1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM Complaints

THE KEY GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND AUXILLARY LIGHTS REMAIN ON. THE LOCKSMITH ATTEMPTS TO FIX IT AND I HAVE TO KEEP HAVING HIM COME OUT; LOOKS LIKE A REPLACEMENT CORE IS NEEDED, THEE IS NOT A CHEAP WAY OUTOF THIS. THE BAKE PADS WEAR DOWN VERY QUICKLY. IT SEEMS THAT A BOLT ON THE CALIPER IS NOT EVEN WITH THE OPPOSITE BOLT, IT'S VERY SLIGHT BUT IT'S THE SAME ON BOTH CALIPERS AND SEEMS TO CAUSE PADS TO WEAR UNEVENLY AND OFTEN. IT IS PROBABLY CHEAPER FOR GM TO HAVE COSUMERS REPLACE PADS AND ROTORS OFTEN THAN TO RETOOL THE MACHINERY TO FIX ALL THOSE BOLTS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH VEHICLE BEGAN TO OVERHEAT. CONSUMER HEARD SOUNDS AS IF SOME ONE HAD DROPPED MARBLES IN THE ENGINE. SOON AFTER THE VEHICLE STALLED. A MECHANIC EXAMINED THE VEHICLE, AND FOUND THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS DEFECTIVE. ALSO, CONSUMER HAD TO GET A NEW TRANSMISSION, AND ABS SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 7 MPH FRONT DRIVER SIDE SUPPORT BRACKET SNAPPED. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO RUN OFF THE ROAD. DRIVER SUSTAINED BACK INJURIES. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHEN CONSUMER DEPRESSED THE GAS PEDAL IT GOT STUCK. WHEN THIS OCCURRED VEHICLE REVVED. CONSUMER THEN PUT VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL, AND RPMS WENT UP TO 5. THEN PUT VEHICLE BACK IN DRIVE AND PEDAL DID NOT STICK. *AK *NM

CAR IS A 1997 GRAND AM SE WITH 2.4L ENGINE AN AUTOMATIC TRANS WITH 90,000 MILES. IGNITION KEY GETS STUCK IN CAR AND WON'T COME OUT UNLESS CAR IS SHIFTED FROM NUETRAL TO PARK SEVERAL TIMES AND KEY IS CYCLED IN IGNITION. BATTERY'S AND ALTERNATORS LAST ONLY 1 YEAR. WATER PUMP FAILS AT 43,OOO MILES ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS VERY SKETCHY AND POWER DOOR LOCKS, WINDOWS AND LIGHTS WORK SPORADICALLY EVER SINCE PURCHASE AT 31,000 MILES.

IT WAS HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO ROLL UP/DOWN THE FRONT POWER WINDOWS. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK BOTH FRONT SEAT WINDOWS REQUIRE 10-20 SHORT MOVES IN ORDER TO CLOSE AFTER BEING OPENED. *SC

1ST. MY RECALL (NHTSA#02V070/GM #02008) STARTED MARCH 2002 AND WE JUST NOW RECEIVED THE LETTER IN MARCH 2004. AND MY VEHICLE DID EVERYTHING THE LETTER SAID IT WOULD DO EXCEPT, THEY'RE WAS NOT A FIRE BUT TRYING TO START IT CAUSED IT TO JUMP TIME --CAUSUNG A HOLE IN THE PISTON AND BROKE VALVE!!MUCH BIGGER AND COSTLIER OUTCOME//IN OTHER WORDS I NEED A NEW ENGINE SINCE HAVING THE PISTON AND VALVE FIXED IS COSTING AROUND $2500.00!!!!!!!!!!!!*AK

