1997 Pontiac Grand Am

THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS MENTIONED IN NHTSA RECALL 02V70000. IF THE ENGINE FAILS TO START AND THE DRIVER HOLDS THE KEY IN THE STAR POSITION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, HIGH CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND SOMETIMES PRODUCES ENOUGH HEAT TO MELT INTERNAL SWITCH PARTS. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK THE IGNITION LOCKED. *SC

THE DASHBOARD COMPONENTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE VEHICLE ON AND OFF BUT THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS STAYED ILLUMINATED. WITHIN SECONDS OF THIS, SMOKE STARTED COMING FORM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED AND DAMAGED THE STEERING COLUMN AND OTHER COMPONENTS. THERE WAS A IGNITION SWITCH RECALL 02V07000 BUT THE CONSUMER WAS NEVER NOTIFIED ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS WAS COVERED BY THE RECALL. *JB

THE KEY GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND AUXILLARY LIGHTS REMAIN ON. THE LOCKSMITH ATTEMPTS TO FIX IT AND I HAVE TO KEEP HAVING HIM COME OUT; LOOKS LIKE A REPLACEMENT CORE IS NEEDED, THEE IS NOT A CHEAP WAY OUTOF THIS. THE BAKE PADS WEAR DOWN VERY QUICKLY. IT SEEMS THAT A BOLT ON THE CALIPER IS NOT EVEN WITH THE OPPOSITE BOLT, IT'S VERY SLIGHT BUT IT'S THE SAME ON BOTH CALIPERS AND SEEMS TO CAUSE PADS TO WEAR UNEVENLY AND OFTEN. IT IS PROBABLY CHEAPER FOR GM TO HAVE COSUMERS REPLACE PADS AND ROTORS OFTEN THAN TO RETOOL THE MACHINERY TO FIX ALL THOSE BOLTS. *AK

CAR IS A 1997 GRAND AM SE WITH 2.4L ENGINE AN AUTOMATIC TRANS WITH 90,000 MILES. IGNITION KEY GETS STUCK IN CAR AND WON'T COME OUT UNLESS CAR IS SHIFTED FROM NUETRAL TO PARK SEVERAL TIMES AND KEY IS CYCLED IN IGNITION. BATTERY'S AND ALTERNATORS LAST ONLY 1 YEAR. WATER PUMP FAILS AT 43,OOO MILES ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS VERY SKETCHY AND POWER DOOR LOCKS, WINDOWS AND LIGHTS WORK SPORADICALLY EVER SINCE PURCHASE AT 31,000 MILES.

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

AIR BAG EQUIPMENT INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED.*MR WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, BOTH OF PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS EXPLODED WITH NO APPARENT REASON. AS RESULT THE DASH WAS COMPLETELY TORN APART, THE PLASTIC MOLDING OF THE CD PLAYER HAD BLOWN OFF, THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR APPEARED TO BE SPRUNG, BUT THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT TO HAVE CAUSE THIS EXPLOSION AND DAMAGE. THE DEALERSHIP AGREED TO FIX THE AIR BAGS AND SENSORS, BUT NOTHING MORE. THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING THAT THE VEHICLE BE RETURNED TO HIM IN THE SAME STATE IT WAS BEFORE THE AIR BAG EXPLOSION OCCURED. PLEASE ASSIST IN RESOLVING MATTERS. *CB

1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM - POWER WINDOWS - MOTORS BOTH LEFT DRIVERS SIDE AND RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE. WINDOWS WILL NOT GO UP OR DOWN. ONCE THE MOTORS COOL DOWN THE WINDOWS CAN ONLY BE RAISED .5 INCH EVERY 5 MINUTES. THERE IS NO SEALANT OR GASKET TO PREVENT MOISTURE TO THE MOTOR WHICH CAUSES AN ELECTRICAL SHORT TO THE MOTOR. THE PONTIAC GRAND AM, OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA AND BUICK SKYLARK ALL HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME DESIGN PROBLEM REQUIRING MILLIONS OF HOURS OF SERVICE AND LABOR AND TONS OF SCRAP METAL. THIS HAS BEEN A DESIGN ISSUE FOR AT LEAST 15 YEARS. WHAT A SCAM. WHO'S IN CHARGE?

WHEN A TURN WAS MADE, THE STEERING WHEEL PRODUCED A LOUD RUBBING NOISE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK THERE WERE HIGH IDLE PROBLEMS. THE INTERIOR LIGHTS AND THE POWER LOCKS WERE REPLACED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON AND THE VEHICLE HAD STARTED TO RUN ROUGH, THE ALTERNATOR LIGHT HAD COME ON AND THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED. THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT AND WAS REPLACED, THE LOWER FRONT CONTROL ARM WAS REPLACED, THE BLOWER MOTOR WAS REPLACED, THE COMPRESSOR WAS REPLACED, WHEN STARTING THE ENGINE COLD, THERE WAS A KNOCKING SOUND ON THE RIGHT SIDE UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS WARM ,THEN THE NOISE WOULD GO AWAY, SURGING WOULD ALSO OCCUR AND WOULD WORSEN WHEN THE ENGINE WAS WARMED, THE VOLUME ON THE RADIO WAS ERRATIC(HAD GONE UP WHEN TRYING TO TURN DOWN), THE SENSOR THROTTLE POSITION SHORTED AND WAS INTERMITTENT, THE VALVE AIR CONTROL WAS REPLACED, AND THE FUEL FILTER WAS REPLACED. *SCC *JB