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Pontiac Grand Am

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Comments

  • pwilliamkpwilliamk Member Posts: 21
    If you are referring to the `99 and `00 Grand ams they no longer come in a 3.1 V6 rather a 3.4 V6
  • nickpernickper Member Posts: 28
    I have a '96 (same body style) and had the exact same problem! What it ended up being was the trans. mount was loose. The car was still under the extended warranty so no charge at the dealership. It was fixed in no time once they found out what it was. It took 2 dealership visits for them to find what it was though.
  • drivehard1drivehard1 Member Posts: 20
    I own a 1998 Grand Am SE with the 3100 V-6 engine, and all was well until the check engine light came on on my 95 mile drive to work and the car began jerking sensations, so when I got in town I drove right to the dealer who was just opening and they diagnosed it as a bad #3 Injector and the repair took all day and I drive all day so I Also got charged for the 250 miles I put On the dealers car and the total was $494.00. This happened again two weeks later except it was the #6 injector, and the total was $457.00, thats almost $1000.00 worth of repairs in 1 month. Does anyone know about this kind of problem, I am now using fuel injector cleaner, and premium gas. Do you think anymore injectors will go out?? The car has 68,900 miles on it! I need a reliable car,
    Thanks
  • matikamatika Member Posts: 1
    I am considering purchasing a rental fleet Grand Am. It has the V6 and was wondering what kind of gas milege people are getting with it? Also any concerns or advice would be appreciated. The car has 28K on it, I believe it is a SE1. Wish it was a GT, but that's not in my budget.
    Thanks!
  • crystal21crystal21 Member Posts: 2
    Pete,
    I agree with you on the 5 spd. That is what I wanted with my 2000. The dealer never said that they were coming out with a 5 spd. He just said "They don't make a 5 spd." A lot of good he was. I am ready to give mine back with all of the problems.
  • pwilliamkpwilliamk Member Posts: 21
    Crystal,

    I really hate driving the automatic it is so damn boring. Last Tuesday I got a call from the dealership that I had ordered the 5spd from. The salesman said that it was in and I could pick it up. When I came in to have a look at it and said that I want to trade the automatic in on the 5spd I was told that it would cost me $5000. I currently have an SE2 with 1900m, the 5spd was an SE1. How in the world does that come out to $5000. I am sick and tired of car dealers in general. I did however get a good deal on my car, that I must admit. Lets just say I am not happy about this.

    Pete.
  • mccallr1mccallr1 Member Posts: 1
    I just purchased a new 2000 Grand Am SE2 and love it, but I noticed some interference/noise coming through the radio. It sounds like engine noise (not an alternator whine, but more like static). It only lasts a few seconds at a time and then disappears for a while. Does anyone have the same problem? I have the premium sound system with AM/FM/CD/Cassette, and 6 speakers with subwoofer. Other than the engine noise through the radio every so often--it's a great car and I love it!
  • carrjarcarrjar Member Posts: 6
    In fuel injection cars the injectors typically fail early for two reasons, 1 dirt and 2 electrical. You could have gotten a tank of gas from a cheap place and all the fuel injector cleaner in the world won't help. The filter or lines are filled with dirt that gets realeased and fouls an injector. If it is electrical, the injector that is bad often makes the other injectors go bad. The bad injector continues to function. If it happens again it is the dealer fault. He need to check all the injectors and computer to make sure the injectors are not the problem and the filter is clean.
  • azwmmazwmm Member Posts: 8
    I've got a '99 SE 2 with the V-6 and 9000 miles . My mpg to and from work averages 24. This is part freeway and part city at rush hour. On a longer freeway trip it get 30mpg at 75mph with the A/C on. This is not a guess by looking at the gauge, I do the math at fill up.
  • midlifecrisismidlifecrisis Member Posts: 391
    I have a 1999 GT with 11,000 miles that averages 23/24 mpg with part freeway and part city driving. I've never had it on very long trips. Best ever was 27 mpg on a two-hour trip.

