1998 Pontiac Grand Prix

1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX WILL NOT TURN LEFT. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE HAD SOME TROUBLE AND EVENTUALLY ESCALATED TO NOT TURNING LEFT AT ALL. HE STATES HE HAD TO TURN THE WHEEL ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT THEN BACK IN ORDER TO TURN LEFT. *KB THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE STEERING RACK WAS BINDING WHICH REQUIRED A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT. THE CONSUMER PAID FOR THE REPAIRS, HOWEVER YEARS LATER, THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED A RECALL REGARDING THE STEERING RACK AND PINION. *JB

I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER,THEN I MOVED TO A NEW RESIDENTS 2WKS. LATER I PARKED MY CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY WENT INTO THE HOUSE MAYBE 2-3 MIN I NOTICED FLAMES COMING OUT OF THE HOOD. I RAN AND GOT THE WATER HOSE AND PUT IT OUT. I CALLED THE DEALER THEY WEREN'T AWARE OF A RECALL I HAD TO SHOW PROOF LETTER. I FAXED IT THEN THEY TOWED THE CAR TO THE DEALERS GMC WAS CALLED THEY CALLED THE DEALER .04-25-08 I CALLED GMC STATED SINCE THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE THEY NEED TO SEND FIRE INVESTIGATOR OUT. HE CAME TO THE DEALERS TOOK PICTURES AND REPORT AND FEDEX IT TO GMC MICH. THEN THEY GAVE ME ANOTHER ADJUSTER DARLENE CLEMENS. ON MAY 2ND I CALLED GMC AGAIN I WAS GIVEN ANOTHER ADJUSTER WHY SHE WOULDN'T TELL ME JUST GAVE ME THE PERSONS NAME JEMEIA PRICE SINCE THEN I BEEN PLAYING PHONE TAG NO ONE CAN HELP ME I AM WITHOUT A CAR NO LOANER OR ANY CONCERN SINCE MY CAR IS PAID OFF. SINCE THEN I FOUND OUT ABOUT OTHER RECALL THE DEALER SAID NO NOT ON GMC LIST OR WEBSITE THE RECALL#FOR THE CAR IS #07035 AND MY OTHER CONCERNS WERE RECALL# 02V286000 OR 02049 AND#07E021000 IM WORRIED I COULD DIED OR MORE DAMAGE TO MY CAR I KEEP GO CARE OF MY CAR GMC DOESN'T CARE I NEED HELP *TR

DRIVER NEEDS TO EXERT MORE EFFORT THAN NORMAL TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT, SIMILAR TO A VEHICLE WITHOUT POWER ASSISTED STEERING. INCREASINGLY, THE DRIVER REQUIRES MUCH HIGHER EFFORT TO TURN LEFT AND MAY NOT BE ABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL AS MUCH AS INTENDED AND ENCOUNTERS HIGH RESISTANCE TO TURNING LEFT. ALTHOUGH 1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIXS ARE INCLUDED IN RECALL CAMPAIGN(02V286000) AND THIS VEHICLE SUFFERS FROM THE SAME COMPONENT FAILURE AS DESCRIBED BY ODI, MANUFACTURER SAYS THAT THIS VIN IS NOT INCLUDED AND WILL NOT REPAIR VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AT 5 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL JERKED TOWARDS THE RIGHT. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO MANEUVER THE STEERING WHEEL BACK TO THE LEFT, BUT FAILED. AFTER THE TURN WAS COMPLETED AND THE SPEED WAS INCREASED, THE FAILURE CEASED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 02V286000 (STEERING:RACK AND PINION). THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 97,000.

