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Pontiac Grand Am

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Comments

  • nerssnerss Member Posts: 43
    My fiancee and I have owned a GA for 6 months now. Our radio was acting up like yours and the radio was replaced no questions asked after the 3 year/36000 mile warranty. Also if the gas cap is not tight it will set off the sensor because this will cause the engine to run rich and ours was up to 2500 rpm when it was loose. I tightened the cap and the car kicked down to normal rpms for idle. I have never been as happy with a car as I am now.
  • lsaukalsauka Member Posts: 8
    Your problem is with the dealer and not with Pontiac. I just purchased my 2nd Grand Am a week ago. Got a loaded GT and I L O V E it!!!!

    My other Grand Am is a '94 with over 110,000 miles on it and my nephew is driving it. Only common maintenance has ever been done to it. I did have a few problems with it when I first purchased it but my dealer backed me 100%.

    I think it is time for you to contact Pontiac & General Motors.
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    I have two, a 95SE 4 cyl, 57K miles, and a 99 V6 with 34K. Not much trouble with either one, except front brakes, which is a documented deficiency.
    My 19 year old uses the 95 at college. I noticed that the door panels on both sides (it's a two door) are breaking where they screw to the door at the latch end. The drivers door is worse of course. Any ideas on repairs besides replacing the door panels?
    The 99 is a world away on overall design, with a superior interior, body stiffness, handling and ride quality.
  • patolocopatoloco Member Posts: 6
    I have an appointment with my dealer on Tuesday. I am trying to get the rotors replaced, and with upgraded parts if possible. The service manager has already been trying to downplay the problem, by saying that "the brakes are a non-warranty item" and that they will wear out and need to be replaced. I mentioned the T.S.B. that I heard about from you guys on this page, but got no response from him.

    My question is this: What do I have to say in order to get the faulty parts replaced? From the information on this page, it sounds like this is indeed a problem that Pontiac is aware of, but it seems that the service manager is playing stupid. The car is a 1999 Grand Am, SE, with the V-6, and about 17,500 miles. Any input is appreciated. Thanks.
  • hengheng Member Posts: 411
    Nothing more to be said.
  • midlifecrisismidlifecrisis Member Posts: 391
    I have a 1999 Grand Am GT. I have noticed that the back portion of the drivers seat is beginning to squeek rather annoyingly. It appears to have something to do with the lumbar control. It used to be that if I let out all the lumbar support, the sound would go away. Now it squeeks almost all the time, especially when getting in and out of the car.

    Does anybody else experience this problem? Would a dealer replace the entire seat or is there a way to get the springs to stop being noisy?
  • bmarkbmark Member Posts: 52
    Rudd, that's to bad that you have had those problems. I have a 2000 gt that I have had for 9 months, and have 15000 mile on it. I have not had any problems on it yet. I love the looks of the car and the way that it drives. I would look at a junk yard for those wheels, there has to be some bad drivers out there that have totaled their car by now.
  • cwilson151cwilson151 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 95 grand am (111,000 mi) in which the plastic baffle broke inside the gas tank and broke the fuel sensing module ($800 repair). Is anyone else seeing this problem?

    I ask because the parts are being snatched up as quickly as they appear on the dealer's part screen and the junk yard has the same problem.

    GM refuses to assist any customer after 100,000 miles no matter what make or model year.

    I have been happy with the car and plan on getting 200,000 miles with it. The 3.1 V6 gives me 33-38 MPG on the highway at 75-85 MPH.

    Thanks
  • midlifecrisismidlifecrisis Member Posts: 391
    On my 1999 Grand Am GT, I've also noticed that the vent fan has begun to sound louder, with a whirling/whining type sound. Especially when the fan is turned on to 3 or 4 speed, but it's noticeable even at 1 speed when the car is at a stop.

    I've had stuff like leaves stuck in a vent before, but this sound is more consistent and is probably not a leaf or other obstruction. Oh - and it isn't related to the radio either. Anybody else have this problem?
  • kjkelleykjkelley Member Posts: 4
    I have a '99 GT1 sedan with an audible ticking sound from the 3.4L V6 engine for 1-2 minutes upon all cold startups. My dealer has told me (after 2 visits) that this sound is characteristic to all '99 3.2L and 3.4L V6's, and let me listen to another used '99 model which also had the sound.

