2000 Pontiac Grand Am from North America - Comments

I would like to add sometimes we all have experience a bad product. I have had several Pontiac Vehicles and this one is the only one have given me the most problem. I have a 2004 Pontiac Grand Am I have had to replace Ignition Lock Cylinder, a Starter, Ignition Switch, Fuel Pump, Hub Bearing, and Tie Rod, so I am so tired of putting money in this car. I know this is no the end. I purchase this car brand new. I have called Pontiac Headquarters because I wanted to know if there were any recalls on my vehicle. (None) but, I still love my car. I had a 1999 Grand Am didn't have to put no money in it at all drove it for 7 years straight none whatsoever. One experience to another bad and good.

Oh wow, seems like everyone has the same problems!!!

This is what I don't quite understand, yesterday I drove my car 4 minutes to the Train and then another 4 minutes back home, and that's pretty much all the driving I do lately. This morning when I turned my car on, my ABS/Trac Off/Engine Check, decided to come on. I've read some of the issues that everyone has been experiencing and it's really helpful, at least now I am able to go into a shop and state the potential problems that may be going wrong with my car without getting charged up the hoohah like I have before. Early this year sometime in March I had the same "clicking noise" the signal light was always on, but no it wasn't, apparantly the issue here was I had to get my steering column replaced $500.00 odd dollars, I wish I knew about the good old grease trick, somehow I wanna believe that's all the dealership did too! not even a few months later my engine light came on, so now we are mid April, so I took my car in "to the trusty dealership" to see whats up and they said I had to replace my brake pads, $800.00. (what!) My car was in the shop from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., kind of weird since I was their first appointment. So I am still quite unclear as to what cost me so much, but I got my car returned back to me with dents in my hood, and different shade of red paint, trying to cover up the spots. They weren't big spots, but to someone who dearly loves their car and takes amazing care of it, this was very annoying. Apparently these dents somehow magically appeared on there by themselves, since the trusty dealership guys "DIDN'T DO IT" once I demanded that I wanted to watch the security tapes with the manager I received a polite reply of "he's busy at the moment, when he has a chance he will contact you". 3 days later I was contacted only to be told that none of the mechanics would have done such a thing, THANK FOR LETTING ME WATCH THAT TAPE! so I paid $800 to get something fixed and received even more damage. And its July now, and this morning my ABS/trac off/ engine light came on. Ohh the excitement I can only wait to see how much this is gonna cost. Thanks for the random tips!!!

Sorry about my rambling!

Well, I own a 97 Grand Am GT. I know it's used and everything, but the girl who I bought it from was a close family friend, who always had oil changes, fixed everything that went wrong with it, and never was hard on the brakes or gas. Well, I got the car yesterday morning and drove it to work, which is about five, six miles from where I picked it up. I was on my way home from work last night and I went to stop at a stop sign and that's when I noticed... the car wasn't stopping. I coasted through about six red lights before a cop pulled behind me and flashed his lights. By this time I was hysterical; not only because of my breaks, but I couldn't stop for the police officer either. Finally, with two cops behind me, the car finally stopped in a grocery store parking lot. I was bawling my eyes out when the officer walked up to my window with his gun drawn. I told him that my breaks were out and thank god, he believed me and drove me home. That stupid car is still in the parking lot, and I'm not going to get it. I called up the girl who I bought it from and she said that what had happened was so weird because she replaced the brake pads, rotors and everything else just a week ago. So yeah, I think I'm going to stay away from Pontiac's for now on.

That is terrible that you had the brakes fail. Thank God neither you nor anybody else were not hurt. If the brakes were changed a week ago however, there is a very high probability that some aspect of the repair failed, and it was no fault of the car's. If one of any number of things that would have to be touched during a brake job were to "let go" due to careless installation, it would/could cause the car not to stop, as you experienced. I would get the car investigated, by somebody OTHER than who did the brake job initially. Any COMPETENT mechanic should be able to determine what happened very easily. Then, the mechanic who did the faulty brake job, assuming (as I very strongly suspect) that is what happened, should be held accountable.

