2002 Pontiac Grand Am

THE SECURITY LIGHT HAS BEEN GOING ON AND OFF SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR USED BACK AT THE END OF JUNE. I WENT TO GO PAY A BILL SHUT THE CAR OFF PAID THE BILL AND RETURNED BACK TO THE CAR. I WENT TO PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND THE CAR WOULD NOT TURN ON AND THE SECURITY LIGHT WAS BLINKING. I THEN HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PASSLOCK SENSOR WAS AT FAULT AND THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE SENSOR ASSEMBLY AND IGNITION SENSOR WHICH ENDED UP COSTING ME ALMOST 600 BUCKS! *TR

THIS IS A SECOND VEHICLE WITH VERY LIMITED MILEAGE, WHICH IS DRIVEN BY MY WIFE. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM A PONTIAC DEALER SO I CAN VERIFY MILEAGE AND THAT IT WAS MAINTAINED. THE FIRST INDICATION OF A PROBLEM WAS WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHOT INTO THE RED ZONE. FORTUNATELY, I WAS NEAR AN EXIT AND ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD BEFORE CAR STALLED OUT. SINCE I HAD ALREADY STARTED TO SLOW DOWN I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL CAR AND TO GET IT STOPPED SAFELY WITHOUT HAVING POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. CAR WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO PRESSURE TEST COOLING SYSTEM AND INFORMED ME OF THE PROBLEM AND TOLD ME THAT GM WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM AND THAT THEY MIGHT HELP WITH REPAIR COST. GM INSISTED THAT VEHICLE BE CHECKED BY ONE OF THEIR DEALERS BEFORE ANYTHING COULD BE DONE. THE GM DEALER DID VERIFY THE FACT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET CRACKED CAUSING CAR TO OVERHEAT, AND STALL OUT. THIS PROBLEM IS A RESULT OF THE ANTI-FREEZE GM USES, DEX COOL, WHICH REACTS WITH INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET CAUSING THE GASKET TO BREAK DOWN. GM HAS ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN #03-06-01-010, BACK IN 2003 TO ITS DEALER, BUT DID NOT NOTIFY VEHICLE OWNERS. IT SEEMS WHEN THE MANUFACTURER INSTALLS BAD PARTS OR INCOMPATIBLE PARTS/FLUIDS LIKE THIS, THAT THEY SHOULD OFFER A SOLUTION THAT IS REASONABLE AND EXCEPT THE RESPONSIBILITY AT THE VERY LEAST. *TR

I PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND TURN IT TO THE START POSITION BUT IT WOULDN'T START. THERE IS A WORK AROUND THAT IS DETAILED IN THE 2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM OWNER'S MANUAL ON PAGE 2-18 THAT SAYS "AFTER ATTEMPTING TO START THE ENGINE, IF THE SECURITY LIGHT FLASHES OR STAYS ON, WAIT TEN MINUTES WITH THE KEY IN ON UNTIL THE LIGHT GOES OFF. THEN TURN THE IGNITION TO OFF BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO START THE ENGINE AGAIN." I DID THAT AND IT WORKED BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE NECESSARY. THE CAR SHOULD START RIGHT AWAY. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME BUT IT ISN'T AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND THIS WEBSITE INCLUDES COMMENTS FROM OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM: HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F0F6220/0 THIS FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED YET. *TR

1. NO KNOWLEDGE OF EVENTS LEADING TO FAILURE. 2. TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD LIGHTS ARE INOPERATIVE. SIGNALS AND HAZARDS FAIL TO WORK APROX 75% OF THE TIME. WHEN THE TURN SIGNALS ARE INOPERATIVE THE DRIVER CANNOT USE THEM TO SIGNAL INTENT TO TURN RESULTING IN A CRASH. 3. NO REPLACEMENT PARTS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED. CURRENTLY AWAITING RESPONSE FROM DEALERSHIP IN REGARDS TO ISSUE. *TR

MY WIFE'S CAR IS A 2002 PONTIAC GRANDAM 2.2L ECOTEC ENGINE. AT 95000+ MILES, THE CAR JUST LOST ALL POWER AND MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE CAR DIED. CAR WAS TAKEN TO 2 GARAGES AND FOUND TO HAVE A BROKEN TIMING CHAIN (NOT BELT). GALLAGHER BUICK IN NEW BRITAIN CT FOUND THAT THE ENGINE IS NOW DESTROYED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. IT IS AN INTERFERENCE ENGINE. SHE HAS KEPT UP WITH REQUIRED MAINTENANCE.I HAVE LOOKED ONLINE FOR MORE INSTANCES OF THIS HAPPENING AND SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE. ONE INDIVIDUAL HAD HIS TIMING CHAIN BREAK AT 57000 MILES. GM IS NOT ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROBLEM. THEY ARE TELLING US TO DEAL WITH THE REPAIR DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE SINCE YOU CAN READ MANY HORROR STORIES ONLINE ABOUT THIS ENGINE AND THE DEFECTIVE TIMING CHAIN BREAKING PREMATURE (AS MY MECHANIC HAS SAID ) AND ENGINES BEING RUINED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. IN ORDER TO GET THE VEHICLE TO START, HE WOULD TURN THE IGNITION TO THE START POSITION AND WAIT FOR 10 MINUTES BEFORE TURNING IT BACK OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. THE FAILURE RECURS INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE EXAMINED FOR THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 66,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BLINKER AND HAZARD LIGHTS WOULD FAIL INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A SHORTAGE IN THE SOLDER WIRING FROM BECOMING UN-WELDED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THERE WERE NO RECALLS AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 150,000. UPDATED 9/13/10 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE 2000 MODEL, BUT NOT THE 2002. UPDATED 09/15/10

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START DUE TO THE SECURITY SYSTEM FAILING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE SECURITY PASS LOCK HAD FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT WOULD NOT ASSIST DUE TO THE VEHICLES AGE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 101,500.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE ON HIS VEHICLE, AT TIMES, WILL NOT START. THE OWNER STATED THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO MOVE HIS VEHICLE IF NEEDED. THE WEATHER OR THE TEMPERATURE OF THE ENGINE MAKES NO DIFFERENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER BUT THEY CANNOT DIAGNOSE THEY FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE 19,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 39,653. UPDATED 11/03/10. *LJ UPDATED 12/22/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS THE PASSLOCK SECURITY WAS DEFECTIVE WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE NOT TO START. UPDATED 12/30/10