2000 PONTIAC GRAND AM Complaints

MY GRAND AM IS IN THE SHOP FOR MANIFOLD GASKET REPAIRS CAUSED BY COOLANT. I HAD A SMALL LEAK LAST FALL 2008, DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS A PROBLEM UNTIL I TOOK TO MECHANIC FOR STEERING REPAIR. *TR

SOMETIME WHEN I TRY TO START MY CAR THE SECURITY LIGHT COMES ON OUT OF THE BLUE. WHY IT COMES ON RANDOMLY I HAVE NO IDEA. I HAVE TO WAIT 10 MINUTES TO TRY TO START THE CAR. LAST YEAR IN MAY I TRIED TO START THE CAR AND THE SECURITY LIGHT CAN ON SO IN 10 MINUTES I TRIED AGAIN. THIS TIME THE SECURITY LIGHT CAM ON AGAIN SO I WAITED 10 MINUTES AGAIN THEN I TRIED THAT AND IT STARTED. SO BASICALLY I WAITED 30 MINUTES IN A PARKING LOT IN A BAD SECTION OF TOWN. TODAY I HAD TO GO TO SCHOOL TO DO LAB WORK WHEN I WAS TRYING TO LEAVE THE SECURITY LIGHT WHEN ON SO I WAITED 10 MINUTES AND I TRIED IT AGAIN. SO THE SECURITY LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND I WAITED ANOTHER 10 MINUTES. I TRIED FOR A THIRD TIME AND THE SECURITY LIGHT WENT ON. I HAVE YET TO TRY AGAIN BECAUSE I'M AFRAID THE SECURITY LIGHT WILL COME ON FOR A FOURTH TIME. WHAT IS THE WORLD IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? WHAT'S THE POINT OF HAVING A SECURITY SYSTEM IF IT THINKS I'M TRYING TO STEAL MY OWN CAR. IF I'M GOING TO STEAL A CAR DON'T YOU THINK I'M GOING TO STEAL SOMETHING BETTER AND MORE EXPENSIVE THAN A PONTIAC SERIOUSLY! *TR

SUSTAINED FACIAL INJURIES IN A SINGLE VEHICLE ACCIDENT (CAR VS. TELEPHONE POLE). WAS WEARING SEATBELT WHEN CONTACTED BLACK ICE, VEHICLE LEFT THE ROAD AND STRUCK A TELEPHONE POLE HEAD-ON DRIVER SIDE WHICH TOTALED THE VEHICLE AND BROKE THE POLE IN HALF. UPPER TORSO STRUCK STEERING WHEEL AND HEAD STRUCK CENTER CONSOLE RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND DEEP FACIAL LACERATION/ AVULSION OVER LEFT BROW. SHOULDER RESTRAINT DID NOT ENGAGE AND NEITHER DRIVER SIDE NOR PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AT ANY TIME. IT IS IN THE OPINION OF UNNAMED PROFESSIONALS THAT THE AIRBAG/ SHOULDER RESTRAINT MIGHT HAVE PREVENTED OR LIMITED/ REDUCED THE INJURIES SUSTAINED IN THE ACCIDENT. NO CITATION WAS WRITTEN FOR FAILURE TO CONTROL OR SPEEDING, NEITHER WAS THERE ANY SUSPICION OF BEING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED FROM A REPUTABLE DEALERSHIP AND WAS CERTIFIED THAT ALL SAFETY DEVICES WERE INTACT AND FUNCTIONAL AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. *TR

MY GRAND AM HAS 120,000 MILES ON IT NOW. I HAVE BLOWN 2 HEAD GASKETS AND HAD TO REPLACE THEM. HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW, THE SECURITY SYSTEM AND IT NOT STARTING, CAN NOT KEEP BRAKES ON IT. THIS CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED EVERY 3000 MILES SINCE I PURCHASED IT NEW. THE FIRST HEAD GASKET WAS AT 40,000 MILES. *TR

