1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

THE CONSUMER FOUND A BOLT HEAD AND WASHER ON HIS DRIVEWAY AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER FOUND THAT THE SHEERED OFF BOLT HELD THE BACK STRUTS TO THE WHEEL AXLE. HE ALSO FOUND THAT THE LEFT REAR BOLT HAD SHEERED OFF *JB *NLM

I AM MAKING THIS COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA BECAUSE IT IS A PROBLEM THAT IS NOT UNCOMMON AMONG GRAN PRIX OWNERS AND I FEEL GM SHOULD RECALL THESE VEHICLES FOR THIS REASON. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

AT LOW SPEEDS ALL POWER ASSIST GOES AWAY WHEN TRYING TO TURN LEFT. EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN, YET TURNING RIGHT WORKS FINE :*AK

MY AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT HAS COME ON AFTER I HAD TROUBLE WITH MY ELECTRIC WINDOWS. I UNDERSTAND THIS ISN'T COVERED BY WARRANTY.*AK

SECOND HEADLIGHT FAILURE CUSTOMER SERVICE REFERRED ME TO DEALER, DEALER OFFERER $9.80 TOWARD SECOND EXPENDATURE BY ME. WHEN I EXPRESSED DISSATISFACTION WITH THE OFFER DEALER REFERRED ME BACK TO CUSTOMER SERVICE. NO ONE WANTS TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLIES THAT SIMPLY FALL APART WITHOUT WARNING. *AK

WHILE DRIVING HEADLIGHT LENSES POPPED OFF, CAUSING HEADLIGHTS TO FAIL. THIS COULD CAUSE AND ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK CONSUMER STATED THAT BOTH HEADLIGHT LENSES POPPED OUT TWICE. *YH

WHEN THIS SWITCH FAILS IT CAUSES NUMEROUS SEEMINGLY UNRELATED SYSTEM FAILURES IN THE CAR, MAKING DIAGNOSIS DIFFICULT AND TIME-CONSUMING. THE DRL SYSTEM LOSES POWER SO THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WILL NOT FUNCTIONA AT ALL IN THE DAYTIME AS GM INTENDED AND WILL GO OUT PERIODICALLY AT NIGHT WITHOUT WARNING UNLESS TURNED ON MANUALLY WITH THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH. THE HVAC SYSTEM GENERALLY WILL NOT FUNCTION DUE TO THIS FAILURE; ALTHOUGH OCCASIONALLY IT WILL WORK WITH THE FAN ON HIGH SPEED. THE ELECTRIC REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER WILL NOT FUNCTION AT ALL DUE TO THIS FAILURE. ALL OF THESE SAFETY-RELATED SYSTEMS PULL THEIR POWER FROM THIS POORLY DESIGNED AND INADEQUATELY SIZED COMPONENT. UPON DISASSEMBLY OF THE FAILED PART I NOTICED THAT THE (6) CONTACTS INSIDE THIS SWITCH ARE WOEFULLY UNDERSIZED FOR THE CURRENT THAT IS PASSING THROUGH THE SWITCH. SPECIFICALLY, THE DRL CONTACT AND THE HVAC CONTACT ARE BURNT AND BLACKENED, THUS SHUTTING OFF POWER TO THOSE SYSTEMS. I REPAIRED THIS MYSELF AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $70 FOR THE PART ONLY. I HAVE SPOKEN TO OTHERS THAT HAVE PAID IN EXCESS OF $400 FOR THE REPAIR. I BELIEVE THAT THIS REQUIRES ATTENTION BY BOTH THE NHTSA AND GENERAL MOTORS TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE WHO IS NOT AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEER HAS A SERIOUS CRASH DUE TO NO LIGHTS AT AN INOPPORTUNE TIME.*AK

HEADLIGHT COVER FELL OF APPROX. SEVEN MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. APPROXIMATLY THREE WEEKS LATER THE OTHER COVER FELL OFF, AND BOTH BULBS WERE SHATTERED . IN CALLING AROUND TO DIFFERENT AUTO SALVAGE AND PARTS STORES IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT ALL THE USED HEADLIGHT KITS WERE UNAVAILABLE DUE TO THE HIGH DEMAND. IF THE PONTIAC GRAND PRIX HAS A HISTORY OF THIS PETICULAR PROBLEM, WHY WAS THERE NOT A RECALL FOR THEM.*AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED APPLIED BRAKES AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE VIOLENTLY.*AK THE FRONT BRAKES FAILED CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO SHUDDER. THE FRONT PADS WERE WARPED AND WERE GRIPPING UNEVENLY, ALSO THE RIGHT AND LEFT ROTORS HAD METAL FLAKE. *YH

WHILE DRIVING 30-35 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE T-BONED ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER COULD NOT FIND CAUSE OF PROBLEM.*AK