1999 Pontiac Trans Sport recalls & problems

Safety recalls

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

What owners report

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

• Seat belts › FrontCrash2 injuries

  DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE WENT OFF THE ROAD AND STRUCK A TREE. WHEN THIS OCCURRED, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT SHOULDER STRAP DID NOT LOCK. THE DRIVER HIT THE STEERING WHEEL CAUSING MINOR CHEST INJURIES, THEN THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. ALSO, THE MIDDLE ROW DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT CAME UNLOCKED. THIS CAUSED THE OCCUPANTS LEG TO BE CRUSHED, RESULTING IN SURGERY. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD AND INSPECTED BY THE MANUFACTURER, BUT IT WAS DETERMINED NOT TO BE A DEFECT.

  Apr 3, 2006 · 57,000 miles
• Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe

  WITH RESPECT TO MY 1999 PONTIAC TRANSPORT VAN, OCTOBER OF 2003 THE ENGINE STARTED OVERHEATING AND WE DISCOVERED THAT THE COOLANT WAS LOW. WE ADDED COOLANT AND SOME TYPE OF SEAL INTO THE COOLANT BECAUSE WE WERE TOLD BY SEVERAL GM MECHANICS THAT IT WAS PROBABLY THE HEAD GASKET AND THIS SEAL WOULD HELP TO GET US BY UNTIL WE COULD HAVE IT FIXED. I CALLED THE COMPANY WHERE I PURCHASED THE VAN (2ND HAND) AND THE VAN WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY (OVER BY 4,000 MILES AT THE TIME). I DID PURCHASE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. WE PRICED AROUND FOR THE COST TO HAVE THE HEAD GASKET REPAIRED/REPLACED AND FOUND THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO SPEND BETWEEN $800 AND $1,000 TO GET IT FIXED. OUR VAN IS NOW SITTING IN A…

  Jun 1, 2003 · 44,000 miles
• Exterior lighting › Headlights › Concealment devices

  PROBLEMS WITH THE SLIDING DOOR, HEADLAMP FELL OFF, AUTOMATIC LOCKS/WINDOW AND ETC. *PH THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE VEHICLE HAS A COOLANT LEAK. THE FUEL MODULATOR AND SPARK PLUGS WERE REPLACED. *JB

  Mar 11, 2004
• Engine and engine cooling

  INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS (UPPER & LOWER) NEED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT IS LEAKING ENGINE COOLANT. ALSO NEED TO REPLACE THERMOSTAT AND GASKET. COST $900.

  Jan 15, 2003 · 900 miles
• Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system

  TRANSMISSION FAILURE CAUSED BY ANTIFREEZE IN TRANSMISSION. CORROSION OF RADIATOR CAUSING ANTIFREEZE TO MIX WITH TRANSMISSION FLUID. NOW IS OVERHEATING CAUSED BY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKING ALLOWING ANTIFREEZE TO GET INTO CRANKCASE. POTENTIALLY FATAL FOR ENGINE. *NLM

  Feb 10, 2003 · 44,402 miles
• Seat belts › Front › Anchorage

  RETRACTOR MOUNT NOT SECURED TO UPPER PANEL, TOP THREADS INTO PILLAR NOT DONE, INSTALLED MISSING BOLT IN SEAT BELT MOUNT.

  Oct 3, 2001
• Structure › Body › Door

  WHILE EXITING A PARKING LOT, THE REAR SLIDING DOOR OPENED, THE DEALER FOUND THAT A BENT BRACKET IN THE DOOR MOUNTING WAS THE APPARENT CAUSE OF THE DOOR FAILING TO LATCH PROPERLY. NLM

  Aug 12, 2001
• Seats › Front assembly › Power adjust

  WHILE IN DRIVEWAY WAS ADJUSTING FRONT SEAT AND VEHICLE STARTED SMELLING LIKE SMOKE. CONSUMER LOOKED UNDER SEAT, AND ONE OF THE WIRES WAS COMPLETELY BARE. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER DID REPAIRS. BUT, WIRES WERE STILL HANGING FROM UNDER SEAT. *AK

  Aug 5, 2001

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

• POWER-SLIDING DOORClosedLed to recall 04V597000

  SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE AVAILABLE WITH AN OPTIONAL POWER SLIDING DOOR.THE INTERIOR HANDLE IS ORIENTED IN THE VERTICAL POSITION IN THE DOOR PANEL AND LINES UP AT THE ELBOW LEVEL WHEN THE OCCUPANT IS SEATED IN THE 2ND-ROW OUTBOARD POSITION.IF THE OCCUPANT HOLDS THE INTERIOR HANDLE IN THE THUMB UP POSITION DURING POWER-ASSISTED OPENING, THE ARM/WRIST CAN BE PUSH BACK WITH FORCE AGAINST THE 2ND-ROW BUCKET SEAT OR CAPTAIN'S CHAIR SEAT BACK CREATING A RISK OF INJURY (OTHER SEATING CONFIGURATIONS HAVE AMPLE SEAT TO DOOR CLEARANCE TO AVOID ENTRAPMENT OF THE LOWER ARM).AMONG THE 103 TOTAL REPORTS, THERE WERE 102 ALLEGED INJURIES INCLUDING ARM/WRIST, THUMB AND SHOULDER INJURIES.A COUNT OF INJURIES REVEALS THAT 76 INJURIES WERE A FRACTURED OR A BROKEN ARM/WRIST REQUIRING AN IMMOBILIZING CAST FOR FOUR-TO-SIX WEEKS.ALL INJURIES INVOLVE THE RIGHT SIDE POWER SLIDING DOOR.THE LEFT SIDE POWER SLIDING DOOR…

  PE04064 · opened Sep 17, 2004 · closed Dec 22, 2004
• REAR AXLE TRAILING ARM FAILUREClosed

  ON NOVEMBER 18, 2002, ODI OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE02-086) TO EVALUATE ALLEGATIONS OF REAR AXLE TRAILING ARM FAILURES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES (U-VAN) WHICH INCLUDED TWO REPORTING CRASHES.ON APRIL 9, 2003, ODI UPGRADED PE02-086 TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA03-005) TO CONTINUE ITS EXAMINATION OF THE ISSUE. THE TRAILING ARM DESIGN IN THESE VEHICLES HAS BEEN USED IN THE U-VAN FROM MY 1997 THROUGH THE PRESENT.THE GM ANALYSIS CONCLUDED THAT THE SUBJECT TRAILING ARMS COULD CRACK OR BUCKLE IF THEY WERE DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY, PRE-DELIVERY HANDLING, OR SUBJECTED TO CERTAIN SERVICE RELATED ABUSE CONDITIONS SUCH AS IMPROPER TOWING OR JACKING.ANALYSIS OF ODI AND GM DATA HAS IDENTIFIED 19 INCIDENTS OF REAR AXLE TRAILING ARM FAILURES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THERE HAVE BEEN NO NEW REPORTS TO ODI OR GM IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS AND ONLY ONE NEW COMPLAINT IN THE LAST 21 MONTHS. DUE TO THE LOW…

  EA03005 · opened Apr 23, 2003 · closed Jan 12, 2004
• AIR BAG TEAR DURING DEPLOYMENTClosed
  PE00045 · opened Nov 3, 2000 · closed Jan 11, 2001
• UNEXPECTED OPENING OF SLIDING DOORClosedLed to recall 01V067000

  There is no summary currently available

  SQ00014 · opened Jul 25, 2000 · closed Oct 22, 2001