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Pontiac Grand Prix Engine fires 3800 series II 1996-2003

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Comments

  • morewasabimorewasabi Member Posts: 58
    Your GTP has a Supercharged 3800 engine. The supercharged engines are the ones that are under investigation as they seem to be catching fire 23 times greater than the non supercharged 3800 engines. I understand that due to the supercharger the engine has a different fuel rail system that delivers the fuel to the injectors. I have read that there may be some speculation that the different design on the fuel rail system may be causing the fires.
  • battybatty Member Posts: 2
    Really? My 1998 Grand Prix with 3800 Series II (normally aspirated) engine just torched itself today. The bad news is that my wife drives a ticking time bomb of a 2002 Grand Prix, which has the same engine. I loved my car and want it fixed, but the wiring is all shot, the brake reservoir melted, the sound cover melted into the ever popular plenum that I replaced twice, and most of the gawking spectators have given my car it’s last rites. The adjuster will perform a review in the morning to drive the final stake through her heart and professionally announce that I am totaled. I want blood! :mad:
  • bedensbedens Member Posts: 23
    My 2001 Grand Prix burned in March, 2006. I have not had any satisfaction since. I have contacted Oprah a couple of days ago. If anyone wants to go with me if she agrees to put this out there on her show, email me.
  • dforsythdforsyth Member Posts: 1
    On Dec 19,2007 after some shopping I stopped to pick up a few groceries. When I came out of the store a fire engine was sitting in front of my car. A passer-by saw smoke and put the fire out. The engine & engine compartment are a real mess. Then I find out this is an on going problem. I may find the Insurance company wants to total my car. It is a 2000 Daytona pace car replicate. (only 2000 made.) I would like to see Gm do a recall & fix the issue. There had been no problems or sign of trouble.
  • daisy13daisy13 Member Posts: 1
    My 1999 Grand Prix GTP caught on fire today! Bascially I was driving, saw some smoke, pulled over, and just like that it was flaming. I think it's going to be a total loss. Unfortunately it damaged another vehicle parked closely to it (it happened in a very busy shopping center parking lot). An onlooker came over and informed me that this has happened to several other Grand Prixs. Where can I get the info about the investigation by NHTSA? This was very scary......
  • tommy231tommy231 Member Posts: 27
  • southernyankeesouthernyankee Member Posts: 1
    12-17-07: When i came out of the grocery store my '01 Grand Prix GTP engine was engulfed in flames. The fire dept says they believe it was a small gas leak near the fuel injectors. Car is totaled. I was only in the store about 15 mins. I have just started to do a little research on what i can do about it, but i did file a complaint with Pontiac Any words of advice here?
    Gary
  • bedensbedens Member Posts: 23
    Don't expect GM to take any kind of responsibility. My 2001 Grand Prix burned in March, 2006...there was no kind of leak.....I filed a complaint with GM and nothing.
  • gtp2000firegtp2000fire Member Posts: 1
    As many others have posted here, my 2000 GTP caught fire this afternoon - and melted the entire front of my Grand Prix. Uggggghh! I had no idea this was a common problem. Can anyone please give me contact info on the investigation? It unconscionable that they let this continue . . .

    Thanks - Kevin
  • bedensbedens Member Posts: 23
    Kevin,
    You can call GM, as I did when my 2001 Grand Prix burned in March, 2006, they will send some mucky muck person to check out your car, and then 2-3 weeks later they will tell you they can't determine the cause of the fire and they aren't responsible. Oh and you will have to have it towed, at your expense, to the nearest GM dealership so this person will have tools that he will never touch at his disposal. Don't think you will get anywhere with them. Been there done that.
  • tommy231tommy231 Member Posts: 27
    Much of your luck with GM, or getting it fixed at all, will probably depend on how damaged the car has. Lightly damaged cars are easier to diagnose and repair. Cars that are burned badly are difficult to root cause. I believe GM is still interested in seeing burned cars, especially lightly burned cars. However, their interest is more for the data in support of the investigation than it is to settle with anyone.

