2006 Pontiac Solstice power train problems

“DRIVE AXLE SEAL LEAK. THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL IS LEAKING DUE TO A FAULTY PINION SEAL. I CHECKED ALL RECALL INFORMATION, AND YES, IT WAS RECALLED. I WILL NOTIFY THE DEALER OF THE RECALL AND REQUEST THAT IT BE REPAIRED AT NO COST. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN I NOTICED THE LEAK. SMALL AMOUNT ON GARAGE FLOOR.”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 PONTIAC SOLSTICE. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO ACCELERATE AND THE CHECK ENGINE AND THERMOSTAT WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.”

“VEHICLE WAS IN DEALERSHIP FOR IGNITION SWITCH RECALL WORK (RECALL 14063 AND 14113). WHEN VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO ME UPON COMPLETION OF THE WORK, THE VEHICLE WOULD SOMETIMES START, AND SOMETIMES NOT. I START WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN GEAR, CLUTCH DEPRESSED. THIS MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE ANY IMPACT ON THE ISSUE, WHICH THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN REPORTED WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE HALL EFFECT DEVICES IN THE KEY HEAD. I AM AN EX GM ELECTRICAL ENGINEER - I UNDERSTAND NEUTRAL SAFETY. THIS IS NOT A CLUTCH/TRANSMISSION NEUTRAL SAFETY ISSUE, THIS IS A KEY SWITCH FAILURE TO ENGAGE CRANK ISSUE. THE OLD IGNITION SWITCH ALWAYS STARTED IN THIS CRANK CONFIGURATION. AT THIS TIME, I HAVE MY VEHICLE AT HOME, AND BOTH RECALL KEYS HAVE DEMONSTRATED A REFUSAL TO START THE CAR AT TIMES. TURN THE KEY, NO CRANK. GREAT, IF I DUMP THE CLUTCH AND STALL THE VEHICLE, I MAY BE IN A ROAD CONDITION THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS AND BE UNABLE TO START MY CAR. IT "COULD" BE A WALK HOME FAILURE PER THE TECHNICIANS COMMENTS IF I UNDERSTOOD HIM CORRECTLY. IN RETURNING "ONE" OF THE "TWO" SUPPLIED KEYS SO THEY COULD ORDER REPLACEMENTS, THE COMMENT WAS MADE THEY HAVE SEEN THIS ISSUE WITH HALL KEY HEADS BEFORE. EXCUSE ME,…”

“CAR HAS AN UNBELIEVABLE CLUNKING NOISE WHEN SHIFTING MOSTLY FROM 1ST THRU 3RD GEAR SINCE I PURCHASED IT. AFTER 2 MULTI POINT INSPECTIONS(RESULTS FINE) I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED IT FROM(IT WAS UNDER ITS 30 DAY FRONT TO BACK WARRANTY), WHEN THEY DROVE IT FOR 50FT SAID YES THERE IS A DEFINITE "CLUNKING" NOISE GOING ON AND WE'LL LOOK INTO IT. THEY TOOK IT TO THEIR PONTIAC/GM DEALERSHIP FOR INVESTIGATION. THAT DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS THE REAR END AND IT WAS NORMAL, HOWEVER MINE WAS EXCESSIVE SO THEY RE-PLACED THE REAR END/DRIVESHAFT AND DIFFERENTIAL. WHEN CAR WAS RETURNED TO ME IT STILL WAS MAKING THE NOISE W/ A LETTER FROM GM STATING THIS WAS NORMAL FOR THESE PARTICULAR CARS. THIS IS NOT NORMAL, THERE IS DEFINITELY SOME KIND OF DEFECT GOING ON W THESE MAKES AND MODELS, IF YOU SEARCH THE INTERNET YOU WILL FIND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT OF THIS CAR AND OTHERS FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE. WHEN DRIVING IT BASICALLY SOUNDS LIKE THE BACK END OR TRANSMISSION IS GOING TO FALL OUT OR SOMETHING IS STICKING, THE GEARS ARE ALWAYS GETTING STUCK WHEN SHIFTING AND IT IS A FIGHT TO GET IT INTO GEAR MOST TIMES. ADDITIONALLY WHEN TRYING TO TURN CORNERS OR COME TO…”

“PURCHASED THIS CAR USED 2/4/14 FROM A LOCAL REPUTABLY DEALER.THIS 06 SOLSTICE SHOWED ONLY 36998 MILES AND HAD A CLEAN CAR FAX REPORT. HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR ONLY A COUPLE OF HUNDRED MILES DUE TO THE FOLLOWING . THE FEW TIMES THAT THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN THERE SEEMS TO BE A GRINDING NOISE IN THE REAR END ONLY AT LOW SPEED AND ONLY WHILE TURNING ,MOSTLY PARKING LOT SPEED .THE CAR WILL GRIND AND "VIOLENT SNATCH" AS IF SOMETHING IS BINDING OR CATCHING. THE LOCAL MECHANIC SAYS THIS IS A DEFECT IN CLUTCHES OF THE REAR END ON THESE MODELS (06) AND THAT GM SHOULD HAVE REPAIRED IT A LONG TIME AGO .WELL, APPARENTLY MINE WAS NOT .ADDED THE REQUIRED GM ADDITIVE TO THE REAR ,BUT CAR CONTINUES TO GRIND.I HAVE READ MANY HORROR STORIES ON LINE FROM OTHER OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THERE REAR WHEELS" LOCKING UP "AT SPEED AND CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL IN THESE CARS (.I AM NOT ABOUT TO LET MY WIFE EVER DRIVE THIS CAR AGAIN.) PROBLEM #(2) I THOUGHT WAS INSIGNIFICANT UNTIL I SAW THIS CAR WAS RECALLED LAST WEEK ,AND NOW MY EXPERIENCE MAKES SENSE. NOT ONLY WILL THESE SWITCHES SHUT OFF DURING OPERATING THEY WILL ALSO UNINTENTIONALLY START DUE TO WEAK DETENTE IN SWITCH. ( NO HARM NO FOUL…”

“IMMEDIATELY AFTER PURCHASING MY 2006 PONTIAC SOLSTICE IN 2006, I BEGIN EXPERIENCING A NOISE IN THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE. I TOOK IT IN SEVERAL TIMES FOR REPAIR UNTIL FINALLY IN 2007, PONTIAC RECALLED THE VEHICLE FOR THE POWER TRAIN BEING DEFECTIVE AS LISTED BELOW. I DID NOT HAVE ANY MORE PROBLEMS UNTIL 2010 WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGIN TO MAKE THE SAME NOISE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER GM DEALERSHIP AS THE ONE I PURCHASED FROM HAD CLOSED. THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THIS PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORST AND NOW THE NOISE IF GETTING VERY BAD AS I AM DECELERATING AND BRAKING. THE GEARS GET MORE DIFFICULT TO CHANGE WHEN THIS HAPPENS. THIS IS THE SAME WAY IT WAS ACTING BEFORE THE DRIVE TRAIN REPLACEMENT. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER GM DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THEY ONLY REPLACE THEM ONCE UNDER A RECALL. I DON'T UNDERSTAND IF THEY ARE DEFECTIVE THEY SHOULD REPLACE REGARDLESS. I WAS TOLD THEY COULD CHANGE THE FLUID AND REPLACE FOR $700 AT MY COST. 2006 PONTIAC SOLSTICE POWER TRAIN RECALL 07V589000 NHTSA: ACTION NUMBER: N/A SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER: 07V589000 REPORT DATE: DEC 20, 2007 COMPONENT: POWER TRAIN POTENTIAL UNITS AFFECTED: 275936 MANUFACTURER:…”