I am the owner of a 2000 Grand Am GT with 82,000 miles and have had some of the similar problems discussed earlier... the whole turn signal thing where it doesn't work unless you hit the hazard button happened to me as well, but it was a recall and the dealership fixed it for free... the intake gasket had to be replaced, I have had to fix the driver side window motor after the window fell in during winter... the dial for the air conditioning/heat only worked on either the highest setting or not at all... that was replaced twice and the mechanic said that it's probably not the last time, the struts/shocks have already been replaced twice and numerous brakes/rotors...but I am currently experiencing a problem that nobody has listed and wondering if anyone knows or has suggestions... my car seems to not have the power that it used to when I am either merging onto the expressway or even turning the corner or passing someone it seems to pull back and takes longer to get up to speed... I have tried fuel injector cleaners and my mechanic says there is nothing wrong, but there definitely is... I just don't know what... any suggestions would be extremely helpful...

I have a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am GT. As with most others, I have and had the same problems with this vehicle.

Brakes replaced a couple times.

Intake gasket leaked antifreeze, was a problem for years. I finally had it repaired although I still see signs of leakage around the engine and smell antifreeze sometimes through my vents inside the car - ($700.00 repair). Blinkers were fixed through the recall. Passenger window was stuck for a year, drivers side acts up a lot. Tie rod replaced. Have had problems with front tires leaking air a lot. Radio knob doesn't work right. Heater fan doesn't work on 1 or 2. Blower motor doesn't come on in the summer when it should, I've found that turning on the A/C will kick it on when car starts to overheat. ABS/Traction lights come on because of bad wheel bearings. I've had three bearings replaced and another has gone bad. Don't spend money on cheap bearings from what I've been told, I will try it when I can ever get the money to fix it again, about $150 for the bearing (not including labor). Now my security light came on yesterday, I had to walk home in the cold rain. But it started after I went back to check on it. Hopefully the comments I read about the 10 minute wait will work for me. I wonder if that eventually the car won't start at all. I really regret buying this car. There should be a recall on these common problems that everyone is having.

WOW!! I wish I would have found this earlier. I bought a 2000 Grand Am SE from my uncle 4 years ago.

Things I have replaced:

Brake pads 3 times in the last 2 years

rotors once thank goodness

Front wheel bearing one side other side needs to be replaced

speed sensor is out on the wheel bearing I need to replace

Drivers window regulator and the window still doesn't work right.

I also have the power steering leak that many have talked about, but having a brain dead moment one day grabbed a bottle of fluid of the shelf in our garage and dumped it in. 40 miles later realized it was brake fluid not power steering... bought a turkey baster and emptied it, filled it, drove it home, emptied and filled it again. No more leak. Weird!!!

Last winter thought the fuel pump was out turns out the fuel gauge was stuck and it was actually empty... I don't let my car get much under a 1/2-1/4 tank in the winter...

My husband thinks I am crazy and he has never had to replace any wheel bearings on his vehicles now I don't feel crazy. It's a GM problem. UGH!!!

Wow, how I can relate. I have owned a 2000 Grand Am GT with 73k miles since July 2007. Great looking car, but that's about it.

Two days after owing it the Service Engine light came on... turns out the gas cap needs to be securely tightened.. had it reset and a week later the lights on again for who knows what now.

Since July I've had to have it re-aligned, new tires on the front (it wore them down to nothing!), I smell the ever pleasant COOLANT odor every now and then, but of course in all the times my husband and mechanics have checked they can't pinpoint any real leaks.

I drive 60 miles on the highway every day back and forth to work, and I have noticed that it doesn't seem to have the "get up and go" that it used to. We've changed plugs, wires, fluids, yet to no avail.

NOW, I've got this "grinding" noise... BRAKES... AND I've got this nice problem where it decides when and where it wants to start. After driving it 30+ miles home the other night, I pulled into the daycare come out and nothing. My husband check the fuel tank, pump, sending unit, starter, you name... a mechanic friend of our said to check the Relay switch. Have any of you experienced anything like this?

I've had so many of the problems everyone else has had. As far as the "get up and go" problem, I heard it's a big deal to keep the air filter changed every so often in these Grand Ams.

My wife and I have owned a '99 Grand Am GT for almost four years now and have had very few problems. Within the last week the power steering pump has started to whine, no big deal, the hose that is leaking is $15 and a bit of labor. Also, the plastic clip on the driver's side window broke, $30 for the part, a few bucks for epoxy=fixed. And the brake thing; being a used car, I had to replace the brake pads...once. Six months after I bought it, the brakes started to squeal. That means change your pads. $20 fix.

On, now, to the ABS/Trac off light. It states VERY clearly what to do in your manual, turn the car off for thirty seconds, ALL THE WAY OFF! No listening to the radio, whatever, turn it off. Wait 30 seconds, restart. FIXED!!!