    As a proud owner of a 2002 GTP, I appreciate anyone that jumps through the hoops to get GM to look at their burned car. The more damaged L67 cars GM looks at, they more likely it is that they will find the cause(s). For the sake of the rest of us GTP (and other L67) owners that worry every day about car fires with our cars, please see that your car is checked out by GM if at all possible.

    How bad was yours burned (please all reply)?

    In my opinion, as long as this investigation at NHTSA is still open there is still hope for a recall, or at least open disclosure of the cause(s) by GM or NHTSA.

    Here is the link: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/defect/results.cfm?action_number=EA07- - - 008&SearchType=QuickSearch&summary=true

    Lightly burned cars can be repaired and prevented from failing again in the same way, despite being totaled by insurance. There will always be good demand for these cars, especially once the cause of these fires is is known.

    Anyone that wants to get their car investigated by the GM investigators, please send me a picture of their damage (click my name above to get my email address). I'll forward them to the GM investigators I was in contact with a few months ago. That is... if you haven't already sent me your pictures, as I have sent several car pix in to GM in the last months.

    GM asked me not to publish their email addresses (for obvious reasons). I don't have any guaranty they will look at anyone's car, but I will get the photos to the right people at GM. I know they've looked at some of the cars I've sent them photos of in the past.
  • jmac74jmac74 Member Posts: 10
    My 2000 Grand Prix GTP burned Feb 2006 while i was driving it. My insurance company totalled the car and now I do not have anything to show for all the money I spent on that car. I would be interested in going on Oprah with you. Contact me with details.
  • gaffnejgaffnej Member Posts: 4
    I am interested in going on the Oprah show..This need to be addressed! Keep me informed.
  • jessica9jessica9 Member Posts: 12
    I'll go on Oprah too. I was 8 months pregnant when mine started on fire
  • juliehauglandjuliehaugland Member Posts: 8
    Keep me updated on Oprah. I would be interested in going too!
  • bedensbedens Member Posts: 23
    I have not heard back from the Oprah show yet. But I will keep you informed. I may need to get emails so I can get addresses for them.
  • jenwinn1984jenwinn1984 Member Posts: 2
    I was about to buy a 2002 Grand Prix GTP supercharged and then I came across this board ... quickly changed my mind about that purchase!
  • spanky628spanky628 Member Posts: 5
    It wasn't mine but another one burned today. It was a 99 Buick Regal GS Supercharged 3800 (same engine). I talked with her she said she just pulled up to park at Wal-Mart and her daughter said she saw smoke. It looked just like mine (post #28), fire in the engine compartment. They need to do something about this.
  • dusartdusart Member Posts: 2
    Hello,
    I have become another victim of the Pontiac Grand Prix GTP fire. As my wife was picking up my son from high school the other day our Pontiac ignited in flames. The fire department arrived and put the fire out. Unfortunately, the car is totaled. Like the other post on you site I was also unaware of this problem. I have many photos of the car if you would like to see them. I Believe all of us should get some compensation for this problem. There is obviously something wrong. Please send me the address you would like the photos emailed too.
    Thanks !
    Tom Dusart
  • dusartdusart Member Posts: 2
    Hello,
    I have become another victim of the Pontiac Grand Prix GTP fire. As my wife was picking up my son from high school the other day our 2000 Pontiac GTP went up in flames. The fire department arrived and put the fire out. Unfortunately, the car is totaled. Like the other post on you site I was also unaware of this problem. I have many photos of the car if you would like to see them. I Believe all of us should get some compensation for this problem. There is obviously something wrong. Please send me the address you would like the photos emailed too.
    Thanks !
    Tom Dusart
  • superdad2superdad2 Member Posts: 1
    Got a call from my 18 y/o daughter who drives my 1999 Grand Prix 3800. While driving yesterday she noticed the engine starting to smoke as she was pulling into the driveway. Withing minutes of exiting the vehicle she noted flames under the car. Immediatley placed a call to the fire dept but while on the phone the entire car ignited, blowing out all the windows and tires went shooting away from the vehicle. The fire dept. declared it a total loss. As with most who have older model vehicles, only liability insurance was carried, thus it is a total loss! I'm just ever most grateful to know she was not still in the car unaware of the fire brewing below and did not blow up with it!! GM needs to be made fully aware of this life threatning issue! Next time it could be someone's daughter who is lost not just a car!! Keep us posted about the Oprah topic.....we have pics too and would definitely be interested in submitting information.
  • saint3saint3 Member Posts: 4
    I had a 2002 Grand Prix GTP 40th Anniversary and I took excellent care of it but on 3 Jan 2007 while I went into a store it burnt its own engine. I had bumper to bumper coverage from the dealership that did nothing for me, and after my insurance having my car for five months the offer of book value from GM was just as my insurance. They know there is a problem but if people do not report it to www.NHTSA.dot.gov then they do not have to issue a recall so if this happened to you please take action, and good luck
  • outdoorladyoutdoorlady Member Posts: 14
    I think almost everyone that has posted here has reported it to NHTSA
  • mkurz61mkurz61 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2000 that just caught on fire tonight. It was caught early and put out, so the damage is relatively minor, but I am afraid to let my daughter drive it. I would be interested in speaking with anyone at GM about it.

