2003 Pontiac Grand Am

DT: THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED SUDDENLY ALTHOUGH THE CONSUMER DIDN'T TOUCH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THIS HAPPENED 3 TIMES. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THERE WAS A RUBBER BURNING SMELL COMING FROM THE VEHICLE WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE VEHICLE WENT FROM 0-6 RPMS IN LESS THAN 3 SECONDS, IT WENT TO 60 MPH. CONSUMER HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKE AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND PUT IT INTO PARK. THE CONSUMER HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER ON 7-27-05, WHO RAN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST ON THE VEHICLE. THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. THEY DID SAY THAT THE OIL FILTER WAS DIRTY AND THAT IT HAD TO BE CHANGED. THE CONSUMER STATES THAT IT WAS CHANGED AT THE END OF JUNE. THEY CHANGED THREE FILTERS AND THE PCV. THE CONSUMER PICKED THE VEHICLE UP ON 8-3-05. SHE ONLY DROVE IT HOME AND PARKED IT. SHE FELT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *AK A RECALL ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS ISSUED BACK ON NOV. 2004. THE MANUFACTURER CLAIMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AT 32328 MILES AND IT WAS DETERMINE AT THAT TIME THAT THE RECALL WAS NOT APPLICABLE. *NM

THIS IS NOT A TRUE "FAILURE", PER SE, BUT A COMPLAINT ABOUT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT/FLAW/PRACTICE. I OWN A 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM GT1, (PURCHASED 8/02) WHICH WAS RECENTLY SERVICED AT 40,000 MILES. AT APPROXIMATELY 18,000 MILES, DURING 4/04, I HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS FOR EXCESSIVE WEAR AND SCORING. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED THAT THE WEAR WAS DUE TO THE USE OF ROAD SALT THAT WINTER. THE FRONT ROTORS HADN'T BEEN TURNED, OR PREVIOUSLY SERVICED. AT THE RECENT 40,000 MILE CHECKUP, I WAS INFORMED THAT I WOULD AGAIN NEED TO REPLACE THE FRONT ROTORS. AS WITH THE 20,000 MILE CHECKUP, THE ROTORS HAD NOT BEEN TURNED, OR OTHERWISE SERVICED, BUT WERE WORN TO THE POINT OF NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. THE LARGE MAJORITY (90+%) OF MY DRIVING IS HIGHWAY, WHICH "SHOULD" BE A BIT EASIER ON THE BRAKES THAN CITY, OR STOP-AND-GO DRIVING. AT EACH INSTANCE I INVOKED THE PONTIAC CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER, WHO WERE ONLY MINIMALLY HELPFUL. MY CONCERN IS THAT IF THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS NEED TO BE REPLACED EVERY 20,000 OR SO MILES, AND IS NOT DOCUMENTED ANYWHERE IN PONTIAC LITERATURE, WOULD THIS NOT CONSTITUTE A DOCUMENTED PREMATURE FAILURE FOR A SAFETY SYSTEM ? I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN REPORTED BY OTHER CONSUMERS, NOTING SIMILAR SYMPTOMS, SO I'M LESS INCLINED TO BELIEVE THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED AN ISOLATED EVENT. IN EACH INSTANCE, THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS OF BRAKE WEAR (NO NOISES, PEDAL FADE, WEAR SENSOR SQUEAL, LOSS OF BRAKING POWER, ETC.) THERE ALSO HAS BEEN NO "INCIDENTS", OR ACCIDENTS AS A RESULT. *NM

DT: THE VEHICLE IS A 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AIM GT. WHEN THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 60 MPH THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN. IT WAS LIKE THE GAS PEDAL WAS STUCK THE CONSUMER PUT IT IN PARK TO STOP THE VEHICLE FROM GOING ANY FASTER. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL RUNNING EVEN THOUGH IT WAS IN PARK. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON 3 SEPARATE OCASSIONS. THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING BETWEEN 40-60 MPH WHEN EACH EVENT OCCURRED. WHEN THE CONSUMER WENT TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS THEY TOLD HER THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT FIND THE CODE. THE CONSUMER FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL NUMBER NHTSA CAMPAIGN I.D. NO. 04V528000; GM RECALL NO. 04092. WHEN SHE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER THEY TOLD HER THAT HER VIN NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. SHE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THEM COMPLAINT NUMBER 1-351-1304107. AS OF NOW THIS IS THE ONLY KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS AS OF YET. *JB

I AM SEEKING ADVICE ABOUT A MATTER PERTAINING TO THE CAR I MOMENTARILY OWN. I BELIEVE THAT THE CAR SOLD TO ME HAS BEEN IN ACCIDENT AND REPAIRED. THE BRAKES FEEL AS IF THEY ARE GOING TO GIVE OUT AND HAVE NOT BEEN WORKING CORRECTLY FROM THE BEGINNING. AFTER INFORMING AND BRINGING THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY FELT ALL THAT WAS NEEDED WAS FOR THEM TO BE LUBED. THEY SAY THE CAR IS FINE BUT I AM THE ONE DRIVING IT AND IT HAS NOT BEEN WORKING PROPERLY. I WENT TO A FEW DEALERSHIPS TO OBTAIN OTHER OPINIONS AND I WAS TOLD THE CAR WAS NOT RUNNING PROPERLY. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM AND FINALLY THEY REALIZED THE BRAKES WERE NOT IN GOOD SHAPE. PARTS WERE REPAIRED. FOR A FEW WEEKS THE CAR WAS RUNNING OK BUT THE BRAKES WERE STILL NOT WORKING PROPERLY. I FELT A BUCKING EVERYTIME I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES. THE NEXT TIME THE ROTORS WERE FIXED. I HAVE INVOICES TO BACK WHAT HAS BEEN REPAIRED. I BOUGHT THE CAR IN NOVEMBER 2003 AND IN THE BEGINNING OF 2004 THE PROBLEMS ALREADY STARTED AND HAVE NOT STOPPED SINCE. I DID NOT DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL DECEMBER 2003, SINCE I WAS OUT OF THE COUNTRY IN NOVEMBER. THE PAINT ON THE HOOD STARTED IN 2004 TO COME OFF. THAT NEEDED TO BE REPAINTED. THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS FOG UP, WATER CONDENSATION IS BUILDING UP. THE CAR IS RUNNING AS IF THE BOTTOM WILL FALL OFF. IT SOUNDS LIKE AN OLD CAR. EVERY TIME I SAY THAT THE CAR IS NOT RUNNING CORRECTLY AND ASK THEM TO TEST DRIVE IT, THEY ONLY FIX WHAT I STATE WHAT I THINK IS WRONG. I ASK YOU TO LOOK INTO THIS MATTER AND SEE IF YOU CAN HELP ME CLEAR UP THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF ANY MORE INFORMATION IS REQUIRED. I AM STATING THE VIN [XXX]. THANK YOU. [XXX]. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I DROVE FROM THE STATE OF VIRGINIA, HEADING TO RENO, NV TO VISIT FAMILY. I WAS DRIVING A 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM SE1 3.4L. THE CONDITIONS OF THE ROAD WERE WET, AS IT WAS RAINING. THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT WAS 75MPH - I WAS TRAVELLING AT 68MPH. I WAS INVOLVED IN A SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT, IN FORT BRIDGER, WYOMING. A SEMI-TRUCK CUT IN FRONT OF ME, IN THE LEFT LANE, FROM THE RIGHT LANE - SPLASHING ALOT OF WATER OVER MY VEHICLE. I HYDROPLANED AND MY CAR SPUN OUT OF CONTROL TO THE RIGHT. I HIT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD GUARD RAIL WITH THE LEFT/FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, AND THEN THE CAR SLID ACROSS THE ROAD RAMMING THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD GUARD RAIL, DEAD CENTER IN THE REAR END. I WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT, BUT I WAS STILL SLAMMED AND JOLTED FORWARD AND SIDEWAYS. NEITHER OF MY DUAL FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE SPEED THAT WAS CALCULATED BY THE HIGHWAY PATROL AT THE TIME THAT I HIT THE GUARD RAIL WAS AT A MINIMUM OF 60-65MPH. THE AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED WITH EITHER IMPACT OF THE FRONT AND REAR, AT A MINIMUM SPEED OF 35MPH, AND THEY DID NOT. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE VEHICLE FROM THE INCIDENT.