I was driving down the road and my car started bringing in smoke from the air vents. I went to pull over and lost all power. As I pulled to the side of the road the hood was in flames. My car was a total loss.
1997 Pontiac Grand Prix: sudden loss of power
16 of the 810 complaints about the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix describe sudden loss of power.
- owner complaints
- 16
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- typical mileage
- 87,000
- recalls
- 3
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls and 17 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Sudden loss of power by model year
What owners say
1997 pontiac grand prix experiencing same consequences as the federal safety agency campaign # 02v286000 or gm recall # 02049. Loss of power steering when steering left that is getting progressively worse. Took car to dealer, states VIN# does not show recall. Called pontiac, they too state no recall. Page 3 of recall parts bulletin on this website plainly lists 1997 pontiac grand prix's manufactured in fairfax between the following VIN break points vf200001-vf359118. The last digits in our VIN# falls within that range. Vf305818 please help. This is a major safety hazard.
Dt: consumer's wife was making a left hand turn and lost all power steering. No previous problems. There was a recall 02v286000 repairs performed on the vehicl. The recall involves steering within rack and pinion. Did not receive recall letter but due to another service being performed on the vehicle. Dealer ran VIN and determined the recall repairs were performed. The service. This was in march 2003. No repairs have been made at this time, but dealer had the vehicle towed off a gm dealership because it was a safety issue. Contacted gm, and consumer filed a complaint with them.
While making a left hand turn, the vehicle temporarily lost power steering. *jb
Consumer complained about a power steering pump leaking, and causing vehicle to lose power when turning in either direction.
When making a left hand turn vehicle temporarily lost power steering. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.
Vehicle loses power steering when making left turns. *mr there was an intermittent loss of power steering assist when a left turn was made, usually at low speeds due to the steering gear assembly. The power assist was normal on right turns. Recall#02v286000 would only replace the rack and pinion but the dealer stated that the steering gear assembly needed to be replaced in order to fix the problem and was not covered under the recall.
The vehicle loss power steering while turning into a parking lot.*mr. The power steering rack was defective and needed to be replaced.*ts. The consumer took the vehicle to a gas for repairs. The consumer later received a recall notice regarding the steering rack and pinion, and when she contacted the dealer for reimbursement she was told to bring the vehicle in to make sure the repairs were done correctly and to bring in the old part in which the vehicle was repaired 6 months ago, the dealer finally stated they would not reimburse the consumer, because the repair was not done a gmc dealer.
General motors voluntary recall of 1996/1997 and 1998 pontiac sunfire and transport, and 1997/1998 pontiac grand prix vehicles concerning possible separation of lower pinion bearing in power steering which could cause loss of power steering. The consumer would like an appointment to get recall repairs performed on the vehicle.*ak
Engine has shut down while driving at various speeds while on a straightaway or turns. Very hazardous situation as all power assist is lost. Engine will restart immediately but never know when power loss will occur. Have noticed many other similar complaints on this web site. Ts
Steering wheel became difficult to steer due to loss of power steering fluid. Dealer has replaced rack and pinion. *ak the steering wheel would lock up all of a sudden and become very difficult to steer, especially when turning the wheels.
Loss of power steering, hard to turn to the left - dealer replaced rack and pinion under 50-50 warranty program
Service bulletins that may apply
- Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
- L67 engine oil smell or odor, leak at left or front valve cover (replace valve cover gasket, gromments and...
- Engine coolant consumption or coolant leak (inspect for material degradation/replace intake manifolds) tt...
- New upper intake manifold and gasket kits
- New rear main seal and special tool for installation
- Revised piston pin removal / installation procedure
- Some owners may comment on a repeat engine oil pan leak
- Subject regarding revised lower intake manifold installation
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V‑118, 09V‑116, and 15V‑201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold.
- Risk
- Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire.
- Remedy
- The remedy applied under recalls 08V‑118, 09V‑116, and 15V‑201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engines front valve cover and gasket. Vehicles that are covered by recalls 08V‑118, 09V‑116, or 15V‑201 that have not yet received the original remedy will instead receive the improved remedy under the original recall number. The recall began on February 19, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, Buick customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300, Oldsmobile customer service at 1‑800‑442‑6537 and Pontiac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006. GM's number for this recall is 15757. Note: Until the improved remedy has been applied, owners are advised to park their vehicle outside since the fire risk exists even when the vehicle is unattended.
Recall number 15V701000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- General motors is recalling 1,497,516 my 1997-2003 buick regal, my 1998-2003 chevrolet lumina, monte carlo and impala, my 1998-1999 oldsmobile intrigue, my 1997-2003 pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l v6 naturally aspirated engine. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which drops of engine oil may be deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking.
- Risk
- If the manifold is hot enough and the oil runs below the heat shield, it may ignite into a small flame and may spread to the plastic spark plug wire channel and beyond increasing the risk of an engine compartment fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the engines front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engines plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, oldsmobile at 1‑800‑630‑6537, and pontiac at 1‑800‑620‑7668 or http://www.pontiac.com or http:www.gmownercenter.com.
Recall number 09V116000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- Gm is recalling 207,542 my 1997-2003 buick regal and pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l supercharged v-6 engine. These vehicles have higher front rocker cover gasket temperatures, creating the potential for earlier degradation of the front rocker cover gasket and eventual oil seepage.
- Risk
- Certain underhood fires may be caused by drops of engine oil, from seepage or spillage, being deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking. If the manifold is hot enough and the oil runs below the heat shield, it may ignite into a small flame and, in some instances, the fire may spread to the plastic spark plug wire channel and beyond.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the engines front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engines plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, along with the 1-3-5 spark plug wire retainers, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. , free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. Until the remedy is completed, gm strongly recommends that owners observe the following important precautions (1) that owners do not park their vehicle in a garage, car port, or other structure; (2) if owners notice a burning odor, they should have their dealer inspect the vehicle. The dealer will inspect the vehicle without charge; (3) use premium fuel (91 octane or higher) in the vehicle as recommended in the vehicle's owner manual. Owners may contact buick at 1‑866‑608‑8080 or pontiac at 1‑800‑620‑7668, or through their website at http://www.gmownercenter.com .
Recall number 08V118000 · Recall details
Questions about the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix loss of power
Is sudden loss of power a common problem on the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix?
16 of 810 owner complaints about the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix (2%) mention sudden loss of power. The model year with the most reports is 1997.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix?
There are 3 recalls and 17 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
Headlights 141Fire or smoke 77Wipers 51Power steering loss 34Airbag light 28ABS 25Steering lock-up 22Stalling 17Engine failure 11Overheating 11Adaptive cruise 9Knocking 8No deployment 7Tire blowout 7Brake failure 6Fuel gauge 6Steering noise 6Transmission failure 6Grinding brakes 5Check engine light 5Pulling 5
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