1998 Pontiac Trans Sport Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 52 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport, 23% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 70,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “manifold gasket” (27% of reports).
- 52engine and engine cooling complaints
- 70,500median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $3,450typical repair cost reported by owners
- 36%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.
- Manifold gasket: mentioned in 14 of 52 complaints (27%)
- Coolant leaking: mentioned in 7 of 52 complaints (13%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport at $3,450, and half of them between $1,550 and $5,800.
Based on 9 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2003–2011), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 28 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
None of the 52 complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Pontiac Trans Sport engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 Trans Sport | 5 | 50% | 44,000 |
| 1998 Trans Sport | 52 | 23% | 70,500 |
| 1997 Trans Sport | 42 | 18% | 67,950 |
| 1996 Trans Sport | 13 | 21% | 96,000 |
| 1995 Trans Sport | 16 | 14% | 77,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Air. *tr
After i had the radiator replaced $350 job the intake gasket sprung a leak. Therefore i had to have not only this replaced but the valve cover gasket as well which cost a total of $867. I also had to rent a car for 3 day which cost an additional $30 per day. My mechanic said that the recommended…
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 pontiac transport. The contact stated that the vehicle's intake manifold is leaking internally and externally in between the intake and the block. He has not contacted the manufacturer due to prior issues with the transmission. As a result, the vehicle consumes a large…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Pontiac Trans Sports have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 52 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport (23% of the 227 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 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 70,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport?
Owners report a typical cost of $3,450 (half paid between $1,550 and $5,800), from 9 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport?
The most frequent phrase is “manifold gasket”, in 14 of 52 complaints, followed by “coolant leaking” (7).
See all 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Trans Sport years.