2003 Pontiac Grand Am

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM. WHEN THE CONTACT TOOK HIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON JULY 27, 2007, A TECHNICIAN INFORMED HIM THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF METAL THAT WERE USED ON THE HEAD AND INTAKE MANIFOLDS. WHEN HEATED, BOTH METALS EXPANDED AT DIFFERENT RATES AND CAUSED THE GASKET TO FAIL. THE MANUFACTURER ADMITTED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO A DESIGN DEFECT. THERE IS A REMEDY FOR THE FAILURE, BUT THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. AN AUTHORIZED DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE ON MAY 5, 2008. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,691 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 30,826. UPDATED 06/17/08. *LJ

THE TICKER SOUND THAT IS USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE FLASHERS OR TURN SIGNAL CONTINUES INCESSANTLY WHEN NEITHER FUNCTION IS ACTIVATED. SOUND COMES FROM BEHIND HAZARD BUTTON, BUT MECHANICS HAVE ADVISED REPLACING THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THEY HAVE WARNED THAT THE SITUATION WILL WORSEN AND PERHAPS CAUSE BRAKE LIGHT PROBLEMS IF NOT CORRECTED. *TR

ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKING. WHEN THE WEATHER WOULD WARM UP THE PEDAL WOULD STICK HOLDING THE THROTTLE OPEN. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS BUT MY VEHICLE WAS 900 CARS OUT OF THE VIN NUMBER BREAK POINT FOR THIS RECALL. THE RECALL NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED ON THIS FAILURE. THE PARTS THAT THE DEALER REPLACED WERE THE SAME PARTS THAT WERE ON THE RECALL VEHICLES. MY VEHICLE IS A 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM WITH A V6 ENGINE IN IT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM. AFTER THE CONTACT TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL WITH THE TURN SIGNAL ACTIVATED, THE SIGNAL CLICKING SOUND CONTINUED. OCCASIONALLY, THE SOUND WOULD STOP AFTER A FEW SECONDS, AND AT OTHER TIMES, IT WOULD CONTINUE. THE CLICKING SOUND WOULD ALSO OCCUR WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 181,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 179,000. *UPDATED 04/30/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE FUSE BOX IS ALSO GIVING HER PROBLEMS SOMETIMES THE GAUGE LIGHTS WILL NOT COME ON AND MAY NOT START AFTER ATTEMPTING TO FIX THE DEFECT. UPDATED 04/23/08 *TR

MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH MAKES A CLICKING NOISE EVEN WHEN I AM NOT USING THE TURN SIGNALS. AT FIRST, IF I WIGGLED OR TAPPED ON THE SWITCH, THE CLICKING WOULD STOP, BUT NOW IT JUST CLICKS INCESSANTLY. IT IS EXTREMELY ANNOYING. YESTERDAY WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY I NOTICED A SMALL STREAM OF SMOKE COMING FROM MY STEERING WHEEL. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE IT TO A PONTIAC DEAL AND THEY ADVISED IT SHOULDN'T CATCH FIRE THAT IT WOULD BLOW A FUSE BEFORE IT GOT TOO HOT. THEY ADVISE IT WOULD COST OVER 300 TO FIX. THIS IS FRUSTRATING BECAUSE IT'S BEEN RECALLED ON SEVERAL EARLIER MODELS. *TR

CAR STALLING IN STARTING. CAR WOULD ATTEMPT TO TURN OVER WITHOUT SUCCESS. TAKEN TO 2 MECHANICS WHO COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM AND ONE STATED THEY COULD NOT EVEN DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. AFTER GETTING STRANDED OVER A 2 WEEK PERIOD AROUND THE HOLIDAYS, THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHICH STATED THE MODULE AND COIL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PAID $500 TO REPLACE THE ITEMS TO BE STRANDED THE SAME DAY THE CAR WAS PICKED UP FROM SERVICE. WAS THEN TOLD IT WAS SHORT IN THE "NEW" MODULE WHICH SHORTED THE PCM (?). 2 WEEKS LATER THE CAR BEGAN ACTING UP AGAIN WITH THE SAME ISSUE FOR ME TO TAKE IT TO A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP, FOR THEM TO LOCK MY CYLINDER AND THEN WANT TO CHARGE ME $700+ DOLLARS FOR THEM TO REPAIR SOMETHING THEY BROKE. THEN ADVISED ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY THAT FOR THEM TO FIX THE LOCK CYLINDER AND IGNITION SWITCH FOR THEM TO CONTINUE DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM. *TR

2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM WITH SEVERAL PROBLEMS. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE TURN SIGNAL. CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON HIS VEHICLE. THEN EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. *KB THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THERE WAS OIL IN THE COOLANT RECOVERY TANK, WHICH REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD, VALVE COVER GASKETS, THERMOSTAT AND COOLANT. *JB THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY AND THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TURN SIGNAL FLASHER.