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1998 Pontiac Grand Prix engine complaints

Page 3 of 5: complaints 41 to 70 of 122, newest first, as owners wrote them.

See the summary of 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix engine problems: which part fails, at what mileage and related recalls.

Filed Aug 23, 2011 · Engine · 145,316 miles · MI · fire

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle caught on fire from the engine. The contact merged onto the shoulder where the fire was extinguished. A police report was not filed nor was the dealer contacted. The manufacturer denied any assistance with repairs to the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 145,316.

Filed May 17, 2011 · Engine, Fuel system · 180,000 miles · NE

The gas tank is not sealed in the middle allowing gas and fuel vapor to leak from car! All the sway bar on the driver side has separated due to the rack and pinion, car has no sound when turning to the right but if you try and turn the car to the left it is as if the power steering is going out and make a loud grinding noise and is getting very difficult to turn left, also the windshield wiper do not work proper and cause problems in the rain, the key get stuck in the ignition all the time,feel as if motor is twisting or moving forward, will be contacting pontiac due to recalls and problems arising.

Filed Jan 24, 2011 · Engine · 143,900 miles · GA

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. While driving approximately 40 MPH, the contact heard a ticking sound from the engine. The vehicle suddenly stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The technician stated the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 143,900.

Filed Aug 7, 2010 · Engine · NY

During a snow storm, my car got stuck on my driveway. In trying to start the car, it wouldn't turn-over. The next day, it had to be towed to a service station. The starter had ruptured & was replaced. During the diagnostics to verify the repair, the coolant disappeared from the radiator. Diagnosing this problem, the mechanic discovered that the plastic intake manifold had cracked, causing the coolant to leak out. (this reminded me that in jan 2005, I had a problem with sudden coolant & oil loss. I never found the reason for that occurrence, but now know it was related to the cracked manifold.) the plastic manifold was replaced with another plastic manifold. Parts are not available.

Filed Aug 7, 2010 · Engine · NY

While driving on the parkway, the steering suddenly tightened up, making turning the steering wheel difficult. Then the battery/alternator indicator light turned on along with other indicator lights. Suddenly, the engine stalled & the car coasted to a stop. Opening the hood, I noticed the accessory belt was missing (actually, it had come off & was sitting on the front suspension). Checking the belt pulleys, I found that the accessory belt idler pulley bearing had seized, causing the belt to come off. I was towed to a service station, where they replaced the accessory belt idler pulley bearing. The old part is not available.

Filed Jun 3, 2010 · Engine · TN · fire

1998 pontiac grand prix. Consumer states vehicle caught fire and melted the motor *tgw the consumer received a recall notice after the fire.

Filed Apr 22, 2010 · Engine · 198,000 miles · MO · fire

I received a notice in the mail from gm on 5/14/2009 that my vehicle had been recalled over an issue involving a safety recall 09047. This was on thursday and that following saturday my car caught fire. I had not had time to schedule an appointment with a dealership. My car ran fine and had no problems prior to the fire. The fire happened under the hood. I had to call the fire department to have the fire put out.

Filed Apr 1, 2010 · Engine · PR · fire

1998 pontiac grand prix engine compartment fire*cw the consumer received a letter regarding a recall, however when he contacted gm, he was informed that was a general letter that was sent out to all owners, but within the next month, another letter would go out to those owners affected by the recall. The consumer stated he still has not received a letter.

Filed Mar 26, 2010 · Engine · ID · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. The vehicle suddenly caught fire soon after being parked. The fire department was called and the fire was extinguished. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to the driver's home. The failure and current mileage were unknown. The VIN was unknown.

Filed Dec 10, 2009 · Engine · 59,000 miles · WI · fire

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. After her son dropped a small amount of oil under the hood of the vehicle, the intake manifold area burst into flames. He was able to put the fire out with an extinguisher. A technician from an authorized dealership stated that the vehicle repair would be covered under recall 09v116000 (engine and engine cooling). However, after speaking with representative from the manufacturer, she was told that it would not be covered because the fire resulted from engine oil being poured by her son and not actually spilling from the engine onto the manifold by hard braking. The vehicle was repaired at the owners expense. However, she experienced other failures including : the dipstick, and the front coil fractured. She believed that the failures were subsequences of the fire. The current mileage was approximately 59,500. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

Filed Nov 10, 2009 · Engine · 131,000 miles · MI

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. During an oil change, a mechanic stated that the vehicle was leaking radiator fluid. The dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided because there were no recalls on his vehicle. The failure mileage was 131000. The current mileage was 132000.

