE I BOUGHT IT. IT IS MAINLY USED LOCALLY WITH THE LONGEST ROUND TRIP DRIVEN TO DATE AT APPROXIMATELY 100 MILES. I HAVE MY OIL CHANGED AT REGULAR INTERVALS WITH THE DEALER, AND MAINTAIN ALL OTHER FLUIDS, WIPERS ETC. I ASKED THE MANAGER HOW LONG IT...

I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE, 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX ON 5/5/01 WITH 50,768 MILES. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE LOCAL DEALER FOR A RECALL ON THE FRONT STEERING PINION. I HAD ASKED THEM TO REPLACE THE COOLANT SINCE THE MANUAL CALLED TO REPLACE AT 5 YEARS OR 150,000 MILE. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS LEAKING AND WAS TURNING MY ANTIFREEZE INTO MUD. I ASKED THE SERVICE MANAGER WHAT CAUSED THE MANIFOLD TO LEAK. HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS WARPED AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE COST TO REPLACE IT WOULD BE $400.00. MY CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 13,000 MILES ON IT SINCE I BOUGHT IT. IT IS MAINLY USED LOCALLY WITH THE LONGEST ROUND TRIP DRIVEN TO DATE AT APPROXIMATELY 100 MILES. I HAVE MY OIL CHANGED AT REGULAR INTERVALS WITH THE DEALER, AND MAINTAIN ALL OTHER FLUIDS, WIPERS ETC. I ASKED THE MANAGER HOW LONG...

ENGINE HAS SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WHILE ON A STRAIGHTAWAY OR TURNS. VERY HAZARDOUS SITUATION AS ALL POWER ASSIST IS LOST. ENGINE WILL RESTART IMMEDIATELY BUT NEVER KNOW WHEN POWER LOSS WILL OCCUR. HAVE NOTICED MANY OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEB SITE. TS

THE VEHICLE HESITATE WHILE STARTING UP AND BACK FIRED. PLEASE FURNISH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. MR

ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING, STEERING COLUMN LOCKS, BRAKES BARELY FUNCTIONED. ALTERNATOR REPLACED TWICE. DIAGNOSED WITH SAME PROBLEM. ONCE IN JULY 2001, AGAIN IN AUGUST 2001. SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN. DRIVES OK NOW, BUT WORRIED IT WILL CONTINUE TO GIVE ME PROBLEMS. IN AND OUT OF SHOP 4 TIMES IN PAST YEAR FOR SAME PROBLEM. BACK IN SHOP TODAY FOR WHO KNOWS WHAT.

ENGINE SHUTS OFF UPON ACCELERATION FROM A STOP. LIGHTS AND RADIO STILL WORK. THIS HAS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES, VEHICLE HAS ALWAYS STARTED RIGHT BACK UP. THE TACHOMETER ALSO DROPS WHILE DRIVING VERY FREQUENTLY.*AK

PE-01038; STEERING WHEEL BECOMES DIFFICULT TO STEER. POWER ASSIST FELLS LIKE IT'S MISSING. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS DIFFICULT ESPECIALLY IN LOW SPEED AND COLD MORNING. THE ENGINE MAKES A RATTLING NOISE. *YH

ENGINE WILL "SHUT-DOWN" FOR NO APPARENT REASON AT VARIOUS TIMES, WITHOUT WARNING; THIS OCCURS AS THOUGH THE KEY WAS MOVED TO THE "OFF" POSITION. MANUFACTURER'S DEALERS ARE UNABLE TO DETECT THE PROBLEM AND FIND NOTHING "WRONG" WITH THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURED SEVERAL TIMES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND POSES AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE RISK.*AK

ENGINE SHUTS OFF WITHOUT NOTICE AT ANY AND ALL SPEEDS. ABLE TO RESTART IMMEDIATELY. 3 TIMES AT DEALERSHIP CANNOT DUPLICATE EXPERIENCE PROBLE AT LEAST A DOZEN TIMES. *AK

