1999 Pontiac Grand Am: engine overheating

Filed Mar 14, 2013 · Engine, Lights · 180,000 miles · OH

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 pontiac grand am. The contact stated that the turn signal switch failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic, who diagnosed that the hazard switch and the turn signal switch needed to be replaced. On another occasion, the contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated as the vehicle overheated and stalled. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was diagnosed that the intake manifold gasket needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000 and the current mileage 205,000.

Filed Sep 4, 2012 · Brakes, Engine · 49,000 miles · NY

Car the worst. I've sunk more $ in2 it than she cost to buy. $15,000 at lst. Head gasket x2. Intake manifold x2 window parts x2 brakes, pads rotors engine replaced in 2009 by quack mechanic on advice from a friend car 3 mths on lift! Cost $1000 a yr 2 pass nys inspection had catalytic converter & gaskets replaced after I begged do it! Cat whole prob for 31/2 yrs. Erg valve selonoid changed. Coils springs, strut mount(sensatrac) strut was only after I had tires replaced for upteenth time realizing it was cutting into 1 tire driving out of the shop. Antifreeze still oozes out regardless how many x's work done on cooling system. Thermastat twice fuel injector oxygen sensor antifreeze reservoir, hoses muffler rearview mirror fell off twice timing belt. Headlights several times rear lights. 2 or 3 batteries. This car should run like new- almost everything's been replaced nope! Was towed twice last 2 weeks due to coolant loss overheating engine stopping. Informed today after car again overheated & lost power it's probably intake manifold & head gasket, oil is dripping from sides of engine. Computer amuck nowodometer flashes 1/2 numbers instead of true mileage. Abs? Light mechanic stated its a waste of your $ to repair.... Three head gaskets? Another intake manifold? Hello! I've maintained this car it is a lemon a rotton lemon at that. Gm knows these issues & does nothing. In michigan consumers won a class action lawsuit because of this. Gm shoulda recalled this car period. I wasn't informed or savvy enough to know this cars issues upon purchase. What makes this worse, I now understand my rights were violated as a consumer for years! I'm poor & can't afford another car due to this car continued problems cost. I need a vehicle but am left with bus rides taking almost 3 hrs one way to work or a $35 cab fare one way. As of today my car is trash.

Filed Jul 16, 2012 · Engine · SD

My husband and I had just made it into the city after a 1 and a half hour drive. After driving around town for about an hour our car, 99 pontiac grand am, shut off. We sat for a bit and tried it and it started right up. But it kept doing it several different times throughout the day. We thought it overheated but the temperature gauge read 200 degrees. He changed both o2 sensors, cam shaft, alternator, water pump, put on a used fuel pump. We were thinking that it might be the fuel pump, but are unsure. The possible problems we have came up with are the fuel pump since it's used, the cadillac converter because it smells bad at times, like when we go up hill, or as I was reading all the problems people were having with there 99 pontiac grand am vehicles, would be the intake gasket or the ABS light that goes off and comes on when it feels like it. I have spent alot of money trying to figure out what is wrong with this car and I need help.

Filed Jun 7, 2012 · Engine · 130,000 miles · IN

I bought this 99 pontiac grand am se 3.4 liter engine and overheating all the time now I had it looked at and was told that it is my head gasket I was told that they are notorious for this something about a plastic gasket being the cause for it and that there was a possible suit going on about it so I would like to take action if possible.

Filed Apr 7, 2009 · Engine · CA

I have a 1999 pontiac grand am 3.4l. I've owned this car since 2001 and I have already replaced my intake manifold gasket (under warranty) in 2002. I now have to replace it again! Except this time there was a fault in the gasket in the engine as well, which resulted in seized bearings, snapped camshaft, broken and bent valve as well as the caps to the oil and coolant being overheated and not going on properly. I am told this is because of dexcool and the gaskets.

