2002 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN INITIALLY STARTING THE VEHICLE THAT AIR CONDITIONER WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE HEADLIGHTS WERE ALSO INOPERABLE AND THE CONTACT STATED THE ONLY WAY THE TWO COMPONENTS WOULD OPERATE WAS IF THE KEY WAS TURNED IN THE IGNITION SWIFTLY WHEN FIRST STARTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 97,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 102,000.

AFTER DRIVING TO SEVERAL STORES, UPON STARTING MY CAR I NOTICED THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALMOST TO THE FLOOR. I STARTED TO PULL FROM THE PARKING SPACE AND IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO STOP. I PARKED AND HAD MY CAR TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE BRAKE LINE WAS RUSTED THROUGH. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED TO A CAR WITH ONLY 69,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS A POOR DESIGN AS THE BRAKE LINE RUNS OVER THE WHEEL WELL. HE SAID THERE ARE OTHERS THAT WILL ALSO FAIL SOON. I AM GOING TO HAVE THEM ALL REPLACED. MY PARKING BRAKE CABLE ALSO BROKE A FEW WEEKS AGO. LUCKILY THIS DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. WHILE PARKING THE VEHICLE IT ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THE CONTACT APPLIED EXTREME FORCE TO THE BRAKES WHEN THEY DID NOT STOP THE VEHICLE FROM ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A POST AND DAMAGED THE FRONT END ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE HAVE BEEN NO DIAGNOSTIC TEST OR REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 60000.

I BELIEVE THAT THERE MAY BE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ALL OF THESE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS INVOLVING THE IGNITION SWITCH / SHIFTER INTERLOCK SYSTEMS ON THE PONTIAC GRAND PRIX AND FIRES INVOLVING THE SAME VEHICLE (THE AFFECT YEARS NOT KNOW) OURS IS A 2002 AND WE HAVE NOT HAD A FIRE YET. BUT WE HAVE HAD PROBLEMS REMOVING THE IGNITION KEY AFTER WE PARK THE CAR. IF BY SOME CHANCE THAT THERE IS SOME ELECTRICAL CONTACT STILL BEING MADE BECAUSE OF THE DEFECT (REMOVAL OF THE IGNITION KEY) THEN THERE CAN BE A CHAIN OF CAUSE TO START A FIRE. I BELIEVE THAT THE NHTSA NEED TO FULLY INVESTIGATE THESE CLAIMS. I HAVE BEEN A FIRE FIGHTER FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND A FIRE INVESTIGATOR FOR WELL OVER 15 YEARS, AND I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS TIMES BEFORE THAT WERE THERE IS A ELECTRICAL PROBLEM OVER A PERIOD OF TIME THERE WILL BE A FIRE, SOMETIMES SOONER THAN LATER. *TR

FUEL LINE LEAK OVER ENGINE ON 2002 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GT. THE QUICK DISCONNECT OVER THE INTAKE MANIFOLD HAS AN O-RING THAT WEARS OUT AND ALLOWS FUEL TO FLOW ONTO THE HOT ENGINE WHEN THE FUEL PUMP IS ENERGIZED. I FOUND THIS PROBLEM ON MY 2002 GRAND PRIX GT WHEN I SMELLED GASOLINE. *TR

CAR WAS NOT ACCELERATING ON HIGH WAY THEN ALL POWER WAS LAST IN CAR INCLUDING THE BREAKS. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. DARK SMOKE BEGAN COMING THOUGH THE CAR'S VENT AND OUT THE HOOD. I EXITED THE CAR AND THEN SAW FLAMES COMING OUT THE ENGINE. I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN MAY 2009 FOR A PROBLEM WITH POSSIBLE ENGINE FIRES. CAR WAS SERVICED AT THE DEALERSHIP IT WAS PURCHASED FROM TO FIX THE RECALLED ITEM. *TR

2002 PONTIAC GRANDPRIX EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF RUST IN OUTER ROCKER PANELS. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW AND NEVER HAD ANY MAJOR COLLISION DAMAGE REQUIRING BODY REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT. OTHER BODY COMPONENTS SUCH AS FLOOR AND BODY PANELS SHOW LITTLE OR NO RUST AND CORROSION. THE ROCKER PANELS THOUGH ARE ROTTED OUT WITH BIG GAPING HOLES AS IF THERE WAS NO PROTECTIVE COATING APPLIED TO THE INTERIOR OF THESE AREAS. REPLACEMENT SECTIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE, ANY REPAIR WOULD HAVE TO BE EITHER FABRICATED OR FROM SALVAGE. THIS AREA OF BODY PANEL LOSS RENDERS THE VEHICLE STRUCTURALLY WEAKENED/UNSOUND AND IS A CRITICAL AREA IN THE VEHICLES IMPACT PROTECTION. *TR

