2001 PONTIAC GRAND AM Complaints

I HAVE A 2001 PONTIAC GRAND AM THAT I HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. NOW FOR THE SECOND TIM IN THREE YEARS I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE PASSLOCK SENSOR AND THE IGNITION SWITCH CYLINDER. THIS FIX HAS COST ME OVER $700.00 EACH TIME NOT INCLUDING THE TOW. I AM A MOTHER OF TWO KIDS THAT WORKS FULL-TIME AND GOES TO SCHOOL PART TIME, THIS PROBLEM HAS DRAINED ME OF MONEY THAT I USE TO SUPPORT MY CHILDREN. I HAVE MISSED WORK AND SCHOOL BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. THERE ARE FORUMS THAT I HAVE LOOKED AT AND READ WITH PEOPLE GOING THROUGH THE SAME ISSUE. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO A GM DEALER AND ALSO A MECHANIC IN ORDER TO FIX THIS PROBLEM THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED IT WAS THE SAME ISSUE. I COMPARED NOTES. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE HAPPENING AGAIN IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC, WHO HAS ALSO HEARD PEOPLE DISCUSSING THIS SAME ISSUE. *TR

THE VERY SAME PROBLEMS/ISSUES ARE OCCURRING WITH/IN MY 2001 PONTIAC GRAND AM. I AM THE ONLY OWNER OF MY VEHICLE AND HAVE EXPERIENCED EVERY SINGLE ISSUE OTHERS HAVE WROTE ABOUT. FROM THE SECURITY ISSUE TO THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT NOT MOVING AT ALL..... GM REALLY NEEDS TO RESEARCH/INVESTIGATE THESE MATTERS AND PLACE RE-CALLS ON ALL OF THEM ASAP. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS MATTER AND APPARENTLY THEY ARE OVERLOOKING THIS COMPLETELY. *TR

SECURITY LIGHT COMES ON WHILE DRIVING. AT LEAST ONCE A DAY THE CAR WILL NOT TURN OVER AND I MUST RESET BY TURNING TO THE ON POSITION FOR 10 MINUTES. THIS HAS LEFT ME STRANDED IN UNFAMILIAR SITUATIONS WAITING FOR THIS TO RESET. UPON THE FIRST TWO TIMES OF THIS HAPPENING (BEFORE I HAD A REPAIRMAN TELL ME OF THE RESETTING) I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A SHOP AND OVER 400 DOLLARS SPENT ON A FUEL PUMP. THE SECOND TIME THEY REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND THE THIRD TIME AFTER BEING TOWED IT STARTED AT THE SHOP. THE FOURTH TIME IT HAPPENED AND TOWED TO A DIFFERENT REPAIR SHOP AND THEY WERE THE ONES TO TELL ME OF THE RESET PROCEDURES. NOW IT HAPPENS ABOUT EVERY DAY. *TR

WE WERE ON OUR WAY HOME FROM VACATION, WE HEARD WHAT SEEM TO BE A CLICKING NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE ONE OF THE TURN SIGNALS WAS ON. THEY WERE BOTH OFF BUT THE CLICKING SOUND KEPT GOING ON AND OFF. ON OUR WAY TO OUR HOUSE, WE PUT THE TURN SIGNAL ON TO TURN AND IT WOULD NOT SHUT OFF AND SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE STEERING COLUMN, LIKE IT WAS STARTING A FIRE OR SOMETHING IN THERE. IT GOT HOT SO WE SHUT THE CAR OFF. WHEN WE TURNED IT BACK ON THE TURN SIGNAL WAS OFF AND THE SMOKE WAS NOT NOTICEABLE. SO WE CONTINUED TO TAKE IT HOME. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT IN FEAR THAT IT MIGHT DO IT AGAIN AND CATCH FIRE. PLEASE HELP ME. I SEEN THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE EXTERIOR FLASHER AND TURN SIGNAL PARTS BUT WHAT ABOUT THE INTERIOR ELECTRICAL PARTS. *TR

MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH WENT BAD. IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM FROM GM. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NEVER A RECALL ON THIS SWITCH BECAUSE GM DOESN'T WANT TO PAY THE COSTS. IT COULD CAUSE PROBLEMS WITH TURN SIGNAL BLINKERS POSING A SAFETY HAZARD TO THE DRIVER AND OTHER MOTORISTS. I HAD TO TAKE MY VEHICLE TO THE GARAGE AND PARTS WERE REPLACED FOR $316.40. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL FOUR REGULATORS ON HER WINDOWS HAD TO BE REPLACED BETWEEN MARCH AND NOVEMBER OF 2007. THE WINDOWS WOULD NO LONGER FUNCTION AFTER A CERTAIN POINT AND THE REGULATORS NEEDED REPLACING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY ORDERED PARTS FOR THE REPAIR; HOWEVER, THE REPAIR WAS MADE AT AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 42,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000.

