1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM Complaints

THIS 1997 GRAND AM IS NOTHING BUT TROUBLE. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL FAILURES AND AM NOT HAPPY WITH THIS VEHICLE AT ALL. PLEASE CONTACT AT THE PHONE NUMBERS AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS FORM ! NO AFETY DEFECT LISTED IN THE SUMMARY. *AK

TAPPED BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN AND ABS BRAKES LOCKED UP. VEHICLE WENT OVER AN EMBANKMENT & ROLLED OVER. VEHICLE DECLARED TOTALED. PRIOR TO ACCIDENT, VEHICLE WAS IN REPAIR SHOP TWICE FOR BRAKE FAILURE. STATE TROOPER & INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INDICATED BRAKES WERE LOCKED UP AFTER ACCIDENT. EMERGENCY ROOM TREATMENT. *AK

CHRISTMAS EVE 1999 WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY ACCESS ROAD A LOUD BOOM WAS HEARD AND THE CAR BEGAN TO LOSE TO POWER. LUCKILY, WE WERE ABOUT 200 FEET FROM A GAS STATION. WE MANAGED TO GET THE CAR INTO THE GAS STATION. AT THIS TIME I SAW AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. MY HUSBAND OPENED THE HOOD AND FOUND THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. AS HE RAN INTO THE STORE TO GET A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, A MAN FROM THE FIREWORKS STAND NEXT TO THE GAS STATION ARRIVED WITH AN EXTINGUISHER AND PUT THE FIRE OUT. HE HAD SEEN US COMING DOWN THE ACCESS ROAD WITH BIG BALL OF FIRE UNDER THE CAR. OUR INSURANCE COMPANY SAYS THAT A PISTON GAVE OUT AND AS THE ENGINE BEGAN FAILING OIL BEGAN TO DRIP ONTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER OR SOME OTHER COMPONANT CAUSING THE FIRE. THIS IS NOT COVERED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY BECAUSE THE FIRE WAS DUE TO MECHANICAL FAILURE. WE NEED TO HAVE A NEW ENGINE. THE DEALER ESTIMATE IS $6500.00. THIS IS JUST THE LATEST MECHANICAL FAILURE ON THIS VEHICLE. WE HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE AND HAVE SPENT OVER $4,000.00 IN REPAIRS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. *AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE RECALL ITEM HAS BEEN INSTALLED BUT STILL EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH KEY, THE KEY CONTINUALLY STUCK OFF AND ON AS THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN, RECALL CAMPAIGN # 02V070000. ALSO, THE ALTERNATOR WENT OUT TWICE WHILE DRIVING AND ONCE IN THE YARD, THE BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. *YD

THE MODULES IN QUESTION GO OUT WITHOUT WARNING. IN FACT THE DAY WE BOUGHT THE CAR ONE OF MODULES WENT OUT, AND WE WERE WITHOUT A CAR FOR SIX WEEKS. THE DEALER SAID THE MODULE WAS ON BACK ORDER. AND DIDN'T EVEN OFFER US A LOANER. ONE TIME IT WENT OUT ON MY WIFE IN THE MORNING IN THE DRIVEWAY. ONECE WHEN I WENT TO PICK UP MY DAUGHTHER LATE AT NIGHT AT PARKS MALL. ANOTHER INCIDENT I ARRIVED AT WORK, BUT THE CAR WOULDN'T RESTART A QUITING TIME. MAC CHURCHILL HAS BEEN NICE, BUT I WANT THE CAR REPLACED. MY WIFE IS SCARED BE CAUSE SHE DOESN'T KNOW IF THE CAR WILL START. THANK YOU. *AK

PONTIAC GRAND AM 1997, ON 5/2/00 CAR WOULD NOT START AFTER BEING DRIVEN DURING THE DAY, IT TURNED OVER ONCE, THEN NOTHING SAW SMOKE TRAIL COMING FROM TURN SIGNAL ARM CUT IGNITION SWITCH OFF, GOT OUT OF VECHILE, WENT INTO THE HOUSE, ABOUT 3MINUTES HEARD THE HORN OF THE VEHICLE SOUNDING, WENT OUTSIDE TO CHECK , CAR WAS ON FIRE AT THE DRIVERS SIDE, OPENED UP DRIVERS SIDE DOOR, FLAMES WERE IN THE STEERING UNIT, AND ON THE DRIVERS SEAT , AND STEERING WHEEL AND TOP SUN VISOR, RAN AND GOT A FIRE EXTINQUISHER, PUT OUT THE FIRE, HORN STILL GOING OFF, POPPED HOOD RELEASE AND DISCONNECTED THE HOT CABLE FROM THE BATTERY. CAR IS NOW AT DEALERSHIP PENDING INVESTIGATION, CONCERNED THAT THIS MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED WHEN DRIVING THE VECHILE, WAS JUST LUCKY IT DID NOT HAPPEN DURING USE.*AK

IGNITION LOCKS UP. HAS HAPPEND SEVERAL TIMES. LOCKS UP AND THE KEY CANNOT BE TURNED EVEN WHEN THE STEERING COLUMN IS NOT LOCKED UP. LAST TIME IT HAPPEND WE HAD TO PUT THE CAR UP ON A JACK TO UNLOCK THE IGNITION? IT CANNOT BE FIXED NOWTHOUGH WITHOUT SPENDING ALOT OF MONEY. THE CAR WAS TAKEN IN TO THE DEALER WHEN IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM AND THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME. THIS IS NOT NORMAL AND SHOULD NOT HAPPEN AND BECAUSE THEY REFUSED TO FIX IT PROPERLY THE FIRST TIMEI AM GOING TO END UP SPENDING A GREAT DEAL AMOUNT OF MONEY. *AK

THE ENGINE QUITS RUNNING WHILE DRIVING AND WILL NOT RESTART. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT THEN COMES ON AND THE CLOCK WILL NOT SHOW THE TIME. THE DEALER HAS SERVICED THE CAR 3 TIMES FOR THIS AND SAY IT IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT EACH TIME, EVEN THOUGH THE CAR DOES THE EXACT SAME THING EVERY TIME. THE WARRANTY IS ALMOST OUT AND WE FEEL THIS IS REDICULOUS! *AK

OUR CAR DECELERATES FROM 65 MPH DOWN TO 45 MPH ON THE FREEWAY. THIS HAS OCCURRED NINE DIFFERENT TIMES AND WE ARE FORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN KILLED. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NO IDEA WHAT IS CAUSING THIS AND THEY DON'T SEEM OVERLY CONCERNED THAT WE MAY DIE IF THIS OCCURS AGAIN. ALL WE ARE ASKING IS FOR THE LEASE TO BE TERMINATED BECUASE OF THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP US BEFORE SOMETHING HAPPENS. THANK YOU. *AK

I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS FROM THIS CAR AND, GM DOES NOT WANT TO HELP. I WAS SENT OUT OF THE DEALER SHIP WITH NO HORN FOR THREE DAYS. DEALERS ARE NOW SMART ENOUGH TO WORK AROUND THE LEMON LAW IN WORDING REPAIR ORDERS. I THINK WITH ALL THE MOTOR PROBLEMS AND, SAFETY ISSUES MAYBE AN INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE DONE BEFORE A CAR STALLS AND SOMEONE GETS KILLED. *AK