Tl*the contact owns a 1997 pontiac grand prix. The contact stated that the coolant system failed and the vehicle continuously stalled due to overheating. The dealer stated that the manifold gasket and sensors on the radiator needed to be replaced. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number 08v118000 (engine and engine cooling). She has experienced oil leakage under the hood of the vehicle as a result of the failed gasket. The contact was informed that her model gasket was too old and there was a newer rocket cover gasket needed to remedy the failure. The mechanic at midas stated that drops of engine oil were being deposited on the exhaust manifold, which could potentially cause a fire. The failure and current mileages were 170,000.
1997 Pontiac Grand Prix: engine overheating
11 of the 810 complaints about the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix describe engine overheating.
- owner complaints
- 11
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- typical mileage
- 98,000
- recalls
- 3
Engine overheating by model year
What owners say
My 1997 pontiac grand prix gtp over heated last month and it had an engine fire. Previously, there were several occasions when it had an odd oily/electrical smell but nothing appeared to be wrong. I was stuck in some snow and while I was getting it out it apparently overheated. I made it out on to the main road and less than thirty yards later, it caught fire. It took a while for the fire department to get there, and after the fire was put out there was nothing left salvageable of my car. The engine compartment was demolished and the interior had standing water from being extinguished. Basically, there was nothing I could do at that point, I had no car and the insurance did not cover what had happened.
Brought car to dealer for regular oil change and was told the oil was full of coolant. Was told by mechanic that this was a common" problem ,and he had changed several upper intake manifold gaskets on pontiac grand prix 3.8 v6 engines severe cases, included changing upper as well as lower gaskets ,and head gaskets due to coolant leaks. On a few of the cars the damage was beyond repair, and needed new engines due to severe coolant leaks. The upper intake plenum had melted, resulting in a coolant leak, coolant in the oil, and vice versa. Had to have another oil change a week later to get the rest of the gunk out, and will have to bring it in again next week to check for anymore traces of coolant in the oil. If found will have to possibly change the lower intake gasket, and possibly head gaskets. If damage was really bad, new engine. If this is such a "common" problem gm putting a plastic part would be installed. Why was there no recall on it? I have checked message board after message board and this problem was wide spread.. Lots of complaints, but the consumer was stuck fitting the bill for their defective part.
I own a pontiac grand prix 97, 3.8. I have come to have a problem with my car overheating due to my manifold intake gaskets. I recently went to the shop to have them fixed and the shop owner told me this is the defect from the dealer which is costing me a lot of money to be fixed. The owner says he gets a lot of the pontiac gm cars that also have the same issue. I would like if someone can look into this. I also was on your website and noticed that you had this also on your defect investigations. I would very much appreciate if you can look into this for me and the other owners of these cars.
Engine coolant leaking from intake manifold. Repair shop says" if its any consolation it is a design defect by the manufacturur" well its not any consolation ,it cost me $600 to fix a design flaw?
This is a safety issue, because the vehicle engine could overheat due to loss of coolant or leave your family stranded in the middle of no where. General motors pontiac division bulletin 01-06-01-007a issued 07/18/2001, provides limited information on the problem. On many of the gm cars from 1995 through 1998, that use the 3.8l engine there is a design flaw. The egr passage melts the upper intake plenum, so the composite material degrades around the egr stovepipe and could (and does in many cases) result in the internal or external loss of coolant. My car is a 1997 grand prix. They charged me $1283.47 to repair the damage caused by their design flaw, instead of recalling the vehicle. There are probably thousands of cars like this. If the coolant leaks into the upper plenum, it could result in "hydro-lock" of the cylinders. That could also be a safety problem. The cars having this design should be recalled and those people that have had theirs repaired already should be reimbursed. The problem was caused by bad engineering and materials used by pontiac.
Intake manifold gasket failed. As a result a coolant leak occured and an engine failure was almost a result. The heater failed in 5-20 degree weather. My mechanic informed me that this was a common problem that should be classified as a design flaw.
Consumer noticed while driving vehicle overheated. Technician diagnosed the intake plastic manifold being cracked. Dealer notified.
Rapid coolant loss resulted in trip to dealer for repairs. Dealer said both upper and lower intake gaskets on my 3.8l engine were bad. Repair advisor said so much coolant was in intake manifold that I was lucky the engine did not seize up. Total cost for repairs were $1,051. This car has only 47,723 miles. Called gm assistance line. They said, sorry, out of warranty. Intake gaskets should last the life of the engine. This will be a safety issue when an engine overheats from no coolant and catches on fire. I understand that the replacement gasket is the same defective design as the original. Gm should come up with a better gasket design and notify owners of problem and provide free replacement up to 100,000 miles like ford did with their defective 3.8l engine head gaskets.
Intake manifold gasket failure, causing coolant leakage. Dealer / manufacturer notified, and informed that vehicle was out of warranty, and not covered under recall.
While driving the windshield wipers just stopped. Dealer contacted and repaired the wiper crank in the motor. Incident occurred again on 12-24-97. Repairwork done. Also, headlights go out while driving. Dealer contacted and stated headlight switch overheated and headlamp switch was replaced. Et.
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 overheating
Is engine overheating a common problem on the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix?
11 of 810 owner complaints about the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix (1%) mention engine overheating. The model year with the most reports is 1999.
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 17Loss of power 16Engine failure 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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