1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

ELECTRICAL FIRE IN THE DASH OF A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. IT APPEARS TO BE CAUSED BY AN OVERHEATED SENSOR INDICATOR. *JB

CAR SUDDENLY STARTED RUNNING VERY POOR. SKIPPING, NO POWER. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD. COST ME $1200. APPROXIMATELY 75,000 MILES. IN SEARCHING THE WEB FOR OTHERS HAVING THIS PROBLEM, I CONCLUDE THAT THERE IS A DESIGN PROBLEM AND GM SHOULD STAND BEHIND IT. I REALLY LIKE THIS CAR BUT I WON'T BUY ANOTHER GM. *JB

1999 GRAND PRIX RIGHT FRONT TIRE CAME TO REST ON THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND SUSPENSION. *TS 5 LUG STUDS SNAPPED OFF. *JB

THE STEERING GETS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT WHEN TURNING TO THE LEFT. IT'S AS IF THERE IS NO POWER STEERING. IT IS INTERMITTENT, WHICH MAKES IT VERY UNSAFE TO TURN THE CAR, NOT KNOWING WHEN IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. I HAVE NOT TAKEN STEPS TO CORRECT THE FAILURE YET, WAITING FOR GM TO REPAIR UNDER A RECALL SIMILAR TO 1997 AND 1998'S. *NM

1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. POWER STEERING FAILURE LEFT TURN ONLY AND IS INTERMITTENT. INCIDENTS STARTED DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR. SEVERAL TIMES IT HAS PUT ME IN THE POINT OF DANGER MAKING LEFT TURNS AND NOT KNOWING WHEN IT WILL BE EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN AND WHEN IT WILL BE NORMAL. SEVERAL TIMES DURING A HARD TURN THE NORMAL STEERING WILL RETURN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TURN JERKING MY CAR VIOLENTLY FURTHER TO THE LEFT. NO ACCIDENTS TO DATE. I RESEARCHED THE FAILURE TO FIND OUT THAT THERE IS A CURRENT RECALL FOR RACK AND PINION BEARING FAILURE (RECALL # 02V286000) FOR 1997 AND 1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX'S ONLY. I HAVE CALLED SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS IN MY AREA AND THEY ALL SAY IT IS THE SAME PARTS BUT CANNOT FIX IT UNDER THE RECALL AS MY CAR IS A 1999 MODEL. IF IT IS THE SAME PARTS AND THE SAME FAILURE, WHY WILL GENERAL MOTORS HONOR THE CLAIM? *JB

MY 1999 GM PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GTP WENT UP IN FLAMES ON ITS OWN IN OUR GARAGE, AT NIGHT. IT WAS TERRIFYING, SCARY AND WE'RE LUCKY THAT WE DIDN'T LOSE THE HOUSE. MY HUSBAND AND FATHER IN LAW WERE ABLE TO DRAG THE CAR OUT OF THE GARAGE BEFORE THE HOUSE WENT UP. FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED ON SCENE AT THAT MOMENT AND ASSISTED IN PUTTING OUT THE FIRE. WE HAD ARRIVED HOME FROM MY DAUGHTER'S BALLET PERFORMANCE AND ALL WENT INTO THE HOUSE AND WITHIN 20 MINUTES THE GARAGE WAS ENGULFED IN HEAVY SMOKE AND FLAMES WERE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. CAR HAD BEEN TURNED OFF FOR APPROX. 20 MINUTES. NO WARNING OR INDICATION THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG AT ALL. LATER AFTER SURVIVING THIS SHOCKING EVENT, I LOOKED ON THE INTERNET AND ON THE EDMUNDS.COM WEBSITE, I FOUND OVER 10 OTHER INSTANCES FOR GRAND PRIX OWNERS THAT THIS EXACT SAME SCENARIO HAD HAPPENED. SOME OF THE MODELS WERE EVEN NEWER THAN MINE. 2000, 2001, ETC. WE REPORTED IT TO GM, AND THEY HAVE NOT CALLED US BACK OR MAILED US ANYTHING. OUR INSURANCE INVESTIGATORS DID DETERMINE POINT OF ORIGIN OF FIRE AND THEY FIRMLY BELIEVE IT IS A MANUFACTURER ERROR IN DESIGN. THEY ARE PURSUING GM THROUGH SUBROGATION. WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR A CAR TO BE RECALLED? SOMEONE TO DIE? I JUST WANT OTHER OWNERS TO KNOW HOW DANGEROUS THIS CAR CAN BE. MY CAR WAS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD, SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT. *NM

