1994 Pontiac Trans Sport review from Germany

I bought this car in first place to take it apart for spare parts, therefore it was quite cheap. For some reason I decided to keep this one, and take my old one (92 Trans Sport) apart, which might have been a mistake: Engine broke at a (mileage) of about 217,000 kilometers, only 3,000 kms after I had started using it. The plastic intake manifold had been partially dissolved, the parts had been soaked into the engine.

Various electrical problems: broken light bulbs on the run, broken power cables, bad connected cables, etc.

Control arm joints seem not to last very long, even though they look like they are made for trucks. The shocks are quite weak, which makes them not long lasting.

Many other little problems have come up, but I have to say that many broken or inoperable car parts have been the result of bad maintenance of the former owner.

A mostly reliable minivan with minor problems; its already my second-one in a row, after I was used to sedan cars before.

The design is unbeatable beautiful in my eyes; here in Germany people either hate it, or love it like crazy. Even though this car is still some modern car, people start caring for them as something special, something that one day will be an eye catcher because of its style, and worth to possess it.

The car is a soft cruiser for nice, long distance travels, its versatility is one of a kind as long as its been used for human transportation. Some parts should have gotten more attention in development, to make it more comfortable for utilization, i.e. the backrests in the rear area cannot be flipped into a more comfortable position or put backwards. Also, for European taste, the brakes are quite weak; I would not recommend to drive much faster than 70 - 80 miles/hr. to avoid black-outs of the brakes in emergency situations.

The quality of the lacquer coating is unexpectedly outstanding great. Even 15 year-old Trans Sports can look like brand new, dents are quite impossible because of the plastic body, and little park damages might not even scratch it.

Engine: A powerful V6, which can become vulnerable at bad maintenance. It's not really necessary to check oil every time it's used, but "forgotten" oil changes with filter can easily damage the crank-shaft and other vital parts. If well maintained, the engine will last for more than 300,000 miles.

One more thing about the interior: Many of the plastic and rubber-kind parts like dashboard cover, handles, switches are quitting to work, or become un-even at an age of more than 10 - 15 years. It needs good practical skills to keep it look nice and keep it all work. Also, the carpet is hard to clean; kids can really mess the car up in no time, and it can drive the tears in your eyes if you have to clean it later...