Pontiac Trans Sport Years to Avoid and Recalls

Which Pontiac Trans Sport years should you avoid?

Going by 971 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the Pontiac Trans Sport years to avoid are 1997, 1998 and 1994.

1997236 complaints, 3.1× a typical Trans Sport year, most often about the steering.
1998227 complaints, 3.0× a typical Trans Sport year, most often about the engine.
19942.2× the usual share of fires, crashes and deaths for a car of its age (12 fires, 4 crashes).

How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →

Year	Complaints	Recalls	Fires	Crashes	Most reported	Status
2003	3	0	—	—	Structure › Frame and Members	Routine
2001	3	0	1	—	Child Seat	Routine
2000	2	0	—	—	Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer	Routine
1999	10	2	—	1	Structure › Body › Door	Routine
1998Avoid	227	6	4	17	Exterior Lighting › Headlights	Above average
1997Avoid	236	6	2	9	Structure › Body › Door	Fatalities reported
1996	61	2	2	5	Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer	Routine
1995	113	3	3	7	Structure › Body › Door	Routine
1994Avoid	98	4	12	4	Structure › Body › Door	Routine
1993	61	3	7	1	Seat Belts › Front › Retractor	Routine
1992	76	2	2	2	Seat Belts › Front › Retractor	Routine
1991	36	3	2	2	Seat Belts › Front › Retractor	Routine
1990	45	5	1	—	Structure › Frame and Members	Routine

Year

Complaints

Relative volume

Recalls

Fires

Crashes

Most reported

Status

2003

—

Structure › Frame and Members

Routine