    My question is: do any of you with the 2000 model V6's have this "issue"?
  • spectre3spectre3 Member Posts: 67
    i have a 99 ga se 3.4 that doesn't make that noise.

    what kind of oil and filter do you use??

    i am using mobil 1 oil and filter.

    numerous other problems as posted by others here...

    reoccurring brake warp, blown power steering hose and numerous air leaks in the windows/doors...
    squeaks & rattles the dealer can't seem to locate.
    cd/radio display freaks out, but never at the dealership.
    16,000 miles on the car. rotors turned 3 times already.
    poor gas mileage. 20 mpg max on the highway,(driven easy, 65 mph, cruise on).
    the dealer says thats normal, and cannot find any problem.
    we are getting rid of the car as soon as the mustang gt gets here in september.
  • midlifecrisismidlifecrisis Member Posts: 391
    Sprectre3: No way should you be getting 20 mpg max! I have a 99 GT and I've been getting 25 mpg consistently during mixed driving.

    Never had any radio problems, guess I'll keep my fingers crossed.

    I do have the ticking noise also - I noticed it again this morning. How is Mobil 1 going help?

    Haven't had the rotor problems, yet. But I don't love the brakes on my car.

    Can't blame you for wanting to dump the car. It sounds like a real lemon. How can you afford to go from a GA SE to a Mustang GT? Aren't you going to get killed in depreciation on the 1999 GA? I couldn't afford to get a different car even if I wanted to!
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    I tried the Mustang before buying the GA but was disappointed with the comfort. My niece has one and I tried it. It was OK at first but after a while very uncomfortable, no leg room. Also, my insurance company quoted me a price that was 40% higher than the GA. The Mustang GT I was interested in was a 4.6L with 5sp. stick, however.
    Every V6 GA I have heard has the cold start lifter noise, and I test drove quite a few used ones at my local Hertz car sales lot, most with 25K miles at least (all 99's). Ditto for other V6's of this type of design. Synthetic oil my help quiet it down, I havn't tried.
    As far as mileage, I just returned from a 650 mile trip averaging 70-80mph (Arizona highways folks) and got 31mpg. I havn't measured my in town mileage but suspect it's about 25mpg.
    Overall, were very happy with our GA's, the 99 and the 95. Brakes were a real problem at first with the 95, but after I gave up with the dealer and put high performance rotors and pads on it, the brake problems went away. Soon I will be doing the same on the 99, although the brakes on the 99 seem to be a lot better so far.
    My daughter blew out the front speakers on the 95 (it's pretty much her car now) and I'm just now replacing them.
  • kjkelleykjkelley Member Posts: 4
    I use Castrol GTX 5W-30 (Winter) 10W-30 (Summer) and Fram or AC Filters. I'll have to try Mobil 1.
    I've tried both viscosities and filters with no resulting change in the noise.

    Interesting: A mechanic at a Pontiac dealer told me that there was a problem with new Pontiac V8's (no specifics) that had a ticking noise and Pontiac management issued a TSB mandating Mobil 1 usage in the Vehicle (a very risky move for Pontiac, leaving them open for liabilities).
  • midlifecrisismidlifecrisis Member Posts: 391
    It's amazing how inept some dealers are. People don't usually think about buying their brand of automobile based on the support they will be given by a local dealer. My suggestion is to find a good local dealer and stick with them. It seems to be working well for me so far. I've had too many bad incidents at useless dealers that I won't ever go back to!
  • susan222susan222 Member Posts: 6
    I bought my Gr.Am 99 SE1 last June, 3 times in the past year my gas tank was about half full and when I tried to top it off we couldn't get any gas in it. The first time after it happened I went to another Gas station and it filled, the second time I tried a couple of stations, couldn't get gas in. Now yesterday it happened again half a tank and couldn't fill it, a half hour later (different station) it went in fine.
    What the heck is going on? I called the dealer he said he hasn't heard of this problem, but I'm bringing it in for him to check in 2 weeks. In the meantime: Has anybody experienced this? Does anyone know what it could be? Is it possibly a vapor lock? Any info will be appreciated. Thanks.
  • midlifecrisismidlifecrisis Member Posts: 391
    What do you mean "you couldn't fill it up"? Does the nozzle kick off, because it thinks the tank is full? Or you can't get the nozzle in?

