2001 PONTIAC GRAND AM Complaints

I HAVE A 2001 PONTIAC GRAND AM SE, AND THREE TIMES LAST YEAR (2005), AND CURRENTLY (09 MAY 2006), MY CAR IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE DREADED PASSLOCK SYSTEM. THE SYSTEM IS SUPPOSED TO STOP THIEVES FROM STEALING MY CAR. ALL IT HAS DONE IS PREVENT ME FROM DRIVING IT. MULTIPLE TIMES, I HAVE HAD TO SIT FOR 10+ MINUTES WAITING FOR THE SYSTEM TO RESET IN ORDER TO DRIVE. ONCE, THE SECURITY LIGHT FLASHED ON WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND THE CAR SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. THIS IS GETTING TO BE A SEVERE SAFETY HAZARD, AS THE CAR LOSES POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES, LEAVING ME IN A PERILOUS POSITION SHOULD THE FAULT CONTINUE TO OCCUR. *NM

I PURCHASED MY 2001 GRAND AM IN AUG OF 2005 AND HAVE SO FAR HAD THE PASSLOCK GO OUT ON ME TWICE AND HAD TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP SYSTEM AS WELL. THE FIRST TIME I REPLACED THE PASSLOCK WAS ONLY TWO MONTHS AGO AND YESTERDAY I GOT IN MY CAR TO GO TO THE GROCERY STORE AND IT WOULDN'T START. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM AND IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON AND EXTENSIVE PROBLEM IN THIS PARTICULAR YEAR. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER AND CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE MY CAR TAKEN TO THE MECHANIC EVERY TIME THIS GOES WRONG - THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THE PASSLOCK!!! OR PONTIAC SHOULD HAVE SOME KIND OF REIMBURSEMENT FOR THIS PROBLEM. *NM

BOUGHT CAR 10-06, HAS FAILED TO START 8 TIMES, HAVE REPLACED $2300 IN VARIOUS PARTS FOR MECHANICS TRYING TO GET STARTED. ALL SAID THAT VEHICLE WASN'T GETTING FUEL. DEALERSHIP IN ASHEVILLE NC, EVEN TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW MOTOR. QUOTE $3000 TO $5000. I TOWED TO A REPUTABLE MECHANIC AND CAR STARTED RIGHT UP. WHAT IF I HAD BOUGHT THAT MOTOR. I STARTED RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET. 1000'S OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. SEVERAL TIMES MONE WAS TOWED AND WOULD START WHEN MECHANIC WENT TO FIX IT. WAS TOLD CAN'T FIX WHAT ISN'T BROKEN. 2 WEEKS AGO DID IT AGAIN. JUST WON'T START. HAD IT TOWED. STARTED UP WHEN MECHANIC WENT TO WORK ON IT. DID IT AGAIN LAST WEEK. I FOLLOWED ADVICE FROM WEBSITE. LEAVE IGNITION ON FOR 10 MINUTES FOR PASSLOCK SECURITY TO RESET. IT WORKED!!! THIS IS DEFINITELY A PROBLEM FOR 1000'S OF PEOPLE. WHO CAN KEEP GETTING TOWED, BUYING EXPENSIVE PARTS NOT NEEDED, MISSING WORK, AND NOT TO MENTION WHAT IT DOES TO YOUR MENTALLY, DEALING WITH THIS OVER AND OVER. *NM

