1992 Pontiac Grand Prix

HEARD LARGE BANG UNDER HOOD WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY. TOOK CAR TO DEALER SINCE IT SOUNDED LIKE ENGINE TROUBLE. DEALER IDENTIFIED PROBLEM AS SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF ENGINE. PLUG AND CABLES APPEARED TO BE ORIGINAL (APPROX 150000 MILES). DEALER THOUGHT THIS MIGHT BE RELATED TO CURRENTS IN ALUMINUM ENGINE WEARING DOWN SPARK PLUG THREADS DUE TO ELECROLYSIS. HE EXPLAINED THAT ALL SPARK PLUGS ARE IN A STATE WHERE THEY COULD BLOW OUT AND SO ADVISED THAT HEAD NEEDED REPLACEMENT AT $1800. SINCE PARTS APPEARED TO BE ORIGINAL AND PROBLEM APPEARED TO BE DESIGN FLAW I CALLED PONTIAC AND ASKED THAT THEY FOOT THE BILL. PONTIAC SAID THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO CHANGE PLUGS EVERY 30000 AND REFUSED.*JB

I'VE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL (3.4 DUAL OVERHEAD CAM ENGINE). MOST RECENTLY WAS A SERIOUS OIL LEAK WHICH RESULTED IN AN ENGINE REBUILD. THE LEAKS STARTED AGAIN AND WAS REPAIRED BY A GM DEALER. THE ENGINE LOCKED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AT AN ESTIMATED COST OF $3,500. I'M THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. A DEALER TRIED TO REPAIR THE HOOD ALIGNMENT PROBLEM ON 3 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS BUT NEVER SUCCEDED. I'VE REPLACED THE STARTER 3 TIMES, THE DRIVERS SIDE POWER WINDOW MOTOR TWICE (2); WATER PUMP TWICE (2) TURN SIGNAL SWITCH FOUR TIMES (4) AND STILL GET SMOKE FROM STEERING WHEEL; ETC. ETC

I PURCHASED MY 92' GRAND PRIX FROM THE ORIGANAL OWNER. SINCE THIS TIME ( 4/97 ) I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE FISRT THAT WENT WRONG A MONTH AFTER IT WAS BOUGHT A GASKET HAD TO BE REPLACED UNDER THE AIR PLENUM MANIFOLD ( COST $475 ) THE CAR WAS RUNNING ON ONLY 5 OF 6 CYLINDERS. THE NEXT PROBLEM I HAD WAS THE ENGINE. I WAS ON THE FREEWAY AT NORMAL SPEED WHEN THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF. THERE WAS NO POWER. THE ENGINE HAD BLOWN. WHAT HAPPEND HERE WAS THE IDLER PULLEY THAT KEEPS TENSION ON THE SURPENTINE BELT BROKE OFF. ACTUALLY THE BOLT HOLDING THE PULLEY IN PLACE SNAPPED. THIS CAUSED THE PISTON VALVES TO COME OUT OF TIME AND SMACK TOGETHER. THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. BEING THE DEALERS WERE CHARGING IN EXCESS OF $5000 TO REPLACE IT I HAD TO FIND OTHERS MEANS. A USED ENGINE WAS TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL. ( COST $1720 ). TWO MONTHS LATER THE ALTERNATOR BURNED UP WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED AND RUNNING AT AN IDLE ,COST $550. IN NOVEMBER OF 1998, THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING. I HAD THE FLUID AND FILTER CHANGED TWICE TO MAKE SURE IT WAS CLEAN. REVERSE IN THE TRANSMISSION WAS WIPED OUT AND HAD SOMEHOW RUPTURED 2ND GEAR AS WELL. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT, BUT FAILED AGAIN BEFORE I EVEN GOT THE CAR BACK. THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED WITH ANOTHER ANSD WAS REBUILT. I UDERSTAND THAT VEHICLES WITH HIGHER MILEAGE ARE SUBJECT TO MALFUCTION, BUT I FEEL THIS WAS A BIT MUCH.BETWEEN THE COST OF THE INITIAL REPAIR AND THE INTREST FORM THE LOANS TAKEN TO GET THE REPAIRS DONE, I HAVE SPENT OVER $6000 IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS JUST TO KEEP THE VEHICLE ON THE ROAD. AND NOW I HAVE ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE. I AM NOT SURE WHAT IT IS YET BECAUSE IT JUST STARTED RUNNING TERRIBLY ON 1-23-99. I HAVE NOT DRIVEN IT SINCE. I FEEL THAT THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD BE PAID FOR BY GENERAL MOTOR CORPORATION DUE TO LACK OF WORKMANSHIP STATED BY THE RECALL SET IN 91. PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP IF I CAN GET HELP MY SITUATION.THANKYOU. *AK