1999 Pontiac Grand Am

CAR THE WORST. I'VE SUNK MORE $ IN2 IT THAN SHE COST TO BUY. $15,000 AT LST. HEAD GASKET X2. INTAKE MANIFOLD X2 WINDOW PARTS X2 BRAKES, PADS ROTORS ENGINE REPLACED IN 2009 BY QUACK MECHANIC ON ADVICE FROM A FRIEND CAR 3 MTHS ON LIFT! COST $1000 A YR 2 PASS NYS INSPECTION HAD CATALYTIC CONVERTER & GASKETS REPLACED AFTER I BEGGED DO IT! CAT WHOLE PROB FOR 31/2 YRS. ERG VALVE SELONOID CHANGED. COILS SPRINGS, STRUT MOUNT(SENSATRAC) STRUT WAS ONLY AFTER I HAD TIRES REPLACED FOR UPTEENTH TIME REALIZING IT WAS CUTTING INTO 1 TIRE DRIVING OUT OF THE SHOP. ANTIFREEZE STILL OOZES OUT REGARDLESS HOW MANY X'S WORK DONE ON COOLING SYSTEM. THERMASTAT TWICE FUEL INJECTOR OXYGEN SENSOR ANTIFREEZE RESERVOIR, HOSES MUFFLER REARVIEW MIRROR FELL OFF TWICE TIMING BELT. HEADLIGHTS SEVERAL TIMES REAR LIGHTS. 2 OR 3 BATTERIES. THIS CAR SHOULD RUN LIKE NEW- ALMOST EVERYTHING'S BEEN REPLACED NOPE! WAS TOWED TWICE LAST 2 WEEKS DUE TO COOLANT LOSS OVERHEATING ENGINE STOPPING. INFORMED TODAY AFTER CAR AGAIN OVERHEATED & LOST POWER IT'S PROBABLY INTAKE MANIFOLD & HEAD GASKET, OIL IS DRIPPING FROM SIDES OF ENGINE. COMPUTER AMUCK NOWODOMETER FLASHES 1/2 NUMBERS INSTEAD OF TRUE MILEAGE. ABS? LIGHT MECHANIC STATED ITS A WASTE OF YOUR $ TO REPAIR.... THREE HEAD GASKETS? ANOTHER INTAKE MANIFOLD? HELLO! I'VE MAINTAINED THIS CAR IT IS A LEMON A ROTTON LEMON AT THAT. GM KNOWS THESE ISSUES & DOES NOTHING. IN MICHIGAN CONSUMERS WON A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT BECAUSE OF THIS. GM SHOULDA RECALLED THIS CAR PERIOD. I WASN'T INFORMED OR SAVVY ENOUGH TO KNOW THIS CARS ISSUES UPON PURCHASE. WHAT MAKES THIS WORSE, I NOW UNDERSTAND MY RIGHTS WERE VIOLATED AS A CONSUMER FOR YEARS! I'M POOR & CAN'T AFFORD ANOTHER CAR DUE TO THIS CAR CONTINUED PROBLEMS COST. I NEED A VEHICLE BUT AM LEFT WITH BUS RIDES TAKING ALMOST 3 HRS ONE WAY TO WORK OR A $35 CAB FARE ONE WAY. AS OF TODAY MY CAR IS TRASH. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE, SHE NOTICED A GRINDING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE BRAKE HAD BEGUN TO RUB AGAINST THE ROTORS, THE CALIPER WAS NOT LOCKED INTO PLACE AND THE BRAKES DID NOT WEAR IN AN UP AND DOWN MOTION BUT IN A SIDE-TO-SIDE MOTION WHICH CAUSED THE NOISE THE CONTACT HEARD. THE CONTACT CALLED THE SALES DEALER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 153,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 139,000.

