1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

WHILE MAKING A SLOW TURN VEHICLE SHOWED NO POWER STEERING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

BOTH FRONT HEADLIGHTS HAVE BECOME SCRATCHED/CLOUDY. LIGHT OUTPUT IS REDUCED. I BELIEVE THAT THESE HEADLIGHT LENSES ARE EASILT SCRATCHED WHEN CLEANING DEBRIS AND DIRT. THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED ON CARS THAT I HAVE OWNED THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH GLASS HEADLIGHT LENSES. IN ADDITION, I BELIEVE THAT LIGHT OUTPUT ON LOW-BEAM IS INSUFFICIENT EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS NEW.OTHER GRAND PRIXS I HAVE CHECKED HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR HEADLIGHTS. THIRDLY, THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES ARE LOOSLY FITTED TO THE VEHICLE, CAUSING THE HEADLIGHT PATTERN TO SHIMMER WHEN DRIVWEN OVER ROUGH ROADS.

THE INSIDE BRAKE PAD ON BOTH FRONT BRAKING SYSTEMS ARE WEARING VERY UNEVEN, THIS UNEVEN WEAR IS CAUSING THE INSIDE PADS TO DISINTEGRATE AND CAUSING METAL TO METAL CONTACT, FOR LACK OF BRAKE PAD MATERIAL. THIS UNEVEN WEAR PATTERN ALLOWED THE OUTSIDE PAD TO BE ABOUT 90% OF NEW AND THE INSIDE PAD TO BE DESTROYED, THERE IS A WEAR INDICATOR ON THE OUTSIDE PAD THAT TELLS THE OPERATOR THE BRAKES NEED TO BE CHECKED OR REPLACED. BECAUSE THE CALIPERS WERE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND WERE PROBABLY STICKING(AS THEY ARE SUPPOSE TO SORT OF FLOAT)THE INSIDE PAD WAS DOING MOST OF THE BRAKING, THIS ONE PAD BRAKING PREMATURELY WORE OUT THE INSIDE PAD TO THE POINT OF METAL TO METAL CONTACT,AND BECAUSE OF THE BRAKING WAS MOSTLY WITH ONE PAD THE ROTARS WERE ALSO WARPED CAUSING ACCLERATED WEAR.THE AUTO DEALER I TOOK IT TO FOR REPAR STATED THAT THIS WEAR PATTERN WAS UNUSUAL(FOUR OTHER SERVICE PEOPLE ALSO STATED THIS AT THIS DEALERSHIP)BUT SAID THAT NO SERVICE BULLITANS WERE ISSUED AND THEY FELT THEY HAD NO LIABILITY. A REGIONAL SERVICE MANAGER FROM GENERAL MOTORS WAS IN THE DEALERSHIP AT THE TIME, INSPECTED THE BAD PARTS AND STATED THIS WEAR PATTERN IS VERY UNUSUAL, BUT STILL DECLINED TO ACCEPT ANY LIABILITY. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO OPERATE A VEHICLE THAT CAN PREMATURELY DESTROY ITS BRAKING SYSTEM. I HAVE CONTACTED AND SHOWN OTHER CERTIFIED BRAKE TECHS THIS AND ALSO CONTACTED OTHER GEN. MOTORS EMPLYEES ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT THE AGENCIES IN MY OWNERS MANUAL. THE GENERAL MOTORS AREA SERVICE MANAGERS NAME WHO WOULD NOT FULLY ACCEPT LIABILITY NAME AND PHONE # IS AS FOLLOWS: DON J. STEVENS, AREA SERVICE MNGR. SALT LAKE NORHT 4001S 700E SUITE 610 SALT LAKE CITY UT. 84107 800 248 5507 EXT.58751,58750 SINCERELY PAT GILLESPIE

DRIVER SEAT BELT WILL NOT LATCH OR WORK, AND HAD BEEN REPLACE ONCE. CURRENTLY, HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE VEHICLE WAS ON AND TRANSMISSION PAWL WAS IN PARK, PAWL JUMPED FROM PARK TO DRIVE ON A FLAT SURFACE WHERE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TREE. *AK

I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE FAILURES OF THE WINDOWS BEING STUCK DOWN(BOTH AT DIFF. TIMES) THIS IS NOT AN ISSOLATED INCIDENT. IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR BETWEEN 1997 AND 1999. ALTHOUGH IT MAY NOT SEEM TO BE DIRECTLY A HAZARDOUS PROBLEM, IT CAN BE IF IN AN ACCIDENT(ROLL OVER)AS AN ARM, OR ENTIRE BODY MAY BE THROWN FROM THE CAR IF THE WINDOWS WERE DOWN. AS SMALL OF A FRACTION OF A POSSIBILITY THAT THAT MAY BE, IT IS STILL A POSSIBLE PROBLEM THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE DRIVER HAD THE OPTION TO ROLL THE WINDOWS UP. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BY PONTIAC AND WILL NOT BE ADDRESSED. EVEN THE REPLACEMENT MOTORS FAIL, THEY REFUSE TO REPLACE MAILFUNCTIONING MOTORS UNLESS THEY FAIL WHILE AT THE SERVICE SHOP.(IT IS AN INTERMITENT PROBLEM). PLEASE HELP TO GET THIS RESOLVED! THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AIR CONDITIONER CYCLES OFF AND ON IN HOT WEATHER ABOUT 10 - 15 MINUTES AFTER STARTING. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 3 TIMES AND THE MECHANICS CANNOT REPEAT THE PROBLEM (EVEN THOUGH IT HAPPENS TO ME DAILY) NOR DETERMINE WHAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM.

INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE STALLS OUT AND DIES. ALSO, WHILE DRIVER APPLIES BRAKES AND DEPRESSES ACCELERATOR SLIGHTLY, VEHICLE SURGES FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY. THE DEALER HAS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, AND HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK *ML

DISC BRAKES ARE GRINDING - METAL TO METAL. THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE DISC BRAKE SYSTEM. IT IS HANGING UP ON THE INSIDE OF THE DISC BRAKES. IT IS CAUSING THE BACK SIDE OF THE DISC ON ALL FOUR WHEELS TO "GROOVE" THE ROTOR, WITH THE WORST BEING IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. *AK

BOTH ENGINE VALVE COVERS LEAK. OIL SEEPAGE HAS REACHED THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE BLOCK AT 22000 MILES.*AK