1998 Pontiac Grand Prix

THE GAS TANK IS NOT SEALED IN THE MIDDLE ALLOWING GAS AND FUEL VAPOR TO LEAK FROM CAR! ALL THE SWAY BAR ON THE DRIVER SIDE HAS SEPARATED DUE TO THE RACK AND PINION, CAR HAS NO SOUND WHEN TURNING TO THE RIGHT BUT IF YOU TRY AND TURN THE CAR TO THE LEFT IT IS AS IF THE POWER STEERING IS GOING OUT AND MAKE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE AND IS GETTING VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN LEFT, ALSO THE WINDSHIELD WIPER DO NOT WORK PROPER AND CAUSE PROBLEMS IN THE RAIN, THE KEY GET STUCK IN THE IGNITION ALL THE TIME,FEEL AS IF MOTOR IS TWISTING OR MOVING FORWARD, WILL BE CONTACTING PONTIAC DUE TO RECALLS AND PROBLEMS ARISING. *TR

2 DAYS AGO WE HAD A HUGE SNOW STORM. I WAS TRYING TO GET MY CAR UNSTUCK. THE CAR WAS IDLING AND I WAS OUTSIDE DIGGING OUT THE CAR, AND MY GIRLFRIEND WAS SITTING IN THE CAR, SHE SAID IT WAS SMOKEY INSIDE. I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS OVERHEATING, AND IT GOT WORSE AND WORSE. I FINALLY THOUGHT, OK THIS JUST ISN'T OVERHEATING, SO I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND POPPED THE HOOD. THE WHOLE REAR OF THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. I GOT THE FIRE OUT AND MANAGED TO SAVE THE CAR. ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO I HAD A ENGINE LIGHT COME ON AND THE CODE SAID SMALL EVAP LEAK. HE SAID IT WAS MY COLD AIR INTAKE AND MY GAS CAP. SO I REPLACED THE GAS CAP AND DROVE AROUND WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT ON, NOT KNOWING THAT THERE WAS A ACTUAL EVAP LEAK. SO IT WAS COINCIDENTAL THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON 2 DAYS AFTER I PUT MY INTAKE ON. AND ALSO IT WAS COINCIDENTAL THAT IT HAPPENED ON THE DAY WITH ALL THE SNOW. SO MY MECHANIC SAID, THAT I DID HAVE A PINHOLE LEAK, AND THAT THE SPARKS FROM THE ALTERNATOR IGNITED THE VAPORS. ALSO THE FOAM UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE COVER ACTED LIKE A SPONGE SUCKING IN THE ALL FUMES AND THEN BOOM. *TR

I DROVE THIS VEHICLE HOME FROM WORK, APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES. PARKED IN MY GARAGE AND WENT IN THE HOUSE, APPROXIMATELY 10-15 MINUTES LATER, MY WIFE, DAUGHTER AND I LEFT TO GO OUT TO EAT, WE DROVE 10 MILES TO THE RESTAURANT. WE WERE IN THE RESTAURANT NO MORE LATE 10 MINUTES WHEN SOMEONE COMMENTED THERE WAS A VEHICLE OUT FRONT SMOKING, I REALIZED THAT IT WAS OUR VEHICLE, AND WENT OUTSIDE, I APPROACHED THE CAR AND SMELLED A BURNING SMELL VS. OVERHEATING SMELL. I LIFTED HOOD AND SAW THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE, I PROCEEDED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE WITH NEARBY SNOW, AND WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. FIRE DEPT WAS CALLED TO MAKE SURE FIRE WAS OUT. I THEN A CALLED TOW COMPANY AND THE HAD CAR TOWED BACK TO MY HOME. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THIS TIME. MOST OF FIRE WAS CONTAINED TO ENGINE AREA, NO DAMAGE TO PAINT, AND SOME UNDERHOOD INSULATION CHARRED. *JB

