1999 Pontiac Grand Am

DRIVER SIDE WINDOW BROKE TWO YEARS AGO WHILE THE CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRENTY. I PAID FOR THE MOTOR AND WINDOW - A LITTLE OVER $600. IT BROKE AGAIN IN THE FALL OF 2002. THIS WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND I WAS NOT CHARGED. IT BROKE A 3RD TIME LAST MONTH AND THE WARRANTY FOR THE ONE THAT WAS REPLACED HAD EXPIRED BY ONE WEEK TO TEN DAYS. I WAS CHARGED THE $410. AFTER COMPLAINING, I WAS GIVEN A REDUCTION OF 15%. I PAID THIS AMOUNT AS THIS IS MY DAUGHTER'S ONLY TRANSPORATION AND SHE NEEDED IT TO ATTEND CLASS AND TO WORK. IN VOICING MY DISPLEASURE TO SERVICE MANAGER/STAFF AT SAWYERS PONTIAC IN LANSING MI (WHERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED USED BUT STILL UNDER WARRANTY), I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS COMMON TO THE 1999 GRAND AM AND WAS A RESULT OF A CHANGE IN MATERIALS USED IN THE WINDOW ASSEMBLY. THEY ADVISED ME THAT IT WAS THEY WHO AUTHORIZED THE 15% CREDIT TO ME AND THAT PONTIAC MOTORS WOULD DO NOTHING MORE. IN TALKING TO STAFF AT PONTIAC MOTORS, I WAS OFFERED A ADDITONAL FREE OIL AND LUBE SERVICE FOR ONE YEAR. I OWN 3 GM VEHICLES, THIS IS 1ST PONTIAC. THIS RE-OCCURRING ROBLEM IS KNOWN TO SERVICE MECHANICS BUT PONTIAC IS UNWILLING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILTY FOR IT. THERE IS NO DOUBT I WILL BE BACK FOR REPAIRS IN ANOTHER YEAR UNLESS I CAN GET RID OF IT. BUT I WILL NOT BE BACK TO BUY ANOTHER PONTIAC AND PROBABLY NOT ANY OTHER GM CAR.

BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER WINDOWS HAVE FALLEN INTO THE DOOR. I HAVE SEEN SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM... DOES THE MANUFACTURER NOT SEE THIS A ON GOING PROBLEM AND FIX IT RIGHT OR RECALL IT SO US OWNERS OF THE CARS CAN BE PROUD OWNERS AND NOT RIPPED OFF. IT RIDICULIOUSLY EXPENSIVE AND CRAZY , YOU BUY A CAR AND PAY GOOD MONEY IN TURN THE MANUFATURER SHOULD FIX THIS PROBLEM . *AK

PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW CLIP BROKE,CAUSED RATTLING HAD REPAIRED FOR $120.00 THEN OCT. 2003 MY DRIVER SIDE WINDOW FELL INTO THE DOOR.AFTER ANOTHER $45.00 I FOUND OUT THAT YET ANOTHER CLIP HAD BROKE,AND NOW THE CABLE WAS BROKE TOO.TOTAL REPAIR WOULD NOW BE $290.00 PLEASE RECALL THIS--I BELIEVE MY PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW IS ABOUT TO GO, I AM AFRAID TO USE MY WINDOWS.*AK

ELECTRIC WINDOW MOTOR FAILURE. DRIVER SIDE FRONT WINDOW AND PASSENGER REAR WINDOW. BOTH WINDOW'S MOTOR UNITS DISCONTINUED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME TIME CAUSING THE BELT DRIVE TO SNAP ALLOWING BOTH WINDOWS TO DROP OUT OF THE UPRIGHT POSITION. THE COST TO REPAIR MOTOR UNIT IS 480.00 PER WINDOW. THAT IS A COST OF $960.00. A TOTAL FOR 2 WINDOWS THAT ARE UP 85% OF THE TIME NOT BEING USED. WINDOWS WILL NOT STAY IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION WHEN THE DAMAGE OCCURS AND WILL ONLY STAY UP WITH DUCT TAPE. IN THIS HEAT THE DUCT TAPE FAILS TO HOLD THE WINDOW ON ITS PROPER POSITION. *LA

PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW "FELL INTO THE DOOR", DEALER SAID THE CLIPS BROKE AND I MUST PURCHASE A NEW REGULATOR, INSTEAD OF THE ONE INCH PLASTIC CLIPS, THE WHOLE MECHANISM MUST BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $488.00. PERSONALLY, I KNOW OF THREE OTHER PEOPLE WITH A GRAND AM THAT THIS EXACT SAME SITUATION HAS OCCURRED AND AFTER A SIMPLE SEARCH ON THE INTERNET IT SEEMS WE ARE NOT THE ONLY POOR SAPS!!! *JB

