2001 PONTIAC GRAND AM Complaints

THE COOLANT SYSTEM HAS A CONTINUAL LEAK. IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT LEAST EVERY MONTH. FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH MAKES ALL INTERIOR LIGHTS AND GAUGES GO ON AND OFF AND SOMETIMES NOT COME BACK ON FOR DAYS (HAPPENS EVERYTIME THE CAR IS STARTED UP). MAKES SPEED LIMITS IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL, ETC. *NM

FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL BEARING FAILURE. I HAVE HAD ME WHEEL BEARING REPLACED TWICE IN THE LAST YEAR AND IT IS GOING BAD AGAIN SO THAT WILL MAKE IT 3 TIMES IN 12 MONTHS. THE FIRST FAILURE WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND WAS REPLACE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SECOND FAILURE HAPPENED JUST AFTER IS WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND I HAD TO PAY TO HAVE IT FIXED EVEN THOUGH IT WAS REPLACED 5 MONTHS EARLIER. NOW IS IT BAD AGAIN. I HAVE NEVER HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH ONE CAR. THE TURN SIGNALS WORK SOMETIMES, THE CAR DOESN'T START ALL THE TIME. *NM

CAR IS EXTREMELY HARD TO STEER AND MAKES A LOT OF NOISE AT LOW SPEEDS SUCH MOSTLY PARKING. REPAIR SHOP ADVISED RACK AND PINION PROBLEM THE THIS MODEL CAR IS A COMMON PROBLEM. *JB

SECURITY LIGHT CAME ON BUT WENT OFF AFTER NEXT START. NEXT DAY KEY FOBS NOT WORKING. REPROGRAMMED AT DEALER. AFTERWARDS CAR HAD BEEN MAKING BEEPING NOISE CONSTANTLY WHILE ON AND PARKED AND INSIDE LOCK SWITCH NOT WORKING. AFTER DRIVING OVER A CERTAIN SPEED BEEPING NOISE STOPS. CALLED DEALER WAS ADVISED PASSLOCK ISSUE ON THAT MODEL CAR. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE STALLED INTERMITTENTLY FOR ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS BEFORE THE VEHICLE STALLED. ADDITIONALLY, WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED IT WILL NOT RESTART WITHOUT THE COMPUTER BEING REPROGRAMMED. EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE ONLY THING THE DEALER DID WAS RESET THE COMPUTER. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE DEALERSHIP 5 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM THE CONTACT BEGAN RESETTING THE COMPUTER. THE DEALER'S SERVICE MANAGER SHOWED THE CONTACT HOW TO REPROGRAM THE COMPUTER BY TURNING THE IGNITION ON, ALLOWING THE SECURITY LIGHT TO FLASH TEN MINUTES, TURN THE IGNITION OFF, AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS A SHORT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER AWAITING REPAIR OF THE IGNITION. THE DEALER OFFERED TWO OPTIONS FOR REPAIR, TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE IGNITION SYSTEM OR JUMP THE SECURITY SYSTEM. IF THE SECURITY SYSTEM WAS BY PASSED IT WILL NO LONGER ACTIVATE. THERE ARE TWO TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS (TSBS) CONCERNING THE IGNITION, TSBS 010849020 AND 020604011. *AK UPDATED 02/27/06. *JB

I PURCHASED A 2001 PONTIAC GRAND AM IN FEBRUARY 2003. SHORTLY AFTER THE 45K MILES I STARTED TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE DEX-COOL ANTI-FREEZE LEAKING AROUND THE INTAKE GASKET, HEAD GASKET WAS DAMAGED. ALSO, THERE WAS EXTENSIVE OIL USE, APPROXIMATELY A QUART EVERY 500 MILES OF DRIVING. DESPITE WHAT THIS MIGHT SOUND LIKE, THIS VEHICLE, WHILE IN MY POSSESSION HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. I HAVE HAD THE ABOVE PROBLEMS FIXED ON 11-20-05 AND AFTER THE MECHANIC WAS DONE I HAD PUT ANOTHER $1465.00 INTO A CAR THAT HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. NOW, ONE MONTH AFTER GETTING MY CAR BACK THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON, AND THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I HAVE HAD TO FIX THIS PROBLEM EITHER. I HAVE HEARD FROM SEVERAL MECHANICS AND DEALERS THAT THIS IS COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR DUE TO DEX-COOL ONLY SYSTEMS AND ALUMINUM ENGINES THAT ERODE HEAD- GASKETS PREMATURELY. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 03V327000 CONCERNING THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD WARNING SWITCH. . THIS VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL, BUT IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK UPDATED 1/11/2006. THE TURN/HAZARD SWITCH WAS REPLACED ON 12/10/2005 WITH GM PART 10359039. THE OLD PART NUMBER WAS 22624799 0691 E. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WOULD GO ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ON ROUGH ROADS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A CERTIFIED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. ALSO, THE REAR SEAT BELT MATERIAL FELL APART. THIS WAS INSPECTED BY THE DEALER, THEY OFFERED NO FREE REPAIR. *AK

FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS NOW,WE HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH OUR 2001 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THERE IS SOME TYPE OF A SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, CAUSING THE TRUNK RELEASE ACTUATOR TO OPERATE BY ITSELF,EVERY TIME THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR IS PENED. ALSO ,THE "AUTOMATIC-ON "DASH LIGHTS, HEADLIGHTS, MARKER LIGHTS AND SO-ON- SOMETIMES WILL NOT TURN ON IMMEDIATELY,WHEN THE PARKING BRAKE IS LOWERED. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF AN INVESTIGATION COULD BE OPENED FOR THESE PROBLEMS; BECAUSE THEY ARE SAFETY RELATED ISSUES,AND THERE MAY BE MANY OTHER PEOPLE BEING AFFECTED WITH THESE SAME PROBLEMS-WITH THEIR 2001 GRAND AM'S. I BELIEVE PONTIAC SHOULD BE MADE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THESE ISSUES,SINCE THE AMERICAN PUBLIC IS TRUSTING THEM TO PROVIDE SAFE CARS. THIS SHOULD NOT BE SOMETHING THAT IS LIMITED TO A WARRANTY, SINCE IT INVOLVES A SAFETY ISSUE, IN WHICH THE LIGHTS COULD STOP FUNCTIONING WHILE DRIVING OR THE TRUNK COULD RELEASE( BY ITSELF) WHILE DRIVING. THANK YOU. *NM

FAULTY INTAKE GASKET TO ENGINE FROM COOLANT. AFTER LESS THAN 80,000 MILES THE INTAKE GASKET IS LEAKING IN THE 2001 PONTIAC GRAND AM. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS PROBLEM IS NOT RESTRICTED TO AN OCCASIONAL VEHICLE AND IT PRESENTS AN ISSUE OF LOSING FLUID. NOT ONLY IS THIS A SAFETY HAZARD FOR VEHICLE OWNERS, IT IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD AS WELL. *JB