Pontiac Trans Sport Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 963 consumer complaints across the 10 model years of the Pontiac Trans Sport (1990–1999) that have at least 5 complaints. 1997 has the most, with 236. Across all years, the part named most often is engine cooling (155 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst Trans Sport years →
All Trans Sport model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 10 | 44,201 | 2 | 25 | — | Not enough data |
| 1998 | 227 | 80,000 | 5 | 21 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1997 | 236 | 86,507 | 5 | 19 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1996 | 61 | 95,514 | 1 | 15 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1995 | 113 | 87,430 | 3 | 13 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 98 | 90,000 | 4 | 4 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1993 | 61 | 99,000 | 3 | 1 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1992 | 76 | 100,000 | 2 | 1 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1991 | 36 | 153,000 | 2 | 1 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1990 | 45 | 80,000 | 4 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Engine cooling155 18%
- Body and structure126 15%
- Seat belts115 14%
- Steering102 12%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)99 12%
- Brakes92 11%
- Transmission and drivetrain78 9.3%
- Exterior lighting73 8.7%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1997: “Our 1997 Pontiac transport has had 3 head gasket failures. The first was at 72000, second at 88,000 and is currently dead in front drive with water in the oil again. Had new heads put on at 72000. Vehicle overheats and does not show on gauges. You hear it bubbling when it's shut off. Also had to replace alternator 3 times and van only has 110,000 miles on it. We've had since new.”
NHTSA complaint #10235285, filed 2008-07, 72,000 miles1998: “My vehicle was rear-ended while I was stopped. There was no visible damage, however the 3rd row right side seat's front latches became unhooked from the floor and the seat was left in a reclined position. The back floor latches were still secured. If a passenger over 5' had been seated in this seat, they would have struck the rear door with their head.”
NHTSA complaint #10060043, filed 2004-02, 68,000 miles1995: “We have a 1995 Pontiac transport. It leaks oil really bad. We go about fifteen miles, and then we have to add two more quarts of oil. We have a friend that had the same model of van. His van did the same thing. He repaired the manifold gasket three times. Each time costing $900. Finally on the fourth time this situation occurred again. He traded his van in on another vehicle. We however don't have the money to repair our van. We live on a social security income.”
NHTSA complaint #10150625, filed 2006-02, 215,000 milesOther Pontiac models
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About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology