1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Complaints

THE CAR DAMAGED THE PLENUM THREE TIMES, THIS CAUSE MULTIPLE MISSFIRE UNTIL THE CAR WONT START; THERE IS CORROSION ON SPARK CABLES, DAMAGED THE COILS. ALL POWER WINDOW MACHINERY AND/OR MOTORS ALSO DAMAGED. *TR

ENGINE FIRE, APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES AFTER CAR WAS PARKED. FIRE COMPANY CALLED TO EXTINGUISH FIRE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND SHUT OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES WHEN IT ENGULFED INTO FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT APPEARED ON THE SCENE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

VEHICLE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. THEN IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER STEERING AND STALLED. THE ENGINE DIED FOLLOWED BY FLAMES FROM UNDER BOTH SIDES OF THE HOOD. NO SMOKE WAS SEEN BEFORE THE FIRE BEGAN. NO LIGHTS CAME ON TO INDICATE A PROBLEM. IN NO TIME, THE ENTIRE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *TR

COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE OCCURRED AT A HIGH-VOLUME INTERSECTION AT LOGAN AVE., AND RT.20 IN BELVEDERE IL. WHILE APPROACHING INTERSECTION ON A YELLOW LIGHT, WITH NO ONE IN FRONT OF ME, I APPLIED THE BRAKES, HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR BOARD. I HAD ENOUGH ROOM TO APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKES, AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP BEFORE ENTERING THE INTERSECTION. I HAD MY SISTER AND 92 YEAR OLD AUNT IN THE CAR. CAR WAS TOWED TO WOLF PONTIAC IN BELVEDERE, IL, MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE 'STEEL' BRAKE LINE HAD RUSTED OUT, AND BURST. WE HAD ALL THE BRAKE LINES REPLACED FOR APPROX $900. WE COULD HAVE HAD SERIOUS INJURY/DEATH HAD WE ENTERED THE INTERSECTION. THIS IS A SERIOUS EXAMPLE OF AN ENGINEERING DEFECT! WE LIVE IN THE SALT BELT, AND ANY DESIGN THAT WOULD LEAD TO A RUST-OUT SITUATION ON A CRITICAL PART OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM IS INEXCUSABLE. IT IS PROBABLY CHEAPER THAN PUTTING IN BRAKE LINES THAT WOULD BE RUST RESISTANT, BUT I GUESS PROFIT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAT THE SAFETY OF ITS PASSENGERS. WE WERE VERY LUCKY! I CALLED GM, AND OF COURSE THEY WERE APOLOGETIC, BUT THE SAME THING IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO OTHER DRIVERS OF THEIR TECHNOLOGY. THE OWNER OF THE CAR, IS MY AUNT, WHO WAS A PASSENGER

ON SUNDAY MORNING JULY 3, 2011 I DROVE MY WIFE'S 1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 13.57 MILE FROM MY HOME TO GET SOME LAB WORK DONE. AFTERWARDS I DOVE 12.77 MILE TO THE GAS STATION AND FILLED THE CAR UP WITH GAS $49.50 TO BE EXACT, THEN DROVE HOME 1.80 MILES TOTAL TRIP 28.14 MILES. I PARKED THE CAR IN FRONT OF MY HOME AS I ALWAYS DO NEXT TO MY 1993 CADILLAC SEVILLE. I WENT INTO THE HOUSE TO CHANGE FOR CHURCH AND APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES LATER MY SON CALL OUT TO ME SAYING DAD THE CAR IS SMOKING!! I WENT TO THE DOOR AND I SAW THE CAR WAS SMOKING AND THEN FIRE SHOT OUT FROM UNDER THE FRONT OF THE CAR AND ENGULFED THE ENGINE. MY WIFE CALLED 911 AND TOLD THEM THAT THE CAR WAS ON FIRE AND IT HAS A FULL TANK OF GAS (MY NEIGHBOR ALSO CALLED 911). MY WIFE THEN SAID TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE WINDOWS AND DOOR JUST IN CASE THE CAR BLOWS. WHILE MOVING BACK WE SAW THE BLAZE FROM THE GRAND PRIX SPREAD OVER TO THE SEVILLE CATCHING THE RIGHT SIDE TIRE ON FIRE. BY THIS TIME THE FIRE AND POLICE WERE ON THE SITE. THE GRAND PRIX BURNED FROM THE FRONT HOOD TO THE BACK SEATS BEFORE BEING CONTAINED, AND THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED AND FRONT RIGHT QUARTER PANEL ON THE 1993 SEVILLE WAS BURNT BADLY INCLUDING THE RIGHT TIRE, THE TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS AND HEAD LIGHTS. I'M SIMPLY OUT RAGED THAT MY INSURER WILL NOT COVER MY SEVILLE FOR THE DAMAGES DONE BY NO FAULT OF MINE. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. I HAD TWO PERFECTLY RUNNING VEHICLES UNTIL SUNDAY MORNING AND NOW I'M DOWN TWO. MY INSURANCE COMPANY HAS INDICATED THAT THEY WILL PAY FOR THE GRAND PRIX BUT PULL OUT A CLAUSE IN MY POLICY SAYING THAT DAMAGE TO PROPERTY WHILE IT IS OWNED BY YOU IS NOT COVERED!, BUT IF SOMEONE ELSE'S VEHICLE WOULD HAVE BEEN DAMAGED, THEN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED. THIS IS NO FAULT OF MINE AND I'VE ALWAYS PAY MY INSURANCE ON TIME AND I'M ROBBED IN THE END... WHERE IS THE JUSTICE?!?!? I HAVE ALWAYS OWNED GM AND I'M NOW RETHINKING THAT! *TR

