1998 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT Exterior Lighting Problems

PONTIAC TRANS SPORT 1998 --EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS VISIBILITY EXTREMELY POOR. OWN VEHICLE SINCE 2005. *TR

Mileage: 118,059

PONTIAC TRANS SPORT 1998 --EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS VISIBILITY EXTREMELY POOR. OWN VEHICLE SINCE 2005. *TR

Mileage: 118,059

PROBLEM: LAST FALL I NOTICED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD TURN OFF WHEN I USED THE TURN SIGNAL? SLOWLY I LOST THE 'TRIP COMPUTER' THEN THE TURN SIGNALS WOULD FLASH QUICKLY WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. I ASSUMED THAT THERE WAS A BAD BULB SOMEWHERE WITH THE BRAKES AND TURN SIGNALS. I WOULD ALSO NOTICE THAT THE CLOCK ON THE RADIO WOULD DIM WHEN THE TURN SIGNALS AND BRAKES WERE USED. LONG STORY- SHORT, MORE AND MORE THINGS SEEMED TO BE FAILING OVER TIME. I WAS STARTING TO THINK IT WAS RELATED TO THE ALTERNATOR. SOLUTION: I PULLED THE TAILLIGHTS AND TOOK A CLOSER LOOK. I PULLED THE PLUGS ON THE TOP OF THE LIGHTS AND I FOUND MELTED CONTACTS ON ONE OF THE SIX CONTACT POINTS. I WAS GOING TO TIN THE CONTACT POINTS PUT THAT DIDN'T WORK VERY WELL. I TOOK A SCREW DRIVER AND REALIGNED THE SOCKETS AND SCRAPPED OFF THE MELTED PLASTIC ON THE PINS. TESTED THE LIGHTS AND THEY WORKED PERFECTLY! ALL THE OTHER PROBLEMS WENT AWAY! :) WHAT I FIND STRANGE IS THIS IS THE SECOND GM VAN THAT I HAVE SEEN MELTED CONTACT POINTS EITHER ON THE PLUGS OR ON THE SOCKETS OF THE BULBS. SEEING THERE IS N O RECALL ON THIS I HOPE THIS INFO HELPS SOMEONE ELSE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM! *TR

DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED THE EXTERIOR PLASTIC HOUSING ON THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS TURNED YELLOW. THE YEARS OF DIRECT SUNLIGHT TARNISHED THE CLEARNESS OF THE COVER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND RECOMMENDED THE CONTACT PURCHASE NEW HOUSINGS FOR THE HEADLIGHTS. *JB *AK

Mileage: 23,000

I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY ACCIDENTS IN MY 1998 MONTANA. I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHTS 2 TIMES ON THE RIGHT, AND ONCE ON THE LEFT. THE FRONT LENS ON THE LIGHTS SEEM TO JUST FALL OFF. THESE PARTS ARE $100 OR MORE. WHY ARE THE POORLY ASSEMBLED AND HAVE THERE BEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS?*AK

WHERE DO I START? SAME COMPLAINTS AS ALL OTHER PONTIAC MINIVAN OWNERS. SINCE ORIGINAL PURCHASE IN 1998, HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY FAULTY, ABS WARNING LIGHT MALFUNCTION, AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT MALFUNCTION, AND MALFUNCTIONING (STILL) PASSENGER AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR. RECENTLY HAD HEAD GASKET REPLACED DUE TO ANTIFREEZE LEAK, AS WELL AS FRONT LEFT WHEEL HUB. THIS IS THE WORST (AND MOST COSTLY) VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED WITH RESPECT TO MAINTENANCE.*AK

Mileage: 5,262

HEADLIGHT LENS FELL OFF. DRIVERS SIDE REPLACED TWICE. CURRENTLY, BOTH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT COST OF $150.00 FOR EACH FOR HEADLIGHT.

