Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 030601010 | 03/01/2003 | 10001282 | Engine oil or coolant leak. *tt | 04/25/2003 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 03-06-01-010 | 04/01/2008 | 030601010C | 10004768 | Engine oil or coolant leak. *tt gm reminder. *tt install new lower intake manifold gasket. updated 7/18/08 *pe | 01/06/2004 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 020601014 | 04/01/2002 | 634708 | Subject regarding revised lower intake manifold installation. *tt | 10/07/2002 | |
| 990604005A | 04/01/2001 | 990604005 | 619360 | Some owners may comment on driveability symptons of long or hard starts, chuggle, rough idle and light or intermittent misfire due to clogged fuel injectors. *tt | 05/24/2001 |
| 990604005 | 02/01/1999 | 776304A | 604343 | Some owners may experience a driveability symptom of long or hard starts, chuggle, rough idle and light or intermittent misfire. *tt | 04/26/1999 |
| 98576124A | 06/01/1998 | 57-61-24 | 601915 | Comments on a ticking type noise that begins shortly after cold engine start-up and gradually diminishes as the engine warms up. *yc | 08/28/1998 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||||
| 98008 | 02/01/1998 | 600191 | Relocation of evaportative emission vent solenoid valve assembly to prevent water from being drawn through evap system. *yc | 04/29/1998 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||||
| 98008 | 06/30/1998 | 603262 | This bulletin involves relocating the evaporative emission vent valve assembly to a protected area to prevent slushy snow from being drawn into the vehicle fuel system. *tt | 02/16/1999 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CRANKCASE (PCV) | |||||
| 98008B | 08/01/1998 | 98008A | 609667 | 98008(b) vluntary emission recall campaign. yd. | 04/06/2000 |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 10/04/2011 | |||
| After i had the radiator replaced $350 job the intake gasket sprung a leak. therefore i had to have not only this replaced but the valve cover gasket as well which cost a total of $867. i also had to rent a car for 3 day which cost an additional $30 per day. my mechanic said that the recommended dexcol coolant used in this model car, over a period of time, will eat thru the gasket thus the leak. i need to know if there was a re-call regarding this problem and if i can be compensated. i am a hard working individual with limited resources. i have always maintained regular maintenance on my vehicles not forseeing this issue that arose. please get back in touch with me as soon as possible regarding his matter. thank you, lou iandoli | |||
| 04/23/2005 | 87000 | 1 | 02/01/2001 |
| Intake gasket leaking and replaced in january 2005 at a cost of over $600. cam shaft snapped in half in april 2005 resulting in total engine failure and replacement - cost of $3400. this should be recalled by gm and anyone that has had this occur reimbursed. | |||
| 02/24/2005 | 80000 | 1 | 10/10/1997 |
| While driving 20 mph consumer heard loud noise, and then the vehicle completely stalled. vehicle was towed to consumer's home. a mechanic came to consumer's house to inspect the vehicle, and informed the consumer that the vehicle has a blown head gasket. this problem causes the cam shaft to seize. dealer was not notified.*ak | |||
| 06/15/2003 | 69300 | ||
| Engine was losing coolant and had a ticking sound when brought into gm dealer. repairs included replacement of head gaskets and intake gasket. cooling system also had to be flushed and refilled. mileage quote above was actually 110927 km and repair costs were can$1965. | |||
| 12/15/2002 | 0 | ||
| The air conditioning may have never worked, we hadn't tried it until 10 mths after buying the van. the low coolant light came on and we brought the van to a mechanic who said the repair would cost 800.00. he added stop leak, which worked temporarily. the problem has just reoccured and we have not driven the van since. the abs light had come on in august, we have full use of the brakes, just our abs is not working. we can't afford to fix this. in november of 2001, our fuel pump had to be replaced. i was crossing a busy hwy. here in winnipeg, and the van just died and came to an abrupt halt. i phoned a dealer in winnipeg (vickor chev olds) and the mechanic told me that this happens, sometimes the fuel pump will work for a while and all of a sudden it will malfunction for a couple of weeks. we phoned the used car dealer auto town in winnipeg that we bought the van from and they felt awful, and offered to cover the labor if we paid for the part. the part alone was 400.00 | |||