I CALLED PONTIAC TO TRY TO GET SOME HELP REGARDING THE FACT THAT MY CAR IS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD AND WITHIN THE LAST 2 MONTHS BOTH SIDE MIRRORS HAVE FALLEN OFF (ONE SIMPLY BY BEING BRUSHED AGAINST), MY REARVIEW MIRROR CAME OFF, BOTH SIDE WINDOW REGULATORS HAVE BROKEN, AND THE CLEAR COAT IS CHIPPING AND LEAVING MY PAINT EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS. PONTIAC PRETTY MUCH TOLD ME "SORRY, NOT OUR PROBLEM" BECAUSE I BOUGHT THE CAR USED (I AM THE SECOND OWNER), BECAUSE I DID NOT BUY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, AND BECAUSE IT HAS OVER 70,000 MILES. I HAVE DONE MY RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THESE ARE ALL COMMON PROBLEMS WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO FORWARD YOU MY RESEARCH. REGARDLESS OF WHAT NUMBER OWNER I AM OR HOW MANY MILES ARE ON THE VEHICLE, I FEEL THAT IF PONTIAC CANNOT MAKE A VEHICLE THAT CAN LAST 5 YEARS WITHOUT FALLING APART, THEN THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD NOT BE THROWING AWAY OUR HARD EARNED MONEY ON A BAD PRODUCT. PONTIAC SHOULD REALLY BE TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAKING A LESS-THAN-DESIRABLE PRODUCT. *PH

1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM 2.4 L AUTO SEVERE BRAKE FAILURE---REPLACEMENT OF PADS 8 TIMES, ROTORS 3 TIMES AND CALIPERS 2 TIMES IN 80,000 MILES. BRAKES OCCASIONALLY LOCK UP AND MAKE LOUD GRINDING AND SQUEALING NOISES STEERING SHUDDERS AND VEHICLE PULLS TO LEFT.. PARTICIPATING PONTIAC DEALER FAILED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM SINCE PURCHASE AT 11,000 MILES. UNDER WARRANTY REPLACEMENT IT HAS HAD 6 DOOR PANELS DUE TO PEELING LEATHER ON TOP OF PANEL, 5 GEAR SHIFTERS DUE TO DEALERS IMPROPER INSTALLATION, 2 FACTORY CD/RADIO FAILURES, 1 RACK AND PINION UNIT, 2 FRONT STRUT ASSEMBLIES DUE TO KNOCKING NOISE FROM FRONT OF CAR (WENT BAD AFTER 10,000 MILES USE), PROBLEM WITH HESITATION AT IDLE-COLD START(UNSUCCESSFULLY DIAGNOSED BY DEALER) CARPET LOOSE IN TRUNK AROUND LATCH ASSEMBLY(TOO SHORT FOR TRUNK AND WAS HOT GLUED TO BACK WALL OF CAR BY DEALER INSTEAD OF REPLACEMENT). TURN SIGNALS STILL OCCASIONALLY FAIL TO WORK(DEALER SAID THEY WORKED JUST FINE) BATTERY CONNECTION IN FACTORY BATTERY BROKE LOOSE SPILLING CORROSIVE BATTERY ACID ALL OVER AROUND BATTERY TRAY AREA. ALL FOUR WHEEL COVERS HAVE BEEN REPLACED BECAUSE OF "PIE PAN" NOISE WHEN YOU HIT A BUMP (NEW ONES DID NOT FIX PROBLEM). AFTER WARRANTY WAS UP PONTIAC' CARE HOTLINE OR THE DEALER COULD "CARE " LESS THAT AFTER DOZENS OF TRIPS FOR REPAIRS THE DEALER STILL DIDN'T FIX THE CAR WHILE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. SINCE THEN,BESIDES THE UNREPAIRED ITEMS ON MY CAR, THE ALTERNATOR WENT BAD AT 60,000 MILES ($120), GLASS IN INTERIOR REAR VIEW MIRROR BROKE WHILE ADJUSTING, BOTH OUTSIDE REAR VIEW MIRRORS HAVE BROKE OFF IN TWO DIFFERENT AUTOMATIC CAR WASHES (HELD INTO DOOR BY A STUD MOUNTED INTO 1/4 INCH OF PLASTIC IN THE MIRROR). AND THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED AT 75,000 MILES($300). FOG LIGHTS AND BACKUP LIGHTS HAVE WATER CONDENSATION IN THEM SHORTING OUT BULBS. SURPRISINGLY ,THIS CAR IS "BABIED" ,BUT BY IN MY DESCRIPTION YOU SURE COULDN'T TELL IT. *NLM