I WENT TO THE STORE, DROVE ABOUT 40 FEET AND GOT STUCK IN SNOW. REALIZED I WAS BOTTOMED OUT IN SNOW WHEN I OPENED MY DOOR. I DIDN'T TRY TO GET UNSTUCK. I SHUT OFF ENGINE AND WENT INTO HOUSE. SEVERAL MINUTES LATER, I HEARD A NOISE AND LOOKED OUT AND SAW FLAMES SHOOTING FROM UNDER HOOD. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911 AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS THERE WITHIN 5 MINUTES AND TRUCK WAS THERE WITHIN 10. THEY IMMEDIATELY ASKED ME IF THE CAR WAS LEFT RUNNING AT THE TIME THE FIRE STARTED. I SAID,"NO, I WAS INSIDE AT LEAST 20 MINUTES BEFORE I HEARD THIS NOISE AND LOOKED OUT." THE ENGINE AND FRONT END OF CAR IS A COMPLETE LOSS. CRACKED WINDSHIELD, MELTED LOWER LEFT HAND CORNER OF WINDSHIELD AND FRONT OF INSTRUMENT PANEL. THEIR WERE NO FLAMES THAT REACHED THE INSIDE THRU THE FIREWALL. UNFORTUNATELY I AM NOT INSURED AND WIFE AND I ARE DISABLED, THE CAR BEING OUR ONLY SOURCE OF TRANSPORTATION. THROUGHOUT THE WEBSITES I RESEARCHED, I SAW SEVERAL DOZEN PEOPLE WITH THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES AS I HAD WITH THEIR GRAND PRIX GTP'S. FIREMAN SAID CAUSE WAS UNKNOWN, BUT LOOKS LIKE IT MAY HAVE BEEN ELECTRICAL OR MAYBE FUEL RELATED. *JB

WHILE DRIVING NORTH BOUND ON US 31 HIGHWAY ON THE MORNING OF MARCH 12, 2004, THE CAR SUDDENLY DIED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. WITH SOME EFFORT, I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE CAR OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WHEN I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR, IT WOULD START AND SUDDENLY DIE AGAIN. HAD CAR TOWED TO NEAREST GM DEALER FOR REPAIR. THERE WAS NO EARLY INDICATION OF A MALFUNCTION (IE. NO WARNING LAMPS OF A POTENTIAL PROBLEM). ROOT CAUSE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A FUEL PUMP RESISTOR. SEARCHING THIS WEBSITE REVEALED THAT A RECALL HAD BEEN CONDUCTED FOR A CERTAIN REGION REGARDING THIS MALFUNCTION. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A POTENTIALLY FATAL INCIDENT HAD A DIFFERENT SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES BEEN IN PLACE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING ON THE OHIO TURNPIKE, IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER. I MANAGED TO MANEUVER THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD TURNOVER, BUT THEN IMMEDIATELY LOSE ALL POWER. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A GARAGE. THE PROBLEM WAS A FAILED FUEL PUMP RESISTOR, WHICH WAS CORRODED DUE TO ITS LOCATION AS DESIGNED (IN THE PASSENGER-SIDE WHEEL WELL). APPARENTLY, IN CANADA, OWNERS HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY GM AND OFFERED A FREE RETROFIT TO THE FIREWALL. I BELIEVE IT IS A REGIONAL RECALL. SHOULDN'T GM DO THE SAME IN THE STATES, I.E. AT LEAST STATES THAT EXHIBIT SIMILAR WEATHER PATTERNS? THE LOSS OF POWER AT HIGH SPEEDS SEEMS TO BE A SAFETY CONCERN. LESS EXPERIENCED DRIVERS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AVOID ACCIDENTS AT HIGHER SPEEDS.. *AK

THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED AN ANTIFREEZE ODOR DURING 2000. ON SEVERAL TRIPS TO THE DEALER, NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND. THE LAST TRIP TO THE DEALER, JUST BEFORE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED, IS WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS DOCUMENTED (12/26/2000, 15,930 MILES) THE DEALER INDICATES NO LEAK FOUND. WE HAD THE CAR SERVICED AT A LOCAL NON-DEALER FACILITY, AND THEY INDICATED THAT THEY BELIEVED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS THE CAUSE OF THE MINOR LEAK AND ANTIFREEZE SMELL. THE DEALERSHIP NOW INDICATES THAT THE "EXPANSION PLUG" ON THE ENGINE IS FAULTY, AND REFUSES TO ADDRESS THIS AS A WARRANTY ISSUE (THEY WILL PAY FOR PARTS BUT THE TOTAL LABOR BILL IS IN EXCESS OF $600, WITH PARTS UNLIKELY TO AMOUNT TO A FRACTION THE LABOR COSTS). THE PONTIAC CUSTOMER RELATIONS DEPARTMENT REFUSES TO INTERVENE. YOUR SITE INDICATES A SERVICE BULLETIN -- SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER: 010601007, BULLETIN SEQUENCE NUMBER: 191, DATE OF BULLETIN: 0102 , NHTSA ITEM NUMBER: SB619176 , SOME OWNERS MAY COMMENT ON ENGINE COOLANT CONSUMPTION, OR AN ENGINE COOLANT LEAK NEAR OR UNDER THE THROTTLE BODY AREA OFTHE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD. *TT. CAN YOU INTERVENE AS THIS IS AN IDENTIFIED PRODUCT ISSUE?