2001 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

OUR 2001 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX, WHICH HAS ROUGHLY 125,000 MILES ON IT, STALLS AND DIES AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. IT IS NOT SUPERCHARGED, BUT IT DOES HAVE THE 3.8 LITER SERIES II ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WILL SHUDDER MOMENTARILY AND, IF THE CAR'S GOING FAST ENOUGH, THE MOMENTUM OF THE TORQUE CONVERT SPINNING MANAGES TO RESTART THE ENGINE IN DEFAULT, ALLOWING IT TO KEEP RUNNING. HOWEVER, THE TCS "TRAC OFF" LIGHT COMES ON AND THE TACHOMETER DROPS TO 0 UNTIL THE CAR IS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED. SOMETIMES, THE CAR WILL STALL AT LOW SPEED AND, MINUS THE SHUDDER, EVERYTHING ELSE OCCURS AS DESCRIBED ABOVE, EXCEPT THAT THE CAR SIMPLY DIES. THE SES LIGHT HAS LIT UP A FEW TIMES, BUT THERE IS NO CLEAR REASON FOR IT TO DO SO, SINCE, ONCE RESTARTED, THE ENGINE RUNS JUST FINE. OCCASIONALLY, HOWEVER, IDLE IS A LITTLE ROUGH; THE ENGINE SOMETIMES DROPS TO ALMOST 400 RPM WHEN SITTING WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, THEN SLOWLY CLIMBS BACK UP TO ABOUT 600-750 RPM. MORE ALARMING PERSONALLY, HOWEVER, IS THE FACT THAT ROUGHLY 11 DAYS AGO, THE CAR COMPLETELY DIED TWICE ON THE SAME DAY, IN A 15-SECOND PERIOD. WHILE COMING HOME FROM WORK ON THE FREEWAY, THE CAR COMPLETELY DIED (THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON AND EVERYTHING). HAVING PULLED ONTO THE SHOULDER AND RESTARTED, I DID NOT TRAVEL MORE THAN 100 FEET BEFORE IT HAPPENED AGAIN, THIS TIME ON THE FREEWAY OFF-RAMP. I RESTARTED AGAIN, AND IT DROVE HOME NORMALLY. LATELY, THE CAR IS SOMETIMES NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE TO START. DEPENDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES, ONE OF TWO THINGS WILL HAPPEN; EITHER THE ENGINE WILL TURN OVER BUT NOT RUN; OR THE ENGINE WILL NOT TURN OVER, AND THE STARTER SOLENOID WILL SIMPLY "CLICK" BEHIND THE FIREWALL. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED LESS THAN A MONTH AGO, AND NO SERIOUS ELECTRICAL FAULTS HAVE OCCURRED SINCE IT WAS REPLACED, ASIDE FROM THE ABOVE PROBLEMS. *TR

I DROVE MY 2001 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX TO WORK , WITHIN A FEW MINS AFTER I ARRIVED WORK , PARKED MY CAR, WENT INTO THE BUILDING MY CAR JUST WENT UP IN SMOKE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER RECEIVING REPAIRS UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V118000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED AND NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS DECLARED DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE STATUE OF LIMITATIONS HAD EXPIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

I WAS PULLED OVER BY POLICE FOR NO REAR LIGHTS. UPON INVESTIGATION, FOUND MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH BAD/JAMMED. HAZARD LIGHT BUTTON STUCK IN UP POSITION. IF PUSHED TO THE SIDE AND HELD, LIGHTS OPERATE AS ADVERTISED FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME, BUT WILL AT SOME POINT STOP WORKING WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE. MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH IS DEALER ONLY PART. PRICE IS $500 + LABOR FOR INSTALLATION.