| 06/15/2002 | 69309 | ||
| Prob #1 - intake leaking - needs intake manifold gastket replacement. local dealer will not pay for. prob #2 - i have lost two headlamp lense covers in the past year - dealer said this happens "a lot!, and that it was probably a problem with the adhesive" i had to replace two complete headlamp assemblies totalling over $200.00 | |||
| 01/15/2003 | 0 | ||
| While driving on interstate, camshaft broke. problem was traced back to a leaking intake manifold gasket, that over time, had contaminated the oil with orange coolant, causing camshaft bearing failure. after replacing the engine with a used, 60,000 mile, replacement, and driving the van for another 16,000 miles, now the replacement engine is leaking coolant internally, and had contaminated the oil in this engine. obviously it's the same problem, however gm has issued a service bulletin changing the gasket design, and no replacement gaskets are available yet. so, i can't drive it, and can't repair it due to lack of parts. | |||
| 06/15/2003 | 59019 | ||
| Vehicle kept over heating. took it to a mechanic and they changed out thermostat, water pump,temperature sending unit, catalytic converter. was still over heating. the mechanic checked the engine and found blown head gasket and cracked heads. this problem started out on interstate 15 northbound right outside of barstow, ca. had to pull over to the shoulder and wait for it to cool down several times so we could get to an exit. | |||
| 08/06/2003 | 71000 | 1 | 02/09/2000 |
| Total engine failure occurred while driving on highway on vacation with wife and three kids. 71000 miles on very well maintained van. we bought it with 8,000 miles on it. no warnings, no noises, no smoke, no overheating. engine just quit running and we coasted to a stop on very busy interstate. this could have caused a major accident. dealer promised at least 50% warranty then retracted offer two days later pending tear down and diagnosis. diagnosis spun crank bearings/ bent rods due to coolant in oil. cost $2050 after 50% warranty. two weeks later, told camshaft was broken in half and that our engine could not be repaired. i asked why they didn't know that before. svc mgr said they just pulled the engine out that day. this was not true since my wife and i spoke with the technician three days prior and he was all but ready to reinstall our engine. the bare block was on an engine stand when we spoke with him. svc mgr then said warranty was in question. i had meeting with mgmt about bait & switch tactics. svc mgr then said pontiac would install brand new crate engine for the $2050 we were quoted two weeks prior. no one from the svc dept ever called us about delays or when our van was done. took 34 days to complete repairs. after getting it back, it was discovered that the axle retaining nuts on both sides were only finger tight/ready to fall off. went back and have them torqued to specs. they wonder why go to a local shop for routine service rather than the dealer. this was the most absurd fiasco i have ever seen. we are seeking restitution. gm should be forced to recall these engines for intake manifold gasket failures as this was determined to be the root cause. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 12/26/2005 | 130775 | 1 | 01/03/2003 |
| On 12/26/05 i smelled coolant when exiting my vehicle. after investigating, i found that coolant was leaking. i took it to a mechanic, and had the internal gasket replaced for $575. the next day i saw that it was still leaking coolant. i took it back, and had the water pump replaced for $166. the next day i saw it was still leaking, and i had no heat. i took it back to the mechanic, who told me that it is leaking at the timing cover, and the lack of heat could be due to an air bubble, or i may need my heater core replaced. he gave me rough estimates of $900-$1500 for the leak, and probably about $400-600 if my heater core needs replaced. gm needs to recall this vehicle for this problem. *nm | |||
| 11/13/2004 | 5262 | 1 | 09/04/1998 |
