Pontiac›Trans Sport›1992›Overview/pontiac/trans-sport/1992/base/

1992 Pontiac Trans Sport

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1992 Trans Sport.

Body VAN

The 1992 Pontiac Trans Sport is a van whose engine-oil service calls for 4 quarts of 5W-30 API lubricant, and it sits early in a model-year complaint record that runs from 1990 to 2003. That ledger shows 90 total owner complaints against this specific year, with seat belts as the most-cited concern and two recalls on file, a profile that reads as relatively modest when set against the 259 complaints logged for 1998 and the all-time low of just two for 2000. Researchers can therefore treat the 1992 as a comparatively calm baseline before the spike that came to define the Trans Sport's reliability history.

Model year199819971996199519941993199219911990

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses OE oil filter 12731175. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12731175 alt 12737090
Engine air filter24577608 alt 25040929
Fuel filter25121468
Spark plug19354417 alt 19300382
Front wiper blades10284387 alt 10284388
Serpentine belt10051578 alt 10230725
Thermostat19435095 alt 24506986

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length194.5 in
Overall width74.4 in
Overall height65.7 in
Wheelbase109.8 in
Curb weight3605 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)58/42

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity4 qt
Power Steering FluidUSE GM PART NO. 1052884 OR EQUIVALENT

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter at 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 60,000 mi; coolant every 7,500 mi. The big-interval services (every 7,500 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 7,500 miEngine Oil Filter (replace) · Throttle Body (torque) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 miBody Latches, Locks & Hinges (lubricate) · Brake System (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (leak inspection) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Parking Brake Cable (lubricate) · Shift Linkage (inspect)
Every 15,000 miEngine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 miDistributor Cap (inspect) · EGR System (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Breather Filter (replace) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank (inspect)
Every 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · PCV System (inspect) · Spark Plug Wires (inspect)
Every 100,000 miTransmission Fluid & Filter (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 1992 Pontiac Trans Sport marks an early inflection point in the generation’s reliability arc: complaints jumped to 90 from 41 the prior year, while recalls fell to a low of 2. This year’s top issues center on seat belts (24 complaints) and service brakes (23), with additional reports of structure and visibility problems, plus 2 crash and 2 fire complaints—though the data do not specify root causes. Compared to the broader trend, 1992 sits just before a gradual climb in complaints and TSBs that would peak in the late 1990s, and its recall count is the lowest of the early 1990s, suggesting that emerging problems were not yet being addressed through formal campaigns. The high complaint volume relative to recalls implies that many owner-reported defects may have gone unresolved. Given this pattern, the 1992 Trans Sport appears to be an early signal of the generation’s mounting issues, making it a riskier choice than later years with more proactive recall activity.

2
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
16
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
7
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
90
Owner complaints
2 involved a crash · 2 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent
’90’91’92’93’94’95’96’97’98’99’00’01’03

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 90 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Seat Belts24
Service Brakes, Hydraulic23
Structure8
Visibility7
Seats6
Electrical System5
Engine & Engine Cooling3
Wheels2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

94V027000Seat Belts:Rear/OtherReported 04/01/1994

VEHICLE FAILS TO CONFORM TO FMVSS NO. 209, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES." THE SAFETY BELT OF THE LEFT THIRD ROW SEAT ON THE SIX PASSENGER VAN AND THE CENTER SECOND ROW SEAT OF THE SEVEN PASSENGER VAN MAY LOCK UP AND CANNOT BE… Remedy: OWNERS ARE BEING ASKED TO INSPECT THEIR VEHICLES TO DETERMINE IF THE SUSPECT RETRACTOR EXHIBITS A LOCKUP CONDITION. BASED ON THIS INSPECTION, DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SAFETY BELTS…

96V015000Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Cooling Unit And LinesReported 23/01/1996

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM AUGUST 1991 THROUGH JULY 1995. THE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINE CAN SEPARATE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED IN LOW TEMPERATURES IN COMBINATION WITH HIGH… Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINES.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 16 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
1300890092013-09-01Engine And Engine CoolingExpanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
018802004-01-01Power TrainNO TCC APPLY, MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ON, TCC SURGE, POSSIBLE P0740, P1870, OR…
990730030A2001-04-01Power TrainOWNERS OF SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HYDRA-MATIC 3T40, 4T60, 4T60-E OR 4T65-E TRANSAXLES…
9909410042000-01-01Air BagsINFORMATION REGARDING SWITCHES TO TURN OFF AND ON FRONTAL AIR BAGS FOR PASSENGER CARS AND…
9909400042000-01-01SeatsGENERAL MOTORS BEGAN PROVIDING CHILD RESTRAIN SEAT TOP TETHER HARDWARE PACKAGES TO…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Trans Sport. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Vehicles taking 4 qtEngine oil filter 12731175Engine air filter 24577608Fuel filter 25121468Spark plug 19354417

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBsOBD-II trouble codesMaintenance schedulesFluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1992 Trans Sport take?

4 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1992 Trans Sport have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.