1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM Complaints

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A POWER STEERING PROBLEM. WHILE DRVING ON AN INCLINE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT POWER STEERING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK

CONSUMER WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT AND HEARD A LOUD CRACK. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT PR COIL SPRINGS WERE DEFECTIVE. *AK

WHILE HAVING TIRES ROTATED MECHANIC NOTICED THAT VEHICLE WAS LEAKING COOLANT. THE COOLANT LEAK WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, PER THE MECHANIC. THE GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. *SC WHILE HAVING TIRES ROTATED MECHANIC NOTICED THAT VEHICLE WAS LEAKING COOLANT. THE COOLANT LEAK WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO DEALER AND REPAIRED AT THE COST OF $220.63. *MR THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS. *SC

IT IS NOW SEPT. 2003, THE FIRST COIL SPRING BROKE AT THE TOP SECTION ( ONE RING FROM TOP OF COIL) BACK IN AUG. 2003(DRIVER SIDE). NOW THE SECOND ONE HAS BROKEN ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. FROM WHAT INFORMATION I CAN GET FROM A FRIEND AT MY LOCAL DEALER, THEY HAVE SOLD 48-50 OF THESE SPRINGS BETWEEN MAY AND AUG 2003. THIS IS SAID TO BE A VERY UNUSUAL NUMBER OF SPRINGS TO BE REPLACED FOR ANY CAR. IF THIS IS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM, AND ALL THESE SPRINGS SEEM TO BE BREAKING AT THE EXACT SAME SPOT, I THINK THEY SHOULD BE ON A RECALL LIST FOR A DEFECTIVE PART. CAN SOMEONE LOOK INTO THIS AND LET ME KNOW. THANK YOU

MY MAJOR COMPLAINT IS THE BLACK GLOSSY PAINT THAT IS PEELING FROM THE SIDE DOOR/REAR QUARTER WINDOW PILARS. THE DEALER SAID THAT THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AND I HAVE HAD SEVERAL QUOTES TO HAVE IT FIXED WHICH ARE IN THE RANGE OF $250 TO $500. THE SIDE MIRROR FELL OFF IN A CAR WASH TWO MONTHS AFTER THE PURCHASE OF THIS VEHICLE, HOWEVER THE DEALER DID FIX IT ONCE AT NO CHARGE. THE RADIO DISPLAY DOES NOT WORK RIGHT AWAY, AND USUALLY HAS TO WARM UP BEFORE I AM ABLE TO READ THE DIGITAL DISPLAY. I HAVE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH A SENSOR, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE NOT START, AND THE DEALER PAID FOR THAT SERVICE AS WELL. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON ALMOST SINCE THE FIRST DAY I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE, AND I HAVE HAD SEVERAL DIAGNOSTIC TESTS COMPLETED AT MY COSTS, HOWEVER THE LIGHT WILL GO OFF FOR A WHILE, AND THEN COME BACK ON.

MY COMPLAINT AND I KNOW NW I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH A NEWER GRAND-AM AND THE WINDOW MECHANISM BREAK INSIDE THE DOOR CAUSING THE WINDOW TO DROP TOTALLY INSIDE. I HAD A FRONT DRIVER WINDOW GO FEW WEEKS AGO AND THIS WEEK OUT OF THE BLUE, THE SAME SIDE REAR DOOR DID THE SAME THING! DOES THIS SUDDENLY HAPPEN TO GRAND-AM'S WHEN THEY HIT 42,000 OR WHAT? IMAGINE MY DISBELIEF WHEN TWO WINDOWS BREAK AT THE SAME TIME FOR NO REASON. WHAT BROKE INSIDE IS A WHITE PLASTIC WHEEL, HOWEVER YOU HAVE TO BUY THE SYSTEM INSIDE THE DOOR FOR ABOUT $280 FROM THE DEALER. FOR NOW THE WINDOWS STAY DOWN AND I AM SEARCHING WRECKED JUNK YARDS! I SURE HOPE THEY RECALL THIS CRAP.

THE HEATER CONTROL WON'T WORK AT SPEED 1 AND 2. THE PAINT ON THE WINDOW FRAME IS FALLING AWAY. THE REAR STRUTS FAILED. THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING AT ALL WITH NO PRIOR WARNING. THE CAR DOESN'T HEAT UP FULLY WHEN IT GETS UNDER 20 DEGRESS TEMPERATURE. THE ROTORS WARP TOO QUICKLY.

