1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM Complaints

I HAD TO REPLACE THE TENSIONER SOON AFTER THAT THE ENGINE WENT. I HAVE TWO FRIENDS WITH SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE A 99 PONTIAC GRAND AM. CURRENTLY MY CAR IS IN THE SHOP . THE CAR JUST HIT 100K MILES. ALSO THE SHOP WHERE MY CAR IS BEING FIX NOTICE THAT THERE WAS COOLANT LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE. *AK

THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. CONSUMER PARKED THE VEHICLE AND WENT INSIDE THE HOME. UPON RETURNING TO THE VEHICLE THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AND DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. MANUFACTURE DENIED THE CLAIM AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY REFUSED TO PAY FOR REPAIRS. *AK

1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM GT WAS BACKED OUT OF GARAGE AND A LIGHT THUMPING WAS NOTICEABLE FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. VEHICLE BACKED OUT OF DRIVEWAY AND PROCEEDED DOWN STREET - LIGHT THUMPING SOUND STILL NOTICEABLE. SUDDENLY, FRONT LEFT END OF CAR DROPPED - STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT AND BURNING RUBBER SMELL WAS NOTICED ALONG WITH SOME SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER FRONT LEFT WHEEL WELL. CAR WAS TURNED AROUND AND RETURNED HOME - 500 YDS. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER DIAGONOSED PROBLEM AS BROKEN SPRING - COMPLETE OLDER BREAK AND NEW BREAK IDENTIFIED IN SPRING. COLLAPSING OF SPRING ALSO DAMAGED STRUT. SPRING, STRUT AND MOUNTING ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED AND COVERED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY OF OWNER. OWNER INQUIRED ABOUT RECALLS AND REQUESTED DEALER TO ALSO REPLACE FRONT RIGHT SPRING AND STRUT ASSEMBLY. DEALER AND GM REPRESENTATIVE REFUSED TO PAY FOR FRONT RIGHT REPLACEMENT. OWNER PAID OUT OF POCKED $500 TO REPLACE UNDAMAGED FRONT RIGHT ASSEMBLY FOR FEAR OF SUDDEN FUTURE FAILURE. DEALER WOULD NOT ALLOW OWNER TO KEEP BROKEN SPRING - INDICATED THAT IT NEEDED TO BE RETURNED TO THE FACTORY. OWNER OBTAINED SPRING/STRUT OF UNDAMAGED FRONT RIGHT ASSEMBLY.*AK

SINCE I BOUGHT A USED 1999 GRAND AM IN AUGUST 2001 I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH 4 TIMES.*AK

PULLED VEHICLE OUT OF THE GARAGE, HEARD A LOUD SNAP, AND THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE CAR DROPPED. I PULLED THE CAR BACK INTO THE GARAGE, JACKED IT UP AND INVESTIGATED IT. I SAW THAT THE COIL SPRING HAD SNAPPED INTO 2 PIECES, AND PRESSED ITSELF AGAINST THE TIRE MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE. I SEARCHED THIS AND FOUND OVER 20 INCIDENTS THAT WERE REPORTED IN THE LAST YEAR ALONE! *JB

I HAVE HAD THE POWER STEERING RACK IN MY 99 GRAND AM REPLACED TWICE. THE LAST TIME WAS IN APRIL 2004. IT IS LEAKING AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN.*AK

I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR FOR 3 YEARS AFTER BUYING IT USED.IT HAD 32,000 MILES ON IT AND RAN WELL. NOW FOR THE LAST YEAR THE TRANSMISSION HAS CONTINUED TO GIVE ME PROBLEMS AND IS GETTING WORSE.I HAVE HAD IT SERVICED, COMPUTER DIAGNOSED TWICE AND HAD IT SERVICED AGAIN. ALL OF THIS HAS BEEN OUT OF POCKET AND COST ME DOWN TIME OF USE OF MY VEHICLE.IT SHIFTS HARD (RANDOMLY) , HAS HARD VIBRATION AT IDLE, ACTS AS IF IT WANTS TO STALL AND IS SLOW GOING INTO REVERSE. ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS SEEM TO COME AND GO.MY LOCAL DEALER STATES THAT ARE NO KNOWN PROBLEMS BUT I HAVE SPOKEN TO TWO DIFFERENT OWNERS THAT DESCRIBE SIMILAR PROBLEMS.*AK

WHILE DRIVING STEERING WHEEL AND THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING UNCONTROLLABLY. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. *AK

LEFT WINDOW REGULATOR NEEDED REPLACING BECAUSE MY WINDOW FELL IN THE DOOR AND I WAS UNABLE TO USE MY WINDOW. I KNOW OF 2 OTHER PEOPLE THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO. IT COST ME $260.68 FOR THE PART, AND $14 FOR A SWITCH. GM KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM BUT HAS NOT DONE A RECALL. THIS IS QUITE COMMON IN GRAND AM AND GRAND PRIX. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW OF ANY REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM FOR THE COST OF THE PART?*AK

LAST YEAR WENT TO MY DEALER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE TECH "SUGGESTED" I BUY A NEW CAR, BECAUSE THE PROBLEMS THEY DISCOVERED WERE GOING TO BE OVER $4,000 TO FIX. THOUGHT THIS WAS STRANGE AS I HAVE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR LESS THAN 3 YEARS. MY MECHANIC FIXED THE COOLANT INTAKE MANIFOLD FOR A LOT LESS THAN THE DEALER BUT SAID HE HAS SEEN THIS IN GM CARS BEFORE AND GM KNOWS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THEY HAVE RECALLED VEHICLES IN THE PAST FOR THIS PROBLEM. APPARENTLY THE GLYCOL COOLANT EATS THE GASKETS AND CAUSES THE LEAKS TO THE REST OF THE SYSTEMS. FIXING THE GASKET WITH THE NEW AND IMPROVED VERSION JUST DELAYS THE DAMAGE THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE, AND THE RECALL THAT MAY HAPPEN ONE DAY, AFTER WE HAVE ALL SOLD OR JUNKED OUR CARS. WHICH I AM SURE IS WHAT GM IS WAITING FOR. NEXT TIME I BUY AN IMPORT. *JB