Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1997 record →
ABOUT EVERY 3MONTHS VEHICLE WOULD STALL OUT FOR NO REASON. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES. WAS CLEANEDOUT 3 DIFFERENT TIMES. ENGINE GETS THE CLEANING. VEHICLE LOSES POWER. ALSO, THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. *AK
PLASTIC GAS TANKS LETS FUEL INSIDE SPLASH AROUND IN TANK. WHEN VEHICLE COMES TO A STOP IT FEELS LIKE ANOTHER VEHICLE REARENDED IT. DEALER SAYS THAT'S A DESIGN FLAW. *AK
WHILE MY 13 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS THROWING A TEMPER TANTRUM (WHICH I DON'T NECESSARILY CONDONE) IN THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT, THE SEAT CAME OUT OF ITS SUPPORT TRACKS. WHILE THIS DID NOT CAUSE AN INJURY, I AM AFRAID THAT AN ACTUAL COLLISION WOULD CAUSE MUCH MORE SEVERE "JERKING " IN THE SEAT, AND RESULT IN THE PASSENGER BEING THROWN INSIDE THE VAN AND BEING INJURED. THE SEAT HAD COME COMPLETELY LOOSE AS IF IT WERE TO BE STOWED AWAY. *AK
THE POWER STEERING WILL QUIT FOR 10 SECONDS WHEN DRIVING IN RAIN OR SPLASHING THROUGH WATER PUDDLE. BRAKES DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. FIRST BRAKE REPAIR, DEALER BLED AIR OUT OF SYSTEM. SECOND BRAKE REPAIR, DEALER REPLACED REAR SLAVE SEALS.
CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH POWER STEERING.EVERYTIME WATER SPLASHES ONTO THE DRIVEBLET, THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR HAS OPENED FOR UNKNOWN REASON WHILE BABY WAS SEATED BY THE DOOR. DEALER CONTACTED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY WATER CORROSION BY DOOR POST. *AK
"SKIP SHIFT" FEATURE EXTREAMLY DANGEROUS. NUMEROUS REAR ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THIS FEATURE.
WHEN THERE IS A LOT OF WATER ON THE ROAD FROM IT RAINING FOR A WHILE, THE BRAKES EFFECTIVENESS DECREASES GREATLY, BAD ENOUGH THAT IF THE DRIVER ISN'T CAREFUL A WREAK COULD EASILY OCCUR, BRAKES FAIL WHILE GOING OVER INCH OF WATER. *MJS
THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN RETURNED THREE TIMES FOR WHEEL CYLINDER FAILER. LEFT REAR HAS BEEN REPLACED TWO TIMES. THE RIGHT REAR HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE. WHEN THE FAILERS OCCURS..BRAKING DISTANCE IS INCREASED A GREAT DEAL. I AM WORRIED THAT I WON'T BE ABLE TO BRAKE IN TIME IF SOMETHING WERE TO ARRISE..
SIDE WINDOW LOCATED ON DRIVER SIDE, WOULD NOT CLOSE OR LATCH PROPERLY. VEHICLE BEEN IN/OUT OF DEALER SHOP ON NUMEROUS TIMES, AND CONDITION STILL REMAINS UNRESOLVED. DEALER/MFR. ARE NOTIFIED.*AK
WHEN IT RAINS THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP, AND MAKES SQUEAKING NOISES. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS ANABLE TO STEER WHEN HIT A PUDDLE. *YH
ABS BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATES, INDICATING MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE SYSTEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
POWER STEERING FAILS AFTER VEHICLE GOES THROUGH THE SLIGHTEST LEVEL OF STANDING WATER BECAUSE WATE SPASHES ON THE SINGLE ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT AND STARTS SLIPPING. IF THE VEHICLE GOES THROUGH MORE THAN THE SLIGHTEST LEVEL OF STANDING WATER, THE ENGINE CUTS OFF.
POWER STEERING FAILS CONTINUALLY IN WET WEATHER.
LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHEN DRIVING IN RAIN.