RH HEADLAMP LENSE FELL OFF. VEHICLE NEVER INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT. THE LENSE JUST FELL OFF. VEHICLE NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. UPON INVESTIGATING REPLACEMENT, FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. NO SALVAGE YARD HAS ANY USED AVAILABLE, HOWEVER THEY ARE WILLING TO SELL NEW ONES AT A PRICE BETWEEN $100 - $165. I WAS TOLD THAT GM WANTS $250 FOR THE REPLACEMENT. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT GM IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT IT. THIS CAN BE SEEN JUST BY THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS SHOWING UP IN THIS WEBSITE.THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM IF THE LIGHT(S) FAILED AT NIGHT. IT DEFINTELY IS AN EXPENSIVE PROBLEM FOR THE CONSUMER.*AK

Mileage: 90,000

DRIVERS SIDE HEADLAMP FELL OFF - LITERALLY JUST DROPPED RIGHT OFF OF IT - I HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS, SITTING AT A LIGHT, THOUGHT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A PASSING AUTO - I STOPPED, LOOKED, THINKING IT WOULD BE THE BLINKER, AND KEPT GOING- ONLY TO FIND OUT IT WAS THE COVER TO THE HEAD LIGHT! THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM, FROM WHAT WE'RE FINDING AND NO JUNK/SALVAGE YARDS HAVE ANY - AND THEY ALL SAY THE SAME THING - THEY'RE GONE BEFORE THEY GET THERE, JUNK HEADLAMP! THESE AND THE GRANDAMS! THIS VAN HAS ONLY 50K MILES ON IT! NOT LIKE IT'S GOT A TON OF MILEAGE!*AK

Mileage: 50,620

PROB #1 - INTAKE LEAKING - NEEDS INTAKE MANIFOLD GASTKET REPLACEMENT. LOCAL DEALER WILL NOT PAY FOR. PROB #2 - I HAVE LOST TWO HEADLAMP LENSE COVERS IN THE PAST YEAR - DEALER SAID THIS HAPPENS "A LOT!, AND THAT IT WAS PROBABLY A PROBLEM WITH THE ADHESIVE" I HAD TO REPLACE TWO COMPLETE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES TOTALLING OVER $200.00

Mileage: 69,309

HEADLIGHT LENS HAS FALLEN OFF DUE TO POOR SEAL AND NO SCREWS. THIS IS NOW THE SECOND HEADLIGHT THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ON THIS VAN. IN ADDITION, WE HAD A 1997 TRANSPORT AND BOTH HEADLIGHT LENSES FELL OFF THAT ONE AS WELL. AFTER MONTHS OF COMPLAINING AND LETTER WRITING, PONTIAC CORRECTED THE OTHER 3 HEADLIGHTS AT NO COST BUT WILL NOT DO SO WITH THIS ONE. THIS IS CLEARLY A PRODUCT DEFECT AND JUDGING BY THE NUMEROUS OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM.*AK

Mileage: 59,500

I OWN A 1998 PONTIAC TRANSPORT, BOUGHT NEW, AND HAS 80000 MILES ON IT. WAS JUST TOLD THAT THE INTAKE IS LEAKING, ANS WILL NEED MANIFOLD GASKET REPLACEMENT. WAS TOLD THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING. ALLED LOCAL PONTIAC DEALER (MATTHEWS PONTIAC, VESTAL, NY 607-798-8000) AND THEY CONFIRMED THIS, AND THAT THERE IS A NEW AND IMPROVED GASKET, BUT THEY WOULDN'T HELP WITH THE COST OF REPLACEMENT. ALSO REPORTED THAT MY HEADLAMP LENSES HAVE BEEN LOST (LOST 2 IN ONE YEAR) AND HAD TO REPLACE ENTIRE HEADLAMP UNIT AT MY OWN COST. DEALER SAID THIS IS COMMON ALSO, AND THEY BELIEVE IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ADHESIVE!! THEY WILL NOT HELP WITH THAT ONE EITHER. *AK

Mileage: 80,000

DEFECTIVE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY- THE LEFT HEADLIGHT LENS CAME OFF THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. THE DEALER SAYS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. THE GMC CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE ALSO KNOW OF THE PROBLEM,BUT SAY THAT NOT ENOUGH COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED TO WARRANT A RECALL. THIS IS BULL. ALSO THE PLASTIC ON THE LENS CRYSTALLIZES,CAUSING REDUCED LIGHT OUTPUT FROM THE HEADLAMP.*AK

Mileage: 70,000

THE HEAD LIGHT COVER FELL OFF DURING A RAIN STORM. THE NEXT MORNING SECOND HEADLIGHT COVER FELL OFF IN CONSUMER'S HAND. THIS IS A POSSIBLE PROBLEM FOR CHEVROLET, VENTURE/PONTIAC, TRANSPORT; AND OLDSMOBILE, SILHOUETTE. IT PRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD. *AK

