On May 27th 2023 just three days ago I went to start my car but it would not start, I tried two times then I smelled gas so I let it sit over night then the next day my friend went out to start it for me and it made a loud bang and the intake manifold exploded causing a fire and debris went everywhere, my is lucky he got away from the when he did or he would have been injured maybe even killed from the flames. I did not take any photos or report to anyone, a neighbor heard the load bang and came out to see if anyone was ok. There were no warning signals that appeared to my knowledge. There were 200,000 miles on the vehicle at time of the incident.
2002 Pontiac Grand Prix: won't start
5 of the 331 complaints about the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix describe won't start.
- owner complaints
- 5
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- recalls
- 3
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls and 87 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Won't start by model year
What owners say
My car wouldn't start so I called aaa. The man tried to start the car before he attempted to jump it. When he turned the key, the car exploded and caught fire. Thank goodness he hadn't opened the hood because I was standing next to the car and could have been killed from the flying debris. When we opened the hood to put out the fire, the intake manifold was completely destroyed and in pieces. I ended up having the car towed and they replaced the intake manifold and the fuel rails costing me $900. Yesterday I went to start the car and it acted like it didn't want to start again but finally it did but I did hear a pop. When I researched the problem online, I found an article about chevy impalas exploding but from reading the comments, it appears this is a problem with all gm cars from that time period. I'm linkng the article so you can read the reviews and can see that this is still an ongoing problem. The opening comment explains that there was a previous recall about this very same problem in the late 1990's. The problem is with defective fuel pressure regulators. Everything described is exactly what happened with my car on february 6 of this year. I now know I need to have the regulator replaced or it might happen again. I'm a senior on limited income and I can't afford this expense, especially when it's a problem that should have been fixed with a recall. Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos of the incident but I have the repair bill and I'm sure I could get a statement from the aaa person who was also present when it happened. Here is the link for further testimony showing someone wrote as recently as february 12 with the same issue. Https://rjhillconsulting.wordpress.com/2014/03/08/chevy-impala-not-recalled-for-exploding-intake-manifold-and-engine-fire/
On 12/23/2012 at 7:15pm we just arrived home & parked our 2002 pontiac grand prix in our garage. About 3 minutes later my daughter went into the garage & came to get me telling me our garage was filled with smoke. Our car was on fire. I tried to release the hood but it did not release. I tried to start the car to drive it out of the garage it turned over but didn't start. I tried to put it in neutral. The gear shift moved in neutral position but the car would not release. The doors automatically locked. My brother in law and family just happened to come in the middle of these events. He hooked a chain to the car and drug it out of our garage with his 4x4 truck. The drivers window was broken to regain access to the car and try the hood release again. The hood would still not release. A pry bar was used to force the hood open. Buckets of water were continually thrown on the car during this entire event. Once the hood was open the fire was put out. The car is a total loss.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 pontiac grand prix. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start due to a malfunction in the anti-theft system. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was told the key needed to be replaced. The key was replaced, but the failure continued. The contact also stated the vehicle took long periods of time to start because the anti-theft system was not recognizing the key. The failure mileage was 117,000.
2002 grand prix the gm passlock is faulty. Flashes does not reset and car will not start. Was stranded in parking lot and had to have towed and repaired.
Service bulletins that may apply
- This technical bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake...
- This service bulletin provides service information to technicians on guidelines to replace Oil Cooler, Oil...
- This PI bulletin advises the technician on the proper way to install the pistons in an engine.
- This service bulletin provides graphics, information and guidelines for engine component wear to assist...
- Engine
- This diagnostic tip bulletin provides additional information on how to diagnose a possible valve, lifter...
- This service bulletin provides service information on new torque specification and installation procedure...
- Engine and engine cooling: engine: oil/lubrication: pressure/temperature sensor
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 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix won't start
Is won't start a common problem on the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix?
5 of 331 owner complaints about the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix (2%) mention won't start. The model year with the most reports is 2004.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix?
There are 3 recalls and 87 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
Fire or smoke 83Headlights 11Stalling 8ABS 6No deployment 6Check engine light 6Power windows 6Brake failure 5Wipers 5
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