TRANSMISSION INTERLOCK CABLE MISPOSITIONED RESULTING IN MOVEMENT OF GEAR SELECTOR WHILE IN THE LOCKED POSITION. (QCAW)
POWER STEERING FAILS TEMPORARILY AFTER GOING THROGH WATER. (QCAW)
WHEN VEHICLE IS IN REVERSE AND BACKING UP FUEL SLUSHING OCCURS.THE DEALER HAS REPLACED THE GAS TANK IN MARCH OF 97 AND PROBLEM REOCCURS. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED *AK. CONSUMER HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET VEHICLE REMEDIED, HOWEVER HAS NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL. *SLC
WHEN THERE IS SNOW THE WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADES DO NOT CLEAR SNOW PROPERLY. ICE FREEZES UNDER THE BLADES. MANUFACTURERS SAYS THERE IS NO PROBLEM. *AK
RECALL 98V072000; THE STOPPING DISTANCE HASN'T GOTTEN ANY BETTER SINCE THE RECALL WORK HAS BEEN PERFORMED, AND WHEN TURNING ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS THE RADIO FAILED. THERE HAD BEEN AN CRASH BEFORE AND AFTER THE RECALL WORK HAD BEEN PERFORMED BECAUSE OF STOPPING DISTANCES OF THE BRAKES. *AK
VEHICLE HAS 2 BUILT- IN CAR SEATS THAT CONTAIN A PLASTIC LATCH , THIS LATCH DOES NOT HOLD HARNESS STRAP TOGETHER IN ANY TYPE OF MOVEMENT OR PRESSURE DONE TO IT, RESULTING IN LOSS OF PROTECTION TO CHILD THAT IS RESTRAINED IN SEAT. *AK
THE PASSENGER'S SLIDING DOOR WILL OPEN BY ITSELF. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
SLIDING ELECTRIC DOOR ON PASSENGER SIDE OPENS WITHOUT WARNING. DOOR RARELY CLOSES ALL THE WAY WITHOUT A WARNING THAT IT'S OPEN UNLESS YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE INTERIOR LIGHT.
THROTTLE CABLE WEARS IN TWO, CAUSING THE THROTTLE TO GET STUCK. CABLE JAMMED UP IN HOUSING ,CAUSED ENGINE TO SPEED UP. CONSUMER HAD TO TURN OFF ENGINE. PULLED TO THE SIDE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. DEALER REPLACED THROTTLE CABLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE SLIDING DOOR ATTEMPTS TO OPEN. THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
WHEN DRIVING IN WET WEATHER, THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND BELT GET WET, AND SLIP. THE POWER STEERING WILL LOCK AT THIS POINT AND WILL RESUME WITHIN A FEW SECONDS.
POWER STEERING LOCKS UP ON WET ROADS.
WINDSHIELD HAD A CRACK IN THE CENTER ABOVE REARVIEW MIRROR. CONSUMER THINKS IT IS A STRESS CRACK
POWER SLIDING DOOR OPENS AUTOMATICALLY AFTER BEING CLOSED. DOOR ALARM WOULD SOUND WHILE DOOR WAS CLOSED. DOOR FAILED IN CLOSED, BUT NOT LATCHED POSITION.
THE DEFECTIVE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE PEDAL TO GO TO THE FLOOR AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. DEALER WILL NOT COOPERATE AND CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK
WHEN COMING DOWN MOUNTAIN GRADES AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE BRAKES SMELL LIKE BURNING PLASTIC. WHEN PULLING OVER CAN SEE SMOKE COMING FROM BRAKES. BRAKES WERE CLEANED ON 8/15/97 FOR BRAKE NOISE. CONSUMER IS STILL EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH BRAKES. THE TRUCK IS BEING LOOKED AT BY DEALER AT THIS TIME. *AK
VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN THE POWER DOORS OPENED/CLOSED ON ITS OWN. TOOK TO DEALER 7 TIMES. INFORMED NO PROBLEM. THE 2ND TIME DOORS OPENED WAS IN MECHANIC SHOP. WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO WORK. DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSES THE PROBLEM. *AK
MISSING BOLT CAUSED TIE ROD TO COME APART AND STOP VEHICLE.
OWNER HAS ABS BRAKES, WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. OWNER NOTES THAT BRAKE LINE WAS CUT ON THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE WHICH CONNECTS TO ABS SYSTEM. DEALERS HAVE CORRECTED PROBLEM, BUT OWNER STILL HAS CONCERNS. *AK
THE VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SLIDING SIDE DOOR WON'T SHUT PROPERLY, CAUSING THE DOOR TO INTERMITTENTLY BE OPENED, COULD CAUSE AN OCCUPANT TO FALL OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE ONLY WAY TO CLOSE THE DOOR IS TO CLOSE IT MANUALLY. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK
FIRE STARTED ON DRIVER'S SIDE OF VEHICLE IN THE FUEL FILLER AREA. *AK
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport → · Every Trans Sport year → · How the figures are calculated →