1997 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems

DRIVING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, ON CONGESTED FREEWAY, AT 55 MPH THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME WAS SLOWING DOWN AND I ALMOST REAR ENDED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. DROPPED IT IN FIRST GEAR, APPLIED EMERGENCY BRAKE AND MADE AN EVASIVE LANE CHANGE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER AND LET IT SLOW DOWN BY ITSELF. PULLED OFF ON THE FREEWAY SHOULDER GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND I NOTICED THE BRAKE LINE RIGHT UNDERNEATH THE DRIVER SIDE LEAKING AT A HIGH RATE AND BRAKE FLUID PUDDLING UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. ONLY GOD'S GRACE THAT I DIDN'T REAR END ANYBODY OR GOTTEN INTO A CAR CRASH. DISAPPOINTED IS NOT A STRONG ENOUGH WORD TO USE FOR WHAT HAPPENED. I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED A BRAKE LINE BURST IN A VEHICLE. DOING SOME ONLINE SEARCHES ON GM BRAKE LINE FAILURES I FOUND A LOT OF REPORTED CASES OF GM VEHICLES HAVING SEVERELY RUSTED BRAKE LINES THAT HAD CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR. HOPE THAT YOU'LL OPEN AN INVESTIGATION INTO THESE CONCERNS IN ORDER TO AVOID ANY FUTURE INCIDENTS.

Mileage: 107,300

THE BRAKE LOCKED UP AND THE PEDAL BECAME HARD TO PRESS TO DECELERATE THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER ALSO HEARD A LOUD CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE BRAKES. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *NM

Mileage: 51,000

AT 51000 MILES THE 3.4L ENGINE HAD LOWER INTAKE GASKET FAILURE IN WHICH THE DEX-COOL ANTI FREEZE DUMPED INTO THE CRANKCASE MIXING WITH THE OIL. THIS ONLY HAD ONE WARNING A COUPLE MONTHS EARLIER AS THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON AND I ADDED 1/2 GALLON DEX-COOL WITH NO SIGNS OF LEAKAGE. NEXT TIME IT HAPPENED WAS WHEN MY WIFE WAS TAKING DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL AND TEMP. LIGHT CAME ON. VAN WAS NOT DRIVEN OVER 2 MILES TO DEALER, AS LIGHT WENT OUT. DEALER SAID EXTREME MIXTURE IN BOTH CRANKCASE AND RADIATOR. RECOMMENDED REPLACE RADIATOR, WATERPUMP, INTAKE GASKETS, FLUSH BOTH SYSTEMS AT A COST OF 1500 NOT TO BE APPLIED TOWARD ENGINE REPLACEMENT IF FAILURE ON START UP. DEALER HAD JUST HAD VAN IN WEEK BEFORE FOR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND STEERING RECALL AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG !!!! WE TRADED IT IN AT A LOSS AS I CHECKED INTO THE PROBLEM AND LEARNED ABOUT THOUSANDS OF OTHER OWNERS WITH SAME PROBLEMS WITH TOTAL ENGINE FAILURES AFTER REPAIRS MADE. WE LOST OVER $3000 EQUITY BETWEEN WHAT TRADE VALUE WOULD HAVE BEEN IF NO PROBLEM WITH ENGINE AND LETTING DEALER FIX PROBLEM AFTER TRADE. VAN HAD MANY PROBLEMS SINCE WE BOUGHT IT NEW BUT WE ALWAYS HAD THEM FIXED AND WAS WELL MAINTAINED. LOOKED NEW WHEN WE TRADED WITH ONLY 50,000 MILES. PAINT ON HOOD BLISTERED TWICE, STEERING / BRAKES WOBBLED SINCE NEW AT VARYNG SPEEDS, ALWAYS HAD TICKING SOUND IN ENGINE DEALER SAID WAS "NORMAL", REAR SEATS WOULD JAMB UP IF YOU TRIED TO REMOVE, WIPER ARMS FAILED TWICE, SERPENTINE BELT TENSIONER BROKE OFF ON ENGINE START UP IN DEC. 2002. COST $375 WITH TOWING, POWER WINDOW SWITCH FAILED IN DOWN POSITION AT REPLACEMENT COST OF ABOUT $175. ENGINE UNDER WARRANTY WHEN IT HAD A SEVERE GAS SMELL THAT NEARLY CAUSED A FIRE IN ABOUT 1999. THEY KEPT IT A WEEK AND NEVER SAID WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THEY HAD JUST WORKED ON IT FOR TICKING SOUND. (PROBABLY INTAKE GASKETS THEN ALSO). GM WAS NO HELP AFTER WARRANTY WAS UP.

Mileage: 39,000

CONSUMER STATE THAT WHILE DRIVING AND NO WARNING THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER IS LINKING FLUID CAUSE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER NOTIFIED. MR

WINDSHIELD WIPER ARM IS WEARING THROUGH BRAKE LINE, CAUSING A LOSS OF BRAKES. DEALER INSTALLED A RETAINER TO PREVENT CONTACT BETWEEN BRAKE LINE AND WINDSHIELD WIPER ARM, BUT DEFECT HAS REOCCURRED TWICE EVEN AFTER RETAINER WAS INSTALLED.*AK *SLC

WHEN HEADLIGHTS ARE TURNED ON AT NIGHT TAIL LIGHTS DO NOT FUNCTION. IN DAYTIME WHEN HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT IN USE, TAIL LIGHTS WILL FUNCTION. THIS IS DUE TO RAIN GETTING IN TAIL LIGHTS AND CAUSING A WIRING SHORTAGE.*AK CONSUMER STATES WHEN LIGHTS ARE ON, THE LIGHT AT THE TOP OF THE HUTCH WORK, BUT THE TAIL LIGHTS,BRAKE LIGHTS, FLASHERS AND REVERSE LIGHTS DON'T WORK, THE RADIO FLASHES AND THE LEFT AND RIGHT FLASH LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD STAY ON, CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE INTO REPAIR SHOP AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENTIRE HARNESS SYSTEM WAS BURNED OUT AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT, CONSUMER ALSO STATED FUEL GUAGE NOT READING CORRECTLY, ALSO ABS LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT COMING ON AT TIMES. *JB

BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING ONTO BRAKE LINING. IF LEAK DEVELOPED ANY MORE CONSUMER COULD LOSE ALL BRAKING POWER. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND BOTH REAR WHEEL BRAKE CYLINDERS HAD FAILED, AND WERE REPLACED. *AK

WHEN IT'S RAINING, AND WHEN TURNING WINDSHIELD WIPERS OFF THEY STAYED UP AND WON'T GO DOWN, SO THAT THEY ARE COULD BE IN THE DRIVER'S VIEW. THIS WAS THE 5TH TIME THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED. ALSO, CONSUMER HAS PROBLEMS WITH REAR DRUM BRAKES. *AK

WHILE PULLING INTO A BANK DRIVE IN CONSUMER WAS SITTNIG IN THE LINE WAITING FOR TRANSACTION TO BE CONCLUDED WHEN BRAKES HAD GONE OUT. PEDAL WAS PUSHED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR.ONCE PULLING OUT OF THE PARKING LOT, CONSUMER TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER. *AK

THE POWER STEERING WILL QUIT FOR 10 SECONDS WHEN DRIVING IN RAIN OR SPLASHING THROUGH WATER PUDDLE. BRAKES DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. FIRST BRAKE REPAIR, DEALER BLED AIR OUT OF SYSTEM. SECOND BRAKE REPAIR, DEALER REPLACED REAR SLAVE SEALS.

WHEN THERE IS A LOT OF WATER ON THE ROAD FROM IT RAINING FOR A WHILE, THE BRAKES EFFECTIVENESS DECREASES GREATLY, BAD ENOUGH THAT IF THE DRIVER ISN'T CAREFUL A WREAK COULD EASILY OCCUR, BRAKES FAIL WHILE GOING OVER INCH OF WATER. *MJS

THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN RETURNED THREE TIMES FOR WHEEL CYLINDER FAILER. LEFT REAR HAS BEEN REPLACED TWO TIMES. THE RIGHT REAR HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE. WHEN THE FAILERS OCCURS..BRAKING DISTANCE IS INCREASED A GREAT DEAL. I AM WORRIED THAT I WON'T BE ABLE TO BRAKE IN TIME IF SOMETHING WERE TO ARRISE..

ABS BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATES, INDICATING MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE SYSTEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

RECALL 98V072000; THE STOPPING DISTANCE HASN'T GOTTEN ANY BETTER SINCE THE RECALL WORK HAS BEEN PERFORMED, AND WHEN TURNING ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS THE RADIO FAILED. THERE HAD BEEN AN CRASH BEFORE AND AFTER THE RECALL WORK HAD BEEN PERFORMED BECAUSE OF STOPPING DISTANCES OF THE BRAKES. *AK

THE DEFECTIVE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE PEDAL TO GO TO THE FLOOR AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. DEALER WILL NOT COOPERATE AND CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHEN COMING DOWN MOUNTAIN GRADES AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE BRAKES SMELL LIKE BURNING PLASTIC. WHEN PULLING OVER CAN SEE SMOKE COMING FROM BRAKES. BRAKES WERE CLEANED ON 8/15/97 FOR BRAKE NOISE. CONSUMER IS STILL EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH BRAKES. THE TRUCK IS BEING LOOKED AT BY DEALER AT THIS TIME. *AK

OWNER HAS ABS BRAKES, WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. OWNER NOTES THAT BRAKE LINE WAS CUT ON THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE WHICH CONNECTS TO ABS SYSTEM. DEALERS HAVE CORRECTED PROBLEM, BUT OWNER STILL HAS CONCERNS. *AK