2004 Pontiac Grand Prix

2004 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX ENGINE SHUTS DOWN WHILE DRIVING. IMMEDIATE FAILURE OF POWER STEERING (IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE A TURN WHILE DRIVING= SCARY!); ELECTRIC/ ELECTRONIC FAILURE ALSO. THEN, AFTER A COMPLETE STOP, AND KEY OFF IGNITION, THE CAR RESTARTS LIKE NOTHING HAPPENS. THE CAR WHEN TWICE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND DID NOT FIND ANYTHING. THEY THINK THAT WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE A CAR! THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER, AND VERY DANGEROUS! IF SOMEONE DIES FROM THIS OCCURRENCE, INVESTIGATION WILL NOT CONCLUDED TO THIS PROBLEM, BUT MORE LIKELY TO THE LOST OF CONTROL OF THE DRIVER! IT HAPPENS 3 TIMES TO US ALREADY, AND ONCE WITH A GRAND-PRIX RENTAL. PLEASE CHECK IT.

LOST CONTROL OF STEERING. SINCE REACHING ABOUT 20000 MILES ON MY 2004 GRAND PRIX, I NOTICED A ?CLICKING? NOISE WHEN I TURNED THE WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT. IT WAS ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE AT LOW SPEED, E.G. IN A PARKING LOT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY TIGHTENED THE STEERING AND THAT GM WAS AWARE AND THAT?S WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO AND THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. I WAS NOT TOLD THAT I SHOULD CONTINUE TO BRING IT IN. THE NOISE DIMINISHED FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND THEN RETURNED. IT HAS BEEN MAKING THAT NOISE NOW FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. YESTERDAY, I WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND TURNED OFF AT AN EXIT RAMP. AS I SLOWED DOWN TO TURN ONTO THE RAMP THE STEERING LOCKED TO THE RIGHT AND THE CAR SPUN AROUND IN CIRCLES UNTIL IT FINALLY CAME TO A STOP. IT SEEMED AS THROUGH THE ACCELERATOR AND THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING EFFECTIVELY. THE CAR SHUT OFF. I RESTARTED THE CAR AND DROVE 2 MILES TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE SHAFT WAS REPLACED AND THE CAR IS FINE. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE SHAFT PROBABLY WOULDN?T HAVE CAUSED THE CAR TO SPIN LIKE THAT?THAT IT WAS DRIVER ERROR.*AK

2004 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX, CLUNKING NOISE ON DRIVERS FRONT END WHEN YOU TURN THE WHEEL EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT. I WAS ADVISED YESTERDAY THAT GMC IS AWARE OF THIS DEFECT AND AT THIS TIME IS DOING NOTHING. THERE WAS A TECHNICAL BULLETION ISSUED ON 7/27/04 TO GMC/PONTAIC DEALERSHIPS. "DEFECT" CERTAIN PASSENGAR VEHICLES HAVE A CONDITION WHERE THE FRONT FRAM REAR BODY MOUNT BRACKET MAY FRACTURE AND DEGRADE TO THE POINT WHERE THE INTERMEDICATE STEERING SHAFT COULD SEPARATE, RESULTING IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL, WHICH INCREASES THE RISK OF A CRASH. THIS IS A SERIOUS DEFECT. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH PONTIAC, GMC, AND THE LOCAL GMC DEALERSHIP AND GOTTEN NOTHING BUT THE RUN AROUND! IF YOU VIEW A WEBSITE CALLED "MYCARSTATS.COM THERE ARE COMSUMER COMPLAINTS ON THE STEERING COLUMN. I GUESS SOMEONE HAS TO BE KILLED BEFORE GMC ACKNOWLEDGES THIS DEFECT. PLEASE COULD SOMEONE CONTACT ME. *AK

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A 4 LANES HIGHWAY HEADING HOME AT 2:30P.M. AS I PROCEEDED TO SLOW DOWN FOR A RED LIGHT, ALL THE LIGHS IN THE VEHICLE FLASHED AND THEN EVERYTHING WENT OUT, INCLUDING MY POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. LUCKLY NO CARS WERE TO MY RIGHT AND I WAS ABLE TO TURN THE STIFF WHEEL SOME AND JUMP A CRIB. I THEN HAD TO USE MY PARKING BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE.*AK