    What happens when you are at quarter tank when refilling?

    I think we need more details as to the problem in order to potentially help you out.
  • rich310rich310 Member Posts: 34
    I will shortly be purchasing my first GM car. I've had Toyotas, Subarus, Mitsubishi, and Honda for the last 30 years. But price and equipment has drwn me to GM.

    The choice is between Olds Alero and Pontiac Grand Am. Both are almost identictal. I test drove both and they are teh same to me. Anyway, whcih do you recommend.I'm leaning towards ALero because the olds dealer close by is very reliable for servicing.

    Do you recommend the 4 cyl or 6 cyl. (It'll be the Olds GL or Grand Am Se 1 or 2)?

    Thanks for the feedback.

    Rich
  • dcwong1dcwong1 Member Posts: 54
    I was thinking about renting a Grand Am next week for business. I've never driven the new generation Grand Ams but how are the headlights on these cars? It seems like so many Grand Am owners have their foglights on (even in the daylight) that I start to wonder if this is an image thing or if the headlights are truly terrible that they need to be turned on no matter what weather condition it is.

    I've driven the previous generation Grand Am and the headlights and foglights suck. The foglights are probably the worst I've ever seen and they are totally worthless.

    Is it worth checking out the new Grand Am's?
  • susan222susan222 Member Posts: 6
    When I try to fill the nozzle goes in but the pump shuts down like its full. If they try to pump it in it pours out. When the tank reads less than half I have never had a problem filling. Also, just so you know I usually go to the same gas station all the time and this week it happened at that station, they were only able to get in a dollars worth. A half hour later I went to another station and filled up with no problem.
  • midlifecrisismidlifecrisis Member Posts: 391
    rich310: Get the 6 cylinder if you can afford it. It has much more horsepower and pickup. I find I need that when entering freeways. Many people have said the 4 cylinder is very noisy and revs higher. The gas mileage is almost identical, so you don't much by going with the smaller engine.

    dcwong1: My headlights and fog lights are great on my 1999 GT. There is a switch for the foglights. When it is on, the fog lights come one automatically when the headlights come on. Most people just leave the switch on, and the fog lights come on automatically. It is not because the headlights are inept. And the fog lights do help out quite a bit when visibility is not the greatest (at dusk or raining at night).

    susan222: That is the most bizarre thing I've ever heard about the Grand Am so far. If it were vapor lock, I think we would have had other people with that experience by now. Something must be defective or the orifice is too small or constricted. My advice - wait until the car is about a quarter full to fill up, just like the rest of us!
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    Susan, I've never heard of this on any GA or Alero. The only thing I can think is that something is blocking the filler neck at times. Perhaps a baffle has broken loose or something and is floating around in the tank, but that's pretty remote. I've had trouble at fill ups when the earlier style vapor recovery systems are in use at the pump, but usually just moving the nozzle around takes care of it. The restrictor for the unleaded nozzle hasn't broken loose in the filler neck has it?
    The DRIVING lights on the Alero and GA work only when the headlights are in low beam. They won't work when the headlights are off or in high beam, unless the system has been modified. I think a lot people just leave the switch on, so they come on when the headlights are on.
    Rich, I agree that the V6 is better overall. The only advantage that I can see in the 4 is that with a stick shift it is a real screamer at high revolutions, but most of us will never take it there. I have both designs presently and the V6 is superior overall.
  • derelisderelis Member Posts: 1
    I am a GM "De-Valued" customer. I leased a 1999 Pontiac Grand Am GT 4dr and have had nothing but problems all within the first year. As I have found I am not alone, others comments I have read are the same but it seems mine have been worse.