| Where do i start? same complaints as all other pontiac minivan owners. since original purchase in 1998, headlight assembly faulty, abs warning light malfunction, air bag warning light malfunction, and malfunctioning (still) passenger automatic sliding door. recently had head gasket replaced due to antifreeze leak, as well as front left wheel hub. this is the worst (and most costly) vehicle i have owned with respect to maintenance.*ak | |||
| 05/07/2004 | 1 | ||
| While driving vehicle overheated. check engine light flashed and then vehicle stalled. consumer tried to restart vehicle but was unable to do so. consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic replaced the water pump due to mixture of antifreeze and corrosion. *ak | |||
| 03/24/2004 | 76197 | 1 | 04/22/1998 |
| Diagnosed with intake manifold gasket failure on 1998 pontiac trans sport with 3.4 v6 engine. oil and antifreeze mixed and fixed by dealer at cost of $890. with no assistance from general motors. all to common problems on this engine and the 3.1 v6 with speculation that the dexcool antifreeze deteriates gasket. could possibly be true since gasket is now made out of a diffrent material. at this time it is imperative that nhtsa forces general motors to recall these engines and reimburse all owners who have paid out of pocket for repairs. this vehicle in question was well maintained and items were changed way above recommended service schedule. vehicle also developed a rough idle with no obvious cause with possible explanation of internal engine damage. these intake gasket failures could be the reason for numerous engine fires witnessed on the highway. also i am the original owner. thank you . *ak | |||
| 09/28/2003 | 1 | 01/28/1998 | |
| Currently i have 56,187 mile's on my 1998 pontiac trans sport and have been experiencing excessive oil useage since the second year of ownership as well as just recently experiencing the temperature gauge going past the 210 mark despite it only being 60 degrees outside and driving short distances. i have found a numerous amount of complaint's regarding issues comparable to this including a bulletin that was in fact distributed to g.m dealers in canada and the u.s (bulletin # 03-06-01-010) dated march, 2003.titled engine oil or coolant leak (install a new design intake manifold gasket. this bulletin describes comment's from owner's as followed. an apparent oil or coolant leak. additionally , the comments may range from spots on the driveway to having to add fluid. cause, intake manifold may be leaking allowing coolant, oil or both to leak from the engine. i have discovered that this has been a well known problem since 1998 but has yet to be an actuall recall on these van's. many of the complaint's mention coolant found in the engine oil. i have come across several complaint's of motor's having to be replaced in these vehicles due to this problem with the consumer having to endure the costly repair financially. i primarely use my van to transport my 16 year old severely disabled son to and from school with his wheel-chair as well as to dr appointment's. the recent problem's with ticking sound's as well as at times idling rough and chuggling while driving with the temperature gage amping past the 210 mark is not a good sign. at 56187 miles i should not be experiencing major problem's with this vehicle. with the numerous complaint's on this matter being considered i am requesting an investigation that will lead to a very much needed recall on the 1998 pontiac trans sport as well as the other year's that are affected by this major flaw from the manufacturer. *la | |||
| 06/17/2003 | 69000 | 1 | 01/15/2003 |
| Problems with engine's head gaskets and intake gaskets. *mr while driving the vehicle began making a ticking sound. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer where it was later determined that the head gasket and intake gasket failed and caused coolant to leak into the engine. the dealer replaced the gaskets. *nlm *jb | |||
| 08/05/2003 | |||
| 1998 pontiac transport minivan 3.4 liter, coolant leaking from the intake manifold. mechanic believes it is a general problem with the gasket. major expense to repair on vehcile with 75,000 miles. | |||
| 07/16/2003 | 59000 | 1 | 08/26/1998 |