    MAK
  • burghuinburghuin Member Posts: 2
    Add me to the list as of last night. My 99 GTP had been sitting in my garage for a couple of days. I drove it about 5 miles in 30 degree weather and parked it. About an hour later, the police came into the school I was at and asked for me. When I went outside, the fire was coming out from under the hood. By the time the firemen put it out, everything had burned except for the trunk. Just glad it happened outside and not while it was in my garage. I took extremely good car of this car but she's gone now. Maybe time for a GXP.
  • mkurz61mkurz61 Member Posts: 3
    You should file a complaint with the NHTSA (link title). I did and the next day I got a call from a guy at the Federal DOT wanting more information for the ongoing investigation. The fire was caught very early so there's very little damage. He is driving up from DC tomorrow to look at it and has invited GM to send a rep also. All of these postings are scary. I'm pretty sure that, even if they fix it, my daughter won't be driving it anymore and it will never be parked close to my house!
    :sick: :lemon:
  • burghuinburghuin Member Posts: 2
    I filed a complaint with the NHTSA this morning. I doubt they'd bother to come visit because there isn't much left to see. Hopefully I get a call though, I'll give them any information they want. Good luck with you visit, I hope GM sends a rep. You might want to print a few of these posts for the rep to read.
  • kirk3800kirk3800 Member Posts: 1
    :mad: I have a 1998 GTP with 260,000Km on it.

    2 Days ago we had a huge snow storm. I was trying to get my car unstuck.
    The car was idling and I was outside digging out the car, and my girlfriend was sitting in the car, she said it was smokey inside.

    I just thought it was overheating, and it got worse and worse.
    I finanlly thought, OK this just isnt overheating, so I shut the car off and popped the hood.

    The whole rear of the engine was on fire. I got the fire out and managed to save the car.

    About 6 months ago I had a engine light come on and the code said Small EVAP Leak.

    He said it was my Cold Air Intake and my Gas cap. So I replaced the gas cap and drove around with the engine light on, not knowing that there was a acutal EVAP leak.

    So it was coincidental that the engine light came on 2 days after I put my Intake on.
    And also it was coincidental that it happened on the day with all the snow.

    So my mechanic said, that I did have a pinhole leak, and that the sparks from the Altenator ignighted the vapors. Also the foam underneath the engine cover acted like a spunge sucking in the all fumes and then boom.

    He said it was an engineering flaw.

