• The Pontiac Grand Prix GTP is the auto line's two-door sports car.sports car 2 image by Victor M. from Fotolia.com
  
  The Pontiac Grand Prix GTP has developed some problems since the years it was introduced into the market. The 2003 Grand Prix even has six recalls on the vehicle and one of those recalls concerned a fire hazard in the manifold. This sporty edition of the Grand Prix has received no less than four stars from Repair Pal and most other reviewers, but some problems have remained constant over the production years.
  
  

Exhaust Manifold Problems

• The manifold gasket on the Pontiac Grand Prix GTP developed a leak somewhere along the oil line that drips oil onto the exhaust manifold during hard braking. If the exhaust manifold is hot the oil can ignite, causing a small flame to burn two of the spark plug wires. Almost 1.5 million Chevrolet vehicles, including the Pontiac Grand Prix, were recalled for this problem. The dealership removes the spark plug wire and replaces it with two new spark plug wire retainers that will not ignite.
  
  

Front Rocker Cover

• In 2003, 200,000 Chevrolet vehicles from the 1997 through 2003 model years, including the Pontiac Grand Prix GTP, were recalled because the front rocker cover had a defect in the gasket. This defect has caused oil to leak out of the rocker cover and onto the manifold. The gasket for the rocker cover must be replaced because it can create a fire hazard on the Grand Prix and in the engine compartment. The dealership will replace the old defective rocker cover gasket with a newly designed gasket made specifically to resolve this problem.
  
  

Water Pump Failure

• The water pump pushes coolant through the engine of the Pontiac Grand Prix GTP to prevent the engine from overheating. Some of the Grand Prix water pumps have been failing before expected, causing engines to overheat. This premature water pump fault has not been attributed to any one cause, but the vehicle can be taken back to the dealership for replacement of the water pump if the vehicle is still under warranty. Coolant begins to flow into the cab and onto the floorboard of the vehicle when the water pump fails.