1994 Pontiac Trans Sport

ON 3/20/01, I WAS DRIVING MY VAN EASTBOUND ON RT. 33 IN HOCKING COUNTY. MY VAN STALLED, SO I PULLED TO THE SIDE. I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, AND WHILE IT WOULD CONTINUE TO START, AS SOON AS I PUT IT IN GEAR, IT WOULD STALL AGAIN. A PASSERBY STOPPED, AND PULLED THE HOOD LATCH, THEN TOLD ME TO TRY TO START IT AGAIN. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, WE SAW SMOKE WHICH WE QUICKLY DETERMINED WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES FUELED BY THE GAS FROM THE FUEL PUMP. THE VAN IS A TOTAL LOSS, AND THE LOGAN FIRE DEPT. STATED IT WAS CAUSED BY THE FUEL PUMP IGNITING. I AM CONTINUING TO PAY FOR THIS VAN AS I ONLY HAVE LIABILITY INSURANCE. I FEEL IF I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE DOWN THE ROAD, NEVER CAME IN CONTACT WITH ANOTHER CAR, AND DID NOTHING WRONG, WHY SHOULD I BE OUT MY VAN? I CONTACTED PONTIAC AND WAS GIVEN A CONFIRMATION # FOR A REPORT, BUT HAVE HEARD NOTHING. PLEASE HELP ME DETERMINE IF THEY ARE LIABLE FOR FAULTY ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. *AK

DEALER INVESTIGATING CAUSE OF BOUNCEY RIDE, DISCOVERED INNER TIE ROD ENDS WORN AND LOOSE. ADVISED THAT FURTHER WEAR WOULD RESULT IN SAFETY PROBLEM AND RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT OF STEERING GEAR NFOR APPROX. $1000. I DECLINED REPAIR DUE TO COST AND CONCERNS ABOUT NATURE OF DEFECT. RECENTLY HAD STEERING GEAR REPLACED ON MY 1998 GRAND PRIX WITH APPRX. SAME MILEAGE. STEERING GEAR WAS LEAKING. DEALER REPLACED AT NO COST-ADVISED THAT THIS IS VERY RARE. SEEMS TO BE A TREND DEVELOPING HERE, SINCE THE ASSEMBLIES IN QUESTION ON THE TWO VEHICLES ARE NEARLY IDENTICAL. I'VE ALREADY POURED ENOUGH $ INTO THIS VEHICLE FOR FAILED ALTERNATOR, A/C COMPRESSOR, WARPED FRONT ROTORS, ETC. IF THE STEERING GEAR/TIE ROD FAILURE IS A DESIGN PROBLEM, GM SHOULD FIX IT AT NO COST. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. I DO NOT HAVE THE VIN AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME--CAN PROVIDE UPON FOLLOW-UP.*AK

I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY, WHEN WITHOUT WARNING, IT STALLED. I PULLED TO THE SIDE, AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. IT CONTINUED TO START, BY WHEN I PUT IT IN GEAR IT WOULD STALL AGAIN. AFTER SEVERAL TIMES, WE SAW SMOKE, THEN IMMEDIATELY FIRE. THE ENTIRE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS BURNED BY TIME THE FIRE DEPT. ARRIVED. THE HIGHWAY PATROL CALLED AAA WHO TOWED IT TO MY USUAL GARAGE. AFTER INSPECTION, THEY DETERMINED IT WAS TOO MUCH DAMAGE TO WARRANT FIXING. I CONTACTED THE PONTIAC CUST. ASSIST. CENTER AND WAS GIVEN A REFERENCE # AFTER FILING A REPORT. HAVE HEARD NOTHING. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO MY RESIDENCE, WHERE IT IS NOW. I STILL OWE ON THE VEHICLE, AND HAVE NO RECOURSE. *AK

ALL THESE PROBLEMS OCCURED WITH LESS THAN 4 YEARS OF USE ON THIS VAN. WE HAVE REGULAR SERVICE RECORDS FOR IT AS WELL. IT WAS A VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF VAN. WE JUST HAD TO REPLACE THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION WITH 90,000 MILES! WE'D LIKE TO BE RE-IMBURSED IF POSSIBLE BY PONTIAC.WE'VECALLED PONTIAC BUT HAVE RECEIVED NO HELP AS OF YET. WE'D LIKE TO GET SOME HELP,WE HAVE ALL THE RECEIPTS OF ALL THE EXAUSTING WORK DONE TO THIS VAN. ITS NO WONDER THEY TOOK IT OUT OF PRODUCTION 3 YEARS LATER