Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||||
| PIC-5351A | 10/11/2011 | 10042292 | Pontiac: certain vehicles are exhibiting inoperative blower motor, except on high setting or drl's inoperative or headlamps inoperative rather high or low beams and the rear window defogger is inoperative. *pe | 12/05/2011 | |
| 08089-B | 11/01/2008 | 08089-C | 10027804 | General motors corp: special coverage adjustment; analog onstar deactivation. *pe updated 2/17/09. *pe | 02/09/2009 |
| 02038 | 01/01/2004 | 10006946 | Diagnostic trouble code b1000. *mr | 05/20/2004 | |
| 010844007 | 07/01/2001 | 620823 | Some customers may comment on a whine type noise coming from the radio speakers. this condition is more noticeable after the vehicle has made connection with onstar. the condition is also speed sensitive. *tt | 08/31/2001 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - SOFTWARE | |||||
| 08089-B | 11/01/2008 | 08089-C | 10027804 | General motors corp: special coverage adjustment; analog onstar deactivation. *pe updated 2/17/09. *pe | 02/09/2009 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING | |||||
| 57 | 07/01/2003 | 10016464 | Wire harness may be stretched, or the pcs may not be oriented in the same position, after installing a service replacement valve body assembly. gm tech link. *tt | 09/13/2005 | |
| 01740 | 01/01/2004 | 10006270 | Cross injector wires causing misfire at steady state speed and rpm, malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illuminated, and a p0300 set. sit bulletin 1460291. *tt | 04/27/2004 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | ||||||
| PE07001 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 01/17/2007 | 04/30/2007 | LOSS OF BRAKE LAMP ILLUMINATION | ||
| The agency's analysis of gm's complaint and warranty data for the subject vehicles, including a comparison with other agency and manufacturer data pertaining to other vehicle brake lamp investigations, indicated a low failure history for the subject vehicles.this investigation included a review and analysis of data for relevant brake lamp malfunctions that require replacement of the multifunction switch (mfs) module.the hazard warning switch is an integral part of the mfs module.other components that affect brake lamp illumination such as wiring, bulb sockets, and the plunger-type brake lamp switch, were not a part of this investigation.a safety-related defect trend has not been identified and this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety defect does not exist.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 03/10/2012 | 99000 | 1 | |
| The vehicle is running and the auto lights turn on at nite,with the fan speed on off position,the lights shutoff when turning on fan. then there is no fan or lights on when to attempt to turn on 1-5 position. manual lights will work but no fan. have found out recently it only works on 5. i have installed a new resistor but no luck. has occurred many times and as well has no vent control. *tr | |||
| 03/10/2012 | 99000 | ||
| The vehicle is running and the auto lights turn on at nite,with the fan speed on off position,the lights shutoff when turning on fan.then there is no fan or lights on when to attempt to turn on 1-5 positon.manual lights will work but no fan.have found out recently it only works on 5.i have installed a new resistor but no luck. has occurred many times and as well has no vent control. | |||
| 10/30/2011 | 173041 | ||
| I was driving my car in a suburban area at approx 20 mph when i noticed smoke coming out from under the hood. i immediately turned onto a side street and within 15 seconds of noticing the smoke there were flames shooting out from under my hood and the drivers side wheel well. i threw the car into park and got out. a passerby was already calling 911 and within less than a minute of my exiting the vehicle the entire front end was on fire. the fire department arrived and put out the fire and stated that there was so much damage to the front end of the car that they were unable to give a definite cause, but suspected electrical. the entire car is totaled, the fire was so hot it melted the driver window and the windshield and destroyed it within minutes. no electrical issues were noticed immediately prior to this incident, only change noted was that the passenger window rolled up a bit more slowly than normal. | |||
| 08/12/2011 | |||
| Our 2001 pontiac grand prix, which has roughly 125,000 miles on it, stalls and dies at various speeds. it is not supercharged, but it does have the 3.8 liter series ii engine. the vehicle will shudder momentarily and, if the car's going fast enough, the momentum of the torque convert spinning manages to restart the engine in default, allowing it to keep running. however, the tcs trac off light comes on and the tachometer drops to 0 until the car is shut off and restarted. sometimes, the car will stall at low speed and, minus the shudder, everything else occurs as described above, except that the car simply dies. the ses light has lit up a few times, but there is no clear reason for it to do so, since, once restarted, the engine runs just fine. occasionally, however, idle is a little rough; the engine sometimes drops to almost 400 rpm when sitting with the engine running, then slowly climbs back up to about 600-750 rpm. more alarmly personally, however, is the fact that roughly 11 days ago, the car completely died twice on the same day, in a 15-second period. while coming home from work on the freeway, the car completely died (the oil pressure light came on and everything). having pulled onto the shoulder and restarted, i did not travel more than 100 feet before it happened again, this time on the freeway off-ramp. i restarted again, and it drove home normally. relatedly, the car is sometimes next to impossible to start. depending on the circumstances, one of two things will happen; either the engine will turn over but not run; or the engine will not turn over, and the starter solenoid will simply click behind the firewall. the battery was replaced less than a month ago, and no serious electrical faults have occured since it was replaced, aside from the above problems. | |||