I BOUGHT A 1999 GRAND AM GT N JANUARY 2008 FROM FEYER FORD IN WILLIAMSTON NORTH CAROLINA. WITHIN THE FIRST MONTH THE ROTORS AND BRAKES WENT OUT FOLLOWED BY THE IGNITION SWITCH FOLLOWED BY THE PASSENGER WINDOW REGULATOR GOING OUT. THEN ABOUT A WEEK LATER THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW REGULATOR WENT OUT. I WANT TO KNOW IF THERE IS A RECALL ON THE WINDOW REGULATORS FOR MY VEHICLE IF NO THEN ONE SHOULD BE MY STEPSONS GIRLFRIENDS WINDOW REGULATOR WENT OUT ON HER PONTIAC GRAND AM ALSO. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM. WHILE APPROACHING A STOP AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR WHEN DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT RELEASED THE PEDAL AND ATTEMPTED TO DEPRESS IT AGAIN, BUT IT WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR ONCE MORE. HE WAS FORCED TO APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. HE LOOKED BEHIND THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL AND NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM THE METAL LINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND THE FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE METAL LINE WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 20,181. UPDATED 01-11-08. *KB UPDATED 12/12/07 *JB

THE CALIPERS FREQUENTLY FAIL TO RELEASE PROPERLY AND HAVE REPEATEDLY DAMAGED THE ROTORS, MORE OFTEN IN THE FRONT THAN REAR. I BOUGHT THIS CAR IN SEPTEMBER OF 2002 AND A FEW MONTHS LATER BEGAN TO HAVE BRAKE PROBLEMS. IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THE CALIPERS WERE FOUND FAULTY DUE TO THEIR ASSEMBLY TO THE FRAME. THIS DAMAGED THE ROTORS, REQUIRING THEM TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. THE WARRANTY COVERED THE CALIPERS BUT NOT THE ROTORS, PLUS I HAD TO PAY A $50 DEDUCTIBLE. I'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THEN. IN THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT, I HAD THE FRONT ROTORS REPLACED AT INSPECTION IN OCTOBER 2005. BY FEBRUARY 2006, THE RIGHT FRONT CALIPER WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND HAD TO BE REPLACED ALREADY. THE PART WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY SINCE IT HAD ONLY BEEN 4 MONTHS SO I WAS NOT CHARGED FOR THE PART, BUT STILL HAD TO PAY FOR LABOR. I'VE OWNED THIS CAR FOR A LITTLE LESS THAN FOUR YEARS AND THE CALIPERS AND ROTORS CONTINUALLY NEED TO BE MACHINED OR REPLACED. I ALWAYS FEAR THAT THE BRAKES WILL FAIL WHEN I NEED THEM THE MOST. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS THE ENGINE OVERHEATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE ENGINE'S HIGH PERFORMANCE ADDITIVE CAUSED CORROSION TO THE ALUMINUM CYLINDER HEAD. THE CYLINDER HEAD WAS REPLACED WHICH CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 3/28/2006 - THE WATER PUMP FAILED. THE BATTERY AND BRAKES FAILED. THE COOLANT LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE ANTIFREEZE HAD CONGEALED AND NEEDED TO BE FLUSHED AND REPLACED. THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW REGULATOR BROKE. *NM

