2001 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH/HAZARD SWITCH STUCK/NOT WORKING CAUSING NO BRAKE LIGHTS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. ON SEPTEMBER 19, 2007, THE CONTACT SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING AND THEN NOTICED SMOKE RISING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED WITH A YARD HOSE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TOWED TO THE DEALER AT THIS TIME. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07E021000 (FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER: STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:PRESSURE RELIEF DEVICES) WAS REFERENCED. THE VIN, PURCHASE DATE, ENGINE SIZE, AND NUMBER OF CYLINDERS WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 90,300.

I OWN A 2001 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX AND MAINTAIN MY CAR ON A REGULAR BASIS. YESTERDAY, AFTER RETURNING FROM A LUNCH TRIP DURING MY WORK DAY, I PARKED MY CAR IN MY OFFICE PARKING LOT AND A FEW MINUTES LATER I WAS PAGED TELLING ME THAT MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. I HAVE CHECKED ONLINE TO SEE IF OTHER 2001 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX OWNERS HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM - AND THERE ARE. HOWEVER, THE ONLY RECALL THAT EXISTS (NOT BY GM) IS BY DELPHI - WHO MANUFACTURED THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR - WHICH I'M TOLD THE FUEL COULD LEAK AND RESULT IN A FIRE. I HAVE CONTACTED GM AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WERE NO RECALLS. I BELIEVE THIS FIRE WAS CAUSED BY A GM PRODUCT LIABILITY. *TR

FOR 6 YEARS MY 2001 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GT 3.8L V6 WAS THE IDEAL CAR. I NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH IT. I FULLY EXPECTED THE CAR TO GIVE ME AT LEAST ANOTHER 5 GOOD YEARS OF SERVICE. THE CAR WAS PROPERLY MAINTAINED - OIL/FLUIDS CHECKED AND CHANGED REGULARLY. I HAD NEW TIRES/BRAKES PUT ON THE CAR 8 MOS. AGO AND THEY COMMENTED ON HOW GREAT THE CAR RAN, ESPECIALLY FOR IT'S AGE. I HAD THEM ALSO CHECK ALL OF THE BELTS, HOSES, ETC. WHILE THEY WERE THERE AND THEY ASSURED ME THE CAR WAS IN GREAT SHAPE AND I WAS NOT EVEN SCHEDULED FOR A TUNE UP FOR ANOTHER 20,000 MI.. ON SEPT. 6, 2007, I PARKED MY CAR, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, WENT INSIDE MY HOME FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 MIN., THEN RETURNED TO MY CAR TO FIND SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPT. RESPONDED QUICKLY BUT THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. IT WAS PARKED UNDER THE CARPORT AND HAD I NOT BEEN THINKING CLEARLY AND OPENED THE HOOD TO TRY TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE MYSELF, MY HOME COULD ALSO HAVE BEEN SEVERLY DAMAGED (AT BEST). I HAVE LEARNED OVER THE LAST 24 HRS. THAT THIS VERY THING HAS HAPPENED TO MANY OTHERS. AFTER EVERYTHING I HAVE READ, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY A RECALL WAS NEVER ISSUED OR AT THE VERY LEAST WHY I WAS NOT MADE AWARE THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY OF THIS HAPPENING. I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING. THIS IS MORE THAN A MINOR MALFUNCTION OR INCONVENIENCE. THE CAR IS A COMPLETE LOSS AND HAD I NOT BEEN LEAVING SO SOON AFTER SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE, MY HOME COULD HAVE BEEN DESTROYED AS WELL. AS IT STANDS, I AM WITHOUT A CAR (INSURANCE IS PROVIDING A RENTAL), MY CARPET IS STAINED WITH SOOT, AND THERE IS THAT VERY DISTICTIVE ODOR THAT GREETS ME WHEN I PULL IN TO THE CARPORT AND ENTER MY HOME. A FRIENDLY REMINDER, I GUESS, TO NOT LET MY CHILDREN SIT IN THE BACK SEAT WHILE I RUN INSIDE (15 FEET FROM THE CAR) TO GRAB THAT LETTER I NEED TO TAKE TO THE POST OFFICE. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER HE DROVE OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD, HE COULD HEAR A CRACKING NOISE UNDER THE VEHICLE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE TIE ROD ENDS WERE WORN. THE DEALER REPLACED THE TIE ROD ENDS, HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED 8,000 MILES LATER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PART HAD BEGUN TO CRACK AND THEY REPLACED THE TIE ROD ENDS AGAIN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS BECAUSE HE BELIEVES IT IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEFECTIVE PART WAS THE KNUCKLE ASSEMBLY. UPDATED 09/18/07 *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR WINDOW SHATTERED AND HAD NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY TOUCHED OR CRACKED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PARKED OUTSIDE AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE WINDOW WAS REPLACED BY A REPAIR SHOP. UPDATED 09/25/07. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE NORMAL BRAKES WORK, BUT THE VEHICLE SKIDS OCCASIONALLY WHEN COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. HE STATED THAT THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM WERE NO LONGER WORKING PROPERLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR HARNESS WAS VERY HARD AND BRITTLE. THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR HARNESS WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER. THE SPEED AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 71,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. THE FUSE AND BULB WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE REMAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC AND THEY STATED THAT THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH FAILED. THE REPLACEMENT WILL COST $400. THE DEALER INFORMATION WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,300 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,250.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. HE NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING AND THE HAZARD LIGHT SWITCH WAS STUCK. THE CONTACT CHANGED THE BULBS AND THE FUSES; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED ENOUGH COMPLAINTS TO START A RECALL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 70,000.

2001 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GTP CAUGHT ON FIRE AFTER PARKED AT WORK TOTALING VEHICLE AND DAMAGING CAR PARKED NEXT TO ME. *JB