    Just noticed my back door interior material "bubbling" up and pulling away at the base of the windows. This seems to be a very common problem and I hope to get it to the dealer soon to have it fixed. Has anybody had this repair done? Do they replace the fabric material or just reglue it somehow?

    Also, when I shut my door, I hear a vibration/rattle coming from the hood latch area. It's almost as if something is loose in the front of the car. Anybody had a similar experience?
  • edwardh1edwardh1 Member Posts: 88
    As shown on Dateline last night - what does every one think?
    GM said their
    own tests were tougher - look at these pix!!!!!!!!!
    http://www.highwaysafety.com/vehicle_ratings/ce/mid_inexp/summary.htm
  • edwardh1edwardh1 Member Posts: 88
    To see the pix, click on the link above, then on Grand Am and scroll down to see pix of the drivers area.
    Not good.
  • szerfasszerfas Member Posts: 53
    I saw the Dateline on the car crash results too. I was very disappointed in the performance of the GrandAm. GMs letter was just a bunch of garbage; a knee jerk reaction. It is always funny seeing those. Naturally Nissan had an equally written letter. On the other hand Subaru praised the tests and said that's how they designed their cars to be.

    None the less, GM should be disgusted by those results. If I had known about them before I had purchased my car I probably would have chosen different. At the very least it should have done as well as the Malibu. GMs excuse that they went through a series of tougher tests does not mean too much to me. There is no choice in accident and the car should be designed to handle all different ones at least well. Looking at the results on average Toyota and Honda did.

    I have liked my GrandAm and still do but GMs position on safety here is discouraging. Putting DRLs and airbags is not all you have to do make it safe GM!

    Stephen
  • midlifecrisismidlifecrisis Member Posts: 391
    I too am upset with the Grand Am offset test results. Since the car was not tested prior to my purchase, I looked up the last generation Grand Am, which had average ratings. So I figured the new GA would probably be average. Wrong!!! Now I don't know what to do. Financially I've got to keep the car at least another year. And I really like the car. Just hope I don't get into any accidents in the near future.
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    Please be aware that these test results are very subjective. They are only indications of crashworthiness based on repeatable test conditions. Real world results often differ. The test car had the 4cyl. engine. How would the V6 make a difference?
  • szerfasszerfas Member Posts: 53
    I am not at the point where I am going to get rid of GA by any means but I think that there should have been a bigger effort on developing the crumple zones and safety cage. These are not new ideas, GM should have been capable of better research in these areas. The way GrandAm handles and some of the other features I hope help in avoiding accidents. I have avoided plenty of accidents in my Buick that CR should have said was hard to do in that car.

    Just some thoughts.
  • emkayusaemkayusa Member Posts: 7
    The crash test site was very enlightning. I have spent the last hour on it...on company time :} (we have multiple T1's) My car tested poorly...real poorly. It's a '96 Galant. in the 30, and 35mph, and the side impact it did extremely well, but in the 40mph offset on that site, it looked bad. It's good to see that the newer Galant's did much better, near the top. At least Mitsubishi made an effort to address the problem. I guess all I have to do, is avoid an offset collision...yeah right, like I have a choice if a drunk veers into my lane.
  • clint83clint83 Member Posts: 1
    I bought my 1995 Grand AM SE Sedan and everything is going really well, but I am feeling a lot of bumps and my car drifts often. I think the tires are the original ones. The are called Euro I think and there is 66k miles. Can anyone tell me if I should get new tires and what kind would go best for my type of car and to absorb some of the road bumpiness?
  • hillrwhillrw Member Posts: 11
    I have had a 96 Grand Am since last November and just noticed something over the weekend. When the dial for the air/vent/defrost is set to the location with the arrows pointing to both the face and the feet of the human figure, the air conditioning compressor is turned on. I assumed that the AC ran only when the dial was set to either "max" or AC. On this car the setting with the arrow to both the head and feet is next to AC and I assumed that this was a fresh air vent setting (instead of AC). The AC comes on with this setting regardless of the setting of the temperature dial. Does anybody here know if this is normal?
  • midlifecrisismidlifecrisis Member Posts: 391
    I don't know about your 96 GA, but my 1997 Windstar kicks in AC automatically when you select face/feet on the selector. I can't figure out why, but the manual confirms it. Don't you have a manual to read up on it?
  • hillrwhillrw Member Posts: 11
    Yes, I have a GM manual for the car. However, the description for the face/feet setting on a vehicle without AC is the same as for that with AC. Nowhere does it say that the AC is on with this setting. I guess that the more I read of the other settings, it is "implied" that the AC is on for the face/feet setting (since it says it is NOT on for other settings).