THE ABS SYSTEMS ENGAGES WHILE DRIVING AND NOT PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. YOU CAN HEAR THE ABS SYSTEMS TRYING TO ENGAGE AND THEN THE ABS AND TRAC OFF LIGHTS COME ON IN THE DASH. THIS IS DEACTIVATING MY ABS SYSTEM. I HAVE HAD A FAULTY ABS SENSOR REPLACED AND IT FIXED THE PROBLEM FOR ABOUT THREE MONTHS. IT HAS NOW STARTED UP AGAIN. I HAVE LOOKED AT NUMEROUS MESSAGE BOARDS TO FIND A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM AND WAS EXTREMELY CONCERNED TO SEE THAT THOUSANDS OF GRAND PRIX OWNERS ARE HAVING SIMILAR ISSUES AND GM IS DOING NOTHING TO FIX IT... EXCEPT CHARGE $1300 AND STILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM.

DRIVING TO WORK AS NORMAL AND TOOK OFF FROM A FULL STOP WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR WAS GOING NUTS TRYING TO CATCH A GEAR. SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT BLINKED THAN STAYED ON AND NOW WHEN DRIVING BETWEEN 1ST AND 3RD GEAR CAR SPUTTERS, SHAKES, SLAMS INTO GEAR HARD AND I NEED TO KEEP GIVING IT GAS TO GET IT TO CATCH SO I MOVE AND DON'T GET STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF MAKING A TURN. IT IS A 99 GRAND PRIX SE 3800 ENGINE SEDAN AND I BROUGHT IT TO MY GOOD FRIEND WHO OWNS A SHOP AND THE COMPUTER SAID IT WAS A C1 MISFIRE SOLENOID OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. ON MY ENGINE, THE LEFT SIDE HAS 3 THINGS THAT 2 SPARK PLUG WIRES GOES INTO EACH AND ARE LABELED 1/3, 2/5 AND 4/6 (MIGHT BE WRONG ON NUMBERS). THE CODE WAS SAYING THE FIRST ONE THAT SAYS 1/3 WAS BAD CAUSING THE MISFIRE. WE CHANGED THE PART AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LINE WENT OFF AND CAR DROVE FINE. THE NEXT MORNING I WENT TO GO WORK AND AT THE FIRST LIGHT, I GO TO TAKE OFF AND IT STARTS SHAKING AND SPUTTERS AND BECOMES ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE. DURING THIS THE SERVICE ENGINE LINE BLINKED THAN STAYED ON STEADY. NOW THE CAR HAS TROUBLE CATCHING A GEAR FROM 1ST TO 3RD AND IT FEELS LIKE A ROLLER COASTER JUST TRYING TO TAKE OFF FROM A STOP OR DURING HEAVY TRAFFIC. I REPLACED EVERYTHING ELSE ON THE CAR AND GIVE UP WITH PROBLEMS. THERE HAS TO BE A DEFECT THAT PONTIAC WON'T ADMIT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL SLOWLY TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR UPON ENGAGEMENT, WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO REDUCE SPEED AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS. IMMEDIATELY, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ENGAGED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT RESUMED OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND THE MASTER CYLINDER RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY REPLACED THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKE LINES AS A RESULT OF RUST. THE CONTACT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER OF THE BRAKE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000.

EARLY MONDAY MORNING GOT INTO CAR AS NORMAL TO GO TO WORK, TURNED THE KEY TO START AND IMMEDIATLY THERE WAS A LOUD THUMP THEN SMOKE STARTED POURING OUT OF HOOD AREA, I OPENED THE HOOD AND THE ENGINE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES, THE NOISE WAS SO LOUD IT WOKE MY FAMILY IN WHICH THEY CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BY THEN I HAD ALREADY RAN TO MY BOAT TO RETRIEVE MY FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO PUT THE FIRE OUT, LUCKILY I HAD THE EXTINGUISHER AND WAS ABLE TO CANCEL FIRE DEPARTMENT CALL AND PUT THE FIRE OUT BY MYSELF, NOW I AM AWAITING ESTIMATE FROM MECHANIC TO SEE IF ENGINE CAN BE SALVAGED OR IF IT IS A TOTAL LOSS