1) AFTER TURNING OFF A MAJOR ROAD INTO A RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX, THE CAR FIRST HESITATED, THEN I LOST POWER STEERING WHILE NAVIGATING A SHARP LEFT CURVE; AFTER TURNING THE CAR ON AND OFF TWICE, WAS ABLE TO REGAIN STEERING; SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS UNABLE TO REPEAT THE PROBLEM NOR DETERMINE CAUSE; 2) ON 2 OCCASIONS PRIOR, I EXPERIENCED SEVERE HESITATION ON ACCELERATION--SEVERITY OF HESITATION SEEMED TO BE DIRECTLY RELATED TO RATE OF ACCELERATION (HESITATION MOST SEVERE AT HARD ACCELERATION); THE HESITATION CONTINUED EVERY TIME I DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR UNTIL THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF; WHEN THE CAR WAS RE-STARTED, THE PROBLEM WAS GONE; THESE 2 OCCURRENCES HAPPENED ABOUT 45 DAYS APART AND AGAIN ABOUT 30 DAYS LATER, PRIOR TO LOSS OF POWER STEERING DESCRIBED IN #1; SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPEAT THE PROBLEM NOR DETERMINE POSSIBLE CAUSE; 3) NUISANCE PROBLEM--RECURRING SQUEAKING, AT TIMES SQUEALING, IN THE STEERING COLUMN WHEN TURNING AT LOW SPEEDS; ON ONE OCCURRENCE THERE WAS ALSO A RATTLING IN THE STEERING COLUMN; DEALER HAS LUBRICATED, RE-LUBRICATED, RE-INSTALLED COIL, REPLACED INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. *JB

1) THE INTERMET CAST ALUMINUM STEERING KNUCKLE FAILED IN MY 2004 PONTIAC GRAN PRIX AT 26,000 MILES. I RECOLLECT HITTING 2 LARGE POTHOLES, ONE AT ABOUT 20,000 MILES, THE SECOND AT 25500 MILES AND THE KNUCKLE BROKE AFTER BUMPING A CURB AT A SPEED OF 28 MILES AN HOUR AT 26,000 MILES. ) WHEN THE STEERING KNUCKLE FAILED, THE HALF SHAFT CAME OUT, THE TIE ROD BENT, THE ALUMINUM RIM BROKE, AND THE MCPHERSON STRUT BENT. TOTAL COST FOR THE REPAIR WAS $3,500. I WAS LUCKY THAT I HIT A CURB AT A LOW SPEED. I WAS ABLE TO STILL STEER THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MODE I BELIEVE WAS IMPACT, RATHER THAN FATIGUE, WHICH COULD HAVE OCCURRED AT 70 MILES ON AN INTERSTATE. 3) GM WOULD NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FAILURE AS IT WAS DUE TO COLLISION WITH A CURB. THIS VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT COST TO THE COMPANY THAT I WORK FOR. *AK

I PURCHASED A 2004 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GTP COMP G FROM RYDELL AUTOMOTIVE (VAN NUYS, CA) ON OCTOBER 24, 2004. IN MAY 2004 THE POWER STEERING HOSE HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A FLUID LEAK. AUGUST 23, 2004 I HAD THE 30,000 MILE SERVICE PERFORMED (I HAVE A LONG COMMUTE), AND THAT INCLUDED A SERVICE OF THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM. AUGUST 31, 2004 WHILE MAKING A THREE POINT TURN IN A PARKING LOT, I HEARD A LOUD POP AND LOST THE ABILITY TO CONTROL THE STEERING OF THE VEHICLE. WHITE SMOKE POURED OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND FILLED THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT (THE A/C WAS ON). I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND OPENED THE HOOD TO SEE THE ENGINE ON FIRE. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY SEVERAL LARGE BOTTLES OF WATER AND THE ASSISTANCE OF A PASSERBY. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE RYDELL DEALER IN SAN FERNANDO WHERE IT REMAINS UN-REPAIRED. THE GM FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE SAID I SHOULD SUBMIT A CLAIM WITH MY INSURANCE, EVEN THOUGH I AM CLEARLY WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD. CURRENTLY NEGOTIATING WITH THE DEALERSHIP DIRECTLY AND I AM REQUESTING A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE SINCE I FEEL THE PROBLEM COULD RECUR. *AK