    I noticed from your other postings that you also have a newer Grand Am. Does the climate control work similarly?

    In my new Silverado PU the problem is solved (presumably) by having all of the air flow location settings on the dial with a separate button for activating the AC.
  • midlifecrisismidlifecrisis Member Posts: 391
    My 1999 GA has a separate button to activate the AC. Thus you have the control over all the settings. I most definitely prefer this setup.
  • nickpernickper Member Posts: 28
    Yes, this is annoying, but normal. I have a 96 GA too.
  • sal66sal66 Member Posts: 1
    Paint chipping on '99 an '00 Grand Ams.

    We have a '99 Grand AM where the rocker panels,
    the lower quarter panels, and the wide cladding/molding are being denuded of paint from
    stones and sand being thrown up by the car's own
    tires (we live in northern AZ). We have just learned that GM has issued a TSB wherein it is stated that GM will pay to have the dealer's
    body shop refinish the damaged paint. It is part of the 3yr/36 warranty. How Nice! We'll put mud flaps behind the front tires to minimize this
    problem in the future.
  • nerssnerss Member Posts: 43
    My fiancee bought a 99 Grand Am SE1 on Dec. 31 2000 and it is the best car that I have ever driven. It has the 4 cyl with ETS and auto. I love the pickup, handling and ride. I used to own an 85 Cutlass with a loud engine. The 99 seems so refined and quiet, I love it. The only service issues that we have had was the interior carpeting needs to be replaced due to shrinkage, the dealer said that the plant cut the original too small and didn't leave enough for the normal amount of shrinkage. I also had to have a rear door panel replaced due to the covering coming off. The rear tail light on the driver side had one bulb that wouldn't light up, turned out to be a bad socket and the cornering lamps had their bulbs ripped out and filled with water during the spring thaw. The spare tire compartment also had a leak that was noticed when the dealer was getting the carpet number to order the new carpeting. We had to order a new jack also because the other one was completely rusted. Check your compartment today because the dealer in Marquette, MI stated that all of these are common fixable problems with the cars. Note that all of these were fixed under GM warranty. Her car now looks brand new. I really enjoy the spoiler and looks of the car. I am especially pleased with how the car has held up since it was a rental previous to us owning it and already had 30,000 miles on it at time of purchase. Are there any other problems that I should know about before my warranty runs out? I have heard rumors of having to have the power steering pump bored out due to flow issues.
  • drivehard1drivehard1 Member Posts: 20
    I own a 1998 Pontiac Grand Am and It has the 3100
    V-6 Motor and it has 68K on it. I was driving to
    work in the morning and all of a sudden the Check
    Engine came on and the car was jerking sensations,
    so I took it to a dealer once I got in town and
    they looked the car over and said it was a bad #3
    Fuel Injector, OK, so they took the car for a day
    and gave me a 1995 Buick Lesabre for work that I
    also had to pay mileage on, and I drive all the
    time(I am a Sales Represenative)so that bill was
    $510.00.
    That's was acceptable, since it has had no other
    problems, but two weeks later the exact same thing
    happened exept I was in Chicago, Ill so I brought
    it to a dealer there and they said a bad #6
    Injector, boy was I mad about that, another 470.00
    they only charged me a flat fee of 40.00 for the
    rent car thank god. I had to go back to Chicago
    from Norhtern Wisconsin with my wife and kids to
    pick up the car the following Saturday, that was
    not a fun waste of a Saturday. The car is
    starting to worry me that it will happen again far
    from home like it did. Any Ideas what might be
    causing this? I know use STP fuel Injector Cleaner
    and Amoco Premium Gasoline whenever Possible. I
    really liked the car, maybe time for a new car?
    Anyone had similar Problems with GM 3100 or 3400
    V-6, we have the 3400 V-6 in our 1999 Oldsmobile
    Silhouette GLS (25900 miles) and no problems with
    it at all.
  • drivehard1drivehard1 Member Posts: 20
    Sorry About the above post :)
    Here it is in regular English!

