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97 pontiac GTP in flames, GM recall sucks! IDEAS?

M

murdock

Rock Crawler
Joined
Feb 11, 2006
Messages
848
Location
jacksonville beach
So, about 2 weeks ago My ol' lady and I went to a local state park for the last day of her vacation On the way home, as we pull in to wait for the ferry to cross the river, i notice some smoke coming out from under the hood, i popped the hood only to find flames coming off the headers and making there way up towards the supercharger... got the fire out pretty quickly and seems as though there wasn't much damage... I didn't start it again because i noticed a fuel line had sprung a leak.

I get the car towed back to our house to figure out what were gonna do with it, and her mother says; "I wonder if that's what this recall is for..."

I read it and it states, (may 2011) "YOUR 97 PONTIAC GTP IS VULNERABLE TO FIRE do not park in garage carport or other structure" <--- WTF is that???

-your vehicle is involved with safety recall notice 07035
-Schedule an appointment with your local gm dealer
-This service will be performed for you free of charge.

Now that they have had the car at the dealership for almost 3 weeks untouched, and we have spent over $250+ on cab fare they are telling us that due to a statute in florida that GM service is not responsible for any claims on vehicles over 12 years old, and that I should contact my insurance.I will also be responsible for towing/lot fees from dealer.. So I ask,"Then why am I getting these recalls, if you're not even concerned with fixing it?" The same stupid run around answer... " It's florida statute, ma'am."

"It's Sir, and you should know that by now.Seeing as how it's my wifes car, and we had to verify that like 10 times before you answered any of my questions today."

Any how, I'm at a loss seeing as how her dad made her P.I.P. deductable so high that we can't afford to pay it, and it's not even going to cover the fire damage anyways, I can't believe they aren't going to accept this recall, I don't know who to be more upset at though, Her parents for there negligence, or GM Service for pulling such a BS move...

Anyone have any ideas or knowledge with this issue I'm having ?
If not, I guess I'm off to pick-a-part, then dealer to get raped by lot/towing fees..:roll:
 
finish what the car started and claim it?

Id bring them the letter and show them the date on it. If they want to stick to FL statutes then I would say call GM corporate.
 
Copied from the Recall Notice:
"Subject: Upcoming Safety Recall 07035
Potential Under hood Fire - 3.8 L Supercharged Engine

Models: 1997-2003 [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]Buick[/COLOR][/COLOR] Regal GS
1997-2003 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
With 3.8 L V6 Supercharged Engine (VIN1 – RPO L67) LISTED BELOW

To: All Buick and Pontiac Dealers

Attention: Service Manager, Parts Manager, and
Warranty Administrator

Based on information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website, the media may report that General Motors will be announcing a safety recall involving certain 1997-2003 model year [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]Buick [COLOR=blue !important]Regal[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] GS and Pontiac Grand Prix GTP vehicles equipped with a 3.8 L supercharged engine (VIN 1 – RPO L67).

These vehicles may experience an under hood fire. The fires may be caused by drops of engine oil being deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking. If the manifold is hot enough and the oil runs below the heat shield, it may ignite into a small flame in and in some instances the fire may spread to the plastic spark plug wire channel. Most cases have occurred five to ten minutes after the vehicle has been turned off.

If a fire occurs, it may cascade through the engine compartment causing vehicle damage and in some cases, the fire may spread to structures where the vehicle was parked.

A total of 207,542 U.S. vehicles are involved. We are currently working with our suppliers to obtain parts required to launch a safety recall in the near future. However, in the interim, a customer advisory letter (see attached) is being sent to all customers of record to inform them of this situation.

This letter will also provide three important precautions the customer should take:

1) Do not park the vehicle in a garage, car port or other structure.
2) If a burning odor is detected, the customer should take their vehicle to a [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]dealer[/COLOR][/COLOR] for inspection.
3) Customers should use premium fuel (91 octane or higher) as recommended in their vehicle owner's manual.

The customer letter will be mailed on March 13, 2008."


