Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (headlights, tail lights, turn signals, interior lights).
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).
My wife's 1997 Pontiac transport Mini-van has the plastic headlight lenses, that are now yellow and cloudy, and nighttime visibility is so poor that she doesn't drive at night unless she has to. Also my 2000 Nissan frontier truck is succumbing to the same problem, but it is not as severe yet. I have tried high-output zenon, bluelight, and ultra white bulbs but the yellowing/cloudy plastic lenses greatly reduces the performance qualities of these bulbs. I cannot see the safety benefits of having plastic headlight lenses that won't shatter like glass in an accident if you cannot see more than 20 feet in front of your vehicle at night. I still believe glass is the best material for headlights, I see cars and trucks from the 70's, 80's, and early 90's that still have great working headlights.
Front head lights have always had moisture. At certain times of the year they have contained 1-3 inches of water. Pontiac refused to correct problem. The past month both lens covers have fallen off while driving.
Headlight assembly plastic falls off exposing bulb to moisture/rain which causes the bulb to burn out. Therefore, losing the illumination of one lamp and limiting visability while driving at night.
We have a repair shop. All of our customers owning pont transport,chev venture and olds sillouhette have had headlight problems. The seal between the headlight reflector and lens becomes brittle and allows water into the light and causes reduced lighting. Eventually(3-4 yrs old) the seal fails completely and the lens falls off. When the lens falls off bulb failure is assured causing loss of total loss of lighting from the unit. Not aware of any accidents yet but seems a matter of time. GM not offering any recall, campaign or extended warranty yet? I see you have multiple complaints on file- can't you do something? These vehicles only a few years old and failure is 100% in my experience. Also these units are $200 per side and I dont see any improvement in replacement part. Sorry for no specific VIN but I can have individual owners contact you. …
Both headlights and one front sidemarker (turn signal) light were replaced under warranty due to excessive moisture/water droplets inside the assembly. One of the replaced headlights now has the same problem again (twice in 2.5 years). Pontiac has issued a service bulletin to dealers saying not to replace any more headlight assemblies because the moisture that forms within them is normal. They say the moisture should dissipate after the headlights are on for a few hours. Some of the moisture does go away, but I consider it a safety issue when half of the headlight lense is covered with steam/water even if some of it eventually clears up. I contacted Pontiac directly and they refuse to do anything about this.
Consumer states while driving on highway in bad weather, one of the headlight covers flew off, immediately following this the affected headlight bulb exploded from sudden exposure to cold air and rain, sometime that night the other cover fell off in the driveway, the next day consumer also discovered condensation in other front light assemblies such as the side marker, and turn signal lights, consumer states he was told the dealership does not sell headlight covers as a separate part, because the headlight assembly is not designed to come apart, consumer states manufacturer is aware of the problem but does not consider it a safety issue requiring a recall.
My transmission has been replaced once and I am already having problems with it again, it's only been a year since it was replaced. Both of my front windows are power windows and I have had to replace the little motor for them to go up and down twice and the passenger is not working again. My left front signal light never works, it gets replaced and a day later is not working again. I have problems with my steering wheel, it is very hard to turn right, this was already fixed and I'm having problems again. I need to know if there are or there where any recalls related to my problems. I have read about other people having transmission problems. Thank you.
Sliding door would not close automatically. Door would not latch. Buzzer would sound and door would come open, even while driving. Vehicle was taken in twice under recalls. Once under recall 01 v 224 000 for sliding door and second time under recall 01 v 067 000. Neither recall corrected the problem. Consumer also stated the left turn signal was inoperative, the dealer replaced the turn signal bulb, also there was a rattle noise when vehicle was in idle, dealer replaced the belt tensioner.
Driver side headlight missing. The headlight was in place in the a.m. In the afternoon, after arriving at a friends home, I noticed the headlight was missing. This is the third time I have had to replace a headlight at my expense. I am the original owner of this vehicle. It's never been involved in a wreck. I see absolutely no reason why a sealed headlight should fall apart in this manner. The replacement is over 200 dollars. I believe the manufacture should replace this unit at their expense.
Cover for front-left headlight fell off due to moisture build up in the headlight assembly, component was replaced at consumers expense, front/right headlight assembly was starting to show moisture buildup, but has not disconnected to this date. Consumer replaced the right front headlamp at the same time as the left, as it has already lost a good amount of the glue, it was loose and had a serious misture buildup causing corrosion inside the light.
Headlight complaints in other Trans Sport years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport?
NHTSA has 36 complaints about the lights of the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport, 15% of the model year's 236 complaints. The component named most often is headlights (28 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport headlight problems?
No. NHTSA lists no lights 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 headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 93,000 miles.
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.