    I own a 1998 Pontiac Grand Am and It has the 3100
    V-6 Motor and it has 69K on it. I was driving to
    work in the morning and all of a sudden the Check
    Engine came on and the car was jerking sensations,
    so I took it to a dealer once I got in town and they looked the car over and said it was a bad #3
    Fuel Injector, OK, so they took the car for a day
    and gave me a 1995 Buick Lesabre for work that I
    also had to pay mileage on, and I drive all the
    time(I am a Sales Represenative)so that bill was
    $510.00. That's was acceptable, since it has had no other problems, but two weeks later the exact same thing happened exept I was in Chicago, Ill so I brought it to a dealer there and they said a bad #6 Injector, boy was I mad about that, another 470.00 they only charged me a flat fee of 40.00 for the service rental car thank god. I had to go back to Chicago from Norhtern Wisconsin with my wife and kids to pick up the car the following Saturday, that was not a fun waste of a Saturday. The car is starting to worry me that it will happen again far from home like it did or while on a traveling business trip. Any Ideas what might be causing this? I know use STP fuel Injector Cleaner and Amoco Premium Gold Gasoline whenever Possible. I really like the car, maybe time for a new car? Anyone had similar Problems with GM's 3100 or 3400 V-6, we have the 3400 V-6 in our 1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette GLS (27900 miles) and no problems with it at all.
  • aam1aam1 Member Posts: 26
    Hi Guys:

    I have a '99 GA GT with 13K miles on it. During the time I have had the car, the brakes have been a constant source of concern and nuisance for me. They have already been turned over twice and replaced once. I am thinking of having the brakes replaced and put an end to this problem.

    I would appreciate any advice on what kind of brakes/pads/rotors/ I should get. I want to get real good quality components and I have no prior knowledge regarding brakes. Thanks for all your help. Also, if some cost estimates can be given.

    Thanks.
  • spectre3spectre3 Member Posts: 67
    use performance friction's carbon metallic pads.
    (autozone)
    they dirty the alloy wheel more but are very kind to the rotors, and stop much better..
    (if they have them for your ga)

    i had your problem with a 97 sunfire. changed to these pads and no more rotor warp.

    my 2 cents.