MY 2000 PONTIAC GRAND AM GT WILL, SOMETIMES, NOT START AND WHEN THIS HAPPENS, MY SECURITY LIGHT FLASHES. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES, THE LIGHT WILL STOP FLASHING AND THEN I CAN START THE CAR. AT TIMES, WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR AUTOMATICALLY SHUTS OFF. I HAVE TO PULL OVER AND THEN RESTART THE CAR. SO FAR I HAVE NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS. I HAVE REPLACED ALL THAT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED, BATTERY, IGNITION SWITCH, AND BATTERY CABLES. I CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE SEARCHED OTHER SOURCES ON INTERNET. HUNDREDS OF OTHER CUSTOMERS HAVE REPORTED HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM AND ONE FOUND OUT IT IS A SECURITY PASSLOCK SYSTEM PROBLEM. PONTIAC DEALER IN MY AREA SAID THEY NO LONGER BYPASS THE SECURITY SYSTEM WHICH IS SUPPOSE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR

MY CAR WAS RECALLED FOR FAULTY BLINKERS. WHICH I WASN'T HAVING TROUBLE WITH, BUT THOUGHT I MIGHT AS WELL GET THEM REPLACED TO AVOID TROUBLE LATER. UNFORTUNATELY, THE NEW REPLACEMENT HAS GIVEN ME TROUBLE. SOMETIMES THE BLINKERS COME ON ALL BY THEM SELVES OR WHEN I DO USE THE BLINKERS, SOMETIMES IT BLINKS AT A VERY FAST RATE WHICH I'M AFRAID IT WILL APPEAR AS IF THE BLINKER ISN'T ACTUALLY ON. I CAN'T TELL FROM THE INSIDE. I HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THIS STARTED HAPPENING, JUST THAT IT WAS SHORTLY AFTER THE BLINKERS WERE REPLACED. THE "APPROXIMATE INCIDENT DATE" IS A WILD GUESS. *TR

FILE DATE 5/2/2000 MFR. INVOLVED GENERAL MOTORS CORP. NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 00V116000 MFR. CAMPAIGN # 00041 COMPONENT AFFECTED SUSPENSION:REAR # VEHICLES AFFECTED 23 DEFECT VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE BOLT THAT ATTACHES THE REAR SUSPENSION TRAILING ARM TO THE LEFT REAR KNUCKLE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TIGHTENED TO SPECIFICATIONS DURING ASSEMBLY. CONSEQUENCE THE BOLT COULD BACK COMPLETELY OUT OF THE JOINT AFFECTING VEHICLE CONTROL. CORRECTIVE ACTION DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THIS BOLT. ------------------------------ I HAVE TO REPLACE THE REAR WHEEL BEARING ON THE LEFT REAR. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER, THAT THIS DID NOT APPLY TO MY 2000 PONTIAC GRAND AM SE, . EACH BEARING IS $ 300- 400, BUT I HAVE NOT HAD TO REPLACE IN OTHER BEARINGS EXCEPT THE LEFT REAR. COULD THE ABOVE RECALL AFFECT THAT WHEEL BEARING, AND HOW MUCH OF A COINCIDENCE THAT IT JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE THE LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARING ON MY CAR, COULD THERE HAVE BEEN MORE OF A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH THE LEFT REAR SUSPENSION OF THIS VEHICLE? ALSO WHEN BREAKING AT HIGH SPEEDS THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON, THE NEW LEFT REAR BRAKE SHOE CRACKED IN HALF AS A RESULT OF THE LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARING HAVING ISSUES. *TR

TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD FLASHERS STOPPED WORKING AS IN VEHICLES COVERED BY NHTSA ACTION NUMBER EA02037. DEALER REFUSES TO REPLACE/REPAIR WITHOUT CHARGING FULL PRICE. *TR

THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM IN THE CAR IS FAILING FOR THE THIRD TIME SINCE WE'VE OWNED IT. THE SECURITY LIGHT COMES ON AND WON'T ALLOW THE CAR TO START FOR 10 MINUTES. IT WAS ABOUT $400.00 TO FIX THE LAST TIME AND IS STARTING TO FAIL AGAIN AFTER ABOUT ONE YEAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 PONTIAC GRAND AM SE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO EXCESSIVELY OVERHEAT. THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE HEAD GASKET, WHICH WAS REPLACED AT THE COST OF $1,000. RECENTLY, THE FAILURE RECURRED; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED DUE TO THE ABSORBENT COST. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS MADE OF PLASTIC, WHICH CAUSED FREQUENT FAILURES WITH THE COMPONENT. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.