Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
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).
Wife making left turn onto busy road, van would not respond to to turning the wheel. Side impact at 40 mile + from semi. Injuries sustained by wife, broken hip crushed left arm , fractured tail bone and fractured base of skull. Daughter and friend also injured but released with minor injuries. We did not know there was a problem with the van until after the accident. That is when I recieved the recall notice. Nothing could be done at this point because the van had been crushed into a cube of scrap metal. I waited this long to file a complant due to legal advice, but as you can see the big guy almost always wins. We recieved no compensation from GM.
My vehicle was taken to; tinney Chevrolet, 11249 w. Carson city rd., greenville, mi 48838 for two (2) ea. Recall notices; 1) power sliding door 2) steering bushing results of recalls: 1) power sliding door worked fine till one week after tinney servie dept. Worked on it. (doesn't work with power buttons @ all now ) 2) upon picking-up vehicle from the steering (bushing) repair we noticed that steering wheel was cocked to left, steers hard & pulls to right tinney Chevrolet was notified of both problems and said that they had nothing to do with problems. The vehicle was fine prior to taking it to them for the recalls. Upon confronting them the second time, we were informed to check our own fuses etc.
The steering rack failed on my 1997 Pontiac transport approx 14 months after it was recalled and a pinon bearing changed in the rack. The original recall was performed in order to prevent the bearing failure and subsequent locking of the steering rack on left hand turns. The recall failed because the bearing failed ( 14 months after it was changed out). The failure of the steering rack could have caused a severe accident if conditions were right. Fortunatly no persons were injured when the steering locked up
Since having the rack/pinion steering replaced twice (once before the recall and once after), I have again noticed difficulty pulling out of parking spaces turning left or right (hard to turn the wheel/loss of power steering?), especially, in cold weather. As you straighten wheel and start driving, problem seems to resolve itself. Went to dealer who thought it could not possibly be the rack so therefore replaced the power steering pump in early November. The failure happened again today.
The power steering pressure line malfunctioned, which caused the vehicle to be uncontrollable when driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealership where the cause had not been determined. Please provide additional information.
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 am filing this complaint because, even though we no longer own the vehicle, I understand that you are investigating it. I was lucky that no one was hurt. I had three children in the car, driving them to school, when the steering just gave out while we were in the middle of rush hour traffic; fortunately it was on a city street, so we weren't travelling very fast. I was able to get the vehicle pushed over to the side of the road and out of the way of traffic. The vehicle was taken to a Pontiac dealer for repairs, which totalled well over $1000. The dealer said that they were not a aware of any problems like this with the vehicle. Since the vehicle had just passed 60,000 it was noo longer under warranty for this type of problem. We called GM, and they insisted that they were not aware of this type of problem, and confirmed that the repair would not be covered by warranty. …
At 51000 miles the 3.4l engine had lower intake gasket failure in which the dex-cool anti freeze dumped into the crankcase mixing with the oil. This only had one warning a couple months earlier as the low coolant light came on and I added 1/2 gallon dex-cool with no signs of leakage. Next time it happened was when my wife was taking daughter to school and temp. Light came on. Van was not driven over 2 miles to dealer, as light went out. Dealer said extreme mixture in both crankcase and radiator. Recommended replace radiator, waterpump, intake gaskets, flush both systems at a cost of 1500 not to be applied toward engine replacement if failure on start up. Dealer had just had van in week before for check engine light and steering recall and found nothing wrong !!!! …
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 extremely difficult. After arriving home I noticed leaking coming from under my van. I called the location Pontiac dealership about the my steering problem and they indicated that the van had been serviced for a recall in February of 2003 for the rack and pinion recall something related to the steering. So I checked the internet for the recall and it mentioned the same exactly problems that I was having now. I called the dealership back and they said that the recall was already done once. …
The first problem is a "clunking" in the gas tank when it is over 1/2 a tank but less than full. When coming to a gentle stop, forward or reverse, the tank makes a physical 'thunk'. I have had the vehicle in to repair the problem 5 times now. The dealership has tried isolation pads, tightening fasteners, installing structural bracing straps, and even replaced the gas tank. All to no avail. This problem has been going on for almost 2 years now. I am at a loss as to what to do now. The second problem was with my serpentine belt. I was on my way home from work and I suddenly lost my power steering going into a 90 degree turn. I navigated through it, and the dealer retrieved my van the next morning. They found that the serpentine belt was shredded with no explanation. They replaced it, and I have not had a problem in that area since.
Related recalls
Steering › Rack and pinion
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.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA investigations
Steering rack and pinion
Odi has received 200 complaints fromt consumers and 1,238 from GM alleging failure or lockup of the steering rack and pinion unit (r&p).this alleged condition can result in the loss of steering control of the vehicle and a crash can result.GM has reported six crashes in which eight people have sustained injuries ranging from bruises, airbag burn, seat belt abrasion, facial injury, neck and back pain.all crashes were…
Power rack and pinion steering failure
The lower pinion bearing in the rack and pinion steering assembly May fail.GM will recall 1997-98 grand prix built between 1-mar-96 and 31-oct-97; and 1996-98 u-vans/j-cars built between 1-jan-96 and 31-oct-97.see attached summary.
Steering complaints in other Trans Sport years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport?
NHTSA has 54 complaints about the steering of the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport, 23% of the model year's 236 complaints. The component named most often is rack and pinion (16 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport steering problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 02V-286 (rack and pinion, Nov 4, 2002). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 87,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries to steering 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.