| 07/01/2009 | 130000 | ||
| I was pulled over by police for no rear lights. upon investigation, found multi-function switch bad/jammed. hazard light button stuck in up position. if pushed to the side and held, lights operate as advertised for some period of time, but will at some point stop working without my knowledge. multi-function switch is dealer only part. price is $500 + labor for installation. | |||
| 09/30/2010 | 182000 | ||
| I have a 2001 pontiac grand prix that had a recall for an oil leak. they did the recall on 6-6-2009. yesterday about 20 to 30 minutes after driving it the car erupted into flame primarily on the right drivers side of the engine. looking at the internet it looks to be identical to others who had this problem. what should i do? | |||
| 04/17/2009 | 70000 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 pontiac grand prix. the contact stated that the paint on the hood of her vehicle abnormally chips. while driving approximately 50 mph, she noticed flames on the panel of the front driver's side window. she used a small bottle of water to douse the flames and smoke. currently, all of the power windows are inoperative. the vehicle has not been inspected to determine the cause of the failures. the failure and current mileages were 70,000. updated 06/09/09 *bf updated 06/09/09.*jb | |||
| 06/15/2008 | 65000 | 1 | |
| Key stuck in ignition twice first time they replaced ignition switch second time they replace shift modular. seems to be happening in 2000-2004 model according to my research on the web. *tr | |||
| 09/22/2006 | 50542 | 1 | 11/25/2000 |
| On my 2001 pontiac grand prix, the all three brake lights are out because of a multi function switch failure. lots of owners of pontiac grand prix have this failure. pontiac grand am have a recall -- but not the grand prix. potential failure mode that causes crashes. *nm | |||
| 05/01/2006 | 52000 | 150 | 06/10/2004 |
| The drive lights on these vehicles turn off when the heater/ac blower motor is turned on. the headlights will flash on and off and the blower motor does the same. i contacted pontiac and the gal told me that i was out of luck and to take it to a dealer for repair. other drivers repeatedly flash their lights back at us to let us know that the headlights are flashing on and off. *nm | |||
| 02/19/2006 | 71000 | 60 | 01/19/2006 |
| I was sold a lemon car after loosing my vehicle in the flood. first night i drove it after turning ignition lights started flashing rpms dropped, found underneath front of the vehicle is loose as well as water was located in the drivers side tail light and a lot of condensation in surrounding headlights. *jb | |||
| 03/19/2003 | 37600 | 6 | 06/16/2001 |
| 2001 pontiac grand prix has lost all lights -- interior dashboards and exterior -- at night on highways. this began in march 2003 and has continued randomly since for a total of two different occurrences to-date. it has been in the shop on two occasions, with equipment replacement but no resolution. also, dashboard lights flicker on and off for approximately 5 seconds every time car is started. *nlm | |||
| 02/28/2002 | 25000 | 03/13/2001 | |
| 2001 pontiac grand prix has lost all lights -- interior and exterior -- at night on highways. this began in february/march 2002 and has continued randomly since for a total of seven different occurrences to-date. it has been in the shop on four occasions, with equipment replacement on three occasions but no resolution. now we are being told that unless the problem is duplicated while in the shop, pontiac can do nothing. considering the fact it only happens after the shops are closed, getting the vehicle there while an occurrence is happening is very unlikely. *nlm | |||
| 11/01/2002 | |||
| Consumer states that the computer is sending out wrong codes. could affect the engine. took to dealer and they stated computer software needs updating. please provide any further information. ts | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | |||
| 09/21/2001 | 6 | 07/01/2001 | |
| 2001 pontiac grand prix engine oil leak, interior water leak at passenger door *cw the dealer informed the consumer that the water leak may have been a result of the door being misaligned. the vehicle pulled to the left. the consumer was then informed the reason for the pulling of the vehicle was due to the inferior tires on the vehicle. the sticker in the trunk specified h rated tires, however the tires the dealer sold on the vehicle were goodyear eagle ls tires. the cd player was inoperative. the engine light illuminated. the egr valve and gasket were replaced. the sunroof was leaking and the alternator was replaced. the left front cv boot was leaking and the left front hub bearing was noisy. the ignition cylinder, parking brake, power steering hose, pump seal, rack and pinion and outer tie rod were replaced. *jb | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||
