Normally my wife drives this car 25 miles each way to work and back every day. Luckily I was driving it Saturday, March 8, 2008 when I noticed it was a little sluggish responding to steering inputs. I told my wife I needed to check the tires, felt like one was low. This progressed to the point where I could turn the steering wheel and then wait for the car to respond to the desired change in direction! I was able to pull into a parking lot where I determined the rack mount on the passenger side had come loose. I first thought a bolt had possibly come out, since our Pontiac dealer has worked on the rack and pinion at least 2 times for "noise!" I don't have the greatest faith in their work since they have left parts off before when they worked on the rack. Once I got the car home I jacked it up in an effort to determine exactly what happened, that is when I found that they had not left a bolt loose, but that the mount on the rack had broken completely off. It was still bolted into the cradle nice and tight, but the rack was floating around loose. You can see in the pictures where the tie rod shaft has rubbed on the frame above it, even bent the lip of the frame a small amount. I took pictures of the problem and damage because I expect to have a problem with Pontiac, at least at the dealer level, because it is beyond the 36 month time frame by 5 months. I "think" once the issue goes to the Pontiac DSM they will take care of it. I'm confident the dealership will claim the car was involved in some kind of accident, hit a pothole, or some other kind of "driver error" but there has only been one incident of hitting ruts or potholes and that was when the dealers shop foreman was driving it around their facility trying to show me there was nothing wrong with the transmission, because after 3 days of checking it out they couldn't find anything wrong! I told him I wasn't surprised with the way he was driving it! I asked him if he had read the note I had attached describing how to get the transmission to consistently act up and he told me that is not the way the transmissions demonstrate the problem Pontiac had a TSB out for. So, after he got out from behind the wheel I showed him how to drive the car in order to experience the problem so it could be fixed! It was after that! I put this in to show that they (dealership personnel) do not always pay any attention to what you so carefully explain to them. Not all, some of them are very good, and want to help, but an awful lot think they already have all the answers and you are just there to complain and make their day difficult :-) I speak, not just from the perspective of the customer driving in for repairs, but also as an ASE Master Certified Technician, and previously certified GM Master Technician, thus having the inside view as well. Our family has a total of 4 Pontiac products at this time: 2004 Grand Prix, 2004 Pontiac Montana, 1995 Pontiac Bonneville, and a 1994 Pontiac Grand Prix with 2 other Pontiacs purchased in the period from 1993 through the present. I prefer GM, and Pontiacs in particular, just from the long term driving experience and from a career in the automotive field: not just spent with GM but Ford and Chrysler as well.

So the issue with the steering, whether rack and pinion, or some other component can range from the annoying, to the dangerous, as in this case. These things can happen with any automobile whether domestic or foreign, but the experience you come away from the dealership with, is the one that taints your feelings about the brand, good or bad! I hope GM fixes my car, but I really expect to come away from this with very bad feelings about the dealership unfortunately! In either event, I will post the experience for those who are interested or need the information.

This was the first problem I had with the Pontiac. This was the 1st time I bought a Pontiac, so I figured that this problem with the rack and pinion was a fluke. I am in the Military and most people in the service take very good care of their cars, so this car has been maintained very well. I am posting some of my experience with this car, because as you will see in my next post - there is definitely a problem with the rack and pinion - especially on MY grand prix. This was covered from the dealer under the warranty.... but my Warranty soon runs out and the dealership - well that is another story....

Ok - Last 1 (((I HOPE)))

Sure enough - after going to school down in GA, I get back up to Northern NY, steering starts acting up AGAIN!! I bring it into Mr. HUGE - himself - FUCILLOs - and this time they tell me that it is leaking - but they will take care of this one because it was with in the 12 month - 12,000 mile warranty - Way to go Fucillos! Now I am thinking 1 of 3 things.... 1. Either I have a lemon 2. Fucillos is getting bad parts... 3. Fucillos is hiring BAD help...

Never figured it out - but you know what - I think next time I will buy an import - and not buy if form Fucillos.. I am at about 70,000 now - and just so people know that these are honest legitimate complaints - there are things I love about the car - Engine - SOLID, Good Gas Mileage - Just that little problem of steering ...

Mike

OK - My second problem with the rack and pinion - here is the deal. I am sitting in Iraq, the wife emails me and says - hey - the cars steering is funny again. So I told her to take it right back to the dealership and let them know - Sure enough they tell her - The front rack is leaking again - but we will add fluid, if you need the vehicle until your husband comes home, then we have it noted in our records - just bring the car in when he returns. Sure enough I go to the dealership upon a year long tour in Iraq, and the Dealership states that will not honor what they told my wife. I was FURIOUS, they gave me this big long talk about since we bought the vehicle used from them, and they do not do "goodwill" work. Now I am not to sure if I am more mad at the Dealership or Pontiac... but to make this long story short - I have the front end replaced AGAIN - I shelled out the money also talked to GM Management, AND YOU WONDER WHY AMERICANS ARE BUYING IMPORTS!!!!