1997 Pontiac Grand Am

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM. WHILE TRAVELING 70 MPH, BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT SIDE AIRBAGS HAD DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 189,000. UPDATED 02/01/118 LJ THE CONSUMER AND HER PASSENGER WERE INJURED DUE TO THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAGS. UPDATED 03/18/11 *JB

1) FIREWALL BODY SEAM LEAKS WATER INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT DUE TO RUST THROUGH. FILLS FLOORS BENEATH CARPETS WITH WATER. CAUSES AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE (SDM) UNDER PASSENGER'S SEAT TO FAIL DUE TO MOISTURE. ACTIVATES "AIR BAR" DASH LIGHT. GM HAS ISSUED A LETTER RELATED TO "FLOOD" CARS. IT GOES BEYOND FLOODS!!!! THIS IS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN & BUILD PROBLEM. 2) WATER ENTERS EVERY TIME IT RAINS. THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE (SDM) LOCATED UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT (STUPID DESIGN) HAS FAILED DUE TO MOISTURE UNDER THE CARPETING. "AIR BAG" LIGHT IS TRIGGERED AND GM WARNS THAT AIR BAG(S) COULD DEPLOY WITHOUT WARNING!!! 3) I HAVE REMOVED THE 10A AIR BAG FUSE AND DISCONNECTED BOTH AIR BAGS BY UNPLUGGING WIRES TO THE INFLATORS. GM SAYS THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE (SDM) NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. NO THANK-YOU, GM SHOULD COVER REPLACEMENT AND FIREWALL REPAIRS TO PREVENT RECURRENCE, PERIOD. THIS IS THE 2ND CASE OF FIREWALL WATER LEAKAGE I HAVE SEEN ON THE GM "N" BODIED CARS. THE OTHER WAS AN OLDS ACHIEVA WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE RUST OUT AREAS FROM BOTH VEHICLES. GM SHOULD BE MADE TO RECALL & REPAIR THESE CARS - FREE OF CHARGE TO THE OWNERS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM. IN RAINY WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE BECAME COMPLETELY SATURATED WITH WATER. TWO YEARS LATER, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTICE ADVISING CONSUMERS THAT THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE COULD FAIL AND ALLOW WATER TO ENTER THE VEHICLE, CAUSING UNEXPECTED AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT AND FLOODING. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE LETTER WAS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSUME ANY FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE COSTLY REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH UNDER NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE PASSENGER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER. THERE WAS A RECALL ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE FOR THE SAME YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE IN CANADA. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS 03-162. UPDATED 12/28/2006 - *NM

THIS IS THE WORST CAR (LEMON) I HAVE EVER HAD. I BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM A USED CAR DEALER SHIP CALLED NEW CAR ALTERNATIVE IN LIVONIA MI. I AM NOW ON MY THIRD ENGINE IN THE CAR. THE FIRST 2 FAILED DUE TO THE HEAD GASKETS BLOWING AND ANTI-FREEZE WAS MIXING WITH OIL IN THE ENGINE CAUSING ENGINE FAILURE. ALL CAR WINDOW MOTORS HAVE BE REPLACED 4 OR 5 TIMES EACH AND STILL DON'T WORK. BACK TWO DOORS ARE BROKE ONE WONT OPEN THE OTHER WONT CLOSE. THE SUNROOF WONT CLOSE THE DEALER TOLD ME 1500 TO REPLACE MOTOR AND PUT BACK ON TRACKS. LOL I HAVE THE BRAKES REPLACED 3 TIMES IN 5 YEARS. I BOUGHT THE CAR DEC OF 99 AND HAVE HAD ALL THESE PROBLEMS SINCE. I DON'T RECOMMEND ANYONE TO BUY A GRAND AM OR A CAR FROM THIS DEALERSHIP THEY WERE NO HELP AT ALL. THE FIRST ENGINE WAS COVERED BY WARRANTY SECOND ONE WAS AT MY COST OF 3500. THEN ANOTHER 1500 FOR NEW RADIATOR AND HEATER CORE. THEN ALTERNATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THAT I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION HOSE. THIS IS SUCH BULL CRAP. WHAT A LEMON! PLUS I WAS PULLING OUT OF A GAS STATION ONE DAY AND MY AIR BAG DECIDED TO COME OUT ON IT OWN NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED AND HIT ME IN THE FACE RESULTING IN INJURIES AND I HAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL. *JB

