Brakes! Brakes and more brakes! Had warped rotors replaced every 6,000 miles, mostly under $100 per service warranty agreement with dealer. Was told by service mgr that it was "my driving habits." My Honda has never had rotors replaced in 206,000 miles (so much for my driving habits).
Power steering servo went bad at 20 K, replaced under warranty.
Air conditioning compressor went bad at 30 K, replaced under warranty.
Alternator just went out at 86 K, serpentine belt appears worn.
Back-up light housings are half full of rainwater because the electrical cable inlet is not sealed. In fact the cable runs inside the rear wheel wells, allowing snow and ice to accumulate on them. When ice breaks loose it tears the cables from their retainer clips and pulls them right from the light sockets. Very thoughtful designing!
Headlight housings have "speed clips" (this is an oxymoron) which are supposed to make replacing headlamps really easy and avoid having to re-aim the headlights each time. Yeah, right. The owners manual shows a housewife replacing the headlamp without dirtying her manicure. In the real world, it took the dealership service manager 20 minutes to get the speed clips back in and that evening when I turned my headlamps on, the replaced lamp beam shown up into the trees.
There have been some odd phenomena with the electrics, e.g., the digital instrument readouts have pulsed on and off, the clock went ga-ga, and then returned to normal. Also, I can't stand the 'change oil' warning light that comes on when it feels like it, is totally independent of any real need to change the oil, and is hell to get to turn off (you have to go into a dash side switch panel and run a fairly complex procedure to get the thing off).
The car handles really well (apart from braking).
Performance is sporty without being scary.
Ergonomics are good (comfortable to drive).
Sound system is excellent.
Fuel economy is surprisingly good for such a high performance engine.
I have a 1999 Grand Am SE and I have been having some serious problems lately and from the looks of some other comments on the vehicle I am not alone. I have been noticing the mounds of electrical malfunctions - i.e. the low coolant, change oil and service engine. My clock will also display some very strange things. I have been leaking coolant lately; very steadily, if I may say and I am worried b/c I think it may be the gasket as well. I know those are pricey to fix, but are there any warranties I don't know about? Recalls? My father bought me this car thinking that it would be a safe and smart investment for his little girl to drive, but to be quite honest I don't feel safe in the car at all. If anyone has any pointers, please let me know. My vehicle has about 92,000 miles on it.
I also read the gentleman's comment about the windshield. That happened to me as well. I was parked in the garage of my home so I know that it wasn't a vandal. I came out one morning and there was a crack about a foot and a half long. Wierd.
I am having a lot of problems with my 1999 Grand Am SE. Fuel injectors needing to be replaced and the service engine light comes on. Sounds like a tractor when it runs... Any ideas???
I have a great idea, sell it and don't buy another one.
I agree totally with the 'speed clips', they do no such thing, they only slow you down, and then when you put it back in you spend another 15 minutes figuring out how to re-aim and adjust them.. I hate being in front of Grand Am's, the headlights are always out of adjustment and blind you as you drive.
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