What breaks most · 1990 to 2003 model years
Pontiac Trans Sport problems by year
Owners have filed 971 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Pontiac Trans Sport across model years 1990 to 2003. Three years stand out: 1997 for steering complaints, 1998 for engine and cooling complaints and 1995 for visibility complaints. The quietest years are 2000, 1999 and 1991.
- Years to check closely: 1997, 1998, 1995
- Fewest complaints: 2000, 1999, 1991
- Complaints on file
- 9711990 to 2003, all trims
- Worst year
- 1997236 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 5036 fires · 63 injuries · 3 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 88kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 36Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 0 | 5 | Body and structure (15) | |
| 36 | 2 | 3 | Body and structure (11) | |
| 76 | 2 | 2 | Seat belts (25) | |
| 61 | 2 | 3 | Seat belts (26) | |
| 98 | 4 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (16) | |
| 113 | 7 | 3 | Visibility (17) | |
| 61 | 5 | 2 | Engine and cooling (13) | |
| 236 | 10 | 6 | Steering (54) | |
| 227 | 17 | 6 | Engine and cooling (52) | |
| 10 | 1 | 2 | Engine and cooling (5) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Tires (1) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Unknown or other (1) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Body and structure (1) |
What fails on the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 23% |
54 | 4 | Shop steering parts for the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 18% |
42 | 1 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 16% |
37 | 2 | Shop body and structure parts for the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 15% |
36 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 11% |
25 | 1 | Shop visibility parts for the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 7% |
17 | 1 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport |
| Latches and locksDoor latches and actuators | 7% |
17 | 0 | Shop latches and locks parts for the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 6% |
14 | 0 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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Dt: the contact states when the vehicle was taken to dealer for repairs of the power steering rack the welds where the power steering rack bolted to the frame cracked. The vehicle has been repaired at the contacted expense. *ak
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1998 pontiac transport spiked the temperature light and was shut down. Problem caused by cracked head. Replaced engine at 70,000+ - with used engine with 30,000 mi. Now at 80,000 mi. Engine has blown head gasket. Van not worth another engine repair bill. *nm
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While driving the windshield wipers would come on and off intermittently. The dealer replaced the wiper module. *ak *nlm
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Pontiac Trans Sport years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1997, 1998, 1995 carry the most filings on the Pontiac Trans Sport. The 1997 alone has 236 complaints, led by steering.
What is the most common Pontiac Trans Sport problem?
On the 1997 model year, the most-reported component is steering with 54 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Pontiac Trans Sport problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Pontiac Trans Sport complaints that include mileage is about 88,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.