| 05/31/2003 | 36000 | 2 | 03/15/2003 |
| The wiring harness under the hood is routed next to the engine, which causes the wires to melt and then the car cuts out/stalls. these stalls happen both at stops and while going down the highway. if not corrected the car may stall causing lose of power to the steering and brakes and then a crash. this first happened at about 36000 and then again at about 70000 miles. i believe that it takes about 30000+ mile before the harness is melted enough to cause the issue. it happened just outside of the manufactures warranty. i called gm twice and asked that they recall it but they informed me that it was not recalled and that i had no way to get it reviewed for recall. the dealers have a service advisor on this issue and i am sure they are seeing several (1000) of these issues a year. also, at about 70000 miles, the positive lead on the battery began leaking acid. gm states there is not recall, but i have found that this is a common is on pontiac grand prix. *ak *sc *jb | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | |||
| 04/11/2008 | 127000 | 1 | 04/15/2003 |
| Rear brake lights not working, but third center brake light is working. took to mechanic (pep boys) who changed the brake pads, rotors, brake fluid and replaced the bulbs and fuses, (as well as a motor w/reg for the driver's side rear window, serpentine belt, alternator drive belt, tie rod outer and oil change). when i got the car back, realized they never fixed the problem. returned the car and told it was the multifunction switch at a price of $450.00. this is great considering my bill for everything was $1,500.00, and the problem i brought it in for (brake lights) was never fixed. on web site: http://www.autoweb.com/content/research/forums/index.cfm/action/posts/fid/2831 there are approximately 119 complaints all about the multifunctional switch on pontaic vehicles. i am hoping that at some point the issue will be addressed to save other unsuspecting poor souls that bought a pontiac (grand prix gt). *tr | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||
| 09/21/2001 | 6 | 07/01/2001 | |
| 2001 pontiac grand prix engine oil leak, interior water leak at passenger door *cw the dealer informed the consumer that the water leak may have been a result of the door being misaligned. the vehicle pulled to the left. the consumer was then informed the reason for the pulling of the vehicle was due to the inferior tires on the vehicle. the sticker in the trunk specified h rated tires, however the tires the dealer sold on the vehicle were goodyear eagle ls tires. the cd player was inoperative. the engine light illuminated. the egr valve and gasket were replaced. the sunroof was leaking and the alternator was replaced. the left front cv boot was leaking and the left front hub bearing was noisy. the ignition cylinder, parking brake, power steering hose, pump seal, rack and pinion and outer tie rod were replaced. *jb | |||
| 01/10/2006 | 87000 | 1 | |
| My key became stuck in the ignition....i can start the car & drive but i have to use the emergency release that you access through the bottom of the steering column. *jb my mechanic told me that it has to be brought to the dealer to fix... | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - ANTI-THEFT CONTROLLER | |||
| 06/20/2005 | 36000 | 6 | 10/12/2003 |
| I bought the car oct 2003 it had 23000 miles on it and then when it hit 30000 miles that's when trouble started my husband went to check on his brother and turned the car off and was off for 1 hour and went to start the car and it wouldn't stay running took it to the local repair man and he worked on it and nothing 250.00 dollars later he hauled it the gm dealer in independence ks. where they said it was the anti theft device had me locked out and the had to replace the module. 480.00 later. now when i drive a distance my check engine light comes on and my car acts like it tries to cut out and shifts hard and jerks. and my tract off light stays on now all the time. my last grand prix had 160000 miles on it before it started acting up. my local repair man said that i need to replace the brain module and all my problems well stop. and now when it rains my car feel up with water on the passenger side floor board 2 inches right now so if there is a recall on this car it needs to be the whole car. right now the car has 51000 miles. *jb | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - SWITCH | |||
| 08/24/2005 | 80000 | 1 | |
| The key gets stuck in the ignition,it does not always do this ,but it's becoming more frequent. i took it to the dealer 30 days after i bought it and they told me nothing was wrong cause the key came out for them ,2 months later it started again and now they are saying the warranty won't cover it and the cost is 600.00 for new ignition. *nm | |||
| 01/13/2006 | 96000 | 1 | 10/18/2005 |
| While driving my 2001 pontiac grand prix, the steering wheel caught on fire. *jb | |||
| 01/01/2003 | 35500 | 100 | 04/01/2002 |
| Key sticks in the ignition. took the car to the dealership where they replaced a switch in the transmission. this did not fix the problem. the car can be shifted into gear while it is off because of the key stuck in the ignition. *jb | |||
| 11/01/2004 | 1 | 12/15/2003 | |
| The key sticks in the ignition. at first, at was intermittent but progressively became worse until the key would not come out at all. took to the dealership and it cost $500 to fix.*ak | |||
| 03/17/2004 | 1 | 05/15/2001 | |
