10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 27
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
100,686 miles

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problem #45

Feb 072021

Grand Prix

  • 210,500 miles
Note: I have filed a safely complaint before with the NHTSA about this safety issue on Nov 9, 2020 reference number: 11373799. And now due to safety negligence from the investigation department of the NHTSA..excessive heat coming from the extremely hot oil that's dripping off the extremely hot exhaust manifold that's leaking from the valve cover started a fire under the hood and also leaked into the cylinder causing the piston to slit into numerous pieces then violently being shot back and forth striking the cylinder walls violently then breaking through the engine block and oil pan, then spilling hot oil on the I-105 highway at high way speed coming up on a fork, lost oil compression and stalling out with heavy thick can't see in more then 5 feet in front of you grey/black smoke coming from both ends of the vehicle. Almost costed me my life

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #44

Jan 022020

Grand Prix

  • 200,000 miles
The contact owns a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact stated that the vehicle engine oil was leaking on top of the exhaust manifold and caused smoke to emit from under the vehicle hood. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to have a diagnostic performed that located the failure code at the valve cover and informed that the vehicle could catch on fire as a result of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was 200,000. Invalid VIN.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #43

May 152020

Grand Prix 6-cyl

  • 200,000 miles
The engine leaks oil on the manifold which started a fire and electrical some of my sensor connectors and not working.. the fire started after I pulled in to drive way and I can feel from the inside of the car that the engine was getting real hot so I popped the hood and there was a small fire on the manifold.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #42

Jan 102019

Grand Prix

  • miles
The contact owned a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. While the vehicle was parked in a parking lot, the driver attempted to start the vehicle and heard a clicking noise. Afterwards, thick smoke appeared under the hood. Within seconds, the vehicle was engulfed in flames. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed. There were no injuries. The vehicle was totaled and towed. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The cause of the failure was not determined. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Knoxville, TN, USA

problem #41

Jul 072018

Grand Prix

  • 200,000 miles
While driving my 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix to the tire shop it burst into flames. The fire started under the hood and totally damaged the vehicle.

- Detroit, MI, USA

problem #40

Oct 092017

Grand Prix

  • miles
Rear valve cover leaking. As in recall 09047 for front valve cover.

- San Bernardino, CA, USA

problem #39

Aug 282017

Grand Prix

  • miles
I have received a notice once a year about a recall on the engine and called a dealership last year and was told there was no recall for my car. I let them know I had a notice and was told they would look into it and call me back. Well I never received a call back and I also did not follow through. I just received another notice and not even sure where to start to call. I would like to get this fixed and be able to get my car smoged.

- Walnut Creek, CA, USA

problem #38

Mar 012017

Grand Prix

  • 100,000 miles
Fuel gage doesnt work always reads full- shows over full when its hot out-oil and radiator leak- followed last engine recall-new radiator hoses etc 1250$-air bag? I got recall work done last year

- Antioch, CA, USA

problem #37

Aug 142016

Grand Prix

  • miles
The contact owns a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. While driving 20 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to accelerate and a strong burning odor was present inside the vehicle. The contact pulled the vehicle off the roadway and it filled up with smoke. The contact exited the vehicle and no flames were evident. The fire department arrived, but the smoke had already cleared from the vehicle. The contact stated that the fire department advised her not to drive or attempt to start the vehicle. The contact signed a form from the fire department and was unsure if a report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's home. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA campaign number: 09V116000 (engine and engine cooling) two months after the failure occurred. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Victoria, VA, USA

problem #36

Aug 142016

Grand Prix

  • miles
The contact owns a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. After stopping at a stop sign from 20 mph, the vehicle failed to accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle accelerated without warning, but then failed. In addition, when the vehicle was in park, smoke began to emit inside and outside of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 09V116000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Victoria, VA, USA

problem #35

Jul 302016

Grand Prix

  • 114,000 miles
The contact owned a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact noticed smoke entering the vehicle from the doors and flames under the hood. The police and fire departments were called and the fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was deemed destroyed. The failure mileage was 114,000.

- Trenton, NJ, USA

problem #34

Apr 162005

Grand Prix

  • 150,000 miles
Purchased a used 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix for my son in 2003 when he turned 16. During a short trip home from a livestock judging contest in the spring of 2005, he had pulled away from a stop sign and immediately noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. He pulled over and opened the hood to see his entire engine engulfed in flames. The car was in a rural area and by the time fire personnel got to the scene, the entire car had been burnt up in flames. Approximately a year or two after the incident we received a recall notice from GM identifying the exact problem we had encountered. After numerous contacts with GM wanting some sort of restitution they denied our claim because we no longer had the car for them to investigate or any pictures. We did have the testimony of the tow truck and the West brooklyn il fire personnel but would not accept that. Over the coarse of the years they keep sending us recall notices on the same vehicle wanting us to bring it into the dealer for repair. We just received another notice with the information on who to file a complaint with which is what has prompted this complaint letter.

- Dixon, IL, USA

problem #33

May 022005

Grand Prix

  • miles
The contact owned a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. While driving over a bridge, smoke appeared on the interior and exterior of the vehicle without warning. The contact was able to quickly coast the vehicle over to the side of the road and exit the vehicle. A fire erupted under the hood and caused catastrophic engine failure. The fire department was able to extinguish the flames. A fire report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to a yard and destroyed. The insurance company was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact later received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 08V118000 (engine and engine cooling) several months after the fire. The failure mileage was not available. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Willis, MI, USA

problem #32

Mar 142014

Grand Prix

  • 150,000 miles
The contact owned a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. While driving at an unknown speed into a driveway, smoke was observed from the front end of the vehicle. The contact and her daughter quickly exited the vehicle before it erupted in flames. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The fire department extinguished the fire and filed a report. The vehicle was destroyed. There were no injuries. The remnants of the vehicle were towed to a junk yard. Two years later, the contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that nothing could be done right away. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

- Riverview, MI, USA

problem #31

Jun 102016

Grand Prix

  • miles
On the 10th of June in 2016 driving down the freeway at 65 mph with the cruise control engaged, I noticed a white colored smoke coming from the car. In the process of pulling over to the shoulder of the freeway the engine stopped and the smoke continued. Popped the hood and saw a fire on the middle/ frontfront of the motor. The fore was coming from the cover on the top of motor.

- Graham, WA, USA

problem #30

Oct 262015

Grand Prix

  • 0 miles
The contact owns a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. The VIN was not available.

- Mocksville, NC, USA

problem #29

Feb 162015

Grand Prix

  • miles
The contact owns a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling) and stated that the part needed was unavailable to perform the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #28

Jan 052016

Grand Prix

  • miles
The contact owns a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling) and stated that the part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Wapello, IA, USA

problem #27

May 022016

Grand Prix

  • 132,088 miles
The contact owns a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic to charge the battery. When the technician started the vehicle, he heard a noise under the hood. The technician opened the hood and a big explosion occurred and smoke appeared out of the exhaust manifold. There were no injuries. The technician informed the contact that the front valve cover exploded without warning. Meanwhile, the contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 132,088.

- Glendale, AZ, USA

problem #26

Dec 222015

Grand Prix

  • miles
The contact owns a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling). The part was not available within a reasonable time frame to schedule the recall repair. The dealer did not give a specific date for when the part would become available. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact was not experiencing a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Talladega, AL, USA

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