1996 PONTIAC GRAND AM Complaints

COOLANT LEAKING INTO CRANKCASE, ENGINE NEEDS REPLACED. ALSO I HAVE REPLACED 3 ALTERNATORS SINCE I OWNED THIS VEHICLE. THE FIRST ONE AT 40000 MILES. THIS CAR BY MY BOOK IS CRAP. DT

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE BRAKES. PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND BRAKES FAILED. CONSUMER HAD TO TAKE VEHICLE OUT OF GEAR AND "RUN OFF" ROAD TO MAKE STOP. DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT A "PUSH ROD" CLIP WAS MISSING FROM MASTER CYLINDER. CLIP WAS REPLACED TWICE, BUT PROBLEM REOCCURED TWICE RESPECTIVELY. FINALLY DEALER REPLACED "SEMI-WORN" FRONT BRAKE PADS AND PROBLEM DID NOT REOCCUR. DEALER DETERMINED THAT WHEN BRAKE PADS WEAR DOWN THE "PUSH ROD" CLIP COMES OUT OF PLACE(CLIP CONNECTS TO BRAKE PEDAL) CAUSING BRAKE LOSS. TS

THE WIRING MUST BE SHOT BECAUSE ANY THING THAT IS ELECTRIC IS ALWAYS GOING OUT. DT

WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 65 MPH THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT. THE LEFT FRONT BUMPER AND FENDER OF THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED.(NO TIRE INFO GIVEN) (OHIO TRAFFIC REPORT 10-91-477) *YH

NHTSA RECALL 02V070000 IGNITION SWITCH; MARTIN CADILLAC COMPANY, INC., LOS ANGELES, CA; VEHICLE HAS HAD RECALL PERFORMED TWICE WITH THE PROBLEM OF THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILING, REOCCURING. THE OWNER IS TAKING THE VEHICLE BACK IN FOR A THIRD TIME TO GET IGNITION SWITCH REPAIRED, FOR A THIRD TIME. THE DEALERSHIP IS RELUCTANT OF REPAIRING RECALL ITEM A THIRD TIME, WHICH IS FRUSTRATING THE CONSUMER. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS

KEY WILL NOT COME OUT OF IGNITION AFTER PUTTING INTO PARK. STICKS AT VARIOUS TIMES AND FOR VARIOUS LENGTHS OF TIME. THE LIGHTS STAY ON WHICH HAS DRAINED THE BATTERY TWICE. HAVE HAD THREE DIFFERENT LOCAL DEALERS CHECK. THEY DID THINGS LIKE GREASE IT, MAKE NEW KEYS AND SCRATCH THEIR HEAD. NONE OF THESE HAVE SOLVED MY PROBLEM. I PURCHASED THE CAR AS A "PROGRAM CAR" WITH 14967 MILES ON IT. THE PROBLEM STARTED SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE IN 1996. AFTER 5 YEARS OF THINKING I WAS ALONE WITH THIS ANNOYING PROBLEM, I RECENTLY FOUND SIX LOCAL OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND NOW I SEE ABOUT TEN OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEB SITE. I DID HAVE THE MOST RECENT RECALL DONE BUT THE DEALER SAID IT DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS PROBLEM BUT DIDN'T HAVE ANY ANSWERS ON HOW TO FIX IT. I HAVE SENT E-MAILS TO PONTIAC WITH NO REPLY. I REALIZE THIS MAY NOT FALL INTO SAFETY ISSUES BUT IT IS A WIDE PROBLEM THAT NEEDS LOOKED INTO. WITH THE IGNITION LEFT IN THE ON POSITION, IT MAY BE A FIRE HAZZARD, NOT TO MENTION HARD ON BATTERIES. I AM TOT HE POINT OF SEEKING LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO GET THIS PROBLEM SOLVED. THIS IS THE LARGEST, MOST ANNOYING PROBLEM I HAVE HAD, OTHER THAN THIS, I HAVE LIKED THE CAR. PLEASE, PLEASE HELP ME FIX THIS!*AK

CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE SECONDS AFTER BEING PARKED. VEHICLE WAS TO BE TOWED, HOWEVER, DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL NOTIFICATION RELATING TO IGNITION SWITCH 02V07 TO CORRECT POTENTAL FIRE. AS A RESULT, CONSUMER HAS FILED COMPLAINT WITH ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE. *TT

DRIVING ALONG AND ENGINE QUITS, CAR STALLS, AND WON'T RESTART FOR 15 TO 30 MINUTES. NO CERTAIN SPEED, HAPPENED AT 55MPH AS WELL AS 15MPH. NO WARNING, JUST QUITS. HAD CHECKED OUT NUMEROUS TIMES, CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. ANTI THEFT LIGHT IS USUALLY ON AT THIS TIME. HELP, COSTING LOTS OF MONEY AND NOT BEING FIXED. SEE LOTS OF OTHER COMPLAINTS THE SAME AS MINE. SOMEONE MUST KNOW SOMETHING.*AK

THE DAY I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE THE RIGHT PASSENGER POWER MOTOR WENT OUT. WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, THE OTHER THREE ALSO WENT BAD. MY GEAR SHIFTER LIGHT BLINKS ON AND OFF AT TIMES, THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS COME ON AND OFF, THE RADIO LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF, THE CIGARETTE LIGHT FUSE BLOWS ALL THE TIME. IRVINE TOYOTA TOLD ME THERE WAS NO ELECTRICLE PROBLEM AND THAT PONTIACS WERE NOTORIOUS FOR THEIR WINDOW MOTORS HEATING UP AND GOING OUT. ALL THEY DO IS KEEP REPLACING THE MOTORS. LAST NIGHT I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND HAD COMPLETE POWER FAILURE IN THE CAR. I WAS ALMOST HIT BY AN ONCOMING VEHICLE.*AK

CONSUMER HAD THE FUEL FILTER CHECKED FOR REPLACEMENT. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE CONNECTION FROM THE FUEL TANK TO THE FUEL FILTER WAS RUSTED TO THE POINT THE LINE AND FUEL FILTER HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JG *CB