2002 Pontiac Grand Am

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 75MPH ON THE INTERSTATE, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO PULL OVER WITHOUT INCIDENT, BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE TIMING CHAIN FRACTURED WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. THE DEALER SUGGESTED REPLACING THE ENGINE.

I WENT TO HAVE MY OIL CHANGED AND CAR MAINTENANCE AND THE TECH SAID THAT I HAVE OIL IN MY RADIATOR. I WAS EXTREMELY SHOCKED BY THIS AND HE SAID THAT IT COULD BE A LEAKING GASKET OR WORSE THAT I SHOULD TAKE IT TO A DEALERSHIP RIGHT AWAY. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL GM DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOOK IT IN AND THE GASKETS WERE LEAKING ON MY 2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM GT WITH ONLY 56000 MILES AT THE TIME. I HAD NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING ON SUCH A LOW MILEAGE CAR AND WELL MAINTAINED. I KNEW I HAD TO GET IT FIXED SO THEY FIXED IT GM SAID THAT THEY WOULD PAY 50% OF THE REPAIR COSTS. I HAVE FURTHER RESEARCHED MY CAR AND THE ORANGE ANTIFREEZE AND ISSUES MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD WITH THIS ANTI-FREEZE AND HOW IT EATS GASKETS AND CAUSES MANY OTHER PROBLEMS. GM DOES NOT WANT TO ADMIT TO THIS AND THEY ARE CONTINUING TO USE THIS PRODUCT EVEN AFTER ALL THE FINDINGS. MY BROTHER HAS ENDURE THIS SAME ISSUE IN HIS TRUCK HE HAS SINCE REPLACED HIS GASKETS AND NOW IS USING ONLY GREEN ANTI FREEZE. I NOW HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THAT I HAVE A WHEEL BEARING GOING IN MY CAR. WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THESE CHEAP PARTS. THIS COULD BE A HAZARD. I AM WAITING FOR MY REFUND FROM THE REPAIRS OF THE GASKETS SO I CAN TURN AROUND AND REPAIR THE WHEEL BEARINGS ALL THE WHILE I AM STILL MAKING CAR PAYMENTS. *JB

FIRST, THE CAR BEGAN WITH OVERHEATING. I HAD TO CONTINUALLY REPLACE THE COOLANT TO KEEP THE CAR FROM OVERHEATING. IT WOULD NOT LEAK OUT OF THE CAR. UPON VISUAL INSPECTION THE LEAK FROM THE COOLANT DID NOT LEAK OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE FINALLY FAILED AFTER DRIVING. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE REACHED A HIGH LEVEL AND THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS CLEARLY OVERHEATED WITH AGAIN THE COOLANT LEVELS LOW. WAS REPAIR BEGAN, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE ALL THE GASKETS WITHIN THE ENGINE HAD BLOWN. THIS CAUSED WATER AND COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE. CAUSING THE ENGINE TO WORK MORE DUE TO THE BUILD UP AND CAUSING OVERHEATING. THIS ALSO CAUSED THE WATER TO LEAK OUT OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. FINALLY A BUILD NEEDED TO BE FLUSHED OUT OF ALL THE HOSES AND ENGINE ITSELF. A BUILD UP MIXTURE OF WATER AND OIL. *JB

AT TIMES, VEHICLE RPM'S WILL JUMP ABOUT 300 HIGHER THAN NORMAL. IT CAN DO IT ON UP HILLS, ON FLAT AND ON DOWN HILLS. IT IS MORE PREVALENT WHEN CRESTING A HILL. THE RPM'S WILL NOT MOVE ALL THE WAY UP THE HILL BUT WHEN THE CAR CRESTS, IT WILL SOMETIMES DO IT. I'VE HAD IT TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES BUT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE IT BUT THEY ALSO ONLY TAKE IT OUT FOR FIVE OR TEN MINUTES FOR A TEST DRIVE. I NOTICE IT MORE WHEN I DO A TRIP OF SOME KIND ON THE HIGHWAY. I DON'T NOTICE IT VERY MUCH IN MY EVERYDAY DRIVING BUT I DON'T USUALLY DRIVE VERY FAR WEEKDAYS. IT HAS BEEN DOING IT FOR OVER SIX MONTHS. IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE GETTING ANY WORSE BUT IT ALSO ISN'T GETTING ANY BETTER. IT CAN HAPPEN 15 - 20 TIMES ON A TWO HOUR TRIP. *JB

YOUR RECALL OF 2000-2001 PONTIAC GRANDAMS (03V327000) STATES THAT IF THE TURN SIGNALS/HAZARD FLASHERS BECOME INOPERATIVE IT COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. NOW PONTIAC SENDS ME A LETTER LETTING ME KNOW THAT MY 2002 GRANDAM COULD HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE TURN SIGNALS/HAZARD FLASHERS THAT COULD ALLOW THEM TO FAIL. WITH A LITTLE LOGIC - IF IT IS DANGEROUS FOR A 2000-2001 THEN IT ALSO DANGEROUS FOR A 2002 AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL! *JB

AFTER USING THE TURN SIGNAL, I NOTICED THERE WAS A CLICKING NOISE STILL COMING FROM UNDER THE DASH FOR A FEW MINUTES AFTER THE SIGNAL WAS TURNED OFF. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I USE THE TURN SIGNAL AND THE LATEST INCIDENT RESULTED IN SMOKE IN THE CABIN BUT NO FIRE. AFTER DOING MUCH RESEARCH, I SEE THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE, AS WITH PREVIOUS YEARS. WHY IS THERE NO RECALL OR TSB ISSUED FOR THIS ITEM, SEEING AS THOUGH THIS RESULTS IN TURN SIGNAL FAILURE, AND CAN EVEN CAUSE A FIRE. *NM

I HAVE A 2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM GT1. MY SECURITY LIGHT HAD BEEN GOING ON AND OFF FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS. I TRIED STARTING ONE DAY AND GOT NO ELECTRICAL RESPONSE. THE DEALER HAD TO REPROGRAM THE PASS LOCK SYSTEM AS IT HAD ITS COMPUTER HAD HUNG UP. THEY COULD OFFER NO EXPLANATION AND COULD NOT SAY IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. THIS WAS A $159 REPAIR FOR LABOR. *NM

COMPLAINED 2 YEARS AGO ABOUT TURN SIGNAL CLICKING NOISE IN DASH WHEN NOT ENGAGED. RECEIVED LETTER FROM PONTIAC APRIL 2006 TO HAVE SIGNAL/HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS REPLACED. TOOK TO JACK WOLF PONTIAC AND WAS TOLD BY CRAIG WEGNER, SERVICE MANAGER IT WAS ALSO THE HAZARD SWITCH AND THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH CAUSING PROBLEM. THESE ARE NOT COVERED AND WOULD COST ME $474.00 TO REPLACE. CANNOT STAND CONSTANT CLICKING NOISE ANY LONGER. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER. *JB