DRIVER'S SIDE EXTERIOR MIRROR SUDDENLY DETACHED UPON BEING BUMPED BY A PERSON'S HIP AS SHE WALKED BY MY PARKED CAR. IT WAS A VERY LIGHT BUMP, YET THE LARGE INTERNAL BOLTS HOLDING THE MIRROR IN PLACE SNAPPED CLEANLY IN HALF, LEAVING THE MIRROR DANGLING BY THE POWER CORDS ONLY. THE CAR'S BODY/EXTERIOR IS OTHERWISE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. NO PRIOR INJURY/BUMPING TO THE CAR'S MIRROR HAD OCCURRED TO CAUSE OR EXPLAIN ANY SORT OF WEAKENING OF THE ATTACHMENT BOLTS. I HAVE SINCE SPOKEN WITH 2 OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN WITH SIMILAR SURPRISINGLY LIGHT CONTACT ON THEIR GRAND AMS. ONE, WHEN SHE WENT THROUGH AN AUTOMATED CAR WASH. THE OTHER, AS SHE WAS MERELY DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD (WIND FORCES.) NONE OF THESE VEHICLES HAD BEEN IN ANY SORT OF ACCIDENT THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED WEAKENING OF THE MOUNTING HARDWARE. NOR IS IT A 'WEAR AND TEAR' TYPE ISSUE. YET ONLY VERY MINOR PRESSURE CAUSED THE BOLTS TO BREAK EASILY. THE MIRRORS HAD TO BE HELD ON WITH DUCT TAPE AND/OR CORDS TO KEEP THEM FROM FLOPPING AROUND AND DAMAGING THE CAR'S EXTERIOR UNTIL REPAIR COULD BE SOUGHT. I HAD TO HOLD ON TO IT MANUALLY (IN VERY COLD WEATHER) TO KEEP IT FROM BANGING AROUND ON THE BODY OF MY CAR, UNTIL I COULD SECURE IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE (WITH MEDICAL IV TUBING, OFF ALL THINGS.) PONTIAC CLAIMS THAT THIS FALLS UNDER THE CATEGORY OF A 'COSMETIC' REPAIR...THAT IT WOULD NOT CONSTITUTE A SAFETY RECALL ISSUE (?!!)...AND SO REFUSES TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM AT THEIR COST. THEY INSIST ON CHARGING FULL PRICE. THERE MUST BE SOME SORT OF DEFECT IN THE BOLTS ATTACHING THESE MIRRORS TO ALLOW THEM TO GIVE WAY SO EASILY UNDER SUCH LITTLE FORCE. THIS CREATES A VERY SERIOUS TRAFFIC SAFETY HAZARD, AS IT CAN HAPPEN DURING THE COURSE OF NORMAL DRIVING, PUTTING THE DRIVER (AS WELL AS SURROUNDING DRIVERS) AT SERIOUS IMMEDIATE RISK OF AN MVA. I HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN REACHING ANYONE IN AUTHORITY AT PONTIAC WILLING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. *NM

DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED. TOLD BY SERVICES THAT IN ORDER TO REPLACE THE REGULATOR THE MOTOR NEEDED REPLACED ALSO. QUOTED OVER $600 FOR FIX. *NM

I PURCHASED MY 2001 GRAND AM GT SECOND HAND IN SEPTEMBER 04. THE 1 PREVIOUS OWNER WAS MY MECHANIC'S BROTHER IN-LAW AND HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED WHEN HE OWNED IT AS WELL AS SINCE I HAVE OWNED IT. MY PROBLEMS STARTED AS SOON AS I LEFT THE LOT. WITHIN A MONTH THE CAR HAD BEEN BACK INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE BREAK PADS REPLACED AND ROTORS RE-SURFACED. MY BREAKS HAVE MADE A CONSTANT RUBBING/GRINDING NOISE AND NO AMOUNT OF WORK HAS SOLVED THE PROBLEM. I ALSO HAVE THIS INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ISSUE. IN DECEMBER OF 05 THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT BEGAN COMING ON AS WELL AS THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT. I ATTEMPTED TO ADD COOLANT BUT THE CAP TO THE COOLANT TANK WAS BADLY BROKEN AND REQUIRED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE TANK - SINCE THE CAP WOULD NOT COME OFF EVEN WITH A MECHANICS HELP. THIS SOLVED THE PROBLEM FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS - BUT IN FEBRUARY 06 THE COOLANT ALARM STARTED AGAIN - I ADDED MORE COOLANT AND CONTINUED TO DRIVE IT FOR ANOTHER MONTH. WHEN THE COOLANT ALARM SOUNDED AGAIN IN MARCH I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC WHO FOUND THE COOLANT LEAK FROM THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. $800-$900 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS WAS THE SECOND INTAKE MANIFOLD HE FOUND ON A GM CAR THE SAME DAY AND HE TOLD ME THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS. WHY IS GM NOT BEING FORCED TO RE-CALL THIS? COME ON - I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING FOR 1 DAY AND FOUND HUNDREDS OF EXAMPLES OF THIS PROBLEM. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER ON A VERY TIGHT BUDGET - OWE MORE ON THIS PIECE OF $)%& THAN IT IS WORTH AS IT IS! MY CAR HAS BEEN PARKED FOR A MONTH AND I AM BUMMING RIDES WHILE I MAKE MONTHLY PAYMENTS ON A PRETTY CAR - NICE TO LOOK AT SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY ! *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED, WITHOUT WARNING, WHILE DRIVING 70-75MPH. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER WAITING ABOUT FIVE MINUTES. ALSO, THE FUEL GAUGE SHOWED AN INACCURATE READING AND NO MORE THAN SEVEN DOLLARS OF GASOLINE CAN BE PUMPED INTO THE TANK BEFORE THE PUMP SHUTS OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY THE SERVICE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM.