THIS IS MY PROCEDURE OF START ENGINE. TURN ON THE KEY, I CAN SEE THE SIGN OF SECURITY. WAIT 10MINUTES UNTIL LIGHTS OFF. TURN OFF THE KEY AND START THE ENGINE. THAT IS TOO ANNOYING ME. I ALREADY TOWED MY CAR 3 TIMES AND REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP. IT COSTS $500. IS THAT NOT SERIOUS? RECENTLY IT OCCURS TOO OFTEN!!! *TR

ABOUT A YEAR AFTER I GOT THE CAR, WHICH WAS AROUND 3 YEARS AGO, I WAS IN A PARKING LOT & TURNED IT OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THEN WHEN I WENT TO START IT AGAIN IT WOULD NOT START. ALSO, THE SECURITY LIGHT WAS FLASHING. THAT HAPPENED AGAIN 6 MONTHS LATER AND THEN 3 MONTHS AFTER THAT AND THEN EVERY MONTH. THEN ABOUT 2-3 WEEKS AGO THE INTERIOR CHIME AND INTERIOR LIGHTS WOULDN'T SHUT OFF. IT WAS EXACTLY WHAT IT WOULD DO IF I HAD JUST PUT MY KEY IN AND THE DOOR WAS OPEN. HOWEVER, MY KEY WAS NOT IN AND THE DOORS WERE CLOSED. WE DISCONNECTED A FUSE AND THAT AT LEAST MADE THE NOISE AND LIGHTS GO OFF AND KEPT MY BATTERY FROM DYING. MY RADIO ALSO DIDN'T WORK BUT I COULD LIVE WITH THAT. THEN ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF AGO MY CAR STARTED LOCKING ITSELF EVERY 30 SECONDS AND THE TRUNK OPENED EVERY TIME THE CAR LOCKED. I OPENED THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR AND SMOKE CAME POURING OUT. I CALLED A NEIGHBOR AND HE DISCONNECTED MY BATTERY AND TOOK MY CAR TO HIS HOUSE TO WORK ON IT. HE CALLED ME BACK THE NEXT DAY AND SAID THAT A MODULE UNDERNEATH MY PASSENGER SIDE DASH WAS MISFIRING AND IF WE HAD NOT DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY WHEN WE DID THE CAR WOULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE. I SAW THE OLD COMPUTER MODULE. HALF OF THE PLASTIC WAS MELTED AWAY AND THE WIRES WERE BURNT. HE GOT A NEW ONE FROM A JUNK YARD FOR $50 FOR ME AND RESET IT, WITH A MACHINE FROM WORK, TO MY PASSLOCK. THAT SEEMS TO HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM BUT I'VE READ COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER OWNERS OF PONTIAC GRAND AMS AND THE SAME THINGS ARE HAPPENING TO THEM. I JUST LISTED A COMPLAINT AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT I DID TO FIX IT BUT IF THIS IS HAPPENING TO THAT MANY PEOPLE SOMEONE COULD GET HURT IF THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO GET FIXED. MY CAR ALMOST CAUGHT FIRE AND IT WASN'T EVEN ON! *TR

CHANGE OIL LIGHT WILL COME ON EARLY, ABOUT AFTER 1,000 MILES - BEFORE THE TYPICAL 3,000 MILES OIL SHOULD BE CHANGED (I CHANGE MY OIL EVERY 3,000 MILES). *TR

RELATED TO RECALL #03V327000 HAD MY HAZARD SWITCH REPLACED VIA RECALL. NEW SWITCH IS SAME AS OLD SWITCH AND IS DEFECTIVE. PONTIAC WON'T REPLACE. PURCHASE NEW SWITCH YESTERDAY AND IS ALSO DEFECTIVE. REPLACEMENT SWITCHES ARE ALSO DEFECTIVE. RECALL DOES NOT REMEDY PROBLEM. *TR