1998 PONTIAC GRAND AM Complaints

BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AFTER 20,000 MILES. HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 5 YR BATTERIES 3 TIMES NOW AT MY OWN EXPENSE. LAST TIME RESULTED IN CAR NEEDING TO BE TOWED AND KEY NOT BEING ABLE TO BE TAKEN OUT OF IGNITION. TRIED JUMP STARTING AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OVER HEATED. MY COMPLAINT IS THIS I JUST RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL STATING THAT IF THE CAR IS HARD TO START IT COULD START ON FIRE IF JUMP STARTED MORE THEN 3 TIMES AND IF THE KEY IS ON THE ON POTION TO LONG. THEY WANT TO INSTALL A RELAY DEVICE TO PREVENT FIRES BUT WHY IS THE ELECTRICAL IGNITION PROBLEM NOT BEING FIXED. WHY DO WE HAVE TO REPLACE THE BATTERY EVERY YEAR. THE RELAY DEVICE WILL NOT FIX THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM IT WILL ONLY FIX THE FIRE THREAT. ALSO SIDE MIRROR ADJUSTMENT KNOB HAS FALLEN INSIDE CAR DOOR AND WINDOWS WILL NOT ROLL DOWN OR UP. CAR WILL NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE AT TIMES. FRONT TIRES WORE ON THE INSIDE OUT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE. *JB

DOES NOT MATTER WHAT TIME OF DAY OR WHAT TEMP OUTSIDE, WHEN CAR IS STARTED, RPM'S RANGE FROM 2000 TO 3000. CAR WILL NOT GO TO NORMAL IDLE AT ANY TIME NO MATTER HOW LONG DRIVEN UNLESS CAR IS TURNED OFF AN THEN BACK ON. SOMETIMES IT TAKES DOING THIS SEVERAL TIMES. IF THIS IS NOT DONE AND IDLE IS LEFT AS IS, CAR IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STOP. ALMOST NECESSARY TO "STAND" ON THE BRAKES! DEALER SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG AND THAT IT IS A FACTORY PRESET. *AK

CAR LOOSES POWER AT RANDOM TIMES, IN TOWN, 75 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE, UPON LEAVING FROM A DEAD STOP, ETC. DEALERSHIP HAS HAD CAR MORE THAN 10 TIMES AND 45 DAYS AND IS UNABLE TO FIX PROBLEM.

1998 GRANDAM, INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET AND FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR GASKET NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT 75,000 MILES. WHEN PRICING OUT REPAIRS I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE GM V-6 ENGINE BY THE REPAIR SHOPS. THE INSIDE OF THE CAR WOULD SMELL LIKE GAS WHILE DRIVING ON VERY COLD DAYS. (NORTH DAKOTA) JUST SOUTH OF ALASKA.*AK

CHRONIC COOLANT LEAK, CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE, PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS. ENGINE NEVER SHOWED IT WAS HOT. BASED ON MY RESEARCH THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE. GM SHOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS AND FIX THIS INSTEAD OF CONTINUING TO USE THE SAME DEFECTIVE PARTS FOR OVER 5 YEARS IN A NUMBER OF GM VEHICLES. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER GM PRODUCT! *CB

THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE FUNCTION PREVENTS ME FROM BEING ABLE TO BRAKE MY CAR ON WET, SNOWY OR SLUSHY DAYS, BOTH MY DAUGHTER AND I HAVE HAD TO SHIFT DOWN AND PULL ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO PULL OVER, WE LIVE ON A LONG STEEP HILL. THIS RESETS THEABS BUT ONLY TEMPORARILY. ALSO, THE AUTO LOCKS MALFUNCTION AND THE FRONT WINDOWS DON'T ROLL UP AND DOWN, I AM AFRAID WE'LL BE TRAPPED IN AN OUT OF CONTROL CAR. ALSO THE ADJUSTMENT KNOB FOR THE EXTERIOR REAR VIEW MIRRORS FELL INTO THE DOOR SO I CAN'T ADJUST THEM WITHOUT STOPPING AS THE WINDOWS DON'T OPEN.*AK

SEEMS A FEW WEEKS AFTER I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE I STARTED NOTICING MALFUNCTIONS WRONG WITH MY PONTIAC GRAND AM. I BROUGHT IN MY CAR FOR PROBLEMS WITH THE IGNITION IN SEVERAL TIMES, KEY GETS STUCK IN IGNITION AND HARD TO RELEASE. IGNITION LOCKS AND CAN'T TURN KEY TO START ENGINE. MY CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND NEVER WAS I TOLD THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FROM THE DEALER. I WAS CHARGED AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST AFTER SEVERAL SERVICES TO MY CAR. NOW MY CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND PROBLEM STILL EXIST. I THINK I MAY HAVE PURCHASED A LEMON. *AK

BOTH FRONT POWER WINDOWS OPERATE SPORADICALLY. THEY WILL ROLL DOWN (NOT CONSISTENTLY) AND FAIL TO ROLL UP. THEY CAN BE STUCK IN THE DOWN POSITION FOR DAYS. THIS MATTER HAPPENED ON A WINDY, SNOWY JANUARY DAY ON THE HIGHWAY AFTER PAYING A TOLL. I COULD BARELY DRIVE WHILE GOING THE MINIMUM, 45 MPH, ON THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE OF THE COLD AIR AND SNOW BLOWING INTO MY FACE. I HAVE PUT UP WITH NOT USING ANY WINDOWS FOR ABOUT A YEAR, BUT FOUND OUT THAT I COULD NOT PASS THE WEST VIRGINIA SAFETY INSPECTION NOR OBTAIN A MANDATORY YEARLY SAFETY STICKER IF MY DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW WILL NOT ROLL DOWN. IT IS AGAINST THE STATE LAW TO HAVE AN INOPERABLE DRIVERS WINDOW, BECAUSE I WAS TOLD THAT IF YOU ARE PULLED OVER, THE POLICE OFFICER NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK WITH YOU THROUGH THAT WINDOW. IN ADDITION, IT JUST MAKES SENSE THAT IF YOU ARE TRAPPED FOR WHATEVER REASON, A WINDOW MAY BE YOUR ONLY ESCAPE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION. AS A RESULT, THE DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

WHEN TRYING TO TAKE KEY OUT OF IGNITION THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT LOCK IN PLACE AND KEYS COULD EITHER NOT BE REMOVED OR WOULD BE REMOVED BUT WHEEL STILL WOULD NOT LOCK IN PLACE. *LA