I HAVE A PONTIAC GRAND PRIX, 2001 WHICH HAD A RECALL FOR ENGINE COMPARTMENTED FIRES, I FIRST LEARNED OF THE RECALL AFTER THE FIRST FIRE THAT HAPPENED IN JULY, 2010, WHICH I PUT OUT MYSELF, I THEN RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON MY CAR. I HAD THE RECALL WORK DONE IN NOV OR DEC OF 2010. TODAY, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING MY DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL THIS MORNING 1/26/2011, AND THE CAR CAUGHT FIRE AGAIN IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL AND CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT & ENGINE. THE CAR IS NO LONGER DRIVABLE, EVERYTHING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT IS DESTROYED. *TR

I HAVE A PONTIAC GRAND PRIX, 2001 WHICH HAD A RECALL FOR ENGINE COMPARTMENTED FIRES, I FIRST LEARNED OF THE RECALL AFTER THE FIRST FIRE THAT HAPPENED IN JULY, 2010, WHICH I PUT OUT MYSELF, I THEN RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON MY CAR. I HAD THE RECALL WORK DONE IN NOV OR DEC OF 2010. TODAY, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING MY DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL THIS MORNING 1/26/2011, AND THE CAR CAUGHT FIRE AGAIN IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL AND CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT & ENGINE. THE CAR IS NO LONGER DRIVABLE, EVERYTHING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT IS DESTROYED. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX THAT HAD A RECALL FOR AN OIL LEAK. THEY DID THE RECALL ON 6-6-2009. YESTERDAY ABOUT 20 TO 30 MINUTES AFTER DRIVING IT THE CAR ERUPTED INTO FLAME PRIMARILY ON THE RIGHT DRIVERS SIDE OF THE ENGINE. LOOKING AT THE INTERNET IT LOOKS TO BE IDENTICAL TO OTHERS WHO HAD THIS PROBLEM. WHAT SHOULD I DO? *TR

I BOUGHT THE CAR IN DECEMBER 2006 FROM LAFONTAINE 4399 HIGHLAND RD, WATERFORD, MI. SOME TIME IN FEBRUARY/MARCH I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THEM DO TO THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ON. I NEVER WAS TOLD WHAT WAS WRONG BECAUSE THEY SAID THAT DID NOT FALL UNDER MY WARRANT AND PLUS MY WARRANT SUPPOSEDLY EXPIRED. WITH IN THE NEXT MONTH MY CAR STARTED TO LEAK OIL REALLY BAD, I HAVE TO PUT AT LEAST 2 QUARTS IN IT WITH IN ABOUT A WEEK TIME. COME TO FIND OUT WHEN I WENT TO GET MY OIL CHANGED I WAS TOLD THAT MY OIL PAN LOOKS LIKE IT IS RUSTED THROUGH. I SPOKE WITH A GM EMPLOYER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ONLY WAY AN OIL PAN WOULD DO THAT IS IF THE METAL/MATERIAL USED TO MAKE THE PAN IS DEFECTED, OTHER THAN THAT, AN OIL PAN SHOULD LAST IT S LIFE TIME. ON TOP OF THE THEM TELLING ME THIS, I WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT IT LOOKED LIKE SOMEONE HAD TRIED TO USE SOMETHING TO STOP THE LEAK, LIKE SOME SORT OF WELD. NOT SURE WHAT THEY MEANT BY THAT. NEXT IS THE WIPERS, MY WIPERS TURN ON WHEN YOU START UP THE CAR AND THEN STOP AT AN UPRIGHT POSITION. I AM BEING TOLD THAT THE WIPER MOTOR IS GOING. COME TO FIND OUT EVERY TIME I SEE SOMEONE WITH MY TYPE OF CAR, I JUST HAVE TO ASK IF THEY HAVE ANY PROBLEMS AND THEY DO ESPECIALLY WITH THE WIPERS. I CALLED PONITAC ON THIS AND FOR THEM TO CONSIDER FIXING IT, I HAVE TO GO PAY FOR THE DEALER TO INSPECT IT, THEN FAX IT IN, AND THEY MAY COVER THE FIX, BUT IT IS NOT A GUARANTEE. I PRICED WHAT IT WOULD COST AND IT IS A LOT OF MONEY OVER 1300.00 FOR ALL TO BE FIXED. I DO NOT HAVE THIS TYPE OF MONEY, SO FOR NOW I JUST KEEP PUTTING OIL IN IT, PUSH MY WIPERS DOWN, AND HOPE IT DOES NOT RAN, BECAUSE THE WIPERS GET CAUGHT UP, AND HOPE THE CAR LAST. I STILL OWE MONEY SO I WILL DO WHAT I CAN TO KEEP IT RUNNING. I BELIEVE THAT SOMEONE PUT A QUICK FIX ON THE OIL PAN AND IT WAS NEVER REVEALED UNTIL I FOUND OUT MYSELF THE HARD WAY. IF IT IS A DEFECT PART I DO NOT THINK I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY TO GET IT FIXED. *TR