You do see that this is for a oil leak & not a fuel related matter.
 
I started with gm division, I never even talked to the dealership until I had to give them the address of where to pick it up, everyone was being really helpful up until now when I got bumped down from "claims" to "complaints". Now I'm stuck talking to a monotone old woman who repeats herself. :roll:


I wonder if calling the National Highway Safety admin. would help?

I'd really rather not pay $800 deduct if I don't have to, seeing as how we are also between apartments at the moment... But I guess when it rains it pours right ?


Yes, That's exactly what happened, started on exhaust due to intake leak and ran up the SC towards wiring and then caught the heat sheild of the hood on fire thus melting a hole in plastic fuel line that runs over the top of SC, the fuel line never caught flame, i just noticed it spraying when we turned the ignition in the on position to push the vehicle out of the way.
 
Last edited:
Don't people know by now? DO NOT BUY A PONTIAC!!!! EVER!!!!


I won't go into details but I have owned several Pontiacs over the years. 6000, Gand Am, 89 GP GT, 95 GP GTP, 04 GTO...ALL JUNK!

The 04 GTO was forced back to GM through the BBB as a LEMON...Damn it I STILL HATE THEM. Now, I'm all wound up...I can't keep going...

If you love anyone in your life, do NOT let them drive a Pontiac. Those who have them you are driving a POS!!!! FYI!
 
i would try a different dealership and then file a report with the bbb on the one thats giving you hassles.

if the dealership is at all concerned about their reputation they will take a bbb complaint, or the threat of filing one, very seriously.

i had to do it after a dealership refused to service a faulty ac compressor and instead topped it off with freon and told me that the car in question just naturally 'blew hot'... the service rep seriously told me that. i was amazed.

i filed a VERY thorough complaint with the bbb and had a new compressor installed under warranty, as well as the service charge for the freon refunded.
 
badhoopty said:
i would try a different dealership and then file a report with the bbb on the one thats giving you hassles.

if the dealership is at all concerned about their reputation they will take a bbb complaint, or the threat of filing one, very seriously.

i had to do it after a dealership refused to service a faulty ac compressor and instead topped it off with freon and told me that the car in question just naturally 'blew hot'... the service rep seriously told me that. i was amazed.

i filed a VERY thorough complaint with the bbb and had a new compressor installed under warranty, as well as the service charge for the freon refunded.
Click to expand...

The dealership isn't the one making the hassle, it was GM corp. Claims department... The dealership won't touch the vehicle now because corp. told them not to as they will not be covering damage.

I feel as though they shouldn't be sending out recalls and stating their issues without being held responsible, they say they know about the issue, then they say "since its a car from 97 its too old to receive compensation for damages"? even though the recall states it's for 97 to 03 models with 3.8 3.9 motors???

something just seems wrong with that...
 
Com'on not all GM's are bad. Just most of them, like my Sis's old 96 Cavilier z24, and my old 99 2500HD, and my mom's old 97 Blazer, and, well you get the point. But every manufacturer has built a good vehicle at some point in time.

Saturn was a pretty good brand. I really liked the SC1 and 2. Oh yeah, they killed Saturn cause they were eating into their other market shares, and not breaking often enough to make money on replacement parts

I also like Buick Park Avenues. My mother in law has an 05 with 120K and I just did a tune up on it. How many transversely mounted V-6s can you do plugs, wires, air and fuel filters, a serpentine belt, and a PCV valve in under an hour with hand tools? And it's a huge boat with a NA 3.8 that gets 25mpg around town and over 30 on the interstate.

I still get a kick how "american" trucks are made in mexico and canada, and "foreign" ones are made in the US.
 
murdock said:
The dealership isn't the one making the hassle, it was GM corp. Claims department... The dealership won't touch the vehicle now because corp. told them not to as they will not be covering damage.
Click to expand...

