Comments: 1-15, 16-25
As with all Grand Am's I have had dealings with, bad brakes!! The rotors had to be replaced at 12,000 miles.
The engine on a cold start had a loud knocking noise. I carried the car back to the dealer, and was told that it needed new pistons. Yhe cylinder bore was to large for the piston. The fix was to put a new set of teflon coated pistons in the engine.
After a few miles the noise is back. When I talked to the dealer again he said that he would only do what Pontiac said. As to this date it has been nothing. When I was told that my wife should bring the car back, I asked for a loaner, I was told it was not possible. Or not until the problem, if they could find one, was found. We live 28 miles from the dealer. I asked to talk with the service rep. from Pontiac and was told that he never came to the dealership, and would not return my call.
Also the brakes are grinding again. At this time we are looking for a dealer that is crazy enough to trade with us, because who really wants to trade for junk?
Just because you buy a good looking sporty little car, don't always think you'll get a good one. What I see is $23,000 after financing. Hope to get just payoff.
Sure hope the Pontiac rep sees this since he can't return calls and the people who build these cars don't care about you after the sale.
For the record I was a service manager at a Chevrolet dealer for five years and tryed to talk my wife out of buying a GM car anyway. They were junk then and still are.
If you want to know more send self stamped envelope to:
P.O. Box 776 Cedar Bluff, Alabama 35959
Would love to hear more about your problems with the Grand Am too. Thanks!!!
I am looking into buying a new Grand Am, I have been reading many different reviews and some are awesome and some are incredibly bad, can you explain to me why some of the Grand Am's are horrible and some are perfect cars?
I also purchased a 1999 GT - the car is a piece of junk! I don't know where to start....
1. When starting it rattles (valves) for 45 seconds - dealer said it was normal!
2. Brakes - I took it to the dealer who denied the problem. Another dealer said I abused the car! Dealer finally stated that GM was aware of the issue and recommended replacement of pads and rotors (prior to this they said it was a cavitating power steering pump - and replaced it! That, of course, was not it and now the P/S pump has a slow leak....). Pads/rotors replaced - now when I apply brakes lightly in rain I hear a fast wah-wah wah-wah sound - Dealer yo-yo's can't understand it....
3. Front end - clunks when turning (usually right) - Dealer Said? Loose carriage bolts (?). Replaced the front rack. It still does the same thing....
4. Driver's seat cushion - separated from the frame! Dealer? Finally replaced the seat (after 4 visits!)
5. Transmission - first to second shift has a momentary "drop-out" about 75% of the time - Dealer? Nothing wrong/normal... I even see the tach needle drop when this occurs!
6. A/C mix control - fell off in my hand... Dealer replaced...
7. Sunroof/interior light rattles - Dealer? Said it was fixed (lied) - I finally fixed this myself - I was an A & P mechanic (now in network telecommunications) so I am very familiar with mechanical things....
8. Handbrake - this took 2 dealer visits to do correctly!
9. Passenger door panel developed bubbles under the vinyl and separated from the window trim - Dealer? Replaced.
10. Seat belts installed backwards (connector faces the wrong way when the belt is deployed) - Dealer? Replaced - this took 2 visits! 1 - replaced only 1 belt, wrong webbing style (from a Bonneville) 2 - Replaced both, I had to reassemble the door panel and fascia myself (at the dealership!!!!) because they could not figure how the snap-together panels fit.... (This is unbelievable, but TRUE!)
11. Leaks at the bottom rocker panels of both doors at the speaker and the rear edge - Dealer? Couldn't find anything wrong... It still occurs - but not as frequently.
The above is not in chronological order.
I'm shopping for a V6 (VTEC) Honda Accord now. I will NEVER OWN A GM CAR AGAIN! NEVER!
I'm a real Pontiac lover so take this with a grain of...
I've had my '99 Grand Am GT from new.
Excellent car, good road feel/handling. Love the looks inside and out. Just wish you could get another color of leather, like grey.
I resurface my brake rotors very shortly after delivery, they were pulsing/vibrating. Since then, no further problems. I now have 24K miles. The brakes do surface rust overnight and any noise goes away after a few brake applications.
A positive about this car is it's very tight with little rattle or noise over bumps even with it's stiff suspension.
