1997 Pontiac Grand Prix exterior lighting problems

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE CAUGHT FIRE FROM THE INSIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 137,000.”

“AT 4:06 PM ON NOV. 04,2013, MY WIFE PARKED IN A LOCAL WALMART PARKING LOT. SHE IMMEDIATELY NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. BYSTANDERS STARTED YELLING FOR HER TO EXIT THE CAR. ONE BYSTANDER CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, LOCATED 1.25 MILES AWAY. MY WIFE EXITED THE CAR CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEN CALLED ME WITH HER MOBILE PHONE BY THE TIME THE FIRE ENGINE ARRIVED, THE PLASTIC PARTS ON TOP OF AND AROUND THE ENGINE HAD BEEN DESTROYED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IMMEDIATELY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. I ARRIVED FROM FOUR MILES AWAY, AND AFTER SURVEYING THE DAMAGE, I CONSIDERED THE DAMAGE TO EXCEED THE VALUE OF THE CAR. I CALLED A LOCAL TOWING SERVICE AND THEY TOWED THE CAR TO MY HOME. THE CAR HAD BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION BEFORE THE FIRE. I AM 77 YEARS OLD AND MY WIFE IS 74 AND OUR MEMORIES ARE FAILING. I THINK WE RECEIVED A POST CARD NOTIFICATION OF A RECALL, BUT I THINK IT WAS FOR A STEERING PROBLEM: NOTHING RELATED TO ANY DANGER OF AN ENGINE FIRE. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY GENERAL MOTORS CHOSE TO NOT NOTIFY US BY REGISTERED MAIL OF THE IMMINENT DANGER OF A FIRE. . *TR”

“FIRST OF ALL I LOVE MY GRAND PRIX. I HAVE HAD BOTH BOTH HEAD LIGHT LENS FALL OFF WITHIN A MONTH OF ONE ANOTHER. YOU CANT PURCHEASE THE LENS YOU NEED TO BUY THE WHOLE UNIT FORM PONTIAC. REPLACED MY SELF EACH UNIT WAS ABOUT $100. GEAR SHIFT LOCKED UP IN GARAGE WAS ABOUT $350 PLUS A TOW. ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH BLOWER MOTOR WORKS ON 5 ONLY. LIGHTS WILL ONLY WORK WHEN BLOWER MOTOR IS OFF OR ON 5. REPLACED BLOWER RESISTOR AND DID NOT HELP. 2 ELECTRCAL WIDOW PROBLEMS. ALTERANTOR PROBLEM APPROX $350 NORMAL WITH GM. ALL ISSUES UNDER 80,000 MILES. IT APPEARS MOST PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUES. VERY DISAPOINTED GM DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT WITH LOYAL GM OWNERS. THE FIRE ISSUE IS VERY CONCERNING I WILL BE TAKING MY GT TO DEALER SOON. *TR”

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD SPORADICALLY FAIL. THE CONTACT'S VISIBILITY WAS GREATLY REDUCED DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS. FOUR YEARS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS AND OTHER ASSOCIATED PARTS AT THE COST OF $852.12. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 156,000.”

“MY VEHICLE BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE ELECTRICAL OUTAGES A MONTH AGO WHICH INCLUDED THE HEADLIGHTS, BLOWER MOTOR, AND GAS SENSOR. MY HEADLIGHTS WOULD SHUTOFF BY THEMSELVES AS WOULD MY BLOWER MOTOR, PERIODICALLY. I NOTICED THAT IT CORRESPONDED TO WHAT LEVEL MY BLOWER WAS PUT ON. LEVEL 5 WOULD KEEP THE SYSTEM ON BUT LEVELS 1-4 WOULD PROMOTE THE OUTAGES. I HAVE HAD THE BLOWER MOTOR AND BLOWER SWITCH REPAIRED ON MY CAR NOT MORE THAN A YEAR AGO BUT YET I AM EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE READ MANY OTHER BLOGS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE POSTED PROBLEMS WITH THEIR PONTIAC WHICH ARE IDENTICAL TO MINE. I SHOULD NOTE THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER THE PAST MONTH. *TR”

“WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT NIGHT, THE HEADLAMPS SEEM TO SHAKE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT HEADLAMP LENS WAS LOOSE AND THE LEFT HEADLAMP LENS WAS LOOSE AS WELL. THE REASON THE SHAKE WAS NOTICEABLE IS BECAUSE BOTH LENSES ARE MARRED BY SUN DAMAGE AND PROBABLY AGE. I WAS ABLE TO GLUE THE LENS BACK IN PLACE, BUT THAT IS JUST A TEMPORARY REPAIR.”