| Replacement of ignition switch on 2001 grand prix. *mr the faulty ignition switch caused periodic failure of the a/c, driver information center, daytime running lights, and the headlight system. the consumer requested reimbursement. *sc *jb | |||
| 11/27/2003 | 1 | ||
| This appears to be a common problem. i found many people with the same problem i have and we are screaming for a recall. the ignition switch will go from the on position to off, but will not any further. therefore, i cannot remove the key from the switch. it does not always do this, but it is becoming more frequent. i can usually leave the key in for a while and when i return, the switch will rotate and the key will come out. this is very frustrating. any help is appreciated! one person says: i'm having the same problem with mine. is your problem intermittent? mine is, started one day and works off and on, whenever it feels like it really, works more in warm weather than cold weather. it's weird. my two thoughts are either a loose connection (ground or otherwise) or maybe the btsi solenoid at the shifter base. and the only recall that is current is one for the envoy, trailblazers where you disable the shifter and column over ride feature. please help us - this is very upsetting and i am tired of wondering if day to day the key will come out of the ignition. *jb | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING | |||
| 02/19/2006 | 71000 | 60 | 01/19/2006 |
| I was sold a lemon car after loosing my vehicle in the flood. first night i drove it after turning ignition lights started flashing rpms dropped, found underneath front of the vehicle is loose as well as water was located in the drivers side tail light and a lot of condensation in surrounding headlights. *jb | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - FRONT UNDERHOOD | |||
| 12/07/2007 | 100398 | 1 | 03/15/2001 |
| Sparks and smoke began coming from the engine compartment. as the police officer tried to open the hood, engine compartment ignited into flames. the fire department had to extinguish the fire. the car was driven approximately five miles. the car ignited while sitting in front of a school. *tr | |||
| 02/21/2007 | 153093 | 1 | 04/23/2004 |
| 2001 pontiac grand prix gtp engine fire. car was turned off. 5-10 minutes later it caught fire. was able to get a extingusher and quickly to put it out. car was parked and engine was off. *jb | |||
| 02/16/2007 | 1 | 12/15/2004 | |
| Car had been parked since previous night until approx 2:45 pm on feb 16, 2007. daughter started car to go to work. car started, immediately followed by dull pop (like opening a jar of pickles). gray/white smoke appeared from under hood and she immediately killed ignition. smoke continued, she raised hood to find top of engine engulfed in flames. university groundskeepers crew nearby and able to put water on fire until fire dept arrived. fire contained to top of engine and nearby accessories. extent of damage unknown at this early date. *nm | |||
| 01/24/2007 | 93000 | 1 | 10/25/2001 |
| Came home, parked on driveway. went inside, heard noise outside. went back out and the engine compartment was on fire. by the time the fire department put the fire out the car was totaled. *jb | |||
| 10/16/2006 | 94200 | 1 | 10/01/2000 |
| I was on my way to work and had driven it less than 3 miles. i had stopped and turned off the car when i came back approximately 2min later i noticed some smoke coming out of the hood area. when i opened it the center of the engine was on fire, near the engine cover. the best the insurance company could tell it was an electrical fire. none of the original wiring has ever been changed nor had the car been modified in any way. *nm | |||
| 05/31/2003 | 36000 | 2 | 03/15/2003 |
| The wiring harness under the hood is routed next to the engine, which causes the wires to melt and then the car cuts out/stalls. these stalls happen both at stops and while going down the highway. if not corrected the car may stall causing lose of power to the steering and brakes and then a crash. this first happened at about 36000 and then again at about 70000 miles. i believe that it takes about 30000+ mile before the harness is melted enough to cause the issue. it happened just outside of the manufactures warranty. i called gm twice and asked that they recall it but they informed me that it was not recalled and that i had no way to get it reviewed for recall. the dealers have a service advisor on this issue and i am sure they are seeing several (1000) of these issues a year. also, at about 70000 miles, the positive lead on the battery began leaking acid. gm states there is not recall, but i have found that this is a common is on pontiac grand prix. *ak *sc *jb | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | |||
| 01/12/2007 | 103671 | 10 | 08/17/2000 |
| Tl* - the contact owns a 2001 pontiac grand pre gtp. the contact stated that on a daily basis she had a problem with the dashboard being too hot, or electrical heat radiating from the dashboard. also, the contact stated that she had electrical problems in the past, and had to replace it on tar system 2 or 3 times. in addition, had a problem with there being a wine in the engine, and a smell of oil when she turned the car off. *ak | |||
| 01/13/2006 | 96000 | 1 | 10/18/2005 |
| While driving my 2001 pontiac grand prix, the steering wheel caught on fire. *jb | |||
| 11/01/2002 | 0 | ||
| Consumer states that computer was throwing out different codes took to pontiac, pontiac stated that the software needed upgrading. please provide any further information. ts | |||