HAD 1999 GRAND PRIX FOR SEVEN MONTHS ALREADY HAD PROBLEMS WITH DRIVERS WINDOW NOT WINDING DOWN. A PART OF THE PASSENGER DOOR PANEL STARTED TO COME OFF. NOW DRIVERS SEAT BELT WON'T LATCH, AND IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP FOR BROKEN VALVE SPRING AND DAMAGE TO THE HEAD GASKET AS A RESULT FROM THE BROKEN VALVE SPRING. CAR ONLY HAD 1 OTHER OWNER AND WAS RUNNING PERFECT ALSO HAD PERFECT SERVICE RECORDS. *NM

DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY MY 1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX DEVELOPED A LOW HUM IN THE FRONT END WHICH FAIRLY QUICKLY - WITHIN 30 MILES - ESCALATED TO A SUBSTANTIAL RUMBLE/ROAR. I THEN EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN AND PRONOUNCED WOBBLE. I PULLED INTO THE BREAKDOWN AND EVENTUALLY FOUND THAT 4 OF THE 5 STUDS HOLDING THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL ON WERE GONE. THE STUDS WERE SHEARED OFF DOWN TO THE ROTOR. THERE WAS LITTLE IN THE WAY OF WARNING. NO CHANGE IN DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS IN DAYS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT, I DID NOTE A ROTATIONAL 'TICKING' SOUND, WHICH I THOUGHT MIGHT BE A STONE CAUGHT IN MY TREADS. AFTER DRIVING FOR APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES, I STOPPED FOR GAS AND CHECKED: NO STONE. LEAVING THE STATION, I NOTED A FAINT THUMP, BOTH HEARD AND FELT IN THE PEDAL, WHEN BRAKING BUT IT DID NOT SEEM LIKE AN ACUTE SITUATION. IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES LATER THAT THE FAILURE MANIFESTED. I SUSPECT THIS 'THUMPING' WAS BECAUSE ONE OR MORE STUDS HAD ALREADY FAILED AND THE WHEEL WAS NOW NOT SECURED PROPERLY. A REPAIR SHOP SAID IF THE LUGS HAD BEEN LOOSE, THERE WOULD BE A CHARACTERISTIC WEAR ON THE WHEEL. THIS WAS NOT PRESENT. THIS SHOP REPLACED THE 4 SHEARED STUDS. CARTALK RADIO SHOW HOSTS SUGGESTED OVER-TORQUE AS A POSSIBLE CAUSE, AND SUGGESTED I GET OTHER LUGS INSPECTED IMMEDIATELY. I TOOK THE CAR TO A TIRE SHOP. THEY INSPECTED THE REMNANTS OF THE STUDS I HAD THE OTHER SHOP SAVE. THEY INDICATED THAT IN THEIR EXPERIENCE, FAILURE DUE TO OVER TORQUE LEAVES A CHARACTERISTIC PATTERN ON THE METAL, WHICH WAS NOT PRESENT. INSPECTION CONFIRMED NO PATTERN CHARACTERISTIC OF LOOSE LUGS WAS PRESENT. THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE THE TORQUE ON THE OTHER LUGS ON THE OTHER TIRES BUT DOUBTED OVER TORQUE AS THE CAUSE. I HAVE THE REMAINDERS OF THE SHEARED STUDS AVAIL FOR INSPECTION AND/OR ANALYSIS. I AM CONTEMPLATING REPLACING ALL 15 REMAINING STUDS JUST FOR PIECE OF MIND. I WILL RETAIN THOSE PARTS SHOULD I HAVE THEM REPLACED. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE POWER WINDOW ON THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WOULD NOT OPERATE. THIS WINDOW WAS NOT USED OFTEN. THE WINDOW WAS STUCK IN THE UPWARD POSITION AND WOULD NOT MOVE. WHEN PRESSING THE BUTTON. THERE WAS NO NOISE COMING FROM THE POWER WINDOW MOTOR. THE MOTOR HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT STATED ALL OF THE POWER WINDOWS EXCEPT THE FRONT DRIVER'S WINDOW FAILED TO OPERATE. THE WINDOWS WERE NOT USED OFTEN. THE POWER WINDOWS WERE STUCK IN THE UP POSITION AND WOULD NOT MOVE. WHEN PRESSING THE BUTTONS THERE WAS NO NOISE COMING FROM THE POWER WINDOW MOTORS. THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP REPLACED THE THREE WINDOW MOTORS THAT FAILED ON JANUARY 6, 2006. *AK