1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM Complaints

INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS INSTALLED WRONG WHEN CAR WAS MANUFACTURED. ALLOWING ANTIFREEZE TO MIX WITH THE ENGINE OIL, WHICH LEADS TO OVERHEATING OF VEHICLE.BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT( WHICH GM THEMSELVES HAVE A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) ADMITTING THAT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM). THIS DEFECT CAUSED MY CAR TO OVERHEAT WARPING THE HEADS ON THE ENGINE , NOW THE ENGINE IS NO GOOD. I HAVE TALKED TO GM ABOUT THE PROBLEM 2 TIMES . THE 1ST TIME THEY TOLD ME THAT YES THEY KNEW THEY HAD A PROBLEM BUT IT WAS NOT ENOUGH FOR A RECALL YET. THE 2ND TIME I TALKED TO THEM THEY TOLD ME BASICALLY THE SAME THING, BUT THAT IF I WAS TO BRING IT IN TO A PONTIAC DEALERSHIP AND HAVE IT DIAGNOSED THEN THEY WOULD GO FROM THERE.WELL I CALLED A PONTIAC DEALERSHIP TO ASK HOW MUCH WAS THE COST OF THIS DIAGNOSTIC AND THEY SAID ABOUT $1000.00. I'M SORRY BUT IM A SINGLE MOTHER RAISING 4 CHILDREN IF I HAD A $1000.00 FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST I COULD JUST AS SOON USE THAT MONEY TO FIX MY CAR.I HAVE TALKED TO NUMEROUS MECHANICS, INCLUDING THE MECHANICS OF OUR COLUMBUS CITY SCHOOL BUSES( WHICH IS WHERE I WORK) AND THEY ALL HAVE SAID THAT IT SOUNDS TO THEM LIKE ITS GM'S FAULT THAT MY CARS ENGINE IS NO GOOD NOW, ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY HAVE A TSB ON THIS VERY PROBLEM BECAUSE THAT ADMITS THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM. GM INFORMED ME THAT IF I HAD THE CAR FIXED AND SAVED THE RECEIPT , IF THIS WAS EVER RECALLED THAT I COULD POSSIBLY GET MY MONEY BACK.I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO GET MY CAR FIXED, AGAIN BECAUSE I AM A SINGLE MOTHER RAISING 4 CHILDREN ON A SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS PAY. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A FEW MECHANICS THAT WORK AT PONTIAC DEALERSHIPS THAT THESE CARS WITH THIS PROBLEM COME IN THIER SHOPS DAILY. I BELIEVE THAT PONTIAC IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MY CARS ENGINE GOING BAD AND I THINK THAT THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING IT.MY CAR HAS NOT BEEN RUNNING FOR APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS ,WHICH MEANS I HAVE HAD NO MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION FOR MY CHILDREN AND I FOR THAT LONG OF A TIME.

I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND MY AIR BAGS DID NOT GO OFF I TRIED TO CALL GM AND THEY WOULD NOT HELP ME AT ALL.

WITH 70K MILES ON THE CAR I HAVE HAD THE BRAKES AND ROTORS REPLACED 4 TIMES. AFTER THE SECOND TIME, I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND ASKED IF IT WAS NORMAL TO REPLACE THESE ITEMS EVERY 18K MILES AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE WAY I DRIVE THE CAR. AFTER THAT COMMENT, I STOPPED USING THEM FOR MY REPAIRS OUTSIDE OF WARRENTY. REVIEWING YOUR WEB SITE MADE ME REALIZING I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON WITH THIS PROBLEM.

PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE'S WATER PUMP AND BELT TENSIONER. *MR THERE WAS A GAP IN THE BODY AT THE PASSENGER FRONT FLOOR BOARD, THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE VOLUME OF THE RADIO, BAD DISPLAY, BAD MOTOR CARRIAGE, AND THE HOOD DID NOT HOLD WITH THE PROP STICK. *SCC *JB

REFERENCE NHTSA PE03031. WHILE MAKING A TURN, HEARD NOISE AND FELT SHAKE THROUGH VEHICLE. NOTICED LEAN TOWARDS LEFT SIDE. UPON INSPECTION, FOUND LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING BROKEN. SPRING BROKEN WITH A SHEARING/SLASHING BREAK. CLEAN GRAY METAL. AT BOTTOM COIL, APPROX 1" BEFORE IT PASSES OVER STARTING POINT OF THE COIL. NO DAMAGE TO TIRE. DEALER REPLACE BOTH SPRINGS. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED BY DEALER. PARTS WILL BE SAVED IF NEED FOR INSPECTION. *PH

I CALLED PONTIAC TO TRY TO GET SOME HELP REGARDING THE FACT THAT MY CAR IS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD AND WITHIN THE LAST 2 MONTHS BOTH SIDE MIRRORS HAVE FALLEN OFF (ONE SIMPLY BY BEING BRUSHED AGAINST), MY REARVIEW MIRROR CAME OFF, BOTH SIDE WINDOW REGULATORS HAVE BROKEN, AND THE CLEAR COAT IS CHIPPING AND LEAVING MY PAINT EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS. PONTIAC PRETTY MUCH TOLD ME "SORRY, NOT OUR PROBLEM" BECAUSE I BOUGHT THE CAR USED (I AM THE SECOND OWNER), BECAUSE I DID NOT BUY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, AND BECAUSE IT HAS OVER 70,000 MILES. I HAVE DONE MY RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THESE ARE ALL COMMON PROBLEMS WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO FORWARD YOU MY RESEARCH. REGARDLESS OF WHAT NUMBER OWNER I AM OR HOW MANY MILES ARE ON THE VEHICLE, I FEEL THAT IF PONTIAC CANNOT MAKE A VEHICLE THAT CAN LAST 5 YEARS WITHOUT FALLING APART, THEN THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD NOT BE THROWING AWAY OUR HARD EARNED MONEY ON A BAD PRODUCT. PONTIAC SHOULD REALLY BE TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAKING A LESS-THAN-DESIRABLE PRODUCT. *PH

TURN SIGNALS BECAME INOPERATIVE WHILE TURNING, CAUSING THE CAR FOLLOWING TO ASSUME I WAS NO LONGER TURNING, AND ACCELERATE....REAR-ENDING ME. THIS IS A RECURRENT ISSUE THAT NEEDS RESOLVED. ALSO, AFTER THE COLLISION, THE HAZARD LIGHTS WOULD NOT WORK. ALSO, JUST SAW THE RECALL ON THE 2000-2001 GRAND AIMS, ALLERGY, AND MAILBOX FROM GM FOR THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. I BELIEVE THE RECALL SHOULD BE MANDATED TO INCLUDE THE 1999 MODEL YEAR AS WELL. *AK

VEHICLE IS RUNNING EXTREMELY HOT. DEALER REPLACED THERMOSTAT, AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING. IN ADDITION, COOLANT SYSTEM WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON. *AK

PURCHASED PREOWNED VEHICLE FROM DORSCH FORD. WITHIN 6 MONTHS, WIRING ON UNDERCARRIAGE, AND ALTERNATOR HAVE GONE OUT. NEITHER OF WHICH WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.

FIRE IN STEERING COLUMN - LIGHTS NOW STUCK ON BRIGHT - OTHERWISE I HAVE NO LIGHTS. *AK