1999 Pontiac Grand Am GT from North America - Comments

My 2002 Grand Am GT has developed a clicking noise from the right rear wheel. It speeds up with the faster rotation of the wheel and can't be heard at highway speeds. Does anyone have an idea what this is? I recently had new brakes (rotors included) installed at a local shop.

I have a 99 Grand Am SE 2 with a 3.4 V6, sunroof, steering wheel audio controls... etc... all the good stuff...

The volume button on the stereo doesn't work to go down.

The sunroof switch will barely work sometimes.

The switch inside the steering column went out and made it burn, which before it went out it made an awful clicking sound like the sound when the blinkers are on.

The passenger window motor went out once, the driver... twice.

The front brakes have went bad about 6 times in the last year, and I finally bought everything for the brakes and put on it (calipers, hoses, rotors, expensive ceramic pads...).

Power steering pump went out.

Water pump went out.

Right axle went bad.

Right and left tie rod ends went bad.

Now something makes it get a sliding feeling when turning (I think it may be the ball joint). I put one new axle on it and now it and the other one is bad...

Now mine has trouble starting and gets to where it will idle very high, sometimes as much as idling on 3000 RPMs.

I paid $4,300 for it with 116,000 miles, and now has 151,000 a year and 3 months later, I WOULD NOT ADVISE ANYONE TO BUY A GRAND AM FROM 99 TO 2004!!! Unless you want a bad car for the money...

Wish I would have seen this site a week ago.

Just bought a 99 Grand Am SE (2.4 Quad) for my son. Bought it from a private party for $2500 with 149,000 miles on it. Started seeing a few problems instantly and started to search the web for answers. Talk about misery enjoying company; I was astounded by what I was reading from this site!

To start with we have the infamous noise coming from the front drivers side. I'm going to throw in a bearing tomorrow.

Then my boy tells me someone almost ran into him because his turn signal didn't work. (I was doubting him as I found nothing wrong when I first checked it) Since then it works when it wants to. Guess I'm going for one of those Hazard switches that are supposed to be on recall. From what I've read Pontiac will replace till 150000 miles or ten years.

Next my son tells me his A/C don't work on low setting. Sure enough no speeds 1-2, but the higher speeds work. So I guess I'll have to grab a resistor card while I'm out.

My son also washed and waxed car shortly after we got it a few days ago, and we had a major water leak from drivers side window in front. I took off seal and cleaned and put it back in with RTV.. And his dash is peeling away at the windshield... Guess I still have the brake problem to look forward to.

My windows haven't fallen out because they are manual and my radio works because it's a Sony.. Man I wish I would have seen this site last week. Such a nice looking car when its PARKED.

Well I bought a 1999 Grand Am GT coupe almost a year ago. 3 days afterwards was goin to take a trip about 4 hours away, and 1 hr into that my low coolant light came on. From that moment on it was down hill. My dad was a mater mechanic for 20-30 yrs and this car makes him feel stupid. had the collant tank and everything replaced. A month or so later the engine blew from a cracked head gasket. Only the first few months did it drive smooth. It has had a constant shake since; have had the tires rotated changed balanced all that good stuff. the light on the stereo did the come on go off for a while and about 6 months or more it has just stayed off. Thank God for my volume button on the steering wheel because the knob has its own mind on the actually cd player. if you ever got replace your speakers be aware that the stereo system has an amp and they will have to rewire EVERYTHING which will run $300 or so. The air only worked on 3-5 last summer. this summer still the same just the a/c leaked and filled it once and stayed in for bout 2 weeks its hot again. my radiator hose got a hole in it month or so ago and sice the overheating while idling has been going on. you can drive it fast but 35 or slower yep it just seems like its mad! I should have taken it back after the collant low the first time and picked out another car cuz now I'm TWO payments away to paid off and look what it got me nothing but repairs and stress!!!

I have a 2000 Grand Am GT. It's been in my family since it was brand new (first belonged to my mother in 2000 and then I purchased it from her in 2004). Within the last 2 years, or so, I've had many of the issues that you all are describing. At the moment, my car has nothing on it that didn't come factory installed.

~ My radio volume button doesn't work very well, although the button on the steering wheel works fine.

~ The CD player randomly changes volume on a song while it's playing.

~ The dashboard panel seems to be 'curling' up away from the area beneath it.

~ The same dashboard type area along the front windshield, on the left, is also 'curling' away from the windshield area.

~ The seals around the back windows are coming loose, so the wind whistles through them at speeds over about 40.

~ The head gasket had to be completely replaced, last year.

~ One of my back window motors had to be replaced, last year. The other back window just broke, a few days ago, and the passenger side window isn't sounding good, either.

~ The wires running from the dash panel lights & steering wheel controls coroded and had to be replaced (the lights weren't indicative of anything, but none of the steering wheel controls would work, including cruise control).

I have owned my 1999 Pontiac Grand Am GT for 2 years now. I purchased it at a local used car lot. It has been nothing but a headache ever since I bought it. I have replaced the wheel bearings 3 times already and it is working on the 4th time. I have put front brakes on it 5 times already. I have put a new battery and alternator on it also. Not to mention, spark plugs, a new windshield washer container, belts, and fuses. The volume control switch has never worked right. My driver side window had to be replaced because the switch went out, and now my rear passenger window won't work. My passenger side mirror is lose and about to fall off. Not to mention that the paint is starting to peel off also. What a headache. I recommend that no one purchase a Pontiac Grand Am. It isn't worth the hassle.

I have a 99 Grand Am GT as well. Love the car. Never had any problems with it until now.

