1997 Pontiac Trans Sport Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe cooling-system problems traced to the lower intake manifold gasket, where coolant and oil can mix, and power sliding door problems where the door opens on its own or fails to latch. Steering complaints, many tied to the rack and pinion recall work, and cloudy or moisture-filled headlight lenses also come up repeatedly. Reports cluster between roughly 50,000 and 165,000 miles, and several of the cooling and door symptoms developed gradually rather than all at once.

1. 1
   Engine cooling

   Coolant and oil mixing (intake manifold gasket)

   • 32 complaints (14%)
   • median 67,950 mi at 6.5 yrs old (21 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,400 (median of 12 quotes)
   • filed 2001–2008

   Complaints describe slowly disappearing coolant, a low-coolant light that comes on intermittently, and then milky or sludge-like material in the engine oil. Owners say dealers confirmed the lower intake manifold gasket had failed and quoted repairs in the several-hundred to several-thousand dollar range; some had the gasket replaced more than once. Several also describe overheating that persisted after a water pump, thermostat, radiator cap or radiator was replaced, with a head gasket eventually named. Most reports fall between roughly 40,000 and 110,000 miles, with a few past 140,000, and the coolant loss is usually described as gradual over months or years.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check the coolant level and look for a milky or jelly-like residue under the oil filler cap or on the dipstick, and ask for service records showing whether the intake manifold gasket has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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 miles

   “I noticed the low coolant light would go on sometimes and the vehicle was going through coolant much faster than any other vehicle I have owned. I performed some research on this issue and discovered a service bulletin regarding the faulty intake manifold gasket in model year 1997 transport vans, among others. This service bulletin clearly indicates that this issue a result of a poorly designed gasket. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10112145, filed 2005-02, 64,990 miles
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Power sliding door opens on its own or won't latch

   • 40 complaints (17%)
   • median 89,500 mi at 8.2 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1997–2021

   Owners report the passenger-side power sliding door opening without warning while driving, particularly when turning left, going uphill or on rough pavement. Others describe a door that closes but does not latch, an alarm sounding with the door shut, or a door that locks up and cannot be opened manually or with the switch. Complaints mention dealer work under past door-latch campaigns, and some owners say the problem returned after that work. Reports span a wide range, from vans with no mileage listed to over 140,000 miles, and the door often opens while the vehicle is moving or turning.

   Recall 04V597000Recall 01V264000Recall 01V067000

   What to check: Test the power sliding door repeatedly, including while turning and over bumps, confirm it latches fully and opens from both the switch and the inside handle, and ask whether the door-latch recalls were completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I own a 1997 Pontiac transport that should have a immediate recall. The power sliding door is opening when ever it wants mostly while making left turns. The door opened twice within the last week. Once almost losing my son. I turned a left turn and it popped open leaving my son hanging out the door in his seat belt. He has seat belt burn marks on his shoulder and neck.”

   NHTSA complaint #10146581, filed 2005-12, 121,860 miles

   “My 97 Pontiac transports has a safety issue. The passenger sliding door is inoperable. The door will not open and apperas to not be closed all the way. The door is turned off via the switch and the lock will not release via the unlock switch or the manual lock mechanism on the door. In the even of an accident this door could not be used as an exit. I also have concerns of the door possible coming open while the vehicle is in motion.”

   NHTSA complaint #10185388, filed 2007-03, 144,000 miles
3. 3
   Steering

   Steering hard to turn or locks up on left turns

   • 59 complaints (25%)
   • median 86,507 mi at 6.9 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2021

   Complaints describe the steering becoming suddenly heavy or locking up, most often while turning left or pulling out of a parking space, and in one case a sudden pop followed by fluid leaking underneath. Some owners say the rack and pinion was replaced under the steering recall and that the problem came back afterward, and dealers in some cases replaced the power steering pump instead. Reported from about 50,000 to over 120,000 miles, with several owners noting difficulty turning in cold weather.

