NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
277 reportsMileage unknown · Feb 8, 2002
Engine And Engine Cooling
AFTER NOTICING ENGINE RUNNING HOTTER THAN NORMAL, CHECKED RADIATOR - COOLANT LEVEL WAS LOW, NOTHING IN OVERFLOW RESERVOIR. ANTIFREEZE AND WATER ADDED TO FILL, RESTARTED CAR - IDLED ROUGH THEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STARTED BLINKING. ADDED ADDITIONAL WATER AND ANTIFREEZE WHEN RADIATOR WAS AGAIN LOW AND RESERVOIR EMPTY,…
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AFTER NOTICING ENGINE RUNNING HOTTER THAN NORMAL, CHECKED RADIATOR - COOLANT LEVEL WAS LOW, NOTHING IN OVERFLOW RESERVOIR. ANTIFREEZE AND WATER ADDED TO FILL, RESTARTED CAR - IDLED ROUGH THEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STARTED BLINKING. ADDED ADDITIONAL WATER AND ANTIFREEZE WHEN RADIATOR WAS AGAIN LOW AND RESERVOIR EMPTY, THEN CAR WOULD NOT START AT ALL. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER WHO STATEED IT IS "HYDRO-LOCKED" DUE TO MELTED PLENUM ALLOWING COOLANT INTO CYLINDERS. ENGINE WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED OR COMPLETELY OVERHAULED. COMPLAINT MADE WITH PONTIAC, NO REPONSE YET. FOUND SEVERAL OTHER CONSUMER COMPLAINTS REGARDING SAME ISSUE ON THIS SITE...ALSO FOR GRAND PRIX, BUICK LESABRE, PARK AVENUE AND CHEVROLET MALIBU.*AK
NHTSA ODI #757993
Mileage unknown · Feb 5, 2002
Engine And Engine Cooling
A HOLE OR DEFECT IN THE PLENTUM (PART # 17113136) OF THE MANIFOLD ALLOWED COOLANT TO BE SUCKED INTO THE PISTONS CAUSING MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE AND STARTER. AFTER DISCOVERING THE DEFECT, THE PART WAS TAKEN TO A GM DEALERSHIP AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THIS PART HAS BEEN REPLACED OVER 13 TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR DUE TO A HOLE OC…
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A HOLE OR DEFECT IN THE PLENTUM (PART # 17113136) OF THE MANIFOLD ALLOWED COOLANT TO BE SUCKED INTO THE PISTONS CAUSING MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE AND STARTER. AFTER DISCOVERING THE DEFECT, THE PART WAS TAKEN TO A GM DEALERSHIP AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THIS PART HAS BEEN REPLACED OVER 13 TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR DUE TO A HOLE OCCURRING IN THE EXACT SAME PLACE ALLOWING COOLANT TO BE SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE. GM HAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DEFECTIVE PART AND HAS REFUSED TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER. THE ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN CONTACTED AND RELUCTANTLY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THEY HAVE REPLACED THIS PART OVER 20 TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR.
NHTSA ODI #757830
Mileage unknown · Jan 28, 2002
Engine And Engine Cooling
CAR HEATED UP. THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN TO COOL. ANTIFREEZE WAS LOW AND ADDED WITH NO EVIDENCE OF A LEAK. CAR WOULD NOT START AND WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT COOLANT HAD BEEN SUCKED INTO THE PISTONS DUE TO A HOLE OR DEFECT IN THE PLENTUM (PART# 17113136) OF THE MANIFOLD. AFTER DISCOVERING THE DEFECT IN OUR PA…
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CAR HEATED UP. THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN TO COOL. ANTIFREEZE WAS LOW AND ADDED WITH NO EVIDENCE OF A LEAK. CAR WOULD NOT START AND WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT COOLANT HAD BEEN SUCKED INTO THE PISTONS DUE TO A HOLE OR DEFECT IN THE PLENTUM (PART# 17113136) OF THE MANIFOLD. AFTER DISCOVERING THE DEFECT IN OUR PART WE FOUND THAT THIS PART HAS BEEN REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES WITH THE EXACT SAME DEFECT BY TWO DEALERSHIPS IN OUR AREA IN THE PAST YEAR. AFTER CONTACTING PONTIAC/GM WE HAVE RECEIVED NO HELP FOR DAMAGES ($1,500.00) CAUSED BY THIS DEFECTIVE PART AND THEY HAVE NO INTENTIONS OF HAVING A RECALL PER MR. RAFIAT JIMOH, CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGER. CAN A REPORT BE OBTAINED OF THE NUMBER OF TIMES THIS PART PLENTUM #17113136 HAS BEEN REPLACED IN GM CARS IN THE PAST YEAR?*AK
NHTSA ODI #757461
Mileage unknown · Jan 17, 2002
Engine And Engine CoolingFire
THE VEHICLE BROKE DOWN AND CAUGHT ON FIRE AT THE DEALERSHIP, WHEN THEY ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE INTAKE VALAVE. CLAIM#13-9723-630
NHTSA ODI #6900825
Mileage unknown · Jan 17, 2002
Engine And Engine CoolingFuel System, GasolineFire
INTAKE MANIFOLD BLEW UP AND FIRE STARTED IN ENGINE. CLAIM NUMBER 40-2468-798. *YH
NHTSA ODI #6900824
Mileage unknown · Jan 17, 2002
Engine And Engine CoolingFireInjury
VEHICLE WAS BEING JUMPED STARTED WITH AN EXTERNAL BATTERY PACK, WHEN CRANKED THERE WAS AN INTERNAL ENGINE EXPLOSION, BLEW MANIFOLD COVER OFF AND INJECTORS OUT. CLAIM NUMBER 35-W429-786. *YH
NHTSA ODI #6900823
Mileage unknown · Jan 17, 2002
Engine And Engine CoolingFire
THE CONSUMER HEARD EXPLOSION UNDER THE HOOD WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. FLAMES WERE COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. CLAIM NUMBER 25-5472-210. *YH
NHTSA ODI #6900822
Mileage unknown · Jan 17, 2002
Engine And Engine CoolingFire
WHEN THE CONSUMER STARTED THE VEHICLE THERE WAS A LOUD POP AND VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. CLAIM NUMBER 13-7560-177. *YH
NHTSA ODI #6900821
Mileage unknown · Dec 1, 2001
Engine And Engine CoolingFire
CONSUMER WENT TO START VEHICLE, THERE WAS A LOUD POP NOISE AND VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING, FIRE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT, CLAIM 13-7560-177. *SLC
NHTSA ODI #6900520
Mileage unknown · Nov 8, 2001
Fuel System, Gasoline
IT WOULD SEEM THAT AN INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAK SO SUDDEN & SEVERE THAT IT KILLS THE ENGINE AT SPEED COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A PERSON TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR. NO ADVANCE WARNING, OTHER THAN STARTING TO RUN ROUGH, THEN FILLING THE ENGINE SO FULL OF COOLANT THAT IT KILLED THE MOTOR & LOCKED IT UP, PREVENTING THE STARTER FROM CRANK…
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IT WOULD SEEM THAT AN INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAK SO SUDDEN & SEVERE THAT IT KILLS THE ENGINE AT SPEED COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A PERSON TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR. NO ADVANCE WARNING, OTHER THAN STARTING TO RUN ROUGH, THEN FILLING THE ENGINE SO FULL OF COOLANT THAT IT KILLED THE MOTOR & LOCKED IT UP, PREVENTING THE STARTER FROM CRANKING THE ENGINE OVER.*AK
NHTSA ODI #754287
NHTSA investigations
2EA02030 · Engine Compartment Fires
Opened Oct 22, 2002 · Closed Mar 9, 2004
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Gasoline; Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery; Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
EA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GMEA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GM?S ACTIONS IN 03V-473 AND 04V-090 RECALLING APPROXIMATELY 529,000 MY 1998-99 C- AND H-BODY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS.THESE VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLDS THAT ARE UNABLE TO CONTAIN PRESSURES THAT OCCUR IN SOME BACKFIRE EVENTS AND DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS WITH LEAKING DIAPHRAGMS THAT CAN PROVIDE A SOURCE OF FUEL TO PRODUCE A COMBUSTIBLE AIR-FUEL MIXTURE IN THE MANIFOLD.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY ODI THAT NO SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS IN THE VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN GM?S RECALLS.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE INCIDENCE OF MANIFOLD RUPTURES AND RELATED FIRES IN OTHER MY 1995-2002 GM PASSENGER CARS EQUIPPED WITH THE SUBJECT INTAKE MANIFOLD.FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery
EA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GMEA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GM?S ACTIONS IN 03V-473 AND 04V-090 RECALLING APPROXIMATELY 529,000 MY 1998-99 C- AND H-BODY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS.THESE VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLDS THAT ARE UNABLE TO CONTAIN PRESSURES THAT OCCUR IN SOME BACKFIRE EVENTS AND DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS WITH LEAKING DIAPHRAGMS THAT CAN PROVIDE A SOURCE OF FUEL TO PRODUCE A COMBUSTIBLE AIR-FUEL MIXTURE IN THE MANIFOLD.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY ODI THAT NO SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS IN THE VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN GM?S RECALLS.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE INCIDENCE OF MANIFOLD RUPTURES AND RELATED FIRES IN OTHER MY 1995-2002 GM PASSENGER CARS EQUIPPED WITH THE SUBJECT INTAKE MANIFOLD.FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
EA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GMEA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GM?S ACTIONS IN 03V-473 AND 04V-090 RECALLING APPROXIMATELY 529,000 MY 1998-99 C- AND H-BODY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS.THESE VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLDS THAT ARE UNABLE TO CONTAIN PRESSURES THAT OCCUR IN SOME BACKFIRE EVENTS AND DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS WITH LEAKING DIAPHRAGMS THAT CAN PROVIDE A SOURCE OF FUEL TO PRODUCE A COMBUSTIBLE AIR-FUEL MIXTURE IN THE MANIFOLD.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY ODI THAT NO SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS IN THE VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN GM?S RECALLS.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE INCIDENCE OF MANIFOLD RUPTURES AND RELATED FIRES IN OTHER MY 1995-2002 GM PASSENGER CARS EQUIPPED WITH THE SUBJECT INTAKE MANIFOLD.FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.
Fuel System, Gasoline
EA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GMEA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GM?S ACTIONS IN 03V-473 AND 04V-090 RECALLING APPROXIMATELY 529,000 MY 1998-99 C- AND H-BODY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS.THESE VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLDS THAT ARE UNABLE TO CONTAIN PRESSURES THAT OCCUR IN SOME BACKFIRE EVENTS AND DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS WITH LEAKING DIAPHRAGMS THAT CAN PROVIDE A SOURCE OF FUEL TO PRODUCE A COMBUSTIBLE AIR-FUEL MIXTURE IN THE MANIFOLD.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY ODI THAT NO SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS IN THE VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN GM?S RECALLS.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE INCIDENCE OF MANIFOLD RUPTURES AND RELATED FIRES IN OTHER MY 1995-2002 GM PASSENGER CARS EQUIPPED WITH THE SUBJECT INTAKE MANIFOLD.FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.
PE02050 · Engine Compartment Fires
Opened Jun 13, 2002 · Closed Oct 22, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
No summary supplied.
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