Every time I go to the shop, it cost me $400-$500. With that said I've never had problems with it until it hit about 170 thousand clicks.

I've had great luck with this. Love the look of it and love how it drives. If I could find the same vehicle new I'd buy it again.

Issues I've had lately include driver's side regulator, coil springs on passenger side, passenger side bearing, passenger side mount, brake lines in the back, and a few sets of rotors and pads. Seems all my problems are the passenger side.

Worked good up until a few months ago though. Now I seem to be putting to much money into it. Still love the car though. Her name is Big Bertha if anyone's wondering.

99grand am <----- Busted Intake Manifold gasket.. Next time anybody gets the next oil change be sure to tell them to flush out the radiator and add the normal anti-freeze and NOT the dexi-cool.. $600 fix.

I own a 99 Pontiac Grand Am since 2003. I fixed it many times I'm already tired of doing it.

This year only I had to change: manifold gaskets (it's the second time, I did it 3 years ago as well), the ABS bearing on the front left (I did the right side 3 years ago), and few week's ago one of the coil spring on the back broke, punching the tire, so I changed coil springs on the back plus 2 new tires. The front coil springs I had them changed 4 years ago too. Last year I needed a new battery (the second one in the last 5 years), a new water pump, a new timming belt.

Now I realized I have a strange noise when I'm turning... I guess is not something good : (

I won't buy another GM car ever!!

This is quite hilarious reading all of this. I have a 99 Grand Am SE as well. What a piece.

First problem, intake manifold and water pump replaced at 60,000 miles. Then I found out it had the intake manifold already replaced once before at 35,000 miles. One of the comments above stated to remove Dex-cool and replace it with the regular green anti-freeze -- and that is EXACTLY right. The MORONS at Pontiac made the intake manifold out of PLASTIC. And the Dex-Cool EATS and CORRODES the plastic until it springs leaks and goes out. IF you have this problem, make sure to use an after market intake manifold and flush the entire system out then replace it with the regular old green anti-freeze. Cost was $680 I think... which was a decent price. (by the way, the mechanic who replaced the manifold for me said, "pontiac keeps me in business.")

Second problem, brakes. Crunching sound -- replaced the calipers. ($200)

Third problem. Rear left window regulator breaks. I take it apart to see the absolute CRAP that Pontiac uses in their cars. Some vital pieces of the regulator are made of WEAK, CHEAP PLASTIC. ($90)

Fourth problem. Driver side window regulator. Replaced that too. ($90)

Fifth problem. Replaced calipers... AGAIN. ($200)

Sixth problem. STARTER. $250.

Seventh problem. This is one that I haven't seen on here yet... the clicking sound the turn signals make is HAYWIRE. Immediately after a turn, the blinker signal turns off but the clicking still goes at a rapid rate... than clicks intermittently whenever it feels like it. Completely random. I found some site that show how to fix this problem by cleaning something in the steering column. I hope it is an easy fix.

Eight problem... the ad in the paper to sell my car doesn't begin until next tuesday. I will take the FIRST OFFER I GET for this car.

Pontiac should be ashamed of themselves for selling such unbelievable garbage. I honestly don't see how they can compete with Honda and Toyota. If only more people know they sucked so terribly they would go out of business very quickly.

I had a 1999 Grand Am until 3 months ago. I purchased the car in 2001. Three weeks after I bought it the fuel gauge quit working. Needed a new sender which was repaired by dealer goodwill. Six months later the brakes began pulsating- needed new rotors and pads. Shortly after that the alternator fried and needed to be replaced. The brakes continued to be a problem and needed repair every six months or so.

The front headlight assembly was made of cheap plastic- which broke. Changing the headlight bulb consisted of removing a plastic shroud under the hood and pulling out (with some difficulty) a metal bracket which held the headlamp in place. Once the plastic assembly broke I had held the headlight assembly in place with a piece of wire.

Further problems- lower intake manifold and head gasket needed to be replaced- which lasted a year and a half. When the head gasket let go again I traded the car off.

This car was cheaply built. Far too much cheap plastic components and sloppy assembly. Do not buy one of these if you are looking for a used car. You will only be keeping your mechanic happy.

I have a 1999 Grand AM. I also have the problem with the fast clicking sound. Thought it was a light out but none are blown. I then traced down the clicking sound to the hazard switch, but the hazards work fine. When I use the turn signals it sometimes makes the fast clicking sound and other times it don't.

I'm going to try and replace the switch.

I myself just bought a 99 Grand Am SE. If only I would have read this site first, I have had all of the same problems as everybody else, and have not even had the car for a month right now, and the lower intake manifold is being replaced, and as soon as they are done with that, it is going up for sale. I do not recommend anyone to buy one of these cars!

I have a 99 Grand Am GT, and I have the click noise. I believe it's the rear struts and springs. It makes the most sense or I need my tires rebalanced.

I don't know about everyone else, but I've also replaced the motor twice because of a head gasket problem. It has an 04 Grand Am GT engine it now and it works fine.

Fun fun, it's an alright car. I've put a lot of money into it and I like it.

I've been very fortunate. My Grand Am is now 8 years old and I've spent a whopping $17 on it in repairs so far. That was to replace the front brake pads. The rear are still original.

Proper maintenance and NEVER, EVER, overheating the engine in the Grand Am is the key to them lasting forever.

I bought mine nearly new from a rental car agency. That way I knew it had been properly maintained. We've had 3 former rental cars, and all have been totally flawless, nearly new and totally reliable. One Buick LaSabre, which my nephew now has, has 270,000+ miles on it.