   Recall 02V286000

   What to check: Ask whether the rack-and-pinion recall (02V286000) was completed, check for power steering fluid leaks under the front of the van, and try slow full-lock turns in both directions.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was turning the steering wheel to the left to parallel park next to the curb, then I heard a loud pop noise. When I went to turn the steering wheel to the right it began very hard to turn the wheel. After leaving the store and from that point on every attempt I made to make a right turn, it was extremely difficult. After arriving home I noticed leaking coming from under my van. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10130353, filed 2005-07, 124,504 miles

   “Wife making left turn onto busy road, van would not respond to to turning the wheel. Side impact at 40 mile + from semi. Injuries sustained by wife, broken hip crushed left arm , fractured tail bone and fractured base of skull. Daughter and friend also injured but released with minor injuries. We did not know there was a problem with the van until after the accident. That is when I recieved the recall notice. Nothing could be done at this point because the van had been crushed into a cube of scrap metal. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10127406, filed 2005-07, 98,000 miles
4. 4
   Exterior lighting

   Headlight lenses cloudy, yellowed or leaking

   • 29 complaints (12%)
   • median 89,423 mi at 8.4 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • filed 1999–2008

   Owners describe plastic headlight lenses that turn yellow and cloudy, cutting nighttime visibility, or that collect moisture and water inside. In some reports the lens cover came off while driving, exposing the bulb and causing it to burn out; dealers in one case said the lenses needed replacement. Reported from about 35,000 to 130,000 miles, and described as developing gradually with age.

   What to check: Look at both headlight lenses for yellowing, cracks or condensation, and check that both low beams give an even, bright pattern after dark.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My wife's 1997 Pontiac transport mini-van has the plastic headlight lenses, that are now yellow and cloudy, and nighttime visibility is so poor that she doesn't drive at night unless she has to. Also my 2000 nissan frontier truck is succumbing to the same problem, but it is not as severe yet. I have tried high-output zenon, bluelight, and ultra white bulbs but the yellowing/cloudy plastic lenses greatly reduces the performance qualities of these bulbs. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10218001, filed 2008-02, 92,846 miles

   “Front head lights have always had moisture. At certain times of the year they have contained 1-3 inches of water. Pontiac refused to correct problem. The past month both lens covers have fallen off while driving.”

   NHTSA complaint #10018456, filed 2003-05, 35,000 miles
5. 5
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield wipers park incorrectly or fail

   • 13 complaints (6%)
   • median 82,000 mi at 6.8 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1997–2008

   Complaints describe wipers that stop with the blades straight up instead of parking at the bottom of the windshield, wiper control modules that fail, and blades that do not clear snow when ice builds up under them. One owner reported being told the wiper linkage recall could not be honored because it had already been performed on the van. Reported from about 69,000 to 89,000 miles, with one icy-weather report filed without a mileage figure.

   Recall 98V072000

   What to check: Run the wipers through all speeds and the intermittent setting to confirm they park correctly, and ask whether the wiper linkage recall (98V072000) was performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I own a '97 Pontiac transport(montana) and for the second time in 6 years I am having windshield wiper problems .. The problem is when you shut off the wipers they don't close correctly .. They close with the blades straight up vertically.”

   NHTSA complaint #10030999, filed 2003-08, 69,000 miles

   “I took my 97 Pontiac transport into the christensen dealership at 2125 n. University parkway. P.o box 1487 , provo utah 84604 for a recall on my windshield wiper parking assembly. The dealership charged me $40.00 to look at the windshield wipers and told me that they could not honor the recall because another person had taken the car in before me and had already fixed the recall. If a recall is placed on a item and the dealership fixes the item with another faulty item shouldn't they be responsible to fix the problem until they get it right? …”

   NHTSA complaint #10013865, filed 2003-04, 82,000 miles

Buying note. These vans are old enough that service history matters more than mileage, so ask specifically about intake manifold gasket repairs, the steering rack recall and the door-latch campaigns. A cooling-system pressure check and a slow test drive through turns and over bumps will show the two problems owners report most.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.