HEADLAMP COVERS FLY OFF BECAUSE OF POOR GLUING, WATER HITS BULB AND IT BLOWS OUT. *JB

BOTH HEADLIGHT PLASTIC COVERS FELL OFF AND THEY ARE NOT COVERED BY MY WARRANTY OR INSURANCE. *JB ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS*******769764

Mileage: 56,000

I PURCHASED MY MONTANA NEW IN 1998. I HAVE HAD GOOD SERVICE, EXCEPT FOR A PREMATURE BATTERY FAILURE, UP UNTIL NOW. I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING THE HEADLIGHT BULB WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WAS DEGRADING TO THE POINT THAT THE LENS WAS DETACHING FROM THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY. NOW I KNOW THAT THIS VEHICLE IS 4 YEARS OLD BUT THERE IS NO REASON FOR THE LAMPS TO FALL APART. WHAT GOOD IS RUST THROUGH WARRANTIES IF THE BONDING MATERIAL HOLDING THE PARTS TOGETHER FAIL PREMATURELY? I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. ABOUT 2 YEARS AFTER I PURCHASED MY MONTANA I NOTICED A FOGGING INSIDE THE HEADLAMP AFTER DRIVING THROUGH RAIN. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT WAS NORMAL FOR THAT TYPE OF HEADLIGHT. NOW, LOOKING BACK, I BELIEVE THAT THE SEAL WAS ALREADY DETERIORATING. --- I DO BELIEVE THIS IS A MATERIAL DEFECT THAT COULD CAUSE ACCIDENTS, IF THE LENS FALLS OFF DURING RAIN OR SNOW. I HOPE THAT THIS IS NOT A PURPOSELY DESIGNED IN DEFECT AND I BELIEVE THAT GM WOULD WANT TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM, EVEN IN AN OLDER VEHICLE. --- THE RESPONSE BACK FROM GM WAS THAT DUE TO THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FAULT AS FOLLOWS: -- ALTHOUGH WE DO UNDERSTAND YOUR POSITION, OUR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT A DEFECT ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURING AND ASSEMBLY PROCESS GENERALLY MAKES ITSELF APPARENT QUITE EARLY IN THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER A VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN SERVICE FOR SEVERAL YEARS, MANY FACTORS SUCH AS USAGE, OWNER MAINTENANCE, AGE AND WEAR, CAN CONTRIBUTE TO DIFFICULTIES WITH THE VEHICLE THAT ARE BEYOND THE CONTROL OF THE MANUFACTURER. -- I BELIEVE THIS IS A MATERIAL ISSUE, THE MATERIAL USED SHOULD HOLD UP FOR 10+ YEARS UNDER NORMAL USAGE. THIS MATERIAL MUST HAVE STARTED DETERIORATING AFTER TWO YEARS, WHEN I FIRST NOTICED FOGGING IN THE HEAD LAMP ASSEMBLY. I KNOW THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM.*AK

RIGHT SIDE HEADLIGHT LENSE FELL OFF VEHICLE. CONVERSATION WITH A PONTIAC DEALER PARTS MANAGER AND A PONTIAC DEALER SERVICE MANAGER INDICATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE LENSE IS "GLUED" TO THE HOUSING AND THAT THE ADHESIVE MATERIAL DRIES OUT CAUSING THE LENSE TO SEPARATE FROM THE HOUSING. YOU CAN NOT PURCHASE A REPLACEMENT LENS, YOU CAN ONLY PURCHASE AN ENTIRE HEADLIGHT ASSSEMBLE, APPROXIMATELY $240.00 PLUS LABOR. ADDITIONALLY, WHEN MOISTURE ENTERS THE NOW LENSE FREE ASSEMBLY, THE HALOGEN HEADLIGHT FAILS. HALOGEN LIGHTS HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF SEVERAL HOUSE FIRES BECAUSE OF THEIR HIGH OPERATIONAL TEMPERTURE. THE CHEVROLET VENTURE VAN USES THE SAME HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. THIS SAME ASSEMBLY IS USED ON BOTH OF THESE VEHICLES FOR SEVERAL YEARS. FOR THE MANUFACTURE YER OF 1998, YOUR SITE LISTS 11 COMPLAINTS FOR THIS DEFECT FOR THE PONTIAC VAN AND 17 COMPLAINTS FOR THIS DEFECT FOR THE CHEVROLET VENTURE VAN. I HAVE NOT RESEARCHED ALL THE YEARS THAT THIS PART HAS BEEN USED FOR BOTH OF THESE VEHICLES. THIS ASSEBLY MAY ALSO BE USED ON THE OLDMOBILE SILOETTE VAN.*AK

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT HEADLIGHT LENSES HAVE FALLEN OFF. LENSES WERE JUST REPLACED A MONTH AGO. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED.*AK

03/01 LEFT HEADLIGHT LENS FELL OFF 12/24/01 RIGHT LENS FELL OFF WHILE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED. GLUE APPEARS TO HAVE DRIED UP. PONTIAC CUSTOMER SERVICE SAID THAT THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED ENOUGH COMPLAINT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THEY ALSO STATE THAT BECAUSE IT IS A USED CAR AND & MILAGE IS HIGHER THEN WARANTY ALLOWS THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND HAVE REPLACED MANY HEADLIGHTS USUALLY GETTING INSURANCE COMPANYS TO PAY. DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT GM/PONTIAC KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT WON'T CORRECT IT. PONTIAC CUSTOMER SERVICE STATED THAT THERE IS NO RELEIF AT THIS TIME. *AK

HEAD LIGHT DOME COMES OFF LEAVING LAMP EXPOSED TO ELEMENTS. THIS IS A HAZARD. IF LAMP IS EXPOSED TO RAIN, IT MAY BURST LEAVING ONLY ONE FUNCTIONING HEADLIGHT. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO BOTH HEADLIGHTS ON MY VEHICLE. DEALER HAS INFORMAED US THAT THIS IS INDEED A PROBLEM ON THIS AND OTHER VEHICLES BY PONTIAC. HOWEVER, NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED.*AK

HEADLIGHT COVER ON DRIVER SIDE OF VEHICLE FELL OFF. WHEN ELEMENTS CONTACTED HEADLIGHT BULBS, FAILURE OF HEADLIGHT WAS THE RESULT. CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE ENTIRE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. CONSUMER HAS BEEN INFORMED THAT PASSENGER'S HEADLIGHT SEALANT WAS DRYING AND WAS BEGINNING TO CRACK. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK

HEADLIGHT LAMP COVERS FELL OFF, EXPOSING THE WIRES. *AK

VERY COSTLY REPLACEMENT FOR POOR BONDING OF THE ASSEMBLY. *AK

THE LENS (HEADLIGHT) COVER FELL OFF! DEALER STATED THE LENS COVER IS NOT A SEPARATE PIECE. ENTIRE ASSEMBLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THIS WAS NOT COVERED BY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WE HAD PURCHASED. NO ONE COULD TELL ME WHY THIS SINCE THE LENS COVER FELL OFF! IT WAS NOT HIT, NOT INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT; SIMPLY FELL OFF! LENS COVER WAS ON THE CAR WHEN I LEFT FOR CHURCH. 15 MINUTES LATER IT WAS GONE! WHY IS THIS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY? THE HALOGEN BULB IT NOT TO BE EXPOSED WHERE IT CAN BE TOUCHED!*AK

MOISTURE CONDENSES ON THE INNER LENS OF THE HEAD LIGHT, LESSENING THE ABILITY OF THE HEAD LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE THE ROAD. YH

HEAD LIGHT COLLECTS MOISTURE AND CAUSES BULB TO BURN OUT. ACCORDING TO DEALER THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF THE ASSEMBLIES AVAILABLE BECAUSE OF THE HIGH DEMAND FOR REPLACEMENT. MINE WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BUT NOT ALL REPLACEMENTS ARE.

LOUD THUMBING NOISE IN REAR OF AUTO THAT VIBRATES UP TO DRIVERS SEAT UPON STARTING CAR AND OR STOPPING CAR. GETS LOUDER AND LOUDER.

HEADLAMP FAILED.

MOISTURE ACCUMULATED IN HEAD LAMP.

HEADLAMP LEAK CAUSING WATER TO ACCUMULATE INSIDE THE LAMP.