2002 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED AND WHILE MAKING RIGHT TURNS THERE WAS A CLICKING NOISE THAT SEEMED TO BE COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL. THIS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE SPEEDOMETER WAS ALWAYS STUCK ON ZERO AND THE MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE BECAME UNREADABLE. THE SPEEDOMETER HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES BY A LOCAL DEALERSHIP, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM WITH THE SPEEDOMETER AND DETERMINED THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL BEARING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN ALERTED.

I WAS DRIVING THE 2002 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GTP ON A HIGHWAY WITH 45-55 MPH SPEED LIMIT FOR APPROX. 45 MIN. THE CAR SHUT OFF 15 SEC. AFTER I HEARD THE ENGINE BACKFIRE. THE SPEEDOMETER WENT FROM 0 ALL THE WAY UP, AND BACK TO 0. I PULLED INTO THE NEAREST PARKING LOT AND POPPED THE HOOD. I DISCOVERED A FIRE NEAR THE INTAKE AND THE LOWER RIGHT SIDE OF THE VALVE COVER. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A PONTIAC DEALER. THEY REPLACED THE FUEL INJECTORS, THE LOWER INTAKE, VALVE COVER, SPARK PLUG WIRES, ELECTRICAL HARNESS AND MUCH MOTOR THE COST WAS APPROX. $5000. AFTER SAYING IT WOULD TAKE 2 WEEKS, IT TOOK THE SHOP 6 OR 7 WEEKS TO FIX, SO MY CAR RENTAL BILL WAS THOUSANDS MORE THAN INSURANCE WOULD COVER THE CAR WASN'T NEARLY AS RESPONSIVE AND HAD TROUBLE GOING UP EVEN THE SMALLEST INCLINES. ALSO, THE SHIFT-PARK INTERLINK STOPPED WORKING SO THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK AFTER THE FIRE. AND MY SUNROOF HASN'T WORKED SINCE. AND MY FAN FOR THE A/C AND HEATER ONLY WORKS WITH THE FAN ON 5. ALSO I HAVE NOTICED A WEIRD SOUND COMING FROM THE SPEAKERS ON OCCASION. ABOUT A WEEK OR TWO LATER THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP BECAUSE THEY HAD NOT REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS; ONE OF THEM WAS CRACKED AND WAS MOST LIKELY CRACKED WHEN I GOT THE CAR BACK. THE CAR HAD ABOUT 90,000 MILES WHEN IT HAD CAUGHT FIRE. THEN ON JUNE 3, 2006-AFTER LESS THAN 2000 MILES, THE ENGINE LOCKED UP. THE DEALER SAID THE ONLY OPTION THEY CAN DO TO FIX IT IS PUT A NEW ENGINE IN--THE INITIAL ESTIMATE IS $5200. ALSO, I'M GOING TO BE OUT OF A CAR AGAIN AND WILL HAVE THE BURDEN OF RENTAL CAR COSTS AGAIN. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ, THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS FIRES INVOLVING THE GM 3.8. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. *NM

MY VEHICLE STALLED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY 5 LANE ROAD (2 LANES GOING EACH WAY - AND A TURN LANE). I COULD TELL THAT IT WAS ABOUT TO STALL AND WAS ABOUT TO TURN INTO A BUSINESS PARKING LOT. MY VEHICLE COMPLETELY STALLED IN THE TURN LANE. I WAS FORTUNATE THAT I WAS NOT HURT AND THAT THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE HAZARD LIGHTS ON AS SOON AS MY CAR WAS DEAD. FORTUNATELY, I HAD A CELL PHONE AND I WAS ABLE TO CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AFTER BEING ALERTED FROM A PASSERBY THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED A SWITCH IN THE STEERING WHEEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 7/31/2006 - THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE SWITCH WAS WORN OUT BY USING THE BLINKER TOO MUCH. *NM

