2003 Pontiac Grand Am

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM. WHEN THE CONTACT TOOK HIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON JULY 27, 2007, A TECHNICIAN INFORMED HIM THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF METAL THAT WERE USED ON THE HEAD AND INTAKE MANIFOLDS. WHEN HEATED, BOTH METALS EXPANDED AT DIFFERENT RATES AND CAUSED THE GASKET TO FAIL. THE MANUFACTURER ADMITTED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO A DESIGN DEFECT. THERE IS A REMEDY FOR THE FAILURE, BUT THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. AN AUTHORIZED DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE ON MAY 5, 2008. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,691 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 30,826. UPDATED 06/17/08. *LJ

2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM WITH SEVERAL PROBLEMS. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE TURN SIGNAL. CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON HIS VEHICLE. THEN EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. *KB THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THERE WAS OIL IN THE COOLANT RECOVERY TANK, WHICH REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD, VALVE COVER GASKETS, THERMOSTAT AND COOLANT. *JB THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY AND THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TURN SIGNAL FLASHER.

I WAS DRIVING APPROX. 70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY IN MY 2003 GRAND AM GT WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, WITH NO WARNING AT ALL, MY CAR SHUT OFF COMPLETELY!!!! THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, THE BRAKES FELT VERY HARD TO PUSH, AND THE CAR ALMOST CAME TO AN IMMEDIATE STOP. THE ONLY THING THAT DIDN'T STOP WORKING WAS THE RADIO. I STARTED THE CAR AFTER FIVE MINUTES AND IT STARTED RIGHT UP AS IF NOTHING HAD HAPPENED. THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME AGAIN, ABOUT 4 MONTHS LATER. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 35 MILES AN HOUR WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR SHUT OFF WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING WHAT-SO-EVER!!!!! THE CAR STARTED AFTER A FEW MINUTES BUT THE "SERVICE VEHICLE SOON" AND TRAC OFF" LIGHTS CAME ON. THE NEXT MORNING WE STARTED THE CAR AND THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH DIDN'T COME ON. MY HUSBAND DROVE THE CAR THAT MORNING AND IT CUT OFF ON HIM WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 45 MPH ON TELEGRAPH. HE STARTED THE CAR AFTER WAITING ABOUT 5 MINUTES AND IT STARTED WITHOUT A PROBLEM. WE PAID BELLE TIRE TO HOOK UP THE DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE TO THE CAR TO SEE IF THEY COULD DETECT THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID SOMETHING SHOWED UP THAT HAD TO DO WITH THE ABS SENSOR. WE HAD THAT FIXED AND THOUGHT IT HAD SOLVED THE PROBLEM. UNFORTUNATELY IT DIDN'T.....THE CAR SHUT OFF AGAIN!!! IT HAPPENED ABOUT 10 MONTHS LATER (WHICH WAS JUST A COUPLE WEEKS AGO). I WAS AT A LIGHT, TURNED RIGHT AND ABOUT 3 SECONDS AFTER I TURNED, THE CAR SHUT OFF AGAIN WITH NO WARNING!!!! I WAITED A COUPLE MINUTES, STARTED THE VEHICLE AND IT STARTED RIGHT AWAY. THE "SERVICE VEHICLE SOON" LIGHT AND THE "TRAC OFF" LIGHT STAYED ON WHILE I DROVE ABOUT 20 MINUTES TO MY HOUSE. I PARKED THE CAR FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES, STARTED IT UP AND THE DASH LIGHTS WENT OUT. EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE, AS IF NOTHING HAD HAPPENED. THERE'S A LITTLE OVER 59,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. LESS THEN TWO WEEKS LATER, JUST YESTERDAY 11/27/06, I WAS TURNING ONTO JEFFERSON IN DETROIT, WHEN THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. *NM

PONTIAC GRAM AM 2003, NOW HAS 75,000 MILES. LOW COOLANT LIGHT TURNED ON. CONTACTED DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD TO ADD MANUFACTURER BRAND COOLANT. A WEEK LATER LOW COOLANT CAME BACK ON AND ADDED MORE COOLANT. TOOK INTO SHOP FOR REPAIR AND WAS TOLD THAT COOLANT WAS LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE MANIFOLD AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. COST OF THE REPAIR $1,250.00. THEY TOLD ME THAT SEAL GASKET WAS WORN OUT AND CAUSED THE LEAK IN TO THE ENGINE AND IT HAPPENS WHEN CAR REACH A HIGHER MILEAGE. I BELIEVE THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTED FROM THE YEAR 2000 MODELS. THIS SAME PROBLEM CAUSED MY OTHER CAR PONTIAC GRAND AM 2000 TO DIE OUT AT 80,000 MILES AND ONLY THAT TIME THE WARNING WAS ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON BEFORE THE CAR DIED AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN. I DON'T SEE THIS TYPE OF A PROBLEM WITH OTHER CAR MANUFACTURER EVEN IF THE CAR REACH MILEAGE 60,000 - 80,000 MILES. *JB

WE PURCHASED A 2003 GRAND AM FROM GUNN PONTIAC IN SAN ANTONIO IN AUGUST 2003. WITHIN A MONTH THE CAR WOULD STALL OUT AT STOPS OR DURING TURNS. WE BROUGHT THE CAR IN TWICE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS DONE THIS FOR THE LAST 11 MONTHS ON AND OFF. IN JULY 2004 THE SLAVE CYLINDER WENT OUT AND I WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD BE 1200.00 TO REPAIR IT. THE SERVICE CONSULTANT TOLD ME THE 2 PROBLEMS COULD BE RELATED BECAUSE HE HAD NEVER SEEN THIS PART GO OUT AT 40,000 MILES AND THAT THE CYLINDER SHOULD LAST MUCH MUCH LONGER. ONCE THE CAR WAS REPAIRED I WAS THEN TOLD THAT THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT HELP US W THE REPAIRS. I TALKED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER , WHO BASICALLY CALLED ME A LIAR ABOUT THE PROBLEM W THE CAR STALLING AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE THIS PROBLEM UP W PONTIAC NATIONAL REPS. AFTER 2 AND A HALF WEEKS OF NO ANSWERS FROM THEM WE WENT AND PICKED UP THE CAR ON FRIDAY(8/20/04). TONIGHT THE CAR STALLED OUT 4 TIMES ON A DRIVE. I AN DISCUSSED W PONTIAC AND THEIR LACK OF SERVICE!!*JB