1997 PONTIAC FIREBIRD Complaints

UPON PICKING UP MY VEHICLE FROM PENN PONTIAC AFTER HAVING TO HAVE THE RIGHT FRONT ROTOR PREMATURELY REPLACED AND HAVING THE BRAKE PADS REPLACED, I TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE FROM THE DEALERSHIP ON WET ROADS DUE TO RAIN WHEN HAVING TO STOP FOR A RED TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE. AT THE TIME OF HITTING THE BRAKES, I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES PER HOUR. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM DID NOT GO INTO EFFECT FOR AT LEAST 5 SECONDS. I HAD TO RETURN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO ADVISE THEM OF THIS. THEY ADVISED ME TO CALL AFTER THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE BRAKES CHECKED OUT IN ADDITION TO THE RATTLING NOISES THAT I HAD BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT FOR SEVERALS PRIOR VISITS. I THEN HAD TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK IN THE FOLLOWING WEEK AND WAS ADVISED THAT A MODULE HAD TO BE REPLACED IN THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM AND THAT A BAFFLE WAS BROKEN ON THE MUFFLER AND THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE MUFFLER AND WAS ASSURED THAT THE MUFFLER WAS THE CAUSE OF THE RATTLING. THIS DID CORRECT THE BRAKE PROBLEM; HOWEVER, IT DID NOT CORRECT THE RATTLING NOISE. AS A MATTER OF FACT, WHEN I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE AFTER SERVICE, THE VEHICLE WAS RATTLING WORSE THEN WHEN DROPPED OFF, DESPITE THE DEALERSHIP'S ASSURANCES THAT THE MUFFLER WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AND THAT THEY HAD CORRECTED THIS PROBLEM FOR THE 4TH TIME. I WILL SUBMIT A DIFFERENT REPORT AS WILL BE OUTLINED IN THE NEXT REPORT. *AK

UPON TAKING VEHICLE IN FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE BRAKE JOB, DUE TO TOWN & COUNTRY PONTIAC ADVISING THAT BRAKES NEEDED TO BE MAINTAINED, I WAS ADVISED (NOT BY THE DEALERSHIP, BY ANOTHER MECHANIC'S SHOP) THAT THE RIGHT FRONT ROTAR WAS WORN AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AS REQUIRED BY MD. LAW. UPON LEARNING THIS, I THEN TOOK VEHICLE TO PENN PONTIAC, AS TOWN & COUNTRY LOOKED AT MY BRAKES AND DID NOT INFORM ME OF THE UNSAFE CONDITIONS, AND PENN PONTIAC CONFIRMED THAT ONLY THE RIGHT SIDE ROTAR HAD BEEN CHEWED UP. THEY FURTHER ADVISED ME THAT THE BRAKE PADS WERE NOT WORN UNEVENLY AND THAT THERE WAS NO WAY POSSIBLE THAT THIS OCCURRED FROM NORMAL WEAR. THEY FURTHER ADVISED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT ROTAR HAD TO HAVE BEEN MACHINED AT SOME POINT BECAUSE THE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS WORKING PROPERLY AND THE BRAKE PADS WERE NORMAL. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN TO HAVE THE MAINTENANCE PERFORMED, THE BRAKES HAD NEVER BEEN REPAIRED OR MAINTAINED, AS THE SENSOR HAD JUST BEGAN MAKING NOISE WHICH INDICATED THAT IT WAS JUST THEN TIME FOR THE NORMAL MAINTENANCE. THEREFORE, THERE HAD TO HAVE BEEN A DEFECT IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM OR TOWN & COUNTY PONTIAC HAD TO HAVE MACHINED THAT ROTAR PRIOR TO THE PURCHASE OF SAID VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED WITH 3000 MILES, AS IT WAS A DEMO. TOWN & COUNTRY NEVER DISCLOSED ANY INFORMATION OF PRIOR REPAIRS REQUIRED PRIOR TO MY PURCHASE OF SAME. I DON'T BELIEVE IT IS FAIR TO EXPECT A BUYER TO ASSUME THAT REPAIRS WOULD HAVE BEEN PERFORMED ON A NEW VEHICLE WITH ONLY 3000 MILES. *AK

I HAVE HAD THREE SERIOUS OIL LEAKS WITH THIS VEHICLE WHICH STARTED WHEN IT ONLY HAD 8,000 MILES. IN ADDITION, THE PARKING BRAKE FAILED AND THE POWER WINDOWS BROKE. THE REAR BUMPER RUSTS AFTER IT RAINS BECAUSE OF THE BRAKE DUST. YOU HAVE TO USE RUBBING COMPOUND ONCE A WEEK. OVERALL, THE AMOUNT OF PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN EXHORBINANT AND NOT WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM A $28,000 VEHICLE.

WAS TRAVELING 30MPH & APPLIED THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN FOR A STOP, VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. VEHICLE SPED UP WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. OWNER EXPERIENCED BRAKE PROBLEMS EVERYDAY. PROBLEM IS NOT INTERMITTENT. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC THE COMPUTER MODULE HAD BROKEN FOR ABS BRAKES. IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCING PREMATURE FRONT WHEEL BEARING WEARING OUT AT 39,000 MILES. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND WILL NOT REPAIR UNLESS REPAIR CHARGES GO TO CONSUMER. *AK

THE CAR WHEN SLOWING DOWN LURCHES, LIKE A TIRE HAS A BUBBLE IN IT, OR THE REAR-END IS SLIPPING, OR TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING; YOU CAN ACTUALLY 'FEEL' EACH REVOLUTION OF THE TIRES--RER-RER-RER-RER.....NO MECHANICAL CUASES/PROBLEMS NOTED FROM AUTO SHOP VISITS. *AK

BRAKES SLIP AND DO NOT CATCH WHEN IT IS RAINING OUTSIDE,HAVE TO REALLY NAIL THE BRAKES TO THE FLOOR AND PRAY.

HEADLIGHTS KEEPS GOING ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY .DAYTIME RUNNING MODULE REPLACED TWICE AND HEADLAMP DIMMER SWITCH ONCE , BUT DEFECT KEEPS OCCURRING. *AK

THERE IS GAS LEAKING ONTO THE ENGINE, AND THE ENGINE IS ALSO HESITATING AND MAKING NOISES. DEALER CAN'T FIND A SOLUTION. *AK

CAR HAS BEEN IN SHOP 4 TIMES FOR MASSIVE OIL LEAKS. CAR DOES NOT SHIFT WELL, WILL NOT ENGAGE INTO SECOND AND REVERSE. THE COMPONENT ABOVE BRAKE INTERFERES WITH BRAKING. YOUR FOOT HITS THE COMPONENT ABOVE THE BRAKE AND MAKES YOU PANIC AND FEEL LIKE YOU CANNOT FIND THE BRAKE.