Steering › Linkages
Filed Feb 13, 2007OR
STEERING COLUMN, THE TWO PINS THAT HOLD THE STEERING WHEEL TOGETHER AT THE HINGED PART SO THE ADJUSTABLE WHEEL CAN UP AND DOWN, WORK THEIR WAY OUT AND CAUSE THE STEERING TO BECOME VERY DANGEROUS. *JB
1998 Pontiac Trans AM
Routine
Owners filed 11 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train › driveline › differential unit. No safety recall has been issued.
What fails
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control › Linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Structure › Body › Trunk Lid | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Steering › Linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist System | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Drum | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Power Train › Driveline › Differential Unit | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Power Train › Axle Assembly › Axle Shaft › Seal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsUnknown or Other
Filed Sep 19, 2002NJ
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITH NO WARNING VEHICLE WILL JERK, AND THEN ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON AND WILL STAY ON THE REMAINDER OF TIME THAT VEHICLE IS BEING OPERATED. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist SystemCrash
Filed Jun 7, 2002CD
WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE, VEHICLE WENT INTO A SPIN, STEERING WHEEL DID NOT RESPOND. VEHICLE HIT A BARRIER. NO INJURIES, VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*AK
Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control
Filed Nov 6, 2001VA
CONSUMER STARTED SMELLING GAS FORM THE OUTSIDE OF CAR. CONSUMER MENTIONED TO DEALER WHEN IT WAS TAKEN IN FOR WARRANTY WORK, DEALER DID NOT CHECK IT AT THAT TIME. CONSUMER INSPECTED VEHICLE AND FOUND RETURN VAPOR LINE HAD POPPED COMPLETELY OFF. CONSUMER SNAPPED IT BACK TOGETHER AND SO FAR IS NOT HAVING ANY PROBLEM. ONCE IT WAS TAKEN BACK TO SHOW DEALER WHERE PROBLEM WAS, SERVICE TECHNICIAN STATED IT MUST BE OKAY NOW. *AK *SLC
Structure › Body › Trunk Lid
Filed Oct 26, 2001OH
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Drum
Filed Aug 31, 2000GA
I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR. THEY REFUSED TO GIVE ME A NEW CAR IN THE BEGINNING WHEN THEY HAD TO WELD THE PILLAR POST TO THE FRAME. MY CAR HAS OVERHEATED MANY TIMES UNTIL THEY FOUND THE BROKE RADIATOR. THE TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT AND WAS JUST FIXED AND THE CAR NOW HAS A FIREWALL RATTLE. THE BRAKES ROTORS WERE WARPED. THEY WOULD NOT STAND BEHIND THEM. IT WOULD BE MY COST TO REAPIR THEM. THEY ARE STILL WARPED. THIS CAR HAD TO HAVE A NEW WINDSHIELD PUT IN ALSO. 4 RADIO, TWO REAR SPEAKERS, BELT TENSION PULLEY,OIL LEVEL SENSOR, U JOINTS,ALTERNATOR, RADIATOR CAP,LUMBAR SUPPORT REPAIRED 5 TIMES. THIS CAR HAS OTHER PROBLEMS ALSO. IT IS IN THE SHOP MORE THAN I HAVE IT. I AM DISABLED AND BOUGHT THE CAR TO HAVE A NICE LOOKING DEPENDABLE CAR. I BOUGHT A JUNK THAT HAD A STICKER PRICE OF 28-29,000. THANK YOU FOR YOU HELP. CHRIS GALLAGHER 770 719-9754
Power Train › Driveline › Differential Unit
Filed Jun 21, 2000FL
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Feb 12, 2000NJ
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
Vehicle Speed Control › Linkages
Filed Dec 6, 1999CA
WHILE DRIVING AT 15MPH VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED . THE DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER THEY REPLACED THE COMPUTER. *AK
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc
Filed Oct 6, 1999AL
TICKING NOISE FROM ENGINE, DIFFERNTIAL LEAKING GEAR OIL, SES LIGHT COMES ON FOR NO REASON, ROTORS WARPED, DRIVESHAFT POPS WHEN SLOWING DOWN OR CHANGING GEARS.
Power Train › Axle Assembly › Axle Shaft › Seal
Filed Feb 1, 1999CA
REAR TRANSMISSION SEAL FAILED. YH
11 of 11 complaints, reproduced as filed.
Reading this record
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.