1997 Pontiac Trans Sport Steering Problems
Owners have filed 54 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport, 23% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 86,507 miles. The words owners use most often: “rack pinion” (26% of reports).
- 54steering complaints
- 86,507median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 5%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Rack pinion: mentioned in 14 of 54 complaints (26%)
- Turn steering: mentioned in 5 of 54 complaints (9%)
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 10 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 54 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Pontiac Trans Sport steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 Trans Sport | 26 | 11% | 89,000 |
| 1997 Trans Sport | 54 | 23% | 86,507 |
| 1996 Trans Sport | 7 | 11% | 104,489 |
| 1995 Trans Sport | 5 | 4% | 95,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Steering:rack and pinion
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles and mini vans have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These and some other retainers used in vehicles assembled between january 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997, could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
Risk: If this occurs, the pinion shaft can be forced upward during left turns and back down as the steering wheel is moved back and to the right. If the pinion shaft moves further, the driver will need to exert more effort to turn the steering wheel, similar to a vehicle without power assisted steering. If the pinion shaft moves even further, the driver will require much higher effort to turn left and may not be able to turn the wheel as much as intended. With the maximum pinion shaft movement, which requires internal gear component damage, the driver can encounter high resistance to turning left, followed by unintended power assist to the right. In any of these conditions, a crash could occur.
Fix: Dealers will install a new lower pinion bearing unless inspect of the existing bearing indicates that replacement of the gear assembly is necessary. Owner notification began january 24, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, pontiac at 1-800-762-2737, or oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Dt: the contact states when the vehicle was taken to dealer for repairs of the power steering rack the welds where the power steering rack bolted to the frame cracked. The vehicle has been repaired at the contacted expense. *ak
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…
Dt: the consumer states the right and left steering knuckles were cracked, right where the tie rod knuckle connects. The consumer was doing an oil change when he noticed the problem. The dealership was called to find out if there were any recalls. The consumer thinks because they are made of…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Pontiac Trans Sports have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 54 owner complaints about steering for the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport (23% of the 236 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport steering?
Yes: 1 safety recall list steering. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 86,507 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport?
The most frequent phrase is “rack pinion”, in 14 of 54 complaints, followed by “turn steering” (5).
See all 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport problems.