IN AUGUST OF 2001 WHEN I PURCHASED THIS CAR I FELT A RATTLE ON MY BRAKES WHICH IS STILL THERE. MY POWER WINDOWS ARE SCRATCHED FROM ROLLING UP AND DOWN. PAINT AROUND THE SPOILER AND BUMPER AND ON THE ROOF IS CHIPED OFF. I HAD TO REPLACE THE GENERATOR IN 2002. I HAD TO HAVE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD SEALS REPLACED IN 2002. (3.4L V6) I HAD TO HAVE THE WATERPUMP REPLACED IN SPRING OF 2003. NOW THE HEAD GASKETS ARE BROKEN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD SEALS AGAIN ARE BROKEN. MY TRANSMISSION IS NO LONGER WORKING. IN OTHER WORDS I CAN NOT DRIVE MY CAR ANYMORE; IT IS SITTING MY GARAGE. THE COST AMOUNTS TO MORE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH IN DOLLARS AND I STILL OWE $9.500 ON THIS CAR.

I BOUGHT THE CAR, USED, IN FEB. 2002. SINCE THAT TIME THE CLEARCOAT HAS BEGAN CHIPPING OFF, LEAVING THE PAINT EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS, SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE DOORS. IN JULY THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW REGULATOR BROKE. ON SEPT. 5TH THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW REGULATOR BROKE. IN AUGUST THE DRIVER'S SIDE MIRROR WAS CAUGHT AGAINST MY PLASTIC MAILBOX AND SNAPPED IN HALF. I AM AWARE THAT I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT MIRROR, HOWEVER I TELL YOU THIS BECAUSE I FEEL THE MIRROR SHOULD HAVE WITHSTOOD THE PLASTIC MAILBOX DOOR, WHICH IS STILL INTACT. ALONG WITH THAT, THE PASSENGER SIDE MIRROT BROKE OFF SIMPLY BY BEING BRUSHED AS MY HUSBAND WALKED BY THE CAR. ALL OF THESE ISSUES SEEM TO BE A CONCERN TO MANY GRAND AM OWNERS. I HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND MANY OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. PONTIAC REFUSES TO COVER ANY OF THE COSTS BECAUSE I BOUGHT THE CAR USED, HAVE NOT TAKEN IT TO A GM DEALER FOR SERVICE (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF OIL CHANGE IT HAS NOT NEEDED SERVICE), BECAUSE I DID NOT BUY AN EXTENDED WARRANTY PACKAGE, AND BECAUSE THE MILEAGE IS MORE THAN THEY FEEL RESPONSIBLE FOR. THE CAR IS BARELY 5 YEARS OLD. THESE THINGS SHOULD NOT BE FALLING APART THIS SOON IN A CAR'S LIFE, REGARDLESS OF FIRST OR SECOND OWNERSHIP.

DRIVER SIDE WINDOW BROKE TWO YEARS AGO WHILE THE CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRENTY. I PAID FOR THE MOTOR AND WINDOW - A LITTLE OVER $600. IT BROKE AGAIN IN THE FALL OF 2002. THIS WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND I WAS NOT CHARGED. IT BROKE A 3RD TIME LAST MONTH AND THE WARRANTY FOR THE ONE THAT WAS REPLACED HAD EXPIRED BY ONE WEEK TO TEN DAYS. I WAS CHARGED THE $410. AFTER COMPLAINING, I WAS GIVEN A REDUCTION OF 15%. I PAID THIS AMOUNT AS THIS IS MY DAUGHTER'S ONLY TRANSPORATION AND SHE NEEDED IT TO ATTEND CLASS AND TO WORK. IN VOICING MY DISPLEASURE TO SERVICE MANAGER/STAFF AT SAWYERS PONTIAC IN LANSING MI (WHERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED USED BUT STILL UNDER WARRANTY), I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS COMMON TO THE 1999 GRAND AM AND WAS A RESULT OF A CHANGE IN MATERIALS USED IN THE WINDOW ASSEMBLY. THEY ADVISED ME THAT IT WAS THEY WHO AUTHORIZED THE 15% CREDIT TO ME AND THAT PONTIAC MOTORS WOULD DO NOTHING MORE. IN TALKING TO STAFF AT PONTIAC MOTORS, I WAS OFFERED A ADDITONAL FREE OIL AND LUBE SERVICE FOR ONE YEAR. I OWN 3 GM VEHICLES, THIS IS 1ST PONTIAC. THIS RE-OCCURRING ROBLEM IS KNOWN TO SERVICE MECHANICS BUT PONTIAC IS UNWILLING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILTY FOR IT. THERE IS NO DOUBT I WILL BE BACK FOR REPAIRS IN ANOTHER YEAR UNLESS I CAN GET RID OF IT. BUT I WILL NOT BE BACK TO BUY ANOTHER PONTIAC AND PROBABLY NOT ANY OTHER GM CAR.