| My 1998 pontiac trans sport minivan has developed a problem where the dexcool coolant is leaking into the engine...my mechanic found coolant in the engine oil. i called my dealer, the man from whom i bought the car, and he experienced the same problem on his gm minivan. i did an internet search and found numerous others (www.gm-v6lemons.com, and other places) who have experienced this problem. it seems clear that the manifold gasket in these vehicles develops leaks when exposed to the dexcool coolant. in my case, the vehicle is 5+ years old, and has 59,000 miles...so there is no warranty in effect. gm should be forced to recall these vehicles and repair this problem.*ak | |||
| 06/04/2003 | 70000 | 1 | 05/09/2002 |
| 1998 pontiac trans sport 3.4 liter coolant leaking engine damage major expense on a vehicle w/ 70'000. *nlm | |||
| 1 | 09/30/1998 | ||
| The vehicle experienced oil leak. nlm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 01/24/2006 | 117858 | 2 | |
| 1998 transport intake manifold gasket failed causing leakage of the engine coolant. *ts this failure occurred twice. *nm | |||
| 02/25/2005 | 90000 | 1 | 07/02/2002 |
| My wife was driving home from work. the temp gauge went up and the engine had no power. she pulled overhand parked. after the car cooled down i tried starting it and the temp stayed down so i drove the car to the dealership. i felt all that was wrong was the thermostat stuck. then i get a call that the head gaskets had failed and that the damage was going to cost me $2400 at least that because of the gasket failure all kinds of damage was done. *jb | |||
| 07/10/2003 | 1 | 02/10/1999 | |
| A noise had begun sounding like the engine was not receiving oil. however when the oil was checked it was full so the mechanic did not pursue further. two days later the engine stopped working which resulted in a towing off a major highway and a replacement of the engine $4000.00. it was discovered that the oil pump had failed and there was no indications of the engine needing service for lack of oil or the oil pump needing replacement. *la | |||
| 12/16/2003 | 54490 | 1 | 11/28/1998 |
| Coolant leak and intake manifold gasket failure. dealer diagnosed coolant leaks from intake manifold gasket, valve cover gasket and waterpump and recommended coolant flush - dex cool.*ak | |||
| 11/10/2003 | 80000 | 1 | 04/01/1998 |
| I own a 1998 pontiac transport, bought new, and has 80000 miles on it. was just told that the intake is leaking, ans will need manifold gasket replacement. was told that there have been numerous reports of this happening. alled local pontiac dealer (matthews pontiac, vestal, ny 607-798-8000) and they confirmed this, and that there is a new and improved gasket, but they wouldn't help with the cost of replacement. also reported that my headlamp lenses have been lost (lost 2 in one year) and had to replace entire headlamp unit at my own cost. dealer said this is common also, and they believe it was a problem with the adhesive!! they will not help with that one either. *ak | |||
| 10/29/2001 | 05/01/1998 | ||
| This is the second major problem with the vehicle. at 60,000 miles the engine spun a crankshaft main bearing with the result that the entire engine required replacement. | |||
| 07/04/1998 | 6 | 04/05/1998 | |
| Everytime vehicle takes off from a dead stop or while in traffic, it would die out for no reason. this can happen also while making left or right turns. *ak | |||
| 05/22/1998 | 1 | 02/24/1998 | |
| Motor mounts failed. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 11/01/1998 | 1 | 09/30/1998 | |
| The engine knocks upon acceleration and when it's cold. nlm | |||
| 5 | 01/01/1999 | ||
| While driving at low speeds engine will intermittently shutdown without warning. consumer gained control by putting vehicle in neutral. *ak | |||
| 01/01/1998 | |||
| The serpentine belt broke completely. luckily, the car was able to be stopped without incident. | |||
| 12/18/1998 | 6 | 12/01/1998 | |
| Engine dies while braking & coming to a stop. it has also died when stopping for a car making a turn. dealer hasn't found problem yet. this has happened 6 times over the last six weeks. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||
| 07/15/2004 | 64198 | 1 | 08/06/2002 |
| Intake maniflold gasket leaking anti freeze, dex cool. it cost 1010.27 to repair the engine but now my oil presurre light is flickering when engine idles so there may be some bearing damage. ( cam, rod or main bearings ) the oil presurre sending unit was replaced to see if it had failed still does it. anti freeze mixing with oil can damage bearings and cause engine to lock up bracking cams and or crankshifts. this can strand us on busy highways.*ak | |||