I BOUGHT MY PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GT (3.8L) IN LATE '01, I MOSTLY SERVICED EVERYTHING WITH MY ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. AFTER ABOUT 3 YEARS (UNDER THE MFG WARRANTY) THE CAR BEGAN HESITATING WHEN ACCELERATING UPHILL & UNDER LOAD AT ABOUT 50-60 MPH, I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT (AT THE DEALERSHIP) THE TOOK ME FOR A ROAD TEST WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS DUPLICATED THEN THEY DID SOME DIAGNOSTICS (CHARGED ME FOR IT) BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY SPECIFIC PROBLEM (NO CODES EITHER). MY FATHER HAS A CHEVY IMPALA LS '00 AND HE HAS THE EXACT SAME ISSUE, SO I DECIDED THERE MUST BE SOME KIND OF ISSUE WITH THESE CARS THAT GM SERVICE PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT. SO I CALLED THE GM SERVICE CENTER, LEFT A MESSAGE & A TECHNICIAN CALLED ME BACK ONLY TO TELL ME THAT THERE'S ABSOLUTELY "NOTHING" HE CAN TELL ME MORE ABOUT IT AND THERE'S NO KNOW ISSUE / HE HAS NO IDEA WHY BOTH OF OUR CARS (SIMILAR MAKES) HAVE DEVELOPED THE SAME ISSUE. I WENT ALL OVER THE PLACE TO MANY DIFFERENT & INDEPENDENT MECHANIC SHOPS TO NO AVAILABILITY. I FINALLY WAS TOLD THAT THERE'S A KNOWN (& CONFIRMED) ISSUE WITH THESE VEHICLES (THIS WAS AN ISSUE FROM '99 TO '01) AND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A FAULTY PCM (POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE). SO I CALLED UP MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO FIND OUT THE PRICE, WHICH THEY TOLD ME WOULD BE OVER "$900.00" FOR THE PART PLUS LABOR CHARGES... I THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE NICE OF GM TO OFFER ME SOME REPAIR FOR THIS FAULTY PART THAT HAS DRIVEN ME NUTS FOR YEARS, BUT THEY REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING EVEN A REQUEST TO SIMPLY UPDATE THE PCM SOFTWARE FREE OF CHARGE WAS DENIED TO ME. SO I CHECKED IN TO A DEALRSHIP & ORDERED THE PCM SOFTWARE UPDATED, THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED! SO AFTER GOING THRU ALL THE SUGGESTIONS & ELIMINATING PART AFTER PART MYSELF, I FINALLY FIGURED IT OUT! THE PROBLEM WAS FAULTY SOFTWARE ON THE PCM (POWER CONTROL MANAGEMENT) CHIP THAT WAS REFLASHED & NOW WORKS FLAWLESSLY. SHOULDN'T GM AT LEAST REIMBURSE ME FOR THIS? *TR

I DROVE TO THE GROCERY STORE, PARKED,WENT INSIDE. FIVE MINUTES LATER I WALK OUT TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PUTTING OUT A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD OF MY 2001 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE CAR IS COMPLETELY TOTALED AND WAS TOLD BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND NUMEROUS PEOPLE THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE FOR DOING THAT. AS OF NOW NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *TR