Filed Nov 2, 2009 · Engine · DC · fire

1998 pontiac grand prix had an engine fire and vehicle was totaled. Consumer states that gm denied the claim for the recall notice for the engine fire. *nj the consumer stated her son didn't receive the recall, because he moved several times since the vehicle was purchased. Gm denied the claim because it was their understanding that the controlling of liability against gm would be breach of warranty. The breach of warranty statute of limitations in wisconsin was six years from the date of the original purchase date. The original owner purchased the vehicle in april 1998, so gm claimed their liability expired in april 2004.

Filed Sep 16, 2009 · Engine · 97,500 miles · AZ

I had my 1998 pontiac grand prix with the l67 supercharged engine serviced under the recall notice last year (the federal safety agency id number 08v118000), but it is now leaking the same way from the rear valve cover, with the same attendant smoke on shutdown, and I presume, the same fire hazard.. Gm informs me the recall only extended to the front valve cover leakage, but isn't this the same or a related issue? Should I expect an american car to be at risk from bursting into flame through normal use?

Filed Jun 16, 2009 · Engine · 120,000 miles · OK · fire

1998 pontiac grand prix gpt, sitting in my drive way, caught fire and under the hood is basically toast. We have to totally replace everything...cars that are not started, should not catch fire.

Filed May 27, 2009 · Engine · WI · fire

Consumer's 1998 pontiac grand prix was damaged due to a fire . *nj a recall letter was attached to the complaint. The consumer's insurance company is seeking reimbursement due to the recall.(insurance company on behalf of consumer)

Filed Apr 20, 2009 · Engine · AR · fire

Consumer states that his 1998 pontiac grand prix caught a fire several years ago and pontiac denied any responsibility but now they are being recalled. *nj the consumer referenced recall # 09v116000.

Filed Apr 16, 2009 · Engine · 176,000 miles · OH · fire

My 1998 pontiac grand prix 3.8 litre v6 caught on fire on april 6 2009 and then a couple days later the recall came out. My car is a total loss. I have contacted pontiac as of 4-16-2009 and I am waiting to hear from them! There is no police report, but there is a fire report due to the fire dept coming to extinguish the flames.

Filed Mar 4, 2009 · Engine · 51,449 miles · CA

After taking my car in for a recall (the federal safety agency id number 08v118000) I notice that the oil leak that I was experiencing would be fixed. When the oil leak returned, I took it back to the dealer to see if the repair was not fixed correctly. I was informed that the back valve cover and manifold was now leaking and the recall only fixed the front valve cover. I was also informed that the leak could cause a fire similar to the one that was the recall was suppose to correct. I informed gm support of the problem and they stated that unless a recall was issued, I would have to pay the cost of the repair ($1300). Since the problem seems to be related to oil leaks similar to recall, I think it should be covered under the recall campaign. Thank you.

Filed Jan 6, 2009 · Engine · 59,000 miles · MI

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. The contact received a recall notice for the federal safety agency campaign id number 08v441000 (electrical system). The contact stated that the rear of the vehicle was leaking oil. He noticed oil spots on his garage floor. There were no performance issues with the vehicle; however, the contact smelled oil inside the passenger compartment. He took the vehicle in for the recall repair and informed the dealer that the rear gasket was leaking. The dealer later confirmed the failure, but stated that the recall only pertained to the front rocker. The manufacturer was not notified. The current mileage was approximately 61,500 and failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

Filed Dec 10, 2008 · Engine · 129,650 miles · CA

Intake manifold gasket needed to be replaced because of use of orange coolant--also serpentine belt replaced because of orange coolant spray all over it. Water pump had to be replaced 3 months later.

Filed Sep 8, 2008 · Engine · NC · 2 injuries

1998 pontiac grand prix gtp -- rear valve cover gasket design is extremely poor -- it is only the size of a spaghetti noodle. It can not contain the oil pressure flow, thus leaks engine oil down the rear side of the engine onto dangerously hot components -- this results in: 1)a high concentration of toxic burnt engine oil fumes entering the passenger compartment, 2) engine oil leaking/spraying back onto the extremely hot catalytic converter, exhaust manifold header, exhaust pipe and 3) a very high risk of fire in the engine compartment and under the car.

Filed Jul 9, 2008 · Engine · 130,000 miles · NH · fire

There was a fire under the hood of my car. After a about 6 months they recalled my car and the front rocker cover gasket needed replacing, after call gm and talking to 10 different people and 2 months later they had someone come to look at my car and at this point they offered me only 3000. For it. My problem is that I kept this car up I only drove it in the snow once a year, changed the oil when due, just had new struts on it new tires and it is in new condition. I looked up the blue book value of the car and it was 5,600. I fell as though I should get 5,000. For my car.

