Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
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).
Van started on fire, in driver's door originating from power window controls. Parked in driveway next to house,not running. Van was a complete loss,only vehicle was only one for a family of four.
Engine failure due to leaking intake maifold gasket on 3.4l engine. Engine was meticulously maintained to that point, with all service receipts to prove that fact. No pervious coolant leakage was noted before the problem. Engine began making severe knocking noises while driving in mountains of wyoming. Service tech at laramie GM auto center said that the enging was losing oil pressure and consuming (losing) coolant. Coolant leaked into the intake mainfold through the faulty intake mainfold gasket. I had the repair done, and now 28,000 into the new engine, I am hearing various engine noises again. Will go to new local dealer for analysis. GM should repay me for this--they will not admit any responsibility for this problem, only offering a discount on a new GM car. …
I took my 97 Pontiac transport into the christensen dealership at 2125 n. University parkway. P.o box 1487 , provo utah 84604 for a recall on my windshield wiper parking assembly. The dealership charged me $40.00 to look at the windshield wipers and told me that they could not honor the recall because another person had taken the car in before me and had already fixed the recall. If a recall is placed on a item and the dealership fixes the item with another faulty item shouldn't they be responsible to fix the problem until they get it right? Should the owner of the vehicle continue to pay to fix the problem over and over with a faulty item that could enable him to drive his vehicle in a safe manner? I hope this is not the case. Thank you for your time. James baldwin.
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.
I have owned both a '92 and a '97 transport and both had the same problems. The power window controls pop loose of the driver's door and the windows fail to operate. The rear door lock fails. The blinker and cruise control lever snapped off the steering column so the blinker doesn't work. The window wiper control module failed. The transaxle hoses sprung a leak at the metal connections causing the transaxle to loose fluid and the vehicle to be stranded.
Tl* - on January 2, 2007 while driving the brakes failed. The contact found out that therewas recall 98V072000, on this vehicle , and took it to a dealer, and dealer refused to do recall repairs. Then, the contact called Pontiac at 1800-762-2737, the number sited in the recall summary, and was told by Pontiac that they never heard of the recall.
Recall 98V072000; the stopping distance hasn't gotten any better since the recall work has been performed, and when turning on the windshield wipers the radio failed. There had been an crash before and after the recall work had been performed because of stopping distances of the brakes.
I own a '97 Pontiac transport(montana) and for the second time in 6 years I am having windshield wiper problems .. The problem is when you shut off the wipers they don't close correctly .. They close with the blades straight up vertically.
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. …
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 !!!! …
Related recalls
Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Linkages
Vehicle description: passenger Mini vans equipped with traction control systems. The windshield wiper linkage arm can contact a brake line which is connected to the traction control system modulator valve. This contact can chafe the brake line resulting in a brake fluid leak.
Remedy: Dealers will install a brake line clip to ensure proper clearance. Also the brake lines will be inspected to any damage caused by this condition and will replace any damaged lines.
Window & Wiper complaints in other Trans Sport years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport, 10% of the model year's 236 complaints. The component named most often is power window devices and controls (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport window & wiper problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 98V-072 (linkages, Apr 7, 1998). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 injuries and 3 deaths to windows, wipers & sunroof 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.