ENGINE SHUTS OFF WITHOUT NOTICE AT ANY AND ALL SPEEDS. ABLE TO RESTART IMMEDIATELY. 3 TIMES AT DEALERSHIP CANNOT DUPLICATE EXPERIENCE PROBLE AT LEAST A DOZEN TIMES. *AK

WENT TO START ENGINE IN THE MORNING AND IT MADE A LARGE BANG (WHICH I THOUGHT WAS A BACKFIRE). I TRIED TO START AGAIN AND THE ENGINE BURST INTO FLAMES, WHICH ENDED UP TOTALLING CAR, AND CAUSED SMOKE DAMAGE THROUGHOUT MY HOUSE (THE GARAGE IS LOCATED UNDER THE HOUSE). *AK

ENGINE REPLACED APPROX 12000 MILES, NOW ON 3RD ALTERNATOR, 4TH BATTERY. GAS GAUGE REPLACED, WIPERS REPLACED 3 TIMES BEFORE RECALL.

CAR WAS OFF AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE MY FRIENDS AND I HAD BEEN OUT OF THE CAR ONLY A FEW MINUTES. *AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH ENGINE STALLING FROM A STOP POSTION AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF 50 MPH OR MORE OR WHILE MAKING TURN. VEHICLE BEEN IN DEALER SHOP AND CONDITION STILL REOCCURRING. *AK

ENGINE'S MAIN REAR SEAL LEAKED OIL. ALSO, OIL PAN WAS LEAKING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER & THE MECHANIC REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. EACH TIME IT WOULD FAIL TO WORK. HAS HAPPENED 3 DIFFERENT TIMES AROUND 8 MONTHS LATER. EACH TIME THE MECHANIC INDICATED THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN CORRECTED. *AK

ENGINER DIED; WILL START, BUT CHOKES AND STALLS AFTER A FEW SECONDS. *AK

ENGINE HAS LOUD UNSETTLING INTERMITTANT KNOCKING NOISE; ENGINE LOOSES DRIVE WHICH HAS RESULTED IN LOSS OF CONTROL; DEALER REFUSES TO ADDRESS PROBLEMS AND DENYS THEIR EXISTANCE; GM HAS BEEN CONTACTED BUT REFUSES TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER ASSISTANCE

DRIVING AT APPROXMATELY 65 MPH ,WAS CHANGING LANES, EXPERIENCED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER/COMPLETE SHUT DOWN WHICH CAUSED LOSS BRAKES AND STEERING, ALMOST RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. DEFECT IS STILL OCCURRING. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE THE KEY IS OUT OF THE IGNITION AND WAS ABOUT TO ADD OIL TO THE VEHICLE,AND A DROP FELL ONTO THE ENGINE AND CAUSED A FIRE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK

ENGINE STALLS UPON TURNING.

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE FROM PARKING LOT ENGINE SHUT DOWN, CAUSING LOCKUP OF STEERING WHEEL AND BRKAES. *AK

THE ENGINE/POWER STEERING TURNED OFF SIMULTANEOUSLY WHILE DRIVING AT 65-70 MPH. *AK

VEHICLE DIES WHILE DRIVING IN LEFT LANE; ALSO , FAILS TO START IN THE MORNINGS. IN ADDITION, CRUISE CONTROL FAILED/ ERRATIC OPERATION OF WINDSHIELD WIPERS, MOSTLY IN COLD WEATHER/HORN FAILURE AND FRONT BRAKE ROTORS MALFUNCTIONED. *AK

ENGINE STALLS IN TRAFFIC WITHOUT WARNING, VARIOUS SPEEDS, CAUSE UNKNOWN, DEALER HAS NOT DUPLICATED PROBLEM, NEARLY CAUSED CRASH. *AK

ENGINE SHUT DOWN, CAUSING ACCIDENT.