WHERE TO START, .BOUGHT 1999 GRAND AM GT IN AUGUST OF 2002 AND ITHAS BEEN DOWNHILL EVER SINCE. REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR TWICE, HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET PROBLEM, WHICH WAS REPLACED, BUT STILL LED TO THE DEMISE OF MY ENGINE, CAUSING CAMSHAFT TO SNAP IN HALF. THOUGHT THE TROUBLE WAS OVER WITH THE REBUILT ENGINE THAT WAS PUT IN, BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. THE WINDOW REGULATOR BROKE IN THE MIDDLE OF A SNOWSTORM ,CAUSING ME TO DRIVE WITH NO DRIVERSIDE WINDOW. WITH THE NEW REGULATOR I ASSUMED THAT THE WINDOW WOULD STOP SQUEAKING, WHICH DID NOT. I ASSUMED THE SCRATCHES ON WINDOWS WERE JUST FROM ME-SAND OR SOME OTHER ABRASIVE MATERIAL IN THE WINDOW TRACKS--AFTER REVIEWING OTHER COMPLAINTS I DISCOVERED I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. HAVE EXPERIENCED VARIOUS ISSUES WITH THE NO TRAC/ABS LIGHTS, REPLACED THE WATERPUMP, DONE BRAKES 4 TIMES IN 4 YEARS, FRONT HEADLIGHTS ARE MILKY AND MAKE IT HARD TO SEE AT NIGHT. HAVE REPLACED THE STARTER 4 TIMES IN JUST THE PAST 2 YEARS. NEEDLESS TO SAY AFTER READING ALL COMPLAINTS I FEEL MUCH BETTER KNOWING THAT IT IS NOT JUST ME, OR MY CAR, BUT ALL PONTIACS. BOUGHT THE CAR FOR $10000, HAVE PUT OVER $5000 WORTH OF WORK INTO IT. WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER PONTIAC. *AK

I BOUGHT MY 1999 GRAND AM IN OCT' 04. THE FIRST 2 MO. OF OWNING IT MY ALTERNATOR WENT OUT. A FEW MONTHS LATER I HAD TO REPLACE MY FRONT BRAKES. SHORTLY AFTER THAT MY(2ND) ALTERNATOR AND A/C PUMP WENT OUT NOT TO MENTION THE BATTERY TOO. OH AND NOT ONLY HAS THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT BEEN ON MOST OF THE TIME, A SECOND SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON! I HAVE NEVER KNOWN A VEHICLE TO HAVE 2 SERVICE ENGINE LIGHTS ON AT THE SAME TIME!! WAS THIS SOME KIND OF PREMONITION!? AS SOON AS I GOT THE CAR BACK,I WENT AND PICKED MY KIDS UP TO GO TO THE FAIR. WE WERE NOT EVEN 2 MILES OUT OF TOWN YET WHEN MY ENGINE STARTED OVERHEATING. I HAD TO PULL OVER AND WAIT FOR QUITE SOMETIME BEFORE I COULD MAKE IT HOME SAFELY WITH MY CHILDREN. NOW MY CAR THAT I'VE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ON, NOT JUST PURCHASING THE CAR,BUT ALSO IN PARTS IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP FOR EITHER A BLOWN HEAD GASKET OR THE ENGINE BLOCK IS DAMAGED. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THIS IS HAPPENING TO A LOT OF THESE SPECIFIC CARS OR SHOULD I SAY ENGINE TYPE. NEVERTHELESS, THIS IS COSTLY AND VERY DANGEROUS TO EVERYONE WHO OWNS ONE OF THESE LEMONS!!!! SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE REAL QUICK WITH THESE PROBLEMS OR THE MANUFACTURE OF THESE VEHICLES WILL BE PAYING FOR MORE THAN JUST PARTS! *CB *NM

GRAND AM 1999 BOUGHT USED WITH EXTENDED WARRANTY NOW EXPIRED AS MILEAGE IS 130,000. I HAVE REPLACED THE ROTORS AT LEAST 3 TIMES AND HAVE NOW BEEN TOLD BY BIG O TIRES THAT NOW WILL NEED TO CHANGE EACH TIME I DO THE BRAKES AS THE BRAKE LINERS ARE NOW HARDER THAN THE ROTORS MATERIALS. I HAVE DONE MANY BRAKE CHANGES, THE CAR STILL SHIMMIES WHEN YOU USE THE BRAKE, WAS TOLD THIS IS NORMAL. THE LAST TIME I WAS IN WAS TOLD JUST UNDER $600 TO DO THE BRAKES/ROTORS ETC AND MY SON REPLACED THE PADS AND DID COMMENT THAT WE DO HAVE TO REPLACE THE RIGHT ROTOR WITH THE NEXT BRAKE CHANGE. WE DO BRAKE CHANGES ABOUT ONCE A YEAR. *JB