Almost forgot, the week that we bought it the car started revving up and then dying at random. $25 for a throttle position sensor fixed that. It took 30 seconds to replace, no big deal.

I have to comment to your suggestion regarding the ABS, Traction, and Service Vehicle lights coming on...yeah, I don't think turning it off helps.

I have tried that and it happens again and again - brought it in and had to have the other hub, bearing, and harness repaired (already had the other side done). I spent over $400 and then just the other day, got stuck in some ice (due to crappy Falken tires), and they went off again. I pulled over, turned off the car and they came on again. I have another appointment and I bet you there will be something else wrong because this car ALWAYS has something wrong with it...

Just another complaint.

1. drivers side window dosen't work.

2. overheats when idle.

3. a/c or heater only works on highest settin (5)

4. heater blows luke warm air. (hot air when going over 60mph)

5 radio lights up on occasion.

6. brake lights go out once in a while, same with turning sig.

7. grinding noise when turning..

That's about it. what a junker!

I can relate to most of the issues I have read.

My 2000 Grand Am overheats at idle, too. The track light used to come on, but it stopped by itself. The engine light comes on when it wants to.

The antifreeze leak was something really simple to find, and you will kick yourself if it's your problem too; there is a piece called "water neck" or some other term that is on the drivers side of the engine. It's a plastic piece that connects to the antifreeze hose, and the piece leaked tiny bits of antifreeze. I had mine replaced weeks ago and I haven't had a problem since. The piece cost less than $40 and will solve the mystery antifreeze leak (e-mail me at the address below for more help).

I had a problem with the car missing (misfire) too, and that was a $16 "boot set" that covers the spark plugs.

The window doesn't pose a real threat, especially since I have manual windows (thank goodness).

I thought the security light was real, but turns out it's a fake out.

I didn't think the car had a chip in the key; I went to Home Depot and purchased a regular key and the junk started (go figure).

Brakes; not yet.

I do get a fade when I'm trying to speed up, like there is no gas or power.

No codes come up for the engine light, but "low efficiency"; I don't know why, as it looks like a new muffler is on the car.

A mechanic told me to not let the car nickle and dime me, but to save up and leave it alone. I came to grips that I got a bad deal, because the onset of these problems happened the same day I got it. A lemon law wouldn't help.

The car has 185,000 miles on it. I'm sure the previous owner did a lot more work to get it that far.

Miraculously the car went through inspection, and after it did, the engine light came back on.

The car is American and I was told not to expect much from it, because they are made to generate money; when they are made and when they are bought. These factories care less about the consumer who just wants a fair deal, and to not worry about being stranded, or their family being hurt, from the set back the car is designed to allow.

I think we should join other sites and defuse these defaults, and get some results for our money. I will do as much work as I can to help get these complaints to the manufacturer, but I can't do it alone.

We have been wronged in the consumer field and I think we should stand up and do something about it. I just made a new yahoo ID just for this purpose. Please go to pontiacdefaults@yahoo.com and submit your complaints. Please do not send personal information; I will e-mail you back as soon as I can to give you the right information to contact the manufacturer for that.

The reason for the e-mail address, and the back up data of the recalls is because the manufacturers will ignore us, or say they don't have enough complaints on the issue at hand to recall it. I want us to get a fair shot at justice, and we will go straight to the press and media for others to know what they are buying into. It may be too late for the law to protect us, but I think it's worth a try.

Respectfully,

Myron.

Your grinding noise when turning is either your brakes or your wheel bearing... my wheel bearing went out last year and was making a noise that sounded as if my brakes were sticking... I would get it checked out.. of course, both are issues with these cars... I fortunately have not had huge brake issues besides having to replace them every year...

Well, I own a '96 Grand-Am GT, at 136k miles Quite frankly, I love my car. It's run great for most of the time I've owned it. I had the intake gasket replaced, no big deal, I know the person that owned it before me and they weren't exactly the easiest on it. My window motors are going I no longer have AC, and It's currently in the shop with a coolant issue. It would overheat very rapidly and blow coolant all over the ground, I checked hoses myself and they all appeared to be alright, so now I worry that my head gasket went, despite the dealer checking it out less than 6 months ago and saying it was in good shape when the repaired my intake. I figure any car that's got 136 thousand miles on it, with almost all of them braking miles will have a few issues, especially since it's a Grand-Am.