I HAVE A PROBLEM THAT IS EXHIBITING THE EXACT BEHAVIOR AS OUTLINED IN GM RECALL NO. 02049, NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID 02V286000. MY STEERING IS VERY DIFFICULT WHEN MAKING LEFT HAND TURNS ONLY. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS RECALL THROUGH THE INTERNET - I DIDN'T ACTUALLY RECEIVE A RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL. I WENT TO SOMERSET PONTIAC IN TROY, MICHIGAN, TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE AND THEY TOLD ME I MISSED THE RECALL CAMPAIGN BECAUSE MY CAR WAS ACTUALLY BUILT ON NOVEMBER 23RD, 1997. THE RECALL CAMPAIGN WAS ONLY FOR VEHICLES BUILT BETWEEN JAN. 1, 1997 TO OCT. 31, 1997. MY VEHICLE WAS BUILT ON NOV. 23, 1997 - I MISSED THE CAMPAIGN BY 23 DAYS. THE DEALER TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP HAVING THE STEERING RACK REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. I BELIEVE GM SHOULD PAY FOR THIS REPAIR BECAUSE THIS IS THE EXACT PROBLEM FOR WHICH THE RECALL WAS ISSUED. BECAUSE MY CAR WAS BUILT 23 DAYS LATER PROVES THE CAMPAIGN SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXTENDED ANOTHER MONTH. THE REPAIR SHOP IS HOLDING ON TO MY ORIGINAL PARTS AT MY REQUEST IN CASE I NEED THEM FOR PROOF IN THIS CASE. THEY ARE CHARGING ME $145 TO DO SO SINCE THERE IS A CORE CHARGE ON THE STEERING RACK. THE PROBLEM ACTUALLY BEGAN AT ABOUT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I HAVE A CASE HERE AND IF I SHOULD HOLD ON TO THESE PARTS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR HELP. -STEVE *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STEER STRAIGHT AND MADE A CLUNKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT RECALL # 02V286000 (STEERING:RACK AND PINION) DID NOT APPLY TO THE VIN. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 93,991.

DT*: THE CONTACTED STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT OR RIGHT SHARP TURN AT ANY SPEED THERE IS A CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. IT WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION WHERE THE MECHANIC DETECTED A PROBLEM WITH THE LOWER RACK AND PINION BEARINGS. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 02V053000, REGARDING THE STEERING: RACK AND PINION. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN ONTO A SECONDARY ROAD, SPEED AT ABOUT 10-12 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEEMED TO LOCK-UP HALF WAY THROUGH THE TURN, I IMMEDIATELY SLOWED TO 2-3 MPH AND WAS ABLE, WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY, TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL ENOUGH TO COMPLETE THE TURN. WHILE STEERING TO STRAIGHTEN THE WHEELS THE POWER STEERING APPEARED TO RETURN SUDDENLY AND CAUSED THE CAR TO LUNGE TO THE RIGHT. THE PROBLEM APPEARED TO BE INCONSISTENT AS IT DID NOT ALWAYS "LOCK-UP" WHILE MAKING THE SAME TURN EXCEPT IN THE CASE OF BACKING UP (WHEELS TURNED TO THE RIGHT). EVERY DAY I LEAVE WORK THE SAME WAY. AS SOON AS I ATTEMPT TO GO FORWARD AND STEER TO THE LEFT THE POWER STEERING APPEARS TO FAIL. SUSPECTING THAT THE PROBLEM WAS JUST A BAD PART THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED I BEGAN SEARCHING THE INTERNET FOR PARTS. I FOUND THE SAFETY RECALL NOTICE AT "AUTOBUYGUIDE.COM". UPON FURTHER RESEARCH OF THE PROBLEM, I FOUND THAT MOST PEOPLE DO NOT REPORT PROBLEMS LIKE THIS. SO IN THE INTEREST OF "STATISTICAL ACCURACY" I AM REPORTING THAT I HAVE THIS PROBLEM WITH MY 1998 PONTIAC GRAN PRIX GT (~125,000 MILES). I HAVE CONTACTED A LOCAL DEALER TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT BUT I HAD TO LEAVE A MESSAGE. NO RESPONSE AT THIS POINT. *JB