10/31/05 CAR CLEANED AT CAR WASH. 11/01/05 NOTICED A WINDOW CLEANER SMELL, WHILE DRIVING COMING THROUGH THE AIR VENTS FOR A MINUTE. 11/12/05, 12:45 P.M. DROVE THE CAR 6 MINUTES TO A HAIR SALON. 1:45 P.M. STARTED FOR HOME, PARKED AT CONVENIENCE STORE, LEFT CAR RUNNING WITH MY PERMANENTLY DISABLED HUSBAND INSIDE. PROCEEDED HOME NOTICED THE WINDOW CLEANER SMELL AGAIN. 1:58 P.M. PARKED IN CONDOMINIUM PARKING LOT. 2:20 P.M. OUR NEIGHBOR TOLD ME OUR CAR IS ON FIRE. THERE WERE FLAMES 10' HIGH COMING OFF THE FRONT OF MY CAR. A LOUD EXPLOSION OCCURRED AND THE POLICE AND FIREMEN WERE SHOUTING TO GET BACK DOWN THE HILL AND GET THE CHILDREN ALL THE WAY DOWN THE HILL! I TOLD THE OFFICER THAT I WAS THE OWNER OF THE BURNING CAR. OUR NEIGHBOR TOLD ME HER TOYOTA WAS PARKED ON THE RIGHT OF MINE AND IT WAS ON FIRE TOO. WHEN THE FIRE WAS OUT, THE POLICE OFFICER TOLD ME THE HONDA CR-V ON THE LEFT OF MY CAR WAS ALSO BURNED, AND THEY WOULD NOTIFY THE OWNER. 2:35 P.M. A FIREMAN GOT THE REGISTRATION AND PERSONAL BELONGINGS OUT FOR ME. BEFORE MY CAR WAS TOWED AWAY, I TOOK PICTURES AND ASKED THE TOW TRUCK OWNER, IF HE COULD GIVE A REASON MY CAR BURNED UP. HE SAID IT LOOKS ELECTRICAL TO ME. SUNDAY, 11/13/05, 3:00 P.M. OUR SON-IN-LAW, A FIRE INSPECTOR FOR THE CLIFTON FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME TO THE UNOFFICIAL CONCLUSION THAT, IT LOOKS ELECTRICAL DUE TO THE BURN PATTERN. I REPORTED THE FIRE TO MY INSURANCE CARRIER AND GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION. I WAS CONTACTED BY ESIS FOR GMC, AND SUPPLIED ALL THE DETAILS, PICTURES AND COPIES OF REPAIR ORDERS. THIS IS A POTENTIAL FOR FATALITIES AND MANY MORE OF THESE ENGINE FIRES WILL OCCUR IF THE CAUSE IS NOT FOUND. *JB

THE REAR BRAKES ON THE CONSUMER'S 2002 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX WERE SEVERELY RUSTED AND PITTED AND AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT PASS NY STATE INSPECTION. *NM *JB

ON SATURDAY MARCH 11, 06 MY 40 TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION GRAND PRIX 2002 CAR'S ENGINE COMPARTMENT STARTED ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT COME TO THE SEEN THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. MY WIFE, DAUGHTER AND GRANDCHILD JUST LEFT THE CAR BEFORE IT WENT UP IN FLAMES. AFTER THE FIRE THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO AN EXPERT REPAIR MECHANIC FOR ANALYSES OF WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC THE FIRE STARTED BY THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THE COOLING FAN. ALL REPAIRS WERE DONE BY GM CERTIFIED MECHANICS AND SHOPS BEFORE THE FIRE HAPPENED. FROM RESEARCH DONE ON THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IT HAS A RELATIONSHIP TO NHTSA CASES EA02030 AND PE02050. *NM

MY BRAKES HAD TO BE REPAIRED IN AUGUST, 2005 AND AGAIN TODAY. THE CAR HAS ONLY 19145 MILES ON IT . IN AUGUST THE DEALER REPLACED THE ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS , THE PAPERWORK SAID IT WAS DONE ON THE FRONT BRAKES, THEY SAID THAT THEY NEVER SEEN ROTORS IN THAT BAD OF SHAPE (RUSTED AND PITTED). I HAD 15990 MILES ON THE CAR AT THAT TIME. IT WAS STILL COVERED BY WARRANTY. NOW TODAY I HAD TO PAY 191.69 TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE PADS (WHICH WERE COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THEIR BACKING) I ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE ROTORS TURNED DOWN . WHEN I TOLD THEM THAT THEY HAD JUST REPLACED THE FRONT BRAKES IN AUG.(3000 MILES EARLIER) THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY MADE A MISTAKE ON THE WORK ORDER PAPERWORK AND THEY HAD ACTUALLY REPLACED THE REAR BRAKES IN AUGUST. I ASK THEM WHY THEY DIDN'T CHECK ALL OF THE BRAKES OR FIND THE PROBLEM THEN . I HAVE GOT THE BRAKES PIECES THAT THEY TOOK OFF TODAY . THEY SAID THAT I ACTUALLY GOT ABOUT 5000 MORE MILES OUT OF THE BRAKE PADS THAN MOST PEOPLE GET. THIS JUST DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT TO ME. WHEN YOU BUY A BRAND NEW CAR YOU DON'T THINK THAT YOU SHOULD BE REPLACING BRAKES WITH 14000 MILES AND TWICE WITHIN 19000 MILES . THIS TIME THE BRAKES WENT CLEAR TO THE FLOOR SEVERAL TIMES WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT AND ALSO LOCKED UP SEVERAL TIMES , LUCKILY THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE AT 5 MPH THERE WAS A LOUD GRINDING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE ROTORS WERE RUSTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER SUGGESTED RUSTED ROTORS WERE ATTRIBUTING TO THE LACK OF DRIVING OF THE VEHICLE RATHER THAN ROAD SALTS. THE LAST INCIDENT OCCURRED AT AN ANNUAL STATE INSPECTION, THE BRAKES DID NOT PASS STATE INSPECTION DUE TO THE RUST ON THE ROTORS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED REPLACING THE ENTIRE ANTILOCK BRAKES TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED A PUDDLE HAD FORMED UNDER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE. ACCORDING TO AN ACQUAINTANCE OF THE CONTACT, THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE, NO RECALL INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND DETERMINED THERE ARE NO RECALLS FOR THIS VIN.