The way some of this stuff works is crazy, and you can't blame the dealer really. If they fix your car and don't charge you, then GM kicks back the claim to the dealer, they just paid for all your parts out of pocket. This happens more than a few times, it could put a smaller dealer out of business. I have worked on cars one week and had the claim kicked back the next....guess what happens? They charge the dealer for the parts....then the dealer charges the tech for the labor....so what ever you made the week before, you end up loosing, and paying back to the dealer.....it comes right out of your pay check.

So when It is all said and done, the tech that has worked his/her ass off a total of 55 to 60 hours a week is only getting paid for 40 at the most.....after all the kick backs. At this point, no one wants to do any recall or warranty work on anything .

This is the how the world of "flat rate" works.....and your local tech is pretty much getting ****ed......every week.
 
Talk to your insurance agent. They won't want to pay for the car any more than you do, and they will most likely have dealt with this recall in some sort of capacity since it was a rather large one with devastating results. The insurance company might know ways around the problem to get GM to cover it. One of the supervisors at work's cousin's had her Grand Prix (?) go up in flames in their garage with their mustang right next to it. Luckily they were home and only lost the garage and cars, but it could have been worst. Last I heard, GM sent someone to the house after it happened, and they surveyed the car. IIRC, GM was paying the full boat for the damages.

Rob
 
check to see if there is a tsa on the brakes too , then drive the sombish thru the front window and let 'er burn

just don't forget to call a couple friends before the car-b-cue
 
murdock said:
Yes, That's exactly what happened, started on exhaust due to intake leak and ran up the SC towards wiring and then caught the heat sheild of the hood on fire thus melting a hole in plastic fuel line that runs over the top of SC, the fuel line never caught flame, i just noticed it spraying when we turned the ignition in the on position to push the vehicle out of the way.
Click to expand...

Well I hate to tell you but you are at fault. If there is an oil leak then its your responsibilty to correct it.

The recall has nothing to do with the intake leaking oil--just the valve cover.

Isn't part of owning a vehicle is maintaining it?
 
First of all you were issued the recall in 2008...and neglected within 3+ years to have anything done. Even if you don't get mail notices you can and should keep an eye out on the federal recall site, especially for issues as extreme as these.

Secondly, you are forgetting the recall and car you have were issues under GM before their bankruptcy. They were able to remove all debts and problems from before (including a 2008 recall) during this time. You would be dealing with the division called "Old GM", which is completely gone after its bankruptcy hearings nearly a year back. So the new existing GM has no liabilities on your car.

Third...be a man or have your gf be a woman and get your own insurance and then you can control your life. WTF are you both not over 18? As a legal Adult and not living in the same home as the insurance holder (her parents) you have actually in nearly all states voided any and all insurance on the vehicle.
 
Working as a tech in florida doing warranty for the "old GM" you got 30 minutes to every hour on warranty issues.

I have nothing to do with this car until it breaks, her idiot dad is very controlling when it comes to her vehicle, but has no idea of how things work. ( He's the kinda guy that puts a band-aid on a mangled bumper.) When we first started dating she had the car for about two years and it had never had an oil change since it was put in her name. I bring these kind of things to their attention and it's just shrugged off.
I recently put it on the lift and brought the leak and some other things to her attention only days before the fire occured. On multiple occasions i have watched her dad collect and pocket money from accidents that nicole has experienced with this vehicle to avoid having insurance contacted. If i could get her parents out of the picture i would, but it is beyond my control, and has nothing to do with me being a man or not.:flipoff:

*Even if the recall started in 2008. My recall paperwork is dated for MAY 2011, and states the recall is still OPEN, which means they are claiming to fix the issue to this date.

I will post a pic if needed but its not that exciting. just some burnt wires and plastic.

I had nicole call her insurance yesterday, and I'm waiting on a reply after they go and estimate the damages. I also contacted GM's pontiac branch and got sent over to their legal department and am currently waiting to hear anything back from them, aswell.
 
Doesn't matter what the date is. As an owner of a vehicle its there responsibility to have these things done in a timely manner. And the fire was not caused (as you stated) by the valve cover (which is the reason for the recall).
 
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