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Pontiac Grand Prix Power Train Safety Report | Aug 09, 2013
Reported on Aug 09, 2013
| THE CAR WAS ABOUT TO ENTER THE MASS PIKE WHEN ALL FORWARD MOTION STOPPED. THE TRANSMISSION WAS IN 'DRIVE' BUT IT ACTED AS THOUGH IT HAD SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL. THE CAR WAS DEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND THERE WERE A NUMBER A NEAR MISS COLLISIONS BEFORE THE EMERGENCY VEHICLE ARRIVED. THE CAR IS NOW AT A GM DEALERSHIP AWAITING A TRANSMISSION REBUILD. WE BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW AND HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF TRANSMISSION ISSUES STARTING AT 12,456 MILES. WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP WE REPORTED A 'CLUNKING' NOISE TO THE DEALERSHIP - THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT RECREATE THE PROBLEM. WE HAD ADDITIONAL ISSUES WHERE THE CAR WOULD 1) NOT MOVE WHEN STARTING FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR 2) WOULD ACT AS THOUGH IT WAS IN NEUTRAL WHEN COASTING AND THEN 'BANG' INTO GEAR SEVERAL SECONDS AFTER STEPPING ON THE GAS PEDAL. THESE ISSUES WERE REPORTED TO THE DEALER AT 33657, 45381, 51284, 56446, 61543 AND 72552 MILES. IN EACH CASE, EXCEPT FOR THE ONE AT 56446 MILES THE DEALER SAID THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE - BUT THEY CHARGED FOR THE TIME. AT 56446 MILES WE TRIED ANOTHER DEALERSHIP AND THEY SPENT OVER AN HOUR TESTING THE CAR. FINALLY, THEY DID EXPERIENCE THE PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED SEVERAL TRANSMISSION PARTS BUT WE EXPERIENCED A SHUDDERING PROBLEM LESS THAN A YEAR LATER. THEY DETECTED A POSSIBLE TORQUE CONVERTER PROBLEM AT THAT POINT BUT SAID IT THE COULD BE DRIVEN AND NO OTHER PARTS OF THE TRANSMISSION WOULD BE AFFECTED. THERE IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN GM V8 CARS - THERE ARE MANY REPORTS OF FAILURES AND EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. IT APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN ISSUE. THE SYMPTOMS STARTED EARLY ON, AND DESPITE OUR MULTIPLE REPORTS OF PROBLEMS AND EXACT ADHERENCE TO THE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE THERE WAS ALMOST A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR | |
| Make: | Pontiac |
| Model: | Grand Prix |
| Manufactured by: | General Motors LLC |
| Year: | 2005 |
| Was a crash reported? | N |
| Was an injury reported? | 0 person(s) were injured. |
| Was a death reported? | 0 person(s) died. |
| Was a fire reported? | N |
| Location: | SALEM NH |
| Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): | 2G2WC54C551 |
| Mileage: | 78600 miles. |
| Speed: | 35 MPH |
| Number of cylinders: | 8 |
| Vehicle type: | |
| Vehicle fuel: | GAS |
| Was a police report filed? | N |
| Tire size: | |
| Dealer name and location: | |
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