THIS CONCERNS THE GM RECALL OF THE 3800 SERIES ENGINES. PEOPLE ARE STILL HAVING ENGINE FIRES AFTER HAVING THEIR CARS FIXED BY THE DEALERSHIP. THERE'S A FUEL LINE LEADING INTO THE FUEL RAIL THAT HAS A QUICK DISCONNECT. INSIDE THE QUICK DISCONNECT IS AN O-RING THAT AFTER SO MANY YEAR'S GETS BRITTLE AND CRACKS. THIS CAN DRIP FUEL ON HOT PARTS OF THE ENGINE. WHAT EVENTUALLY CATCHES FIRE IS ALL THE PLASTIC AND RUBBER PARTS OF THE ENGINE NOT NECESSARILY THE FUEL ITSELF AS THAT IS JUST A CATALYST. I PERSONALLY KNOW OF A PERSON THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO EVEN AFTER HAVING THE RECALL ITEMS FIXED. I FOUND THIS INFORMATION ON A GRAND PRIX FORUM THAT I'M A MEMBER OF. I'LL INCLUDE THE LINK TO THE POST. THIS IS EYE OPENING AND I HOPE YOU CAN TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY. HERE'S THE LINK AND IT'S VERY DETAILED:HTTP://WWW.GRANDPRIXFORUMS.NET/F81/COULD-THIS-CAUSING-ALL-ENGINE-FIRES-30008.HTML. *TR

MECHANIC ALERTED ME THAT MY BRAKE LIGHTS ON THE BUMPER ARE NOT WORKING. BRAKE LIGHT IN CENTER OF BACK WINDOW WORKS. REPLACED THE BULBS AND CHECKED FUSES. BRAKE LIGHT STILL DO NOT WORK. DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE. FOUND THAT IT IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL CAR. SOME SAID THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM BY TURNING THE HAZARDS LIGHTS ON AND OFF. WE TRIED THIS AND FOUND THAT THE HAZARD LIGHTS ALSO DO NOT WORK, THE BUTTON IS ACTUALLY STUCK. FOUND AFTER PRESSING THE HAZARD BUTTON VERY HARD, THE BUTTON WILL PUSH DOWN. THE BRAKE LIGHTS START WORKING, HOWEVER, THE TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS NO LONGER WORK. SEARCHED THIS ISSUE ON THE WEB SOME MORE. FOUND THAT THERE ARE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME ISSUE. THE BRAKE LIGHTS, HAZARD LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNAL ARE ALL IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURES OF THE CAR. THE ISSUE IS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE MULTI SWITCH ASSEMBLY IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR. GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE MECHANIC FOR THE EXPENSIVE FIX. I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS DEFECTIVE PART. NOT HAVING BASIC SAFETY FEATURES WORKING ON MY CAR DUE TO A DEFECTIVE PART SHOULD WARRANT A RECALL BY GM! *TR

BOUGHT THE CAR AND 2 DAYS LATER THE GEAR SHIFT WOULD LOCK INTO PARK AND ACTUALLY BE IN REVERSE. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED I WAS OUT OF MY CAR AND THE SHIFTER ENGAGED REVERSE AND DROVE AWAY WITH MY CHILD IN IT! IT WAS A COMPLETE SURPRISE THE FIRST TIME AND THEN A MAJOR HEADACHE PUSHING STICKS INTO SPECIAL RELEASE HOLES TO GET THE VEHICLE SHIFTER TO MOVE AND GET THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. I HAD TO HAVE THE DEALER REPLACE THE CABLE WITH A GM PART WHICH MEANS GIVEN THE NATURE OF THE FAILURE THE PART WILL FAIL AGAIN DUE TO DESIGN. UNFORTUNATELY, THE OLD PART IS NOT AVAILABLE. BUT IF THERE'S A RECALL I'M SURE THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF PONTIAC GRAND PRIX'S THAT WILL COME FORWARD. *TR