    anybody else???
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    Has anyone seen a stainless steel or chrome steel replacement for the black plastic covers on the lug nuts of GM cars? All of them are missing on my 99 GA. Or what about good quality replacement lug nuts?
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    Does anyone know where the block drain plug (for coolant) is located on the Quad 4 engine (1995)?
  • blown_itemblown_item Member Posts: 3
    I have mildew in the trunk of my 98 GA, but can find no evidence of water entering the trunk. Does anyone have a similar problem or advice?
  • nerssnerss Member Posts: 43
    Blown Item:
    In my 99 GA SE1 the trunk was leaking from the wheel wells into the spare wheel compartment. GM fixed the leaks, replaced the carpets that was rusted by the jack and tire. They also replaced the jack and spare tire since they were rusted badly. I don't have a price on this because it was covered under warranty. The body shop attendant said this was a frequent problem on 99 GA's, but it sounds like your problem.
  • dam_maddam_mad Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1999 GA Se 4dr red. The lower rockers and midway up the rear doors and in front of the rear tire the paint is coming off. It has 15,100 miles and this will be the second time it will have to be painted. I see there is a TSB for this, but yet Pontiac says there is no problem with the car....its where I live.Hmmm I wonder why i didnt sign a release stating..If you live in the Northeast dont buy this car. If you do the paint will come off due too our faulty body design. And if the paint comes off (and it will) the customer will pay for all cost to have it repainted. Sign here. X_________. Now our friend has a 2000 GA identicle to mine and the same thing is happening to hers.Pontiac told me that they will pay for the second paint job, but after that I'm on my own. I thought the paint was warranties for 3yrs or 36,000 miles? Any answers would be greatly appreciated. I hope everyone sees this and thinks twice about buying a GA. This car also has the mud flaps and still didn't help.
  • nerssnerss Member Posts: 43
    I bought a used 99 GA SE1 and I noticed that there
    was a spot in front of the armrest in between the driver and passenger for a clip in cupholder. When
    I called Pontiac they stated that the part was
    probably a courtesy item and that once it was gone
    it was gone. Does anybody have any good information on how to get this part or a good aftermarket dealer that makes mock GM parts?
  • verndvernd Member Posts: 3
    The 99's did not actually have the cupholder installed. A guy that I work with bought a 00 and it had the plastic cupholder on it. This is how Pontiac added something "new" for the 00 model year. Call the parts dept. at your dealer and order one for a 00 GA. My GA has been a great car, I haven't had any of the problems mentioned above except for the front rotors. I had them turned once and then replaced and now I'm going back to have the dealer fix them again. I only have 17,500k on it. My dealer has been great about taking care of what the engineers at GM couldn't, as long as they fix it "under warranty", I will continue to be happy. Every car that I have ever owned had some flaw. I have had Japanese and American cars in the past, if I was going out to get another car, it would be from Pontiac, probably the new Bonneville. American cars have more value per dollar spent than the Imports, if you look at horsepower and standard equipment
  • rollomanrolloman Member Posts: 64
    Do any of you Grand Am enthusiasts know when Pontiac plans the next body style change for the Grand Am....maybe in 2001 model year?

    Also....is anyone else having this problem?:

    My 99 G.A. keeps burning out rear tail lamps. Upon investigation...I found that water leaks into the lamp compartments through the top sides of the trunk shorting out the bulbs. I put some clear packing tape on each side and it seems to have fixed the problem even though it looks a bit patched. Anyone have the same problem?

    Thanks for any input!!!!
  • bmarkbmark Member Posts: 52
    Since the Ga was redesigned for 99 (even though it came out in 98) I read the next redesign won't be until 2002 or 03. I don't have the problem with the tail lights, but I see a lot of GA's that do. For anyone reading this and seeing all of the problems, I have a 2000, Ga GT, that I bought with 2 miles, and now has 10,000. I just want to say that this is a great car. I have had no problems, the brakes work fine, and it is a great car to drive.
  • malibu99malibu99 Member Posts: 305
    My roomate is looking at a 97 Grand Am with 46,000 miles on it for $10,000. Does this sound reasonable? Are there any problems with this car that he should be concerened about? The decision is between the 97 Grand Am and a 00 Saturn. Your input will be greatly appreciated.
  • rollomanrolloman Member Posts: 64
    I appreciate the scoop! I love the GA also. It's a sharp little car and drives great. Most of all, my wife won it in Mary Kay...so it always feels a little more special when I get behind the wheel.
  • andiezgtandiezgt Member Posts: 2
    I gotta tell ya.. I buy new cars A-LOT. In fact, if I am out driving, and see a car that turns my head, my husband will ask if that's what I am buying next week. I'm a lost cause.

    However, I saw this Grand Am GT by accident. I was going to the Pontiac Dealer to get a Grand Prix GTP... and changed my mind. I loved this car from the get-go.

    The only problem I have had thus far is those little "idiot" lights that seem to like to turn on.. i.e. check tire pressure, change oil.. etc. They tend to be more of a pain in the butt than anything else. Other than that, this car runs like a dream.

