1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. Jan. 31 2007 engine fire, vehicle burned in parking lot where I work. Total loss. Now GM has a recall for eng compartment fires on this vehicle. GM's esis division sent me a letter saying that ohios property damage statute of limitations is 2 years. How can this apply when the recall was just issued?

- Wapakoneta, OH, USA

I was on my way home from work. The battery light came on then the car just cut off at the turning light before I got to my house. It started to smoke under the hood. I thought it maybe over heating. So I popped the hood open thinking it would stop smoking but it got worse. So I got out of the car and opened the hood. The engine was on fire. So I ran and got what I can out of my car while I was on the phone talking to 911. While I was doing that, a man was driving by stopped and gave me a fire extinguisher so I put out the fire. The fire truck came a min later. Please help me with this problem what can I do about this.

- Louisville, KY, USA

1997 Pontiac Grand Prix had an underhood explosion and fire - ref. Recall #90046. The consumer stated when she attempted to start the vehicle, there was an explosion under the hood and the vehicle caught fire. The consumer is still waiting on reimbursement. Updated 05/18/11

- Asheboro, NC, USA

The contact owns a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. After the dealer performed recall repairs on the vehicle, the bolts on the air condition compressor failed. The failure occurred while driving 30 mph. The compressor was hanging from the engine and prevented the vehicle from steering. The contact believes that the dealer had something to do with the compressor falling off the engine. The dealer denies being at fault. The vehicle has not been repaired. The current and failure mileages were 200,500.

- Roark, KY, USA

The contact owns a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. While driving between 15-25 mph, the contact smelled something burning. She pulled the vehicle over and the driver's side of the vehicle caught fire. She called the fire department to extinguish the flames. A recall notice for NHTSA campaign id number 09V116000 was sent out after the failure to warn consumers that the vehicle could ignite into flames. A fire report was filed and no one was injured. The current and failure mileages were 153,636.

- Oxford, PA, USA

The contact owns a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. While driving 55 mph, the vehicle caught fire while exiting the highway. The contact parked the vehicle and attempted to extinguish the flames, but was unsuccessful and called the fire department. He received a recall notice for NHTSA campaign id number 09V116000, stating that the vehicle could ignite into flames. The vehicle was destroyed. The current and failure mileages were 162,000.

- Eugene, OR, USA

The contact owns a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. The vehicle was destroyed due to an engine fire that occurred in a driveway. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 08V118000 because the vehicle did not have a 3.8L supercharged V6 engine. The contact received a recall notice for her vehicle on May 4, 2009. There were no warning lights or prior failures with the engine cooling system before the fire occurred. The vehicle has all original equipment and had never been to the dealer except for routine maintenance. A fire report was filed. The current and failure mileages were 163,000.

- Polo, IL, USA

The contact owns a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact stated that the failure he was experiencing was identical to NHTSA campaign id number 08V118000, except his vehicle does not have a 3.8L superchargeed V-6 engine. Therefore, the remedy does not cover his vehicle. While driving 55 mph, the contact observed and smelled smoke under the hood. The upper intake manifold was replaced in October of 2008. The failure occurs every time the vehicle comes to a hard stop. A mechanic inspected the vehicle, but was unable to find what the contact described because no oil was leaking. The current mileage was 139,000 and failure mileage was 130,000.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

I received a letter this morning from GM about a safety recall on my 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix about an underhood fire and that I need to take my car to a Pontiac dealer. I have not driven my car out of town because we have noticed a burning odor for about a month. The nearest dealer is 35-40 miles from us and GM refuses to pay the towing charges and I refuse to pay them or drive this car 35-40 miles. Is GM responsible for the towing charges?

- Ponca, NE, USA

1997 Grand Prix fire in engine.

- Finley, ND, USA

The contact owns a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. When proceeding to enter the vehicle, the contact noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle became engulfed in flames. The contact extinguished the fire with a water hose and called the fire department. The manufacturer stated that an investigator would come out and inspect the vehicle. The vehicle was inspected and the contact was offered a settlement of $11,080. He was not informed of what caused the fire and rejected the offer because the settlement was not enough to repair the vehicle. He then filed a claim with the attorney general. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 162,000.

- Detriot , MI, USA

I have a 1997 Grand Prix GT N/a 3800 engine with engine oil leaking from the front rocker panel gasket however the recall only covers the S/C'd version of this vehicle there is engine oil sitting on the top of the motor, also there is oil built up all the way down the one side of the engine coming from this location I am concerned that there will be an engine fire with this leaking oil.

- Scottdale, PA, USA

My 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix GT 3.8liter not supercharged caught fire and when we tried to get parts the junk yard had 2 they also had caught fire GM did a recall on super charged not regular 3.8 liters cars!

- Anthony, FL, USA

The contact owns a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact stated that the coolant system failed and the vehicle continuously stalled due to overheating. The dealer stated that the manifold gasket and sensors on the radiator needed to be replaced. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 08V118000 (engine and engine cooling). She has experienced oil leakage under the hood of the vehicle as a result of the failed gasket. The contact was informed that her model gasket was too old and there was a newer rocket cover gasket needed to remedy the failure. The mechanic at midas stated that drops of engine oil were being deposited on the exhaust manifold, which could potentially cause a fire. The failure and current mileages were 170,000.

- Chicago, IL, USA

It was around 7:30 pm in November of 2001 when I was driving my son to his friends home down the street from where I live. We were driving at about 25 miles per hr and were nearing the friends home when smoke appeared to be coming from under the engine hood. I immediately turned into the friends driveway and my son opened the hood to take a look and flames came out, my engine was on fire. He doused it with dirt from the ground. There was damage to the electrical parts, underhood, and engine area. The car was taken to an authorized dealership and repaired to the best of their ability, but issues continue to arise to the point where the car is now parked as more repairs are needed. I was told to expect other problems to surface by the service manager at the dealership.

- Ohkay Owingeh, NM, USA

The contact owns a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact received a recall notice for the gasket and spark plugs. He called the dealer to schedule an appointment for the recall repair. While at the dealer, they claimed that the repair had previously been performed on the vehicle. The following day, the contact took the vehicle to a regular mechanic for inspection and was informed that the dealer had not made any repairs. The contact is upset that the work has not been performed on his vehicle. The manufacturer will not return his calls or help him resolve the issue. The recall number was unknown. The failure mileage was 175,000.

- Scipio Center, NY, USA

I parked my 1997 Pontiac at wal-mart one day after work. When I came out of the store 30 minutes later, it was on fire, surrounded by 2 firetrucks. It was burned beyond repair. There were no warning signs.

- Chesnee, SC, USA

The contact owns a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. The vehicle caught fire under the hood after being parked for ten minutes. The vehicle was destroyed. NHTSA campaign id number 08V118000 (engine and engine cooling) was referenced. Both a police and fire report were filed. The VIN was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 97,000.

- Detroit, MI, USA

This engine failure took me by surprise. I can't say there was a single event that gave a glimpse of what was in store for me. Luckily, for me, thank god, that I had just parked the vehicle at my job site and gone into my work building;also, my co-workers that parked their vehicles next to mine had made it safely to their jobs. Within only approximately 11 minutes the "time bomb" burst into flames.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

Engine fire.

- New Britain, CT, USA