    At 15,000km the front rotors and were replaced. They were ok for a while but then the stereo failed. It was replaced by a beatup/refurbished system that was at least functional but soon failed as well. They replaced it with what they said was a "Brand New" unit but has also failed. This has been a hassel to say the least. The stereo issue asside, at around 30,000km I notice a metal "Grinding" noise comming from the front of the vehicle as well as a loud "clanking" when putting the vehicle in reverse. The service center has made attempts to correct the problems by replacing the brake pads and rotating the tires, it did not fix the problem. At around 40,000 the rack and pinion and main steering gear failed and had to be replaced. The low traction indiocator starting flashing on around the same time and the service center said the ran diagnostics but could not find a problem. Since the rack and pinion was replaced the strange noises continue from the front of the car and the stereo has still not been resolved. I have contacted GM Canada 6 times and have been back to the dealership but no action has been taken to date.

    I am concerned with my families safety when in the vehicle and have stated this to GM on several occasions.

    Sincerely Pissed,

    Dan E.
    Calgary, Alberta
    derelis@metafore.ca
  • susan222susan222 Member Posts: 6
    In response to your response, I ususally fill up when I'm at a quarter tank or less. That is why the problem has only happened about three times, I try to top it off when I'm going on a long trip so I know I'm OK with gas. That is why this is so annoying. My appointment with Pontiac is 9/13
    I'll let you guys know what they come up with, if anything.
  • midlifecrisismidlifecrisis Member Posts: 391
    If ever I was to question the quality and design of my Grand Am interior, I need look no farther than to compare it to one of my company cars I drove yesterday. I got to drive a 1996 Olds Ciera wagon. The interior was just plain hideous. It was full of cheap plastic. The dashboard had hard square plastic parts. The door lock and window controls were mounted flush with the driver's door, making them very difficult to operate.

    The Delco radio had tiny buttons and was located too far from the driver, requiring too much concentration to change stations, etc. The seats were uncomfortable and some guages were difficult to read.

    The current Grand Am is worlds ahead of GM cars from less than 5 years ago! I got in my car to go home after work and I just sat there, appreciating everything they have improved. I will not take my Grand Am for granted any more.
  • guylguyl Member Posts: 10
    Hello

    Fellow Grand Am fans. I have been looking all over the web for information on aftermarket parts for my grand am. well, this is the best site that I have found. This is were I got the info for the K&N air filter that fit like a charm.
    http://www.grandamgt.com/
    He explains where to buy the part, how to best install it and so on. In the message board, there are people like us that discuss what ever about the car, I check this part out all the time.

    This is my 2 cents.
  • cguscgus Member Posts: 1
    We have an opportunity to purchase a 1998 Pontiac Grand Am GT, it has a 2.4 liter, 4 cylinder engine, 2000 original miles, It is sharp, looks and smells like new. The damage from the accident entailed replacing the driver side door and front fender. The owner buys cars that are repairable and fixes them and sells them, he is licensed. This car is his 17 yr old daughters but she says she is selling it to get a truck to haul her horses.
    They have said that when it rains the digital radio lettering gets deformed but otherwise works ok.
    Now to my question; I have heard from a friend that is a mechanic that the 2.4 liter, 4 cylinder engine is junk and that he hasn't heard anything good about it. Also since this car is considered a salvage car , 2000 miles, would this be a good deal? I am a little concerned after reading about electrical problems with other Grand Ams that the radio may indicate the same kind of problem in this car. Would replacing the CD/ Radio solve the problem? Also at 2000 miles this car is quiet but we live on a gravel road, how long before we hear some of the noises many of you have complained about. Is there any Grand Am owners out there that love their cars? Your input would be really appreciated concerning this car. Our daughter is in college so she can't afford much more than $8000 but we do not want more trouble than it's worth. Also are these cars hard to work on yourself? Thanks for all the advice.
    Sincerely---------cgus
  • nerssnerss Member Posts: 43
    My finacee and I own a 99 GA with 37,000 miles on it. We bought it used from a rental place through a dealers program i.e. program car. There were many interior issues that we had to deal with:

    1) New carpet due to shrinking (free)
    2) New interior door panels due to bubbling (free)
    3) Spoiler drained and drain holes put it (free)
    4) New Windows due to scratching from misaligned door panels (free)
    5) New Radio because old one had funny display (free)