    What can I do about this?
  • mkurz61mkurz61 Member Posts: 3
    First you should file a complaint online with the NHSTA (the link is in several of these posts, including my earlier one. Make sure you indicate in the check-box that you are ok with them notifying the manufacturer. The DOT is very actively investigating these fires, and GM was very cooperative in my experience. Both came to my house and looked at my car (I’m reasonably close to DC). They gave me the impression that they were close to figuring out a common cause. They wouldn’t say for sure what that conclusion was, but I think they’re leaning toward a leaky valve-cover gasket allowing oil to drip directly onto the exhaust manifold. That would allow for the fact that some of these happen in the front of the engine (like mine), and some are in the back like yours.

    GM ended up buying my car so they could tear it down and study it. 10 year-old cars with 200,000+ miles on them aren’t worth much money except to a person who gets good use out of it, so don’t expect too much. Then again, they really don’t want to lose loyal customers, so maybe they will want to work with you – what have you got to lose?

    Good luck!

    MAK
  • bedensbedens Member Posts: 23
    You are lucky you got GM to do anything bout your car....When I reported my car fire in March, 2006, they sent some so-called expert to the local dealership where I HAD to have my car towed at MY expense, he never picked up a wrench and 3 weeks later they tell me that they cant determine the cause of the fire and they are not responsible. No one has done anything about my car.
  • morewasabimorewasabi Member Posts: 58
    My 2000 GTP had both valve covers leaking oil at 94000 miles. Had both gaskets replaced. I had noticed oil on my exhaust manifolds from the oil leaking from the valve covers.Then after that was fixed I notice the oil leaking and coolant pooling around the fuel injectors as they enter the engine around the valve covers. My intake manifold was leaking both oil and coolant at 96000 miles. Had that gasket replaced. No leaks now. So have my fingers crossed no fires....

    Spoke with the service manager, about the engine fires. He was under the belief that the fires were being caused by a wiring harness that the supercharge engine uses that differs from the non-supercharge engine.
  • 86alfa86alfa Member Posts: 3
    Ok i am having some serious problems with my 1997 Grand Prix GTP ... Lately the starter has been hesitating to turn the engine over and today, i was driving down the street and the car just died. so i coasted into a parking lot (the car is still sitting there) i tried to start it up and it ran for about 2 seconds.than i tried again and the starter could not turn the engine enough to fire up. the battery is good.
    also in the cold kansas weather my abs light comes in sometimes and the steering gets real tight until i turn the car off and back on. can these problems tie each other together somehow? please help me out

    it feels almost as the the motor ceased up.
  • spanky628spanky628 Member Posts: 5
    Sounds like two unrelated problems. First I'd say you just need a new starter. Secondly they have a system to where the faster you go the tighter the steering gets, to help with road feel. I'd say something in this system has mal-functioned. Get it checked, probably a rack & pinion failure.
  • cartermatt44cartermatt44 Member Posts: 2
    did you switch keys. i had one made at lowes and went to use it and it would only run for 2 sec and shut off. the security system would turn the fuel pump off. try a different key
  • 86alfa86alfa Member Posts: 3
    i am having a problem with my car... i replaced the battery yesterday, and now the car starts up for a few seconds and dies... no check engine light or anything... is there anything i need to reset ?
  • 86alfa86alfa Member Posts: 3
    i am having a problem with my car... i replaced the battery yesterday, and now the car starts up for a few seconds and dies... no check engine light or anything... is there anything i need to reset ?
  • sargentjsargentj Member Posts: 1
    I had a 99 grand prix and on december 14 i was sleeping and my man had taken the car to town and came back and parked it and left in his truck and about 15 minutes later i woke up to something popping and it was engulfed in flames and had caught the front of our house on fire!!! Gm really needs to get these engines fixed before someone dies from a fire
  • elujan2006elujan2006 Member Posts: 5
    My grand prix was running great. I went to start it and the engine caught on fire. My brother saw me and we put out the fire before the fire department got there but now i have a beautiful car that i can't use anymore. Very sad. I only had liablity insurance. There must be something I can do since this was my only means of transportation.
  • elujan2006elujan2006 Member Posts: 5
    i just forgot to add that it was a 97 grand prix gtp
  • jodi84jodi84 Member Posts: 3
    i have a 2000 pontiac grand prix gt and a few weeks ago mine caught fire i drove it to the store and back home and about 5-10 min later there it was on fire. my dad bought it new and i got it a year ago. it was the best car i've had and the only car i have. i called gm and they sent it to thier insurance i dont know what to do and thier slow about calling me back! *JODI* :confuse:
  • jodi84jodi84 Member Posts: 3
    they called me back and said that some one would be here in a few days. do you think they'll help???
  • tommy231tommy231 Member Posts: 27
    http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/13/recall-watch-207-542-pontiacs-and-buicks-reca- lled-due-to-engine/

