Car-and-Safety.com

Pontiac G6 Power Train Automatic Transmission Safety Report | Aug 23, 2007



Reported on Aug 23, 2007


SITUATION: THE G6 WAS ON CRUISE CONTROL AT ABOUT 50 MPH, THE ROAD WAS IN VERMONT HILLS/MOUNTAINS, THE WEATHER WAS RAINING -- FROM LIGHT TO AN INCREASING INTENSITY. THE WIPERS WERE TURNED ON TO THE LOW PULSE SETTING, AND AS THE RAIN INTENSITY INCREASED THE PULSE FREQUENCY WAS INCREASED ONE STEP AT A TIME. WHEN THE PULSE WAS AT ITS FASTEST, AND THE G6 WAS PROCEEDING UP AN INCLINE AND THE CRUISE LOGIC WAS IN THE PROCESS OF DECIDING TO SHIFT GEARS, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED ENOUGH TO OBSCURE ALL VISION. THIS CONDITION REPEATED ITSELF UNTIL I CHANGED THE PULSE SETTING TO CONSTANT. THEN, AGAIN, BUT THIS TIME IN WEST LAFAYETTE TRAVELING FROM THE MAIN ROAD NORTH OUT OF TOWN UP ROUTE 443 BETWEEN ROUTE 43 AND 52 ON CRUISE AT 35 MPH IN A RAIN WITH THE WIPERS ON FAST PULSE THE WIPERS STOPPED AND VISION WAS OBSCURED. SOOO, THE HILL/INCLINE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE 'MOUNTAINOUS' OR VERY LONG IN DURATION. THE DEALER IN VT SUGGESTED I SHOULD JUST PUT IT ON CONSTANT PULSE TO AVOID THE ISSUE -- DUH. THE DEALER IN MICHIGAN ATTEMPTED TO REPLICATE THE CONDITION BUT CITY TRAFFIC, ETC. PROHIBITED THE 'EXPERIMENT'. THE GM CUSTOMER RELATIONS CONTACTS SIMPLY KEPT TELLING ME THAT THE CONDITION 'DID NOT EXIST' BECAUSE IT COULD NOT BE REPLICATED -- WHICH WAS THE SAME AS CALLING ME A LIAR. DUH. YET THE GM CR WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE WITH ANYONE INVOLVED WITH THE VEHICLE DESIGN OR BUILD -- BECAUSE IT COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED YET I DUPLICATED THE VT OCCURRENCE IN ILLINOIS IN DIFFERENT TERRAIN. SINCE THE 'HILL' IN WEST LAFAYETTE IS VERY TYPICAL OF HILLS IN MOST OF THE STATES IN THE USA IT IS LIKELY THAT ANYONE DRIVING IN THE CONDITIONS NOTED WOULD EXPERIENCE THE SAME RESULT. YET, NO ONE IN GM WILL SIT AND DISCUSS THIS AT A FUNCTIONAL LEVEL. WHEN THE WIPER STOPS AND NO ONE CAN SEE OUT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD, WHETHER TRAVELING AT 50 OR 35 MPH THE CONDITION IS VERY CRITICAL AND A SERIOUS ACCIDENT CAN OCCUR. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DISCUSS THIS FREQUENTLY SINCE IT OCCURRED. *TR
Make: Pontiac
Model: G6
Manufactured by: GENERAL MOTORS LLC
Year: 2007
Was a crash reported? N
Was an injury reported?
Was a death reported?
Was a fire reported? N
Location: STERLING HEIGHTS MI
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): 1G2ZG58B574
Mileage: 6500 miles.
Speed: 50 MPH
Number of cylinders: 6
Vehicle type:
Vehicle fuel:
Was a police report filed? N
Tire size:
Dealer name and location:
Previous Report:Power Train Automatic Transmission Next Report:Visibility

Join Pontiac safety problem discussion



Share, Email, Print