The only bad thing was my P/S return line blew off the rack and I lost all power steering.
Carlos
I purchased a 1999 Grand Am SE2 with a V6. There's only 17000 miles and the brakes have always sucked. Now they have to put new rotors/pads on as it sounded like the front end was coming off. I'm going to unload this dog ASAP as the warranty is up in August and then I'll have to start paying for this stuff. You pay $19,000 for a car and get this ? And to think I could have bought a Honda, for less! Adios GM
Tom
What do you do when you love a car that everyone is forwarning you is a piece of crap. I bought my 2000 Grand Am SE a week before Christmas, it had 8700 miles. I had a 91 Grand Prix with a lot of radiator problems.
Anyway, I has always wanted a Grand Am and the commercials on TV really hooked me. Silver Metallic Grey, dash cover, 4 door & 4-cylinder. All the little extras except power windows.
Anyway, just love the car. Of course I started feeling a vibration when I applied the brakes about 3 weeks ago. Thought it had to be a bubble in the tire at only 13,000 miles. Took it in and sure enough rotors needed shaving, but the pads still had good size left. It just doesn't seem possible to need to do this every 13,000 miles. Cant I just buy top of the line rotors, bite the cost and be done with it? I mean Pontiac say I won't even need to check my plugs until 100,000, yet brake replacement is closer to that of oil change... laugh.
Well I am looking at a 5 year car loan and this is the first car I feel good driving and love everything about it. My history with new cars was non-existant so I was just happy with everything. But now you all have me worried. Tell me what I can do now to avoid these brake problems. The best pads, the best rotors, what....??? And I too would have loved a V-6 but I think I'm "hotstuff" now, I would have probaly killed myself.
Seriously though, I am very pleased with the car so far. I can even deal with the brakes now that I know more, but I swear if Pontiac ever hassles me, I will have my Aunt who works as a reporter for Channel 7 news start a war.
My only complaint is that the cup holder in the rear doesn't hold those supersize sodas everyone sells. I'm sorry for all your troubles and I think too I should have done more research before I got caught up in the superficial aspects of the car, but I am just hoping that the crew who put mine together was sober on the day it rolled off the assembly line.
Lastly, I spoke to the previous owners who traded it for a SUV and the gentlemen said he loved it and didn't really want to give it up. The wife wanted to. They had left some paperwork in the glove box and I could not resist contacting them. I pretended I was from the dealership and needed to know more detail about the car, older man but very nice. He said his only complaint was that he factory ordered the CD player to be in style and realized he only owned cassettes. I laughed my head off. But even the original owners had no complaints. I even suggested that if he really loved the car he should have kept it. He said he couldn't afford to. I guess the bottom line, some people are satisfied and some who have had a god awful experience are tring to warn others.
Truthfully, had I known about the brake issue, knowing me I still would have bought it. Well, thanks for listening and any advice you have is appreciated.
I too bought a 2000 Grand Am SE2. I've brought it in 3 times for the rotors. Once they were turned at 12,000 miles, and I was told by the service dept that Pontiac was aware of the problem. The 2nd time they were changed out at 17,000 miles along with the brake pads. The third time I was told I abuse my 7 month old car. I called the 1800 # and filed a complaint regarding the rotors and the dept for telling me how I drive my vehicle. Since that time I found this website...www.c5registry.com/technical/brjan2k.htm...I plan on taking the information I found there with me to the dealership in the next a couple of weeks... a different dealership!
Interesting. I have a 1996 Grand Am which I bought new. It now has 154,000 miles on it and is going strong. I put new shocks and struts on it last summer and had to have an oil leak fixed in November. So, other than routine maintenance, tires, etc., I have only had to put $750 into this car. Since I put a ton of miles on a car, when this one dies (which it doesn't seem to have any intention of doing), I plan to look for a late model used Grand Am. My previous car was a Taurus, which, while rated number one, was a great big pain in the neck. This is the greatest, most reliable car I have ever owned.
I have a 1999 Pontiac Grand AM that just turned over 17,000 miles last week. I was having a very bad vibration when I brake - took it to the dealer and was told the pads needed replaced and the rotors needed turning. I find it hard to believe that after ONLY 17,000 miles the rotors need to be turned. By the way, I brought my car new and it will be 2 yrs old May 2001. GM should really investigate and possibly have a recall because I'm hearing this complaint more and more and I research my problem.