97 GRAND AM 4CYL PUR NEW 5/97 SERIES OF PROBLEMS.GT VERSION BUT DRIVEN CAUTIOUSLY BY 40 YEAR OLDS.AT 2 YEARS AND 39,000 MILES WATER PUMP FAILS.IS UNDER CAR AND IS 600.00 DOL TO REPLACE!NOBODY SHOULD BUY THE 4 CYLINDER WHEN AN ITEM PRONE TO FAILURE LIKE A WATER PUMP CANT BE ACCESSED WITHOUT REMOVING THE MANIFOLDS ON THE CAR.AT 50,000 KEY COMES OUT OF IGNITION WHILE CAR RUNNING.IGNITION SWITCH FAILS,HAS TO BE RE KEYED AND COST IS 500.00 BY LOCAL MECHANIC SERV STAT.AT 55,000 MILES AT INTERLOCKS UP,CAR STUCK TOWED AT THIS TIME A ALTERNATOR CHECK SHOWS THAT IS NOT CHARGING.REPLACE BOTH COST 800.00 PLUS BATTERY.DEC 2000 FRONT LEFT TIRE ON ALUM WHEEL IS FLAT-TAKE TO SEV STAT,THEY REFILL DRIVE CAR AFTER X-MAS IT DEFLATES CAUSES CAR TO SPIN HIT LIGHT POLE MOSTLY ON TIRE AREA AT 40 MPH ,NO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT BUT A HIGH SNOWBANK DECELERATES CAR.ALUM WHEEL LEAK AGAIN?EVER SINCE W.PUMP REPLACED A TAPPING COMES FROM CAM AREA.AT 75,000 MILES AUTO DR LOCK IN DRIV SIDE FAILS AND IS REPLACED.CAM NOISE CONT. AS SERV. PEOPLE SAY IT IS A LIFTER,FINALLY IN 2002 DEC. CAR RUNS ROUGH ,IS PUT ON COMP. AND FOUND TO HAVE BAD CAM TIMING.CHAIN IS INSPECTED AS IT IS STEEL AND FOR LIFE OF CAR.A TINY CHEAP BRACKET KEEPS THE CHAIN IN PLACE AND IT HAD CRACKED AND SLOWLY BROKEN AT 80,000 MILES.ENGINE GOT BY WITH NEW CHAIN AND LABOR FOR 800.00 DOL.85,000 NEW BATTERY,95,000 NEW BATTERY.108,000 4 SPEED AUTOTRANS STARTS SLIPPING INTO NEUTRAL.CAR STOPS ON HIGHWAY WONT MOVE.HW PATROL TOWS ,CHARGED 129.00 TO REPAIR SHOP.SAY TRANNY IS BAD.AND WATER PUMP IS LEAKING AGAIN.BILL WOULD BE THOUSANDS DUE TO PREMATURE FAILURE OF THESE PARTS AND CAR WILL BE SOLD AS PARTS CAR.TOO BAD,LOOKS GOOD.-MARCH 06,2004.*AK

MY SON'S GRAND AM DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED AFTER THE CAR WAS DRIVEN THROUGH A PUDDLE HIDING A POT HOLE. HE SUSTAINED BURNS ON HIS RIGHT ARM AND HAD TO STOP THE CAR AND EXIT IN ORDER TO STOP COUGHING FROM THE AIRBAG POWDER. PONTIAC CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS CONTACTED, INFORMED ABOUT THE INCIDENT, DIGITAL PICTURES TAKEN BY THE REPAIRING PONTIAC DEALER WERE INSPECTED AND, BASED ON PAINT FLAKING FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BUMPER COVER AND A DENT IN THE CROSSMEMBER, THEY CONCLUDED THIS DAMAGE CAUSED THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY. HOWEVER, THE SERVICE MANAGER TO THE REPAIRING DEALER WAS VERY SKEPTICAL OF THIS CONCLUSION SINCE THIS KIND OF DAMAGE SHOULD NOT DEPLOY THE AIRBAG AND, BASED ON THE DESIGN OF THIS CAR, BOTH FRONT AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. FURTHER, THERE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINTS LODGED AGAINST THIS VEHICLE FOR THE SAME SITUATION (NHSTA WEB SITE) AND GM OF CANADA HAS ISSUED A RECALL FOR IMPROPER AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. I BELIEVE GM IS REPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT OF THE REPAIRS TO THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT.

WHEN YOU RUN THE AIR, THE CAR STALLS AND WON'T START ANYWHERE FROM ONE HOUR TO THREE OR FOUR POSSIBLY THE NEXT DAY. THE HORN WORKS SOMETIMES, THE RAIDIO WORKS SOMETIMES AS DOES THE DISPAY, THE VOLUME GOES UP AND DOWN. THE FUEL SYSTEMS SHUTS DOWN ALONG WITH THE CAR WHEN THE AIR IS RUNNING. THE POWER WINDOW QUIT WORKING IN APRIL, I REPLACED THE ONE OF THE PASSENGER SIDE ONLY TO HAVE THE ONE ON THE DRIVER SIDE TO STOP WORKING. THE BRAKES WENT OUT WITH NO WARNING. ANYTIME THE CAR HAS ANY PROBLEMS NO LIGHTS COME ON TO WARN YOU IT WILL JUST STOP WORKING. THE SHOP THAT PUT THE USED ENGINE IN STILL CAN'T TELL ME WHY IT STARED KNOCKING. THE ETS SYSTEM COMES ON AND OFF ALL THE TIME WITHOUT PRESSING THE BUTTON, I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THE 1997 PONITAC GRAND AM GT.