    I recommend this car.. I got the GT1 package. It's wonderful!
  • nerssnerss Member Posts: 43
    My fiancee has been having the same problems with her GA 99 tail lamp on the drivers side. I will let the dealer know about it and see if there is any bulletins. Other than a few aesthetic problems this car has been great. I have noticed a minor vibration upon braking, but the car has 32,000 miles on it so I would expect so soon. Also speaking of leaks watch the spare tire compartment in the trunk. There has been some leaks from the wheel wells into that area and has rusted the jack and spare tire. GM will fix this and replace the rusty parts.
  • katiegrrrkatiegrrr Member Posts: 2
    Hi, I'm new here. I own a 1992 Grand Am. I bought it used two years ago with 43k on it. It now has 76k on it and I am experiencing problems with stalling. When I slow down to a complete stop, the car shakes, the brakes fail, and the car stalls. In order for the car to start and successfully get back into gear, you must wait 10-15 minutes. If you don't wait, the car will start, but will stall immediately upon putting it into gear. I have taken it to a repair shop, replaced the fuel filter, and used fuel injector cleaner. Otherwise I love my car. I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions about what to do, or have had similar problems.

    Thank you for your time.
    Katie
  • nerssnerss Member Posts: 43
    It sounds to me like there is a definite fuel problem with the car. I would suggest that you take it to a licensed Pontiac dealer/garage and have them look over the whole engine. It is quite possible that you have moisture in the distributor cap. My fiancee had a 90 Dodge Shadow that did the same thing, and when I wiped the cap clean it started right up.
  • nerssnerss Member Posts: 43
    I checked at my Pontiac garage and the parts guy looked up the 2000 interior on his computer and the cupholder wasn't there. When I called Pontiac they stated that this was a complementary part like the courtesy key you get on a more expensive model car. When the part is broke or gone, oh so sorry it can't be replaced. He said that this policy was stupid. I agree. But, thanks for the tip.
  • spectre3spectre3 Member Posts: 67
    katiegrrr,

    i have read other posts, elsewhere, where people have complained about a similar problem.
    the problem was the automatic transmission torque converter lockup had malfunctioned, and caused the car to stall when slowing down. it would be comparable to trying to stop a manual transmission equipped car and forgetting to push in the clutch when slowing.
    i wonder if the feeling your brakes are failing is because the engine is still pulling the car forward while you are attempting to brake??
    the part that failed in the transmission was the tcc solenoid.

    come to think of it, it may have been a diagonosis i saw on the web at www.2carpros.com .

    my 2 cents,
    good luck,

    lee
  • mjlinvamjlinva Member Posts: 1
    I too have had similar problems with my GA which I bought in October 98. It now has 43K miles, and only now am I learning first-hand about more of the problems this car has. My power steering pump blew two nights ago. The brakes have been a problem since day 1, sometimes feeling like the old 25-cent beds used to in motel rooms when applied. Regardless, I have filed claims with OCA in VA, and have a copy of the TSB regarding the poor quality of brake pads and rotors that Pontiac used at the factory. My comment is to keep making noise with your state's OCA and to Pontiac, and they SHOULD come through. I've also had probs with the hole in the rear wheel wells, which I discovered when one side of the car was noisier than the other on wet pavement. Also, the fog lights on the car had to be realigned because they were set too far back from the bumper to have any effect. Considering that the original lights were about as strong as 3-watt bulbs, my dealer upgraded them. Lastly, I saw a cup holder in a 2000 GA I drove as a rental on a business trip recently. The part number listed on the bottom is #22627372, and your dealer can get it for the low price of $26. This car is a good one to either buy an extended warranty for or to bargain for an extended warranty with Pontiac because of its lemon-like problems. If your brake problems persist, declare the car unsafe to drive and make Pontiac replace it!
  • blown_itemblown_item Member Posts: 3
    nerss:
    Thanks for the info. I was thinking about taking my GA back to the dealer for warranty repair, but wanted to see if it was a simple home fix. Off to the dealer!
  • blown_itemblown_item Member Posts: 3
    I have a 98 GA with a similar problem (moisture in the trunk). Check out posting 288 (it is a response to my problem.
  • rollomanrolloman Member Posts: 64
    Seems Pontiac would remedy this problem. I got it fixed a few weeks back.

    Still a great little car.

    My wife will earn a 2001 GA in January...anyone know of any changes for the 2001 model year?

    Thanks...
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