1997 Pontiac Grand Am

SEPT. 2005 MY 1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM WOULDN'T START. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS COMPLETELY LOCKED. COULDN'T GET THE KEY INTO THE SWITCH,TRIED TO SHAKE STEERING WHEEL AND TRIED BANGING ON THE SWITCH AND TRIED FORCING THE KEY IN, BUT NOTHING WORKED. HAD TO TAKE COVER OFF UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL AND PUSH A BOTTOM THAT I FOUND AND IT UNLOCKED, THEN IT STARTED. EVEN THE DASH LIGHT STOPPED WORKING. BEEN DRIVING WITH NO DASH LIGHT FOR A WHILE. IT STARTED DOING IT AGAIN, BUT HIS TIME THE BUTTON UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL WOULDN'T WORK. HAD TO PUT A TOGGLE SWITCH IN, TO EVEN START. I TURNED THE KEY ON PUSHED THE TOGGLE SWITCH AND IT STARTED. THAT LASTED TILL 6-7-06. THAT DAY I TURNED ON THE SWITCH AND IT SOUNDED LIKE THE STARTER WAS HUNG. NOW MY POWER WINDOWS WONT WORK, THE POWER DOOR LOCKS STILL WORK. FOUND RECALL ONLINE, THE CODE NUMBER IS 02008B, IT SAYS THE ENGINE FAILS TO START WHEN THE DRIVER HOLDS THE KEY IN THE START POSITION FOR A PERIOD, HIGH CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND SOMETIMES PRODUCES HEAT TO MELT INTERNAL SWITCH PARTS. TOWED CAR TO PONTIAC DEALER 6-22-06 THINKING MAYBE THE RECALL WOULD FIX MY PROBLEM. I TOLD HIM TO DO A DIAGNOSTIC TEST ON IT AND IT CAME BACK THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER IS BAD. THEN HE TOLD ME THE PRICE AND I SAID, I CANT AFFORD THAT. HE SAID, THAT IT HAD TO BE FIXED BEFORE HE COULD FIX THE RECALL. THEY WANTED $222.86 FOR THE PART AND $275.88 FOR LABOR, $7.27 FOR MISC. $14.58 FOR TAXES THEN HE CHANGED IT $20.00 FOR MISC. TOTALING TO $533.32 TO FIX THE CYLINDER. I TOLD HIM I FOUND RECALLS ONLINE AND EVEN COPIED THEM AND BROUGHT IT TO HIM. BUT HE SAID, THAT HE'S GOT TO GO BY WHAT HE HAS ON HIS RECALL FROM GM. I SAYING IF ITS NOT ON HIS RECALL THEN IT SHOULD BE. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER. SO I HAD IT TOWED TO ANOTHER PLACE THAT WOULD PUT THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER IN FOR $239 INCLUDING PARTS AND LABOR. *NM

IN 2001, DRIVER SIDE WINDOW MOTOR DOES NOT OPERATE ANYMORE. REPLACED IT. ($150). IN 2003, DRIVER WINDOW MOTOR AND PASSENGER AND REAR PASSENGER MOTOR DIES ONCE AGAIN. REPLACED ALL MOTORS, NOW THEY ARE DEAD AGAIN. ESPECIALLY WHEN MY AC DOES NOT WORK EITHER. IN 2004, HEATER CORE AND WATER PUMP BROKEN. REPAIRED. NOW I HAVE A WATER LEAK IN THE DRIVER'S FLOOR AREA WHICH RUINED MY CARPET AND THAT HAS TO BE REPLACED! ANOTHER $200. IT SEEMS IT ALL EVOLVES AROUND ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. *NM

INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WARPED AND COOLANT LEAKED. THIS IS THE SECOND GM 3.1 L ENGINE WHICH HAS HAD TO HAVE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD REPLACED. ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP AT THE SAME TIME. ADDITIONALLY THE ALTERNATOR HAS BEEN REPLACED (AGAIN IN BOTH GM 3.1 L'S I'VE HAD). THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE COMMON WITH PONTIAC'S AND MALIBU'S (AND OTHER GM MADE CARS). IT'S EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR AT A SHOP AND TIME CONSUMING AND FRUSTRATING TO DO ON YOUR OWN. IT'S RIDICULOUS THAT SUCH A CHEAP PART AND CHEAPLY MADE PART HASN'T BEEN RECALLED. *JB

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

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ONE DAY AND THE ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE A FUNNY NOISE, AND WHEN I SHUT IT OFF. TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC , THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE CONNECTING ROD. I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE BECAUSE IT IS CHEAPER TO PUT AN ENGINE IN RATHER THEN REBUILD THE ONE I HAVE. THE ENGINE IS STILL IN THE CAR BECAUSE I HAVEN'T GOT ENOUGH MONEY TO REPLACE IT.*AK