    I want to thank everyone for their patience while this problem was root-caused. I want to believe our diligence helped bring closure to this long-standing concern. Well at least it is potential closure for those of us that haven't had a fire yet.
  • bedensbedens Member Posts: 23
    I am glad they are finally recalling them but what about those of us who have lost our vehicles to fires? What do we get?
  • elujan2006elujan2006 Member Posts: 5
    jodi 84

    My car also caught on fire. I haven't been able to contact anyone besides NHTSA. Who did you contact?
  • gtp03dawgtp03daw Member Posts: 16
    So has anyone heard anything about those of us that had a total loss where GM did nothing ? They also denied my "mechanical failure" claim under my so called bumber to bumber warranty when it went up in flames in '03. And whats a "comming" recall in the link on # 151 ?

    It's been almost 2.5 years since I notified NTHSA...
  • bedensbedens Member Posts: 23
    the NTHSA contacted me and has done nothing. It has been 2 years since my grand prix burned. My brother works for a GM dealership and he told me this morning the only ones they are recalling are the supercharged grand prixs. Mine wasn't supercharged. I want to know what they are going to do about those of us who have already lost our vehicles.
  • jmac74jmac74 Member Posts: 10
    My car caught on fire in Feb of 06' while I was driving it...it was a super-charged 2000 GTP and it was a total loss...I have talked to several of you on-line through the past two years and we have been ignored as if we don't even exist. It is time to show the big company that we do exist. All of us who have lost our cars and have nothing to show for it should be entitled to some sort of compensation because of this recall. This proves that GM made a bad piece and we probably have a better chance in court now. We should aggressively work together and form a class action, I think we have a better opportunity now. There is proof that something was wrong with their product. Who's with me!!!!
  • jpstax1jpstax1 Member Posts: 197
    I just read this in my daily newspaper:

    http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=153648

    The important message in the article is do not park your car in a garage until the problem is fixed.
  • msschm22msschm22 Member Posts: 5
    I lost my 1999 gtp to a fire in jan 2006 and I have not seen a thing from it other than a well we dont know of anything going wrong apology back then I am in Parker Colorado and am wondering if anyone is getting anywhere or if we all need to do a class action.
    I can be reached at m s c h m i t t @ impact elecom. com Please note there are not really any spaces but had to do that to get it in here. I think all of us need some way of coming together as there is strength in numbers.

    I am willing to try and keep a list and be a head of this if you all want to send me emails, I will try to keep a distribution list going for us all to keep in touch
  • spanky628spanky628 Member Posts: 5
    I'm so glad they have finally recalled these vehicles. I hope the one's that still have the cars get the money they deserve. In my case I didn't have it long enough (15 days) for it to be in my name, so I couldn't proceed on getting anything done. Good luck to you all. It's funny they say it's from a oil leak, I have been a mechanic for 17 years and checked this thing over from head to toe and never had any leaks what-so-ever. But I did run the crap out of it right before I parked it and it burned. So it could be under hard braking that it leaks. No way to tell when its burned up.
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