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Pontiac Grand Prix Power Train Safety Report | Feb 13, 2003
Reported on Feb 13, 2003
| I BOUGHT MY PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GT (3.8L) IN LATE '01, I MOSTLY SERVICED EVERYTHING WITH MY ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. AFTER ABOUT 3 YEARS (UNDER THE MFG WARRANTY) THE CAR BEGAN HESITATING WHEN ACCELERATING UPHILL & UNDER LOAD AT ABOUT 50-60 MPH, I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT (AT THE DEALERSHIP) THE TOOK ME FOR A ROAD TEST WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS DUPLICATED THEN THEY DID SOME DIAGNOSTICS (CHARGED ME FOR IT) BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY SPECIFIC PROBLEM (NO CODES EITHER). MY FATHER HAS A CHEVY IMPALA LS '00 AND HE HAS THE EXACT SAME ISSUE, SO I DECIDED THERE MUST BE SOME KIND OF ISSUE WITH THESE CARS THAT GM SERVICE PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT. SO I CALLED THE GM SERVICE CENTER, LEFT A MESSAGE & A TECHNICIAN CALLED ME BACK ONLY TO TELL ME THAT THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HE CAN TELL ME MORE ABOUT IT AND THERE'S NO KNOW ISSUE / HE HAS NO IDEA WHY BOTH OF OUR CARS (SIMILAR MAKES) HAVE DEVELOPED THE SAME ISSUE. I WENT ALL OVER THE PLACE TO MANY DIFFERENT & INDEPENDENT MECHANIC SHOPS TO NO AVAILABILITY. I FINALLY WAS TOLD THAT THERE'S A KNOWN (& CONFIRMED) ISSUE WITH THESE VEHICLES (THIS WAS AN ISSUE FROM '99 TO '01) AND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A FAULTY PCM (POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE). SO I CALLED UP MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO FIND OUT THE PRICE, WHICH THEY TOLD ME WOULD BE OVER $900.00 FOR THE PART PLUS LABOR CHARGES... I THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE NICE OF GM TO OFFER ME SOME REPAIR FOR THIS FAULTY PART THAT HAS DRIVEN ME NUTS FOR YEARS, BUT THEY REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING EVEN A REQUEST TO SIMPLY UPDATE THE PCM SOFTWARE FREE OF CHARGE WAS DENIED TO ME. SO I CHECKED IN TO A DEALRSHIP & ORDERED THE PCM SOFTWARE UPDATED, THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED! SO AFTER GOING THRU ALL THE SUGGESTIONS & ELIMINATING PART AFTER PART MYSELF, I FINALLY FIGURED IT OUT! THE PROBLEM WAS FAULTY SOFTWARE ON THE PCM (POWER CONTROL MANAGEMENT) CHIP THAT WAS REFLASHED & NOW WORKS FLAWLESSLY. SHOULDN'T GM AT LEAST REIMBURSE ME FOR THIS? *TR | |
| Make: | Pontiac |
| Model: | Grand Prix |
| Manufactured by: | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. |
| Year: | 2001 |
| Was a crash reported? | N |
| Was an injury reported? | |
| Was a death reported? | |
| Was a fire reported? | N |
| Location: | HIGHLAND MILLS NY |
| Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): | 1G2WP52K91F |
| Mileage: | 20000 miles. |
| Speed: | 55 MPH |
| Number of cylinders: | |
| Vehicle type: | |
| Vehicle fuel: | |
| Was a police report filed? | N |
| Tire size: | |
| Dealer name and location: | |
| Previous Report:Structure Body Hatchback/liftgate Support Device | Next Report:Engine And Engine Cooling |