    The dealer stated that these were all free because of remaining warranty and that should have been fixed previously, but the rental company ignored the notices. The car has never let us down and has ran and preformed wonderfully. I hope that this helps you make a decision. Nerss
  • guylguyl Member Posts: 10
    I own a 1999 GA V6, I also bough it from a rental place through a dealer. The only problem I had with it so far, is that the radio knop wouldn't turn up the volume, replaced radio - free. The grand am's are hard on brakes. I do not know what car isn't but I currently have 60000km not miles, about 37500 miles and I have to replace the rotors, they have been turned 2 times so far. A few people in the company that have company cars, there GA also have lots of brake problems. Its not the pads, its the rotors. So make sure that when you change your rotors get good ones.

    Other than that,the car is great. Love it. Everything about it.

    my 2 cents
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    You didn't say how much the car is selling for, but you mentioned $8,000. If that's the price, it sounds like a good deal as long as the damage was superficial only.
    I was under the impression that GT's were only available with the V6 in 98. Better check it out. It wouldn't be the first time someone re-badged a salvage to get the price up.
    Personally, I prefer the V6 because it's stronger and less noisy than the 4, and the gas mileage is about the same. As far as the reliability, by 95 the Quad 4 was much improved. It is imperative to keep the oil changed and topped up, as it is in any twin overhead cam. I have a 95 with a 4, and a 99 with a V6. The 95 hasn't had any engine problems in 58,000 miles, but I do keep it well maintained with 3,000 mile oil changes.
    Be advised that front brakes are a problem, and usually require frequent service. Than can be much improved with aftermarket parts, and GM is now replacing them for free in most cases.
    I love the 99, no doubt about it. I havn't had any problems in 35,000 miles. Front brakes have been done twice, last time the rotors were turned and next time I'm replacing them with high performance cross drilled ones and titanium pads.
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    cgus, I just looked at the Edmunds used car site and the 4 cyl was the standard engine for the 98 GT, so disregard my statement above.
  • lrymallrymal Member Posts: 105
    On Mon 21 Aug '00 (08:26 AM) it was written:

    > On my 1999 Grand Am GT, I've also noticed
    > that the vent fan has begun to sound
    > louder, with a whirling/whining type
    > sound.
    > I've had stuff like leaves stuck in a
    > vent before...

    And leaves, pinestraw, etc. is exactly it is. These can be stuck or wrapped around the "squirrel-cage" type fan slats.

    It is easy to clean. One way is to remove the glovebox. Make sure you have the freshair mode is selected (whatever it is called) so that the intake is opened to the outside vent. Manually turn the squirrel-cage until you have found all the pinestraw and leaf debris.

    Another way to clean this is to remove the outside wiper arm black plastic shield base. This is a long piece of plastic that goes from one wiper shaft to the other. Remove it to expose the entire water tray which is above the intake vent.

    Note the intake vent does NOT have any type of protection or debris guard. The wiper shaft holes do, but the protection has rather large webbing. Pine straw can very easily go through.

    Removing the glove box is the easiest way and you can have a nicely running fan in just a few minutes.
  • midlifecrisismidlifecrisis Member Posts: 391
    Remove the glove box and wiper arm shield base? How, by chance, is this accomplished?
  • bimmerboy1bimmerboy1 Member Posts: 3
    You are wise to be concerned Cgus. I wouldn't do it. As good a deal as it seems, a car that has been in an accident is usually a risky proposition at best, especially one, no offense GA fans, which has a less than stellar reliability record to begin with.

    It's unlikely the accident was minor either. They don't normally issue salvage titles for 2,000 mile cars involved in minor fender benders. Most states have statutes which specify when a car is to be given a salvage title.

    It could have been given a nice big kiss by a Lincoln Navigator driven by a pissed off soccer mom, knocking that clock out of wack, and the suspension, and the unibody, and other things.

    Plus, check with GM. See if the warranty will follow the car given it has a salvage title. There's a good chance it may not. If not, the thing could turn into a major money pit.