THE DAY AFTER THE CAR WAS IN FOR RECALL ON THE HAZARD SWITCH THE WIRE LEADING TO THE HORN, CRUISE CONTROL AND DRIVERS AIRBAG BECAME BOUND UP AND HAVE SHORTED OUT AT THE CLOCK SPRING. HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE, I ASSUME THE AIRBAG IS INOPERATIVE AS WELL. *NM

1. A FLAW IN THE 2001 PONTIAC GRAND AM PASSLOCK SECURITY SYSTEM THINKS THE CAR OWNER IS TRYING TO STEAL THE CAR AND SHUTS OFF THE FUEL TO THE CAR, MAKING IT NECESSARY TO TURN THE KEY TO THE ON POSITION AND WAIT 15-20 MIN BEFORE THE CAR WILL START... (PONTIAC IS FULLY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE THEY EVEN HAVE INSTRUCTIONS TO RESET THE COMPUTER IN THE OWNERS MANUEL) WHAT HAPPENS IF U ARE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION AND THE CAR WILL NOT START FOR 20 MINUTES? THIS STARTED AT 50,000 MILES AND HAPPENED MAYBE EVERY 3 MONTHS NOW AT 67,000 MILES IT IS A DAILY OCCURRENCE... PONTIAC REALLY NEEDS TO REPAIR/RECALL THESE CARS!!!! MY FATHER (A MECHANIC FOR 40 YRS) ADVISES THAT IF U CONTINUE TO KEEP THE KEY TURNED TO ON (THE FIX FOR THIS) THAT EVENTUALLY IT WILL BURN THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION OUT PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS IF U NEED MORE STORIES ABOUT THIS JUST LOOK AT THE PONTIAC FORUM AT THE EDMUNDS SITE I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE HAVING THIS ISSUE!!! HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/WEBX?14@@.EE9E52F/2160. *JB

THE A/C- HEATER SPEED CONTROL SELECTION 1 AND 2 STOPPED WORKING IN 2002 SHORTLY AFTER I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE. ON APRIL 10,2006, THE SELECTIONS 3 AND 4 ARE ALSO NOT WORKING. THIS IS NOW THE 9TH PROBOLEM I'VE HAD WITH MY VEHICLE. TO INCLUDE BOTH POWER WINDOW BRACKETS BREAKING, MY HAZARD FLASHER, TRANSMISSION, STEERING, AND A/C. I'VE UNKNOWINGLY HAD JACKSON AUTO GROUP OF HAWAII DO REPAIRS WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A WORD ABOUT THE RECALLS. WHAT PROACTIVE STEPS HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO NOTIFY THE DEALERS ABOUT THE RECALLS AND DEFECTS? *NM