Filed Jan 28, 2009 · Body, Electrical · 76,000 miles · NY

Had all window mechanisms replaced after enduring a wonderful garbage bag cover treatment for window beauty enhancement last winter 2007-08. Found my ignition refuses to start w/ 1 key. I started noticing the smell of antifreeze. Took to my mechanic of 22 years. Thought it was a crack in the actual container which houses antifreeze. This was replaced. Nope. Still leaking. Car never indicated on panel that it was above temp & overheated, stayed within the normal range. The car never once overheated. Mechanic couldn't find the problem. Said it was a faulty computer... Indicates, tires need checking, flashing lights, ABS off/on...which by the way was causing me to not have my car pass inspection to add insult to injury!! Found I was all of a sudden replacing antifreeze by the gallons. Was still paying off mechanic from previous issues. Don't ask, while trying to figure out the antifreeze problem! Brought car in to have radiator checked by friends mechanic, fluid was literally pouring out of bottom of car. $1600. Later!! Head gasket set,waterpump,serpentine belt, radiator hoses, thermostat & gaskets, crossoverpipes, airfilter...now? 1 1/2 months later? Well hey.guess what? Riding merrily to work last sat. Car stalled all the way...& yipee another visit, another mere 900. Bag of shells consisting of crank shaft, bearings. Can you believe it? I don't have it!!.....I thought this guy was putting me on...I've lost work since I'm 45 min. Away. I've spoken to pontiac several times. They want nothing to do with this. Act dumb- the american way...weird, I've read more complaints about this issue, I'm surprised you guys don't demand some resolution for consumers. What gives? It's so incredibly obvious this is a real solid complaint about engine defect with all the evidence to back it up!! I think it was minnisota or missouri that consumers actually won a class action suit against pontiac for these specific complaints. Namely head gasket, engine related issues..

Filed Apr 12, 2007 · Engine · 80,000 miles · AE

Intake gasket on 1999 pontiac grand am failed for the thrid time. The second time I almost had engine damage. The car overheated and warped the heads, but was not enough to be replaced.

Filed Apr 12, 2007 · Engine · 60,900 miles · IL

Tl*- the contact owns a 1999 pontiac grand am gt. The vehicle's current mileage was 61,000 miles and the failure mileage was 60,900. She took the vehicle to dealer for an oil change and inspection. The dealership informed her that the vehicle was leaking antifreeze and oil, and the intake gasket needed to be replaced. She found many complaints on the federal safety agency website for this same problem for the engine and engine coolant: exhaust system: manifold/header/tail pipe. The dealership informed her that this will cost her $1,100. She would be contacted by the gm manufacturer. There was no indication of this problem, and was surprised when the service department informed her of the oil and coolant leak.*ak updated 05/21/07

Filed Mar 6, 2006 · Brakes, Electrical · 59,009 miles · MI

Dt*: the contact stated while driving at various speeds the engine overheated. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop for inspection. The mechanic determined the engine's high performance additive caused corrosion to the aluminum cylinder head. The cylinder head was replaced which corrected the problem. Updated 3/28/2006 - the water pump failed. The battery and brakes failed. The coolant light illuminated. The dealer determined that the antifreeze had congealed and needed to be flushed and replaced. The driver side headlight went out. The driver side window regulator broke.

Filed Nov 15, 2005 · Brakes, Electrical · 106,000 miles · WI

I bought my 1999 grand am in oct' 04. The first 2 mo. Of owning it my alternator went out. A few months later I had to replace my front brakes. Shortly after that my(2nd) alternator and A/C pump went out not to mention the battery too. Oh and not only has the service engine light been on most of the time, a second service engine light came on! I have never known a vehicle to have 2 service engine lights on at the same time!! Was this some kind of premonition!? As soon as I got the car back,I went and picked my kids up to go to the fair. We were not even 2 miles out of town yet when my engine started overheating. I had to pull over and wait for quite sometime before I could make it home safely with my children. Now my car that I've spent a lot of money on, not just purchasing the car,but also in parts is currently in the shop for either a blown head gasket or the engine block is damaged. The mechanic told me this is happening to a lot of these specific cars or should I say engine type. Nevertheless, this is costly and very dangerous to everyone who owns one of these lemons!!!! Something needs to be done real quick with these problems or the manufacture of these vehicles will be paying for more than just parts! *cb

Filed Nov 15, 2005 · Electrical, Engine · 6,000 miles · AR

Replacement of the following parts on 99 pontiac grand am, r&r fuel strainer & filter/fuel filter/fuel pump/fuel injection/water pump/ECM/2brake jobs/thermostat/also I am having problems with coolant system overheating/ loss of coolant/ fog window/ smell of coolant/ loss of power/ low coolant continually I have to add coolant every week.

Filed Sep 26, 2005 · Engine · 98,000 miles · MA

My 99 pontiac grand am started having coolant problems, the vehicle engine temperature would go up and down for a month, finally the vehicle just one day overheated. I had the whole coolant system replaced, ( 600.00 later). About a week or two after it started to overheat again, before I could bring it back to the mechanic to check it out, the engine blew. I have not been able to replace the engine yet, nor do I know if I will as the vehicle is not worth the cost to repair. I refuse to pay almost 2k to get an engine for something else to go wrong.. I know there is a defect in the coolant system causing the engine to over heat.. My mechanic said my camshaft completely split in half, and he has never seen this before but knows of a few people who have same year make and model that the same thing happened to. It cant be a coincidence.