    For $8g, you can pick up a pretty good, average mileage Accord or Camry from the early 1990s.
  • carlvr1carlvr1 Member Posts: 4
    To help you decide, if you haven't already, between the Grand AM and the Olds Alero let me point out some differences between them that I found in my vast search for a new car. The Alero and the Grand AM are basically sister cars, but I found that the Alero seems to offer less for more money than the Grand AM. The Grand AM interior can be had in very dark grey (nearly black)and the Alero only comes in light grey(if you want tan it is available in both). All Grand AM models come standard with fog-lights and rear-cornering lights. Also, I believe that only the Grand AM is available with the great monsoon stereo and steering-wheel radio controls. While the Olds seemed more comfortable only in front-passenger legroom than the Grand AM the driver's seat and rear seemed identical in the two cars. The bodyside moldings on the Grand AM are thicker and more extensive(especially on the GT) than the Aleros, which should make door dings and dents almost non-existent. The vents (circular)on the new Grand AM are also great and can be adjusted to an infinite number of positions. The dash on the Alero seems more conservative (yawn) while the Grand AM's screams "UNIQUE" (if you can handle the big pods). Also the Grand AM's red backlighting also was different (AUDIESQUE). So I guess if you can live with a bit of sportiness and the pods (my wife hates them) not to mention a item for item price difference in favor of the Grand AM and without the added prestige that comes with Oldsmobile over Pontiac the Grand AM should be a clear choice.
  • carlvr1carlvr1 Member Posts: 4
    p.s.I can only say V-6 is the way to go. It gets similiar gas mileage and is a lot faster and should be more reliable in the long run. Needless to say you will get a much better trade-in or resale value in the future.
  • lrymallrymal Member Posts: 105
    > Remove the glove box and wiper arm
    > shield base? How, by chance, is this
    > accomplished?

    I just used a nutdriver on the glove box bolts, a needlenose tool on the shield base. All ya gotta do is look at it and you can see how it can be done.

    Note that my suggestion earlier was opposite of what it should have been. Have Max Air selected if you are cleaning via the removed glovebox method. This exposes the squirrel cage housing intake.
  • nickpernickper Member Posts: 28
    Was driving in Lansing today giving the family a small tour of the city while visiting MSU. We drive throught the GA/Alero plant off South ML King (MLK goes right thru the plant for those that are familiar with Lansing). I saw the '01 GA's and Alero's in the lot. It looks like some sort of bronzemist (like the bronzmist Ingrigue/GP) color is available now. Anybody know what color I was seeing? It looked ok to me, but it was a rainy day (09-10-00) so could not completely tell.
  • midlifecrisismidlifecrisis Member Posts: 391
    I love my Grand Am GT with all the features and peformance. But I am a little nervous about the safety rating. This morning I saw an accident on the way to work. One car looked like an accordion, and they were using the jaws of life to get a person out.

    Anybody else out there a little worried about the Grand Am's less than stellar offset crash test results?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I was thinking about a Grand Am GT. But since the safety rating for the offset crash is pretty bad, I am contemplating my purchase. It does worry me.
  • susan222susan222 Member Posts: 6
    Well, I returned from Pontiac today with what I hope was the answer to my problem, the dealer said they knew of no problems like I had with filling up. They did however, change the "Fuel Limiter Vent Valve". Hopefully it's fixed, I'm going to fill it and at 3/4s of a tank see if I can top it off.
    Also, what's this you're talking about re: crash tests, I haven't heard about it, was it with the Grand Am's and what were the results?
  • frmacfrmac Member Posts: 1
    I bought my Grand Am new two years ago and had little problem with it since. It currently has 46,000 miles on it as well. The only major problem was at 12,000 miles when the front breaks and rotors needed to be replaced...haven't had any trouble there since. Currently the engine is making some funny noises and sometimes stalling when trying to start it up. I got an oil change a little while ago and the guy mentioned a possible broken engine mount. Now I don't drive the car hard and and 90% of the miles are highway. So is the broken engine mount a common thing with this car or is it just something that happened. Anyways it goes to the mechanic Monday so I'll find out then I guess. Thanks.
  • teekay3teekay3 Member Posts: 2
    I have several questions, all related to the sale of my 1995 GA SE. The car is very clean and very well maintained. I get a great response on appearance, but when they find out it has the Quad 4 engine, the feedback turns sour. I had a buyer this week... she is a single woman, so she asked two mechanics for advice and both told her that the engine has a lot of problems. One told her it will burn up the other parts over time because it is too small to power the car. I have not heard anything specific other than that, but no one seems to have anything good to say about the 4 cyl. This has been a great car for me and I thought that because of it's condition, the $6000 asking price was more than fair. Do I need to rethink my price, and how do I respond to these comments about the engine? I put 4 cyl. in my ad and I have received only one call in 3 weeks. Could this be part of the problem? The car has 73K miles and runs great. I don't get it.
  • spectre3spectre3 Member Posts: 67
    you might check lemonaid.com to see if there were problems with this year of grand am.

