I heard a squeaking noise at approximately 25 miles in the passenger side roof area every time the body would flex. The driver's side window creaks when going up or down. The steering wheel does not lock properly. The sunroof clicks when opening and closing. The lights behind the numbers 3&4 on the tachometer go on and off while driving. The car had a pull to the right after about 25 miles as well. The exhaust pipes in the back are uneven. The trunk is also uneven. There is a "bump" on each side of the quarter panel seams near the back of rear window. Found fish eyes on the passenger side of hood.
The car is not worth the price I paid for it.
I am quite unhappy with my purchase of my first new vehicle.
The Pontiac manufacturer representative considered my problems "cosmetic" and that they could be fixed without a problem.
I was looking for a dependable and safe new vehicle, not something that had to be in the shop every other week.
As a consumer it is you responsibility to look over the car, test drive the car, and look under the hood. Why complain about the little stuff which could've been avoided if you took the time to thoroughly go over every inch of the car before you made the purchase.
I couldn't agree more.. I test drove a 2004 grand am gt sliver.. beautiful car.. took it to my friends place.. her dad of course wanted to look it over as he is seriously into cars and pointed out little things that I've never would have seen.. cracks in the strippin around the window that could poossibly cause water damage.. rubbing in the back brakes when I back up and start to come to a stop.. little things like this.. besides the fact that I told the dealer id be in monday to get the car (this was on saturday) he sold it an hour before he closed up sat nite.. so maybe that was a sign that those little things.. turn into bigger problems so make sure you find all those little things before you sign anything! I'm glad I took it out for 4 hours or so for a run I ran the VIN number and found 3 reports.. I can't streess enough how serious it is to run this number.. it uncovers hidden problems so when you ask the dealer.. anything wrong with this car.. i can guarantee you hes gonna say "not that I'm aware of" which means.,.. I'm not gonna disclose it to you cuz it mite take away a sale from me.. watch these things.. because you can't sue someone for telling you the car was in perfect shape and what not.. when they've said..' not that I'm aware of' it's a scam.. run the VIN and ask for previous owners and give them a call.. htey have to tell you there names whether they want to or not.. here in canada its the LAW. and thank god it is because it has saved many ppl from being roped into bad deals! good luck guys.
Thanks for the above information. That is the most useful advice I have aquired in a long while. I will be sure to run the VIN #. Thanks for probably saving me a lot of time and money!
I just want to say first that I love my grand am!
I bought this 2003 grand am 30th anniversary edition around april of 2004 and recently the ignition switch started to give me trouble. After I finished shopping and went to my car, the key would not turn over. The car was towed to the dealership I bought it from and I was told the ignition switch cylinder was broke and needed replaced which I was quoted $200.00 for the part and with labor and their diagnostic check total for this fix over $400.00 towing another $69.00 and it is now September 2005.
however that may not be the only expense right now I am waiting
to find out if the coil needs replaced to! I was told there is a problem with the coil which would cost me another $300.00 for the part! The nice guy at the dealership is hoping he can fix it so I don't have to replace it. All this is related to the ignition switch.
The Car has 47,000 miles on it and the 3 year 36,000 mile warranty is expired. I did not have the extended warranty. I am kicking myself for not getting the extended warranty, keep this in mind when buying. Get the extended warranty! Another thing to keep in mind is if you get stuck in snow or go in the ditch the back of the car has nowhere to attach to do some research on that. this is from my last winters experience with my car stuck in the snow!
I would like to respond to a few of these comments. I have just purchased a 2003 Grand Am Gt and I was curious on what other people though of it and how it has worked out for them. I would like to bring it to the attention of some people that vehicles are made of many parts all working as one. I used to be a service writer where I dealt with the problems people have with their vehicles on a day to day basis and had people tell me they bought a lemon because "there exhaust pipes did not perfectly line up with one another" or that they have been in the dealership 10 times in the past year for service only to find that 8 of those trips were for scheduled maintenance. I am very happy with my grand am so far and I just wanted to point out that if your standards are so ridiculously high you are probably never gonna find a vehicle your completely happy with. And the more money you spend the higher of the chance of something breaking, why, more parts meant more possibility of something breaking.
This was not meant to offend anyone and I hope it did not, just mean to provoke a little more thought.
You talk as if it is wrong to complain about a car in which you spend thousands of dollars on and the exhaust pipes don't line up. I think that is a legitament complaint. If I paid 20K + dollars for a car I would expect my pipes to be in alignment also. Would you buy a dining room table with 1 leg shorter than the other 3. Don't be so harsh to say that these people shouldn't complain. And as for being a service writer, all these guys to is try to make you out to be a liar when you complain about anything on your car as long as it is within manufacturers warranty. However, the minute you step out of the 36K mile warranty... they are more than happy to hear your complaint and charge you loads of money to fix, what they once said, was a ridiculous complaint!
Yes I do agree with these complaints! I have had my brake pads and rotors checked in january... actually changed..it is now march and the pads had to be replaced again!The dealership says that they think the rotors will probably have to be replaced next service visit. This is ridiculas. I am a woman and have the right to speak my mind about this car I am about to own. It is very sad that this is happening. What is wrong with these vehicle builders. Is it their way of soaking people for more money?
I bought a 2003 Grand Am GT1 in 2005 at about 30,000 miles, becoming the car's second owner. I really love the cars style, options and power, but am disappointed with all of the little problems.
