Pontiac Trans Sport Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 128 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the Pontiac Trans Sport across 5 model years. The 1998 model year has the most (52). The words owners use most often: “intake manifold” (33% of reports).
- 128engine and engine cooling complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,000typical repair cost reported by owners
- 34%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.
- Intake manifold: mentioned in 42 of 128 complaints (33%)
- Head gasket: mentioned in 17 of 128 complaints (13%)
- Water pump: mentioned in 11 of 128 complaints (9%)
- Coolant leak: mentioned in 9 of 128 complaints (7%)
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 Pontiac Trans Sport at $2,000, and half of them between $1,400 and $3,700.
Based on 21 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 63 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 128 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 1 an 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 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…
1996 pontiac trans sport, motor seized up and began to smoke, motor caught fire. *bf prior to the fire, the driver noticed the vehicle was leaving some type of fluid behind. According to the police report, the engine was leaking oil. (ohio traffic crash report # 10-0409-90)*jb updated 08/05/10 *bf
In nov. Of 2007 i was having a problem with my van overheating and was losing engine coolant but could not see where it was going. I later found out that i had a faulty intake manifold gasket, which cost me over 800.00 to repair. Not long after the gasket was repaired the van started overheating…
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…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Pontiac Trans Sports have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 128 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the Pontiac Trans Sport. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Pontiac Trans Sport engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the Pontiac Trans Sport?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,000 (half paid between $1,400 and $3,700), from 21 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the Pontiac Trans Sport?
The most frequent phrase is “intake manifold”, in 42 of 128 complaints, followed by “head gasket” (17).
See all Pontiac Trans Sport problems.