Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Sliding door on passenger side locked up trapping passenger inside. Door cannot be opened manually or electronically. A loud buzzing noise then a thud was heard prior. Can't open door any way now scary.
Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was parked, it was hit on the driver side behind the door. The vehicle sustained body damage, there were no injuries, and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop for repairs. The mechanic determined there was no safety side bar on the vehicle and feels this is a safety defect. The body damage was repaired and the manufacturer was alerted.
My 97 Pontiac transports has a safety issue. The passenger sliding door is inoperable. The door will not open and apperas to not be closed all the way. The door is turned off via the switch and the lock will not release via the unlock switch or the manual lock mechanism on the door. In the even of an accident this door could not be used as an exit. I also have concerns of the door possible coming open while the vehicle is in motion.
I own a 1997 Pontiac transport that should have a immediate recall. The power sliding door is opening when ever it wants mostly while making left turns. The door opened twice within the last week. Once almost losing my son. I turned a left turn and it popped open leaving my son hanging out the door in his seat belt. He has seat belt burn marks on his shoulder and neck.
Problem #1 - seat belts. Four out of the seven seat belts in the car have failed. Specifically the retraction system. Four out of seven going bad to me, means this is not an isolated failure. I'm concern about the other 3 working if in an accident. Dealers contacted want to charge me $800 - $1000 to fix four seat belts. Need to get it fixed, but nothing to believe I won't be asking that same dealer to fix the other 3 seat belts when they go bad too. Dealers say high cost of repair is directly attributed to the cost of parts. Unlike an alternator, or other engine component, the seat belt assembly is sole sourced from one manufacturer. Locked in to a non-competitive price (and obviously over inflated). Problem #2 - rack and pinon steering. I noticed on your web site what I believe to be the same problem under Pontiac transports. …
I had no problem with power sliding door, until recall campaign # 01V067000.. Repoted problem to NHTSA and also Pontiac customer relations. Was instructed to take van to dealer and did so many times for replacement of parts in the door. Finally was informed of a recall on the recall.. Campaign # 01V264000... Dated in October 2001... Local dealer could not get parts, since I live in florida for winter months was told by Pontiac customer relations to take the van to carl's Pontiac, stuart, fl. Did so and they performed the campaign. Door still fails to work properly, will not always latch, and will open when van in motion. Have been told by Pontiac customer relations to return car to dealer. But each time I do they claim to find something wrong to charge me for. After first recall, and failure, it took Pontiac customer relations 10 months to reimburse me for charges. …
The problem I am having is the power sliding door opening while vehicle is in motion, failing to close properly, or failing to operate at all. The problem has been happening over a six month period, and started after a safety recall of the power sliding door to fix a problem with the door opening while vehicle is in motion. Had no problem with that till rework was done. I have had the vehicle to the dealer at the request of Pontiac but all attempts at repairing the psd have failed. The door will open while van is in motion, will not close, or stops working all together. Very concerned with what May happen if door opens while driving at turnpike speed.
I have had the seat belt latches replaced 4 times on the mid-row seats. 2 times I have had to take it in to have the window latch repaired on the mid-row,left window. It kept popping open when driving in bumpy conditions. The water pump has given out 2x. The power sliding door keeps blowing the fuse and will not operate. The rear window wiper and washer has been inoperable on 2 occasions. Dealer has attempted to fix all these problems repeatedly, but they are only temporary fixes! These things are obviously defects because they occur again and again.
The steering on our 1997 Pontiac transport montana is very hard. I noticed this earlier this week. While driving, when I wanted to turn it takes a lot of effort to make a turn now, and the passenger side rear sliding door still comes open sometimes after you close it. It seems as if it's going to close and then it would just open. I know my husband took the car in for repair and they said it was a recall on these two things and they were fixed, but it still seems as if the problem is there.
Sliding door opened while driving down the street, took vehicle to dealer, and could not duplicate problem. Three weeks later on April 11th, same thing happened again. Dealer still couldn't find problem. On April 26, dealer fixed door, and currently it was like car had a mind of its own, consumer tried to start car, and it would start 3 minutes later. April 26 through May 4 they had the car. Dealer said to take car back to GMC.
NHTSA investigations
Unexpected opening of sliding door
There is no summary currently available
Body complaints in other Trans Sport years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport?
NHTSA has 37 complaints about the body & structure of the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport, 16% of the model year's 236 complaints. The component named most often is body › door (33 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 122,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.