    before we bought a 99 ga, 3.4 we had a 97 pontiac sunfire gt with the 2.4 quad 4. it was very dependable and caused us no problems.

    in reference to a previous conversation here about 99 gran am's 3.4 lifter clatter(at least i think it was in this category), i was wrong! our 99 ga 3.4 did have the clatter!. we traded it in recently for a 00 mustang gt and the day we took it to trade i just happened to be beside the car when my wife started it up, and it did exactly what you described.. my apologies.

    we did like the ga(13k miles), but the pontiac dealer couldn't figure out why only 21.5/22.0 miles per gallon on the interstate at 65 miles per hour. about 18 in the city. a radio/cd volume control & display that was possessed. right door panel that would not stay tight, and air/water leaks they could never fix. brake rotor warp every 5,000 miles.. we got tired of making trips to the dealer for service.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Go to http://www.lemonaid.com and check into the "secret warranties watch" and you will find out the problems with the Quad 4 engines. They are famous for blowing their head gaskets when the mileage gets high. That's why no one wants them. I would try to take it to a place called CarMax if they are near you. Check into it at http://www.carmax.com.
  • midlifecrisismidlifecrisis Member Posts: 391
    teekay3: I don't know how you could have had time to enjoy your Grand Am. Sounds to me like it was always in the shop. GM should have just taken the car back as a lemon. I'm sure you lost a pretty penny in this deal, but what choice did you have? Hope everything works out with the Mustang.

    I used to go from owning one car to the next because of problems that were really irritating. Now I've got two vehicles that haven't had these types of problems in a while. I think I'll stick with them until they fall apart. Hope I didn't jinx myself by saying this!
  • 95grandie95grandie Member Posts: 1
    I own a 95 Grand Am that I bought as a "program car" with 30K miles on it in '96. This car now has 147,000 miles. My brother wrecked it on I-94 going through Chicago three years ago. Still, the only expenses have been oil changes, tires, and brakes. I just might get to pay this one off!
  • mkoons1mkoons1 Member Posts: 2
    I own a 1999 Grand AM Gt with all options...anyone want to tow it to the junk yard for me?
    Little problems that I have had since day one:
    -Air control/AC dials falling off
    -Tire pressure/change oil light needs to be reset everytime car is turned on
    Larger problems:
    -Timing off, twice, car wouldn't start or even turn over
    -My car also leaks I get fairly large amounts o water on the back seat floor. I have taken to be fixed at least 5 times. They say they can't find the problem and that I must have left my window open.
    -I was also in a colision, I was traveling approx. 40 mph when I hit a car and my air bag never deployed. My car had serious damage...the other car (97 Dodge Neon) had only a scuff on the bumper.
    Needless to say, after 4 months of owning this car I had placed at least 3 calls to the pontiac cares customer service and received no action, the only thing that they have done is schedule another appointment for me at the dealership.
    I will never buy another Pontiac car/truck or SUV. I have had so many problems with no one willing to help me.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Sounds like you need some legal advice from your lawyer about something called the Lemon Law. Check into it with a lawyer or your states' attorney.
  • sun_sonsun_son Member Posts: 3
    I just bought a 2000 Grand Am GT , the last Friday.
    How long you own this car ?.

    And I have a question about the gas, what is the recommendation for a new car, I should just 87 octanage gas or 90 or 93 ?

    Regards
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