My car seems to have the majority of its faults within the electrical system. Just after I got it I had to replace a window switch and the cruise control switch (under warranty). I was fine for a few months until at about 45,000 miles it left me stranded on the side of the road as the fuel pump went out with out any warning. I have also had to replace the driver's seat power switch. At about 50,000 miles my check engine light came on; when I took it to the dealership they said it was my catalytic converter, which thank god was covered by the 80,000 mile emissions warranty. At the present time, my cruise control goes off at random, my floor vents to not work, and lots of weatherstripping is coming loose and needs replaced.
I really love this car and admire its speed, power, and design, but I am fed up with all the problems.
Hello to all that read this. I am the owner of a Pontiac grand am gt 2003. Brand new off the lot in 2003 and have had many different problems with this car. First thing that went after owning it for 2 years was my ABS system. I took it back to the dealer at Pontiac and said I'm over my miles by 2000 miles. estimation to get it fixed was $350.00. I was not going to let them fix something that has no explanation of why it went in the first place. I was told by one of my friends that the hub a bearing censer went in his car and it was an easy fix. I bought the part from advanced auto and fixed it myself. In 4 months the light came back on again so I figured that one side went then the other side had to be replaced too. I replaced that side, but, the light was still on. Payed the Pontiac garage $50.00 to diagnose my car. They told me that it was a faulty ABS wire harness and would cost $700.00. I was so disgusted with this that I took a chance in replacing the right side hub an bearing sensor and since the part was still under warranty I was able to get it free. it was fixed for 2 weeks and started again. I replaced the hub and bearing sensor with a more expensive one. The problem has been fixed for 4 years now. Now my antifreeze is disappearing in a day and I have no clue whats going on inside that engine. Might be a head gasket. Also my rear left door won't unlock and will not open. The heater fan speed 1-3 stopped working a year ago and just a week ago 4 and 5 went. I bought a new resistor and put it in. 1-3 speeds worked, but when I got to 4 it stopped working as if the resistor was not the right one or a larger power source is running through then it can handle. What is going on with my car? I know some things on fixing cars, but, I am no mechanic for engines and motors. Any info or recall info would be useful. email : shwanker@hotmail.com,,,,, Jim.
Is there any way I can get more info on the symptoms you had when the ignition switch went out? I am having a problem now with my 2003 Grand Am. 75K miles. I'll go to start the car and the engine will turn over, but will not fire. If I pump the gas pedal it will eventually fire. Sounds sort of like a problem with the fuel pump, but the dealership can't figure it out. This is the first problem we've had with the car so I can't complain. Until now it has all been Preventive Maintenance.
Car is not worth the price - Within 44,000 miles I've had the intake manifold gaskets replaced twice - Both front hub bearings failed around 30,000 miles (vehicle was out of warranty time-wise) - Right front strut failed under warranty - Alternator failed around 37,000 miles - Body control module failed at 39,000 miles - Driver's window seal leaks - Trunk leaks - Right front spring is broken - Right rear ABS sensor failed recently - HVAC control knob broke - Front and rear rotors needed replacing around 25,000 miles - Both front lower control arm bushings worn out at 44,000 miles - Air conditioning high pressure liquid line leaked at around 32,000 miles - Very poor fuel mileage ( (15 MPG) - Vehicle would be hard to start when hot due to leaking fuel injector (34K) - This car is very disappointing!
I am another owner of a 2003 Grand Am GT1. I bought it brand new in april 2003.
I do not want to get my file out with the long list of things that I have replaced, but I can honestly say that I have put at least $4500 since the warranty expired into this car to keep it running. All in the last 28,000 miles.
I now have 68,000 miles and the car is paid off, but I think I should dump it before something else happens.
I owned a 2001 with no problems, but totalled it and thought why not get another.
I have replaced the window brackets several times on both windows, plus the radiator, the air conditioning, the ignition system, and the fuel pump.
I have completely replaced the transmission about 4,000 miles out of the warranty, and bearings, sunroof, and most recently the catalytic converter. Thank God I bought the extended warranty on the transmission; which is good until July 2009 or 100,000 miles.
This car has been one nightmare after another. It is running great now, but for how long?
I love how it looks and it is very comfortable to drive for a GM. Plus I have put thousands into entertainment system, rims and a system. I just feel like the car was built to break after the warranty period.
I would like to run it into the ground until I get out of college and buy something else, but how much more will this car cost me. Any one have any other problems with it after 70,000 miles?
I bought it for 24,000, put 5 years of insurance and gas, and over 4,500 in repairs and thousands more in upgrades. Maybe I should of bought a European or Japanese car for more at purchase and less in repairs.
Agreed this car is a lemon. I can't tell you how disappointed and frustrated I am with it. I purchased a 2003 Grand Am GT Sedan in April of 2007 used with 100,000km. Since then (2.5yrs) I now have 180,000km and have paid out $7,000 in repairs (excluding expected maintenance such as brakes, rotors, oil) :
- 2 catalytic converters
- Oxygen Sensor
- Mass Air Flow Sensor
- 2 Front ABS/Bearing assemblies
- Intake Manifold gaskets
- 2 ceased brake cylinders
- Fuel Pump and Filter
- Left front axle (rusted into hub)
- Blower Motor Resistor
- Strut Mounts
- 2 Flush and fills to remove OEM coolant
- Windshield.
The driver's side window is all scratched (common with this model), and it appears the strut mounts are going again. The computer module also may be going as it is periodically flashing Service Engine Soon with codes for the oxygen sensor, low coolant and low oil pressure.
In snow, this car is terrible on traction!!! It runs better with the ETS turned off... had to buy snow tires.
An unbelievably terrible car, despite a nice look, nice interior and decent ride. Buyer beware!!
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