I have owned three Pontiac Grand Ams thus far. I love everything about them. My first one was a 1991 Grand Am which I am proud to say had 180,000 miles on it when I gave it away to a family member. Two years later and it is still running. The car has been great.
Next I bought a used 1994 Grand Am, and again no trouble.
Recently I traded the 94 in on a 1999 model and I love it. I have and will continue to by Grand Ams because the car has more than satisfied me and is a proven winner in my book.
My husband and I just bought a 1997 Grand Am SE. I am in love with it. It is a terrific car, except the rotors are going to have to be replaced. I noticed that in a lot of comments that other customers have had the same problem. Is this a problem that can be looked into and repaired so that this does not continue to happen? Other than the rotors, the car is a dream come true.
My husband and I purchased a Grand Am SE in January of 2000. The only problems we have had with the car are the brakes. We are now replacing our brakes for the fourth time. I wish GM would look further into this problem, as it looks we are not the only ones who have been hit with this constant brake problem.
My wife bought a 2001 Grand Am SE new in November 2000. It has the 4 cyl engine.
She now has 11,000 miles on it. She really likes the car and so do I. So far no brake rotor pulsation. I have worked in an auto repair shop and know that GM passenger car rotors are not over engineered, and if you drive a bit aggressively, running up on stops and braking harshly, don't be surprised if your brakes chatter. Another possible source for rotor distortion could occur when tires are rotated if the tech really overtorques or doesn't use a "star" pattern to tighten your lug nuts. Don't bother turning the rotors when they get bad, they are not expensive, just get new ones when you replace the pads.
As for problems with this car, the battery died at one year, replaced under warranty. The 1-2 settings on the fan
quit, resistor, replaced under warranty. The gas gauge dash light went out (a Pontiac feature) but easily fixed by a gentle tap to the top of the dash (a tried and true Pontiac cure). The only big problem was that around 9000 miles the engine would almost die right after start up if it was idling while we put the garage door down, then it would speed up and down a few times, then when you drove away it would hesitate for a while till it went a couple blocks. The dealer said it was bad lifters and replaced them under warranty. Still does it sometimes. I don't think the lifters would cause this symptom and they aren't sure why it didn't cure the problem. Runs fine otherwise.
I wouldn't be afraid to buy another Grand Am. Finding a service department with good listening and diagnostic skills is the key to being satisfied after you buy the car.
I have had overall good experience with 3 previous Pontiacs.
We also still
have a 91 Grand Prix, 3.1 with 250,000 miles and still runs fine, and a 90 6000 4cyl with 203,000 and still doing fine. Just got rid of a 85 6000 4cyl that had 230,000 on it. No big problems with any of them, just normal repairs.
I too bought a 1999 Grand AM SE and have had a ton of problems. Far too many to list here, but most have been commented on I noticed. Now I am having a peeling paint / clear coat problem that GM refuses to fix. 2 days after the car rolled off the lot I noticed this problem. Last time I buy a piece of junk from GM.
I am an owner of a 1999 grand am SE. I really loved my car at first. But it has been a constant pain. And of course the warranty is up now. I too had the brake problem. My rotor was turned at 3000 miles and replaced ant 6000. My brakes still make grinding noises, but I am told it is normal. My stereo had a problem with its' display and that was replaced. But my current pain remains the clunking in the steering. Whats the problem? I too had rack replaced about 2000 miles ago. Well, the noise returned so I am again returning to the dealership next week.
My girlfriend bought a 2001 Grand Am a year and a half ago and all she has had is problems. The day after we bought it, the front drivers seat broke when I lifted the handle to tilt it forward. When sitting in either of the front seats, if you push back with a little more than normal pressure, the seat will jump back a notch or two. The blinkers now only work when they feel like it. It stinks having a new car and having to give hand signals. Today I talked to her and the A/C wasn't blowing air when she turned it on, it had to "warm up". This car has 18,000 miles and is treated with the utmost care. I look at this car now and think it is an unsafe, flimsy piece of crap. I'm all about being patriotic, but I would rather her be driving a foreign car of this class. I feel she would be safer that way.