97 GRAND AM 4CYL PUR NEW 5/97 SERIES OF PROBLEMS.GT VERSION BUT DRIVEN CAUTIOUSLY BY 40 YEAR OLDS.AT 2 YEARS AND 39,000 MILES WATER PUMP FAILS.IS UNDER CAR AND IS 600.00 DOL TO REPLACE!NOBODY SHOULD BUY THE 4 CYLINDER WHEN AN ITEM PRONE TO FAILURE LIKE A WATER PUMP CANT BE ACCESSED WITHOUT REMOVING THE MANIFOLDS ON THE CAR.AT 50,000 KEY COMES OUT OF IGNITION WHILE CAR RUNNING.IGNITION SWITCH FAILS,HAS TO BE RE KEYED AND COST IS 500.00 BY LOCAL MECHANIC SERV STAT.AT 55,000 MILES AT INTERLOCKS UP,CAR STUCK TOWED AT THIS TIME A ALTERNATOR CHECK SHOWS THAT IS NOT CHARGING.REPLACE BOTH COST 800.00 PLUS BATTERY.DEC 2000 FRONT LEFT TIRE ON ALUM WHEEL IS FLAT-TAKE TO SEV STAT,THEY REFILL DRIVE CAR AFTER X-MAS IT DEFLATES CAUSES CAR TO SPIN HIT LIGHT POLE MOSTLY ON TIRE AREA AT 40 MPH ,NO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT BUT A HIGH SNOWBANK DECELERATES CAR.ALUM WHEEL LEAK AGAIN?EVER SINCE W.PUMP REPLACED A TAPPING COMES FROM CAM AREA.AT 75,000 MILES AUTO DR LOCK IN DRIV SIDE FAILS AND IS REPLACED.CAM NOISE CONT. AS SERV. PEOPLE SAY IT IS A LIFTER,FINALLY IN 2002 DEC. CAR RUNS ROUGH ,IS PUT ON COMP. AND FOUND TO HAVE BAD CAM TIMING.CHAIN IS INSPECTED AS IT IS STEEL AND FOR LIFE OF CAR.A TINY CHEAP BRACKET KEEPS THE CHAIN IN PLACE AND IT HAD CRACKED AND SLOWLY BROKEN AT 80,000 MILES.ENGINE GOT BY WITH NEW CHAIN AND LABOR FOR 800.00 DOL.85,000 NEW BATTERY,95,000 NEW BATTERY.108,000 4 SPEED AUTOTRANS STARTS SLIPPING INTO NEUTRAL.CAR STOPS ON HIGHWAY WONT MOVE.HW PATROL TOWS ,CHARGED 129.00 TO REPAIR SHOP.SAY TRANNY IS BAD.AND WATER PUMP IS LEAKING AGAIN.BILL WOULD BE THOUSANDS DUE TO PREMATURE FAILURE OF THESE PARTS AND CAR WILL BE SOLD AS PARTS CAR.TOO BAD,LOOKS GOOD.-MARCH 06,2004.*AK

MY SON'S GRAND AM DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED AFTER THE CAR WAS DRIVEN THROUGH A PUDDLE HIDING A POT HOLE. HE SUSTAINED BURNS ON HIS RIGHT ARM AND HAD TO STOP THE CAR AND EXIT IN ORDER TO STOP COUGHING FROM THE AIRBAG POWDER. PONTIAC CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS CONTACTED, INFORMED ABOUT THE INCIDENT, DIGITAL PICTURES TAKEN BY THE REPAIRING PONTIAC DEALER WERE INSPECTED AND, BASED ON PAINT FLAKING FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BUMPER COVER AND A DENT IN THE CROSSMEMBER, THEY CONCLUDED THIS DAMAGE CAUSED THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY. HOWEVER, THE SERVICE MANAGER TO THE REPAIRING DEALER WAS VERY SKEPTICAL OF THIS CONCLUSION SINCE THIS KIND OF DAMAGE SHOULD NOT DEPLOY THE AIRBAG AND, BASED ON THE DESIGN OF THIS CAR, BOTH FRONT AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. FURTHER, THERE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINTS LODGED AGAINST THIS VEHICLE FOR THE SAME SITUATION (NHSTA WEB SITE) AND GM OF CANADA HAS ISSUED A RECALL FOR IMPROPER AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. I BELIEVE GM IS REPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT OF THE REPAIRS TO THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT.