2005 Pontiac Grand Am

IN MANY OCCASIONS I HAD A COUPLE OF INCIDENTS, ONE BECAUSE OF A YELLOW POLE AND ANOTHER BECAUSE OF AN OBJECT IN THE FREEWAY. AND THE AIR BAG WOULDN'T DEPLOYED. I PAID FOR THE REPAIRS AND I AM STILL DRIVING THIS CAR. AFTER READING THE LETTER I RECEIVED I HAVE COME TO ONE UNDERSTANDING THAT IS THAT THE CAR ISN'T SAFE. WHAT IS YOU RECOMMENDATION ON MY CONCERNS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT AROUND 50 MPH WHEN I NEEDED TO SLOW DOWN DUE TO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME SLOWING DOWN. I PRESSED ON THE BRAKES AND THEY DID NOT SEEM TO BE WORKING AS THEY SHOULD. I HAD NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THEM IN THE PAST DAYS AND IT SEEMED TO COME OUT OF NOWHERE. THE CAR DID NOT STOP BECAUSE THE BRAKES SEEMED TO HAVE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN INCLUDING THE POWER BREAK. SO I HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND MY CAR WAS TOTALED. SOME WEEKS LATER I RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL LETTER FOR MY CAR (RECALL 14350). IT STATES THAT IF I HAVE ANY WEIGHT ADDED ON TO MY KEY RING IT MIGHT MOVE MY KEY FROM THE "RUN" POSITION. BY THAT HAPPENING, MANY THINGS WILL AUTOMATICALLY SHUT DOWN. ONE OF THEM BEING THE POWER BRAKE. WHICH WOULD INCREASE THE RISK OF OF BEING INVOLVED IN A CRASH, AND IN MY CASE I WAS. IF I HAD BEEN INFORMED ABOUT THIS RECALL BEFORE I WOULD'VE IMMEDIATELY REMOVED ANY EXTRA WEIGHT ON MY KEY RING TO PREVENT SOMETHING LIKE THIS. THE LETTER ALSO STATES THAT MY DEALER WILL FIX THE DEFECT BUT I AM AFRAID THAT IS TOO LATE SINCE MY CAR IS TOTALED AND MY INSURANCE DOES NOT COVER THE DAMAGE. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE I CAN DO SINCE CLEARLY THIS WAS NOT MY FAULT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR TO AN AUTO PARTS STORE TO SEE IF THEY COULD TELL ME WHY MY STEERING KEPT GOING TO THE LEFT SIDE AND BECAUSE I KEPT HEARING A POPPING NOISE, WHILE AT THE AUTO STORE THEY LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND THE MAN TOLD ME LOOKED LIKE THE FRAME WAS RUSTED, AND NOT TO DRIVE IT, AFTER CALLING A TOW TRUCK THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER LOOKED UNDER THE CAR AND SAID THE ENGINE CROSSMEMBER BAR /CRADLE WAS RUSTED OUT WHICH HELD THE RACK AND PINION STEERING, TOWED IT TO AN AUTO BODY PLACE WHICH INFORMED ME TO CALL GENERAL MOTORS, CALLED GENERAL MOTORS THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO A GM DEALERSHIP,AND IT IS NOW AT A GENERAL MOTORS DEALERSHIP, WAITING TO SEE WHAT GENERAL MOTORS IS GOING TO DO, DEALERSHIP ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THE ENGINE CROSSMEBER BAR WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT, WHICH IS WHY THE STEERING WENT HAYWIRE. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ALUMINUM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD WAS PITTED VERY BADLY WHICH CAUSED DUST TO COME FROM THE AREA. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERNED ABOUT THE HEALTH HAZARDS THIS COULD CAUSE. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK UPDATED 7/18/2006 - THE WINDOW ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HESITATED WHILE GOING UP AND DOWN. THE CONSUMER FOUND RUST UNDER THE DASHBOARD. *NM