U.S. public vehicle records

1998 Pontiac TRANS SPORT problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

172 owner complaints analyzed

5 distinct recall campaigns

80,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1998 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 67 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Exterior Lighting:Headlights is the most frequently named component, appearing in 18 of 172 complaints (10.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Steering behavior	18	10.5%
Braking behavior	13	7.6%
Electrical and battery issues	8	4.7%
Transmission and shifting	7	4.1%
Engine operation	6	3.5%
Fuel system concerns	3	1.7%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Exterior Lighting:Headlights

Engine And Engine Cooling

Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System

Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch

Air Bags

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Steering:Rack And Pinion

Structure:Body:Door

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Exterior Lighting:Headlights	18
Engine And Engine Cooling	16
Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System	15
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch	13
Air Bags	10
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	9
Steering:Rack And Pinion	7
Structure:Body:Door	7

Exterior Lighting:Headlights: 18; Engine And Engine Cooling: 16; Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System: 15; Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch: 13; Air Bags: 10; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 9; Steering:Rack And Pinion: 7; Structure:Body:Door: 7

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 3; 25,000 to 49,999: 3; 50,000 to 74,999: 25; 75,000 to 99,999: 11; 100,000 to 149,999: 20; 150,000 and above: 5

50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (25). 105 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2000: 17; 2001: 27; 2002: 23; 2003: 29; 2004: 34; 2005: 13; 2006: 13; 2007: 3; 2008: 5; 2010: 2; 2011: 1; 2012: 2; 2013: 1; 2014: 2

Pattern summary

Exterior Lighting:Headlights leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 18 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 13 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 8 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10002256 · 2003-01-07 (January 7, 2003)

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP WHEN CONSUMER TURNS VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. CONSUMER SAID THAT HE DID NOT RECEIVE A RECALL NOTICE CONCERNING STEERING.

Owner-reported narrative. 110,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10002256 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10032069 · 2003-09-02 (September 2, 2003)

THE CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE POWER STEERING LOCKED UP. THE CONSUMER VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SYMPTOMS OF RECALL 02V-286000 WHICH IS RELATED TO A STEERING RACK DEFECT. *AK *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10032069 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10071320 · 2004-01-15 (January 15, 2004)

THE AIR CONDITIONING MAY HAVE NEVER WORKED, WE HADN'T TRIED IT UNTIL 10 MTHS AFTER BUYING THE VAN. THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON AND WE BROUGHT THE VAN TO A MECHANIC WHO SAID THE REPAIR WOULD COST 800.00. HE ADDED STOP LEAK, WHICH WORKED TEMPORARILY. THE PROBLEM HAS JUST REOCCURED AND WE HAVE NOT DRIVEN THE VAN SINCE. THE ABS LIGHT HAD COME ON IN AUGUST, WE HAVE FULL USE OF THE BRAKES, JUST OUR ABS IS NOT WORKING. WE CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX THIS. IN NOVEMBER OF 2001, OUR FUEL PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED. I WAS CROSSING A BUSY HWY. HERE IN WINNIPEG, AND…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10071320 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10100050 · 2004-11-16 (November 16, 2004)

WHERE DO I START? SAME COMPLAINTS AS ALL OTHER PONTIAC MINIVAN OWNERS. SINCE ORIGINAL PURCHASE IN 1998, HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY FAULTY, ABS WARNING LIGHT MALFUNCTION, AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT MALFUNCTION, AND MALFUNCTIONING (STILL) PASSENGER AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR. RECENTLY HAD HEAD GASKET REPLACED DUE TO ANTIFREEZE LEAK, AS WELL AS FRONT LEFT WHEEL HUB. THIS IS THE WORST (AND MOST COSTLY) VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED WITH RESPECT TO MAINTENANCE.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 5,262 miles reported. Look up ODI 10100050 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10100123 · 2004-11-18 (November 18, 2004)

FAILING OF AIR CONDITIONER 2X WITHIN A 1 YEAR TIME FRAME. RESULTED IN BUYING 2 NEW AIR COMPRESSORS AND PARTS. LEFT FRONT HEADLIGHT CONTINUES TO FOG RESULTING IN BUYING NEW ONE EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS. CONSTANT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, IE., NAVIGATOR,WINDOWS (REAR AND FRONT),CD PLAYER. HAD TO REPLACE THE RADIATOR 2X WITHIN 2 MONTH PERIOD. THIS VAN DRIVES GOOD BUT IT "NICKLE AND DIMEING" US TO DEATH. I HATE IT. EVERY MONTH OR EVEN EVERY WEEK ITS ALWAYS SOMETHING!!!!! IT'S HARD TO MAKE OUR MONTHLY PAYMENT DUE TO ALL OF THE EXPENSES WE ARE SHELL…

Owner-reported narrative. 135,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10100123 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10442561 · 2012-01-05 (January 5, 2012)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 PONTIAC TRANSPORT. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND WHEN HE RETURNED, THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED WITH WHITE SMOKE. THE CONTACT ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOWS TO RELEASE THE SMOKE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS THE RESULT OF FAULTY WIRING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 149,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 149,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10442561 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10061654 · 2004-03-09 (March 9, 2004)

CONSUMER STARTED THE VEHICLE AND SHIFTED INTO THE DRIVE GEAR, BUT VEHICLE WENT INTO REVERSE AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10061654 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10144488 · 2005-12-05 (December 5, 2005)

SEAT BELTS "STICKING", STEERING MAKING LOUD "POP" NOISES WHEN TURNING WHEEL, TRANSMISSION SHIFTING VERY HARD FROM PARK TO REVERSE ON A ANGLE. NOW MY ENGINE LOCKED UP, WAS HESITATING WHEN ACCELERATING. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 88,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10144488 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10072307 · 2004-05-07 (May 7, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE OVERHEATED. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED AND THEN VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER TRIED TO RESTART VEHICLE BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC REPLACED THE WATER PUMP DUE TO MIXTURE OF ANTIFREEZE AND CORROSION. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10072307 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10087863 · 2004-08-13 (August 13, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH CONSUMER PROCEEDED TO ACCELERATE. VEHICLE LOST POWER COMPLETELY STALLING OUT. INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKED AND COOLANT MIXED IN WITH THE ENGINE OIL. CONSUMER WAS AWARE OF OTHER COMPLAINTS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS ENGINE. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10087863 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10005922 · 2003-01-29 (January 29, 2003)

THE GAS GAUGE IS CONSTANTLY INCORRECT AND NEVER REGISTERS THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF FUEL IN TANK. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS THE FUEL PUMP AND HAS REPLACED PUMP 3X. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10005922 at NHTSA ↗