Filed Jun 23, 2008 · Engine · 209,315 miles · GA

I've owned a 1998 grand prix gt for 7yrs and I have often had problems with overheating. Especially when the temperature was 90 degrees or above. On the 30th of may, I was driving home and the engine temperature spiked and smoke began pouring out of the engine compartment. I stopped the car quickly and discovered that the intake manifold gasket was blown and it was spewing water into the oil reservoir and the engine compartment. I have seen multiple complaints on other site about the plastic intake manifold gasket that's included with the 1998 grand prix and I thought I should post a complaint. The best estimate I've had for repairing my car is $1000.00... I think that general motors should issue a recall for this error and pay for my repairs.

Filed Jun 9, 2008 · Engine · 90,000 miles · TX · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. The contact stated that his vehicle caught fire while parked. Smoke appeared from the front end of the vehicle. The fire department extinguished the fire and the vehicle was destroyed. A police report was filed. The contact called pontiac and informed them about the safety issue with the vehicle, but was offered no assistance. He recently received a recall notice after the fire for the federal safety agency campaign id number 08v118000 (engine and engine cooling). The failure mileage was 90,000.

Filed Jun 2, 2008 · Engine · 120,439 miles · NC · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand prix. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle would hesitate, misfire, and then completely shut off. The vehicle finally restarted after several attempts and then began smoking inside the passenger compartment. The contact opened the hood and noticed that the converter was fiery red. She performed a diagnostic on the vehicle, which produced code number 1374. The crankshaft position sensor was replaced twice. The current mileage was 122,749 and failure mileage was 120,439.

Filed May 21, 2008 · Engine · 135,000 miles · IL

Front valve cover leaking onto exhaust manifold. Smoke exiting the from of the vehicle after a hard stop.

Filed May 13, 2008 · Engine, Fuel system · CA · fire

I received a recall letter,then I moved to a new residents 2wks. Later I parked my car in the driveway went into the house maybe 2-3 min I noticed flames coming out of the hood. I ran and got the water hose and put it out. I called the dealer they weren't aware of a recall I had to show proof letter. I faxed it then they towed the car to the dealers gmc was called they called the dealer .04-25-08 I called gmc stated since the car caught on fire they need to send fire investigator out. He came to the dealers took pictures and report and fedex it to gmc mich. Then they gave me another adjuster darlene clemens. On may 2nd I called gmc again I was given another adjuster why she wouldn't tell me just gave me the persons name jemeia price since then I been playing phone tag no one can help me I am without a car no loaner or any concern since my car is paid off. Since then I found out about other recall the dealer said no not on gmc list or website the recall#for the car is #07035 and my other concerns were recall# 02v286000 or 02049 and#07e021000 im worried I could died or more damage to my car I keep go care of my car gmc doesn't care I need help

Filed Feb 10, 2008 · Engine, Fuel system · 260,000 miles · 00 · fire

2 days ago we had a huge snow storm. I was trying to get my car unstuck. The car was idling and I was outside digging out the car, and my girlfriend was sitting in the car, she said it was smokey inside. I just thought it was overheating, and it got worse and worse. I finally thought, ok this just isn't overheating, so I shut the car off and popped the hood. The whole rear of the engine was on fire. I got the fire out and managed to save the car. About 6 months ago I had a engine light come on and the code said small evap leak. He said it was my cold air intake and my gas cap. So I replaced the gas cap and drove around with the engine light on, not knowing that there was a actual evap leak. So it was coincidental that the engine light came on 2 days after I put my intake on. And also it was coincidental that it happened on the day with all the snow. So my mechanic said, that I did have a pinhole leak, and that the sparks from the alternator ignited the vapors. Also the foam underneath the engine cover acted like a sponge sucking in the all fumes and then boom.

Filed Dec 8, 2007 · Engine · 110,000 miles · NJ · fire

I drove from my work location at 2pm to a store 15 minutes away. The car was running normal. I entered the store for 10 minutes and when I came out, I noticed that the car had smoke coming from under the hood. I also noticed that the rear of the hood had brown discoloration marks. I attempted to put out the fire with an extinguisher but was not able to put out the fire. A police man also attempted to put out the fire with another fire extinguisher but also was not able to put out the fire. The fire department arrived in 9 minutes and put out the fire. The complete front of the car was destroyed.

Filed Dec 8, 2007 · Engine · 115,000 miles · WA · fire

I have a 1998 pontiac grand prix gtp that caught fire while driving yesterday, 12/6/07. I had noticed nothing odd other than on the evening of 12/5/07, my cruise control cut-out on me twice while driving home, which I just thought of as odd. 12 hours later, I was driving to work and the car started stuttering. I then lost all power and pulled to the side of the road, as I looked up after popping the hood, I noticed flames on the passenger side of the car. After a few minutes, local fire crews were onsite to put the fire out. The whole engine compartment melted and the car is a total loss. I don't know what caused this, but am reading reports of 1999-2002 supercharged gtp's having this same problem, but wanted the federal safety agency to be aware of this occurring in a 1998 vehicle. The car is totaled and I am quite frustrated. I never thought this would occur in a million years.

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