The contact owns a 2004 Pontiac GTO. While driving 65 mph the struts began to rub on the rear driver side tire causing the tire to blow out. The contact replaced the tire and drove the vehicle to a dealer regarding the struts. The dealer refused to look at the vehicle but acknowledged that the struts were a concern. The contact called the manufacturer to have another dealer diagnose the failure. The contact stated that the blow out could have caused a crash to occur. The failure mileage was 35,000.

- Dublin, OH, USA

I purchased a used 04 Pontiac GTO. I noticed the car tires were very noisy. After close inspection of the tires, I discovered the passenger front tire was worn almost bald with severe cupping. I bought new tires and was told the inside of the previous tires had wear on the inside of the tire- apparently from rubbing against the bottom of the strut. I was told that I should do something about the strut replacement on the car or this condition could result in an accident. U began to research this issue and found that it was inherent in this car and that the simplest remedy was to have a pedders certified mechanic install a kit of bushings made specifically for the problem. This kit replaced defective oem bushings that has disintegrated at less than 16K miles. In my case, both oem shocks and struts were literally shot at 18K miles and had to be replaced. However, because of the size tire the manufacturer put on the car to handle the hefty weight of the vehicle, the tire sits less than a pencil width from the strut so on impacted surface contact, the inside of the tire rubs on the strut and will eventually shred the tire. My cars rear springs are shot from excessive compression tied-down in shipping from australia to America so the complete fix job will cost me 3 thousand dollars - GM knew about the engineering flaw in the match of tires and suspension with parts that would bust in short time and they also knew about springs being weakened in shipment but sold these cars without warning to the customer or any recall or service bulletin. I believe that GM should pay the 3K to get the corrective suspension configuration on my car and reimburse me for the 1100. I replacement struts (temp fix) and pedders strut-rub bushing replacement kit. No one is safe in this car or any GTO. I can provide eyewitness testimony/affidavits from the shop that performed the repair.

- League City, TX, USA

2 tires on the right rear have been shredded on the inside edge (perimeter) of the tire. The first time was blamed on alignment. I have since learned there is a design problem with my 2004 GTO.

- Glen Burnie, MD, USA

I purchased a new 2004 Pontiac GTO on July 11, 2006. It was sold to me as a new vehicle and was told the warranty was the same as buying a new car. It had 661 miles on the odometer when I purchased it. As of today (11/27/2006) it now has 4,485 miles on the odometer. When I took the car to a shop to have the oil changed, while the car was on the rack, it was pointed out to me that the rear tires were wearing unevenly in the rear. The inside of the rear tires were worn completely down. The tread on the tire gradually increases towards the outside of the tire. I researched the issue using several online resources and found where other owners have the same issues. From what I have read, there is an alignment problem/design issue with the rear suspension from the factory. I took my vehicle to the dealership (11/27/2006) to address my concerns. My service advisor and the service dept. Manager looked at my vehicle while on the rack. After inspecting my vehicle they explained to me that GM would not cover checking the alignment or replacement of my rear tires because the warranty period for the those items had expired. They recommended that I contact the 1-800 number for Pontiac customer service for further assistance. I called the customer service number and filed a complaint about my vehicle. The GM reference # for that complaint is: 71-443102842. I was told by the Pontiac representative that they were going to call the dealer and obtain more information on my situation. I feel this is a very serious issue as the balance of the vehicle is effected if the rear alignment is not correct. On a previous visit I had complained to the dealer about a loud popping noise coming from the rear suspension on occasion as well as feeling that the car was not "solid" while at interstate speeds. On that visit I was told the problem could not be duplicated, and that the vehicle was found to be operating within specifications.

- Tempe, AZ, USA