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.
1999 Pontiac Grand Am visibility complaints
Page 2 of 4: complaints 11 to 40 of 89, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Where to start, .bought 1999 grand am gt in august of 2002 and ithas been downhill ever since. Replaced the alternator twice, have experienced the same intake manifold gasket problem, which was replaced, but still LED to the demise of my engine, causing camshaft to snap in half. Thought the trouble was over with the rebuilt engine that was put in, but that was not the case. The window regulator broke in the middle of a snowstorm ,causing me to drive with no driverside window. With the new regulator I assumed that the window would stop squeaking, which did not. I assumed the scratches on windows were just from me-sand or some other abrasive material in the window tracks--after reviewing other complaints I discovered I was not the only one with this problem. Have experienced various issues with the no trac/ABS lights, replaced the waterpump, done brakes 4 times in 4 years, front headlights are milky and make it hard to see at night. Have replaced the starter 4 times in just the past 2 years. Needless to say after reading all complaints I feel much better knowing that it is not just me, or my car, but all pontiacs. Bought the car for $10000, have put over $5000 worth of work into it. Will never buy another pontiac.
I own a 1999 grand am se. Ever since I bought the car in oct '04 I have been having nothing but problems with it. This past june I had to replace the engine. Leading up to that the car would die at least once a week. I would bring it to the dealer (more like tow it) and I would always be told nothing is wrong. Then yet again it would die. After that the stalling began. I would be driving and the car would shut off. It would usually take up to 10 minutes to turn back on. Once the dealer went "well maybe its your lights, you leave them on." my response was how do I leave on automatic lights? I have had to replace my alternator 3 times and have had to replace my battery twice. It got to the point that once I shut off my car the only way to start it was by taking out the mail relay chip for 2 minutes than replacing it. Than the car would start up. Finally I was on the high way and out of no where you head a loud pop. There went the header, pistons, oil gasket. The engine blew. However it was never a effect of the oil. I was always checking it and getting it changed once ever other month (I commuted a lot). So I got a rebuilt engine put in and the problems went away... Or so I thought. Last night I was driving and all of a sudden my car started shaking. It went from a little to a great amount. The muffler is making an odd puff puff noise and the exhaust smells like windshield washer fluid (only was to describe it). I pulled it into my driveway and on went the trac off light and the service engine soon lights. Thank you. Also prior to the new engine my cds would no longer play. I would get the e20 error and the cds would spit out. Another problem is my rear passenger windows have scratches up the middle of them. I can not figure out where the marks are coming from.
Power window motor and components exploding while vehicle is moving.
Grand am 1999, my passenger side mirror fell off after touching it, found that all the plastic screw holders were broken, we disconnected the mirror and called for pricing, very expensive to get that plastic support piece. My drivers side mirror was hanging by the cables one morning went I went out to go to work. I had used plastic type string to tie it on, then tried duck tape both to no avail. My neighbor tired screws but they have come out, will try longer ones today. Why does gm use such cheap plastic to hold a mirror that is subject to pressure from normal driving on highways. My other big issue is my back passenger window, I came out from work and found it completely open, it will not go up with the motorized switch and will fall down when it feels like it, it is difficult driving on highway, have tried wedging it, will have to go duck tape I guess that after reading reports on my car stats it is very expensive to replace. It is a shame that the car falls apart before it is paid for.
Both driver side and passenger side power windows have failed. The cables and pulleys used to move the window up and down got tangled which caused the cable to become entangled in the motor and eventually broke the window clips, causing the window to drop unexpectedly. The driver's side was the first to go. It took many weeks to find an affordable replacement (parts ranged from $100 to $350). Three days after repair was made, the passenger window too did the same thing. Now I have only one window that works until again I can find another affordable part to fix the inconvenience.
Dt: 1999 pontiac grand am. The consumer stated the window track has broke. This has been fixed twice, and still did not work properly. The vehicle shook when the brakes were applied. The brake pads have been replaced four times. The rotors have been turned twice and replaced once. The manufacturer was not aware of the problems.
Dt: the problem began on 6/14/05 when all lights came on and all guages went to zero, the power door locks and windows failed as well. The vehicle had no brakes, it coasted to a stop, and shut down, owner was locked in vehicle. The alternator and belt were replaced, owner got in back seat because air bag light came on. Tow truck driver tried to restart the vehicle but it had a completely dead battery. Owner was able to get out finally when they were trying to restart the battery. She grabbed the handle and was able to get out. Vehicle was towed to an impound lot, and the alternator was changed at tow place by a mechanic. It was 90 + degrees outside and no fresh air was coming in the vehicle.
Vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection due to a chattering noise that occurred when the weather was cold. The technician determined that the windshield needed to be replaced. *ak
The front windshield of the consumer's 1999 pontiac grand am was not sealed properly (pinch well was not primed). *nm the windshield started to become loose which allowed air into the passenger compartment.
Right passenger mirror failed catastrophically while being washed in an automatic car wash. Mirror was completely torn from its mounts and left hanging by the wiring.
I began noticing a grinding sound when passenger side window was rolled up and down. Glass became increasingly scratched. Dealership repaired at no charge as vehicle was still under warranty and there was a service bulletin on this problem. However, problem persisted to the point of window regulator breaking off and glass sliding down inside the door. Had to be taken back to the dealer five times in one year. (dealer did not want to pay at last visit due to the warranty expiring. Had to really hold their feet to the fire for them to fix it.) now the problem is that both rear window regulators have broken! Glass has slid down inside the doors and will not stay up (I have packaging tape holding up one window). Pontiac customer service has offered me a free oil change and/or small reimbursement for "my inconvenience." however, each regulator alone (no labor) will cost around $300. That is $600 in parts alone. I simply cannot afford this, and find it ridiculous that 3 of the 4 windows are exhibiting this problem. The car has low mileage and is very well-maintained. I believe gm has a serious defect with the window regulators in their grand ams and should take responsibility for this problem.
Power windows on both doors - internal parts failed causing windows to drop inside door and not be rolled back up.
Left window regulator needed replacing because my window fell in the door and I was unable to use my window. I know of 2 other people that this has happened to. It cost me $260.68 for the part, and $14 for a switch. Gm knows of this problem but has not done a recall. This is quite common in grand am and grand prix. I would like to know of any reimbursement program for the cost of the part?
Had car 2 yrs. Only,the driver side window broke twice,got it repair from dealer. This past month the passenger window broke{did not get it fix yet}when you try to put the window down it sounds like it is cracking then the window turns side ways and that was how the driver side window was. My left hand turn signal when you turn it on to turn, it keeps blinking really-really fast,not like a normal turn signal light. All of this happen october 2002-to this date. Did not get the turn signal fixed yet.
The consumer stated that vehicle was parked and she went out at about 6:30 am to warm the vehicle. She warmed it up for about 15 minutes, then got into the vehicle, she pushed the button to the rear defroster, and immediately the back window shattered. The consumer called the insurance company and had the rear window replaced. She had to pay for the window. The consumer was afraid to transport her children in the rear seats for fear that this may happen again. *ak
The window regulators have had to be replaced in the driver's door and both back doors. Each of the windows failed to close after they were opened. The first one to go out was the driver's window and the back two windows were working occasionally at that time. The mechanic told me that they would probably need to be replaced soon, but if they stop working, I could just knock on the outside of the door or slam the door shut and they would work for a short time again. This got me through for about another month. All broke within the past year and each one has had to be replaced. The total cost to fix all three window regulators was $1188.17. I called gm to file a complaint with them and to find out why there hasn't been a recall on the regulators, (as well as the seat belts, the side view mirrors, the brakes and to find out why I also have scratches on my windows). I told them about the mycarstats.com website and explained that all of my complaints are common. I finally received a call back about a week later and was told that I would not be reimbursed for any of my repair costs which came to $2,974.58!! This total includes: brakes, calipers and rotors replaced twice for $834.08; side view mirror replaced after falling off while going through a carwash $167.86; seat belts replaced for driver and both back passengers because the plastic clips broke for no apparent reason $784.47 and of course the window regulators $1,188.17. Instead, gm was offering me $1,000.00 towards the purchase of another gm vehicle!!! I asked why I would want to purchase another vehicle that they don't stand behind!?!? I told them to keep the $1,000 and expressed that I would never buy another gm product again, since these are safety features that should have been recalled years ago!! This past week, I have also noticed that the molding around the window shield is coming loose on the passenger side, so I used silicone caulking to hold it in place.
The fan (air) in my car stopped operating on lower settings and only works on the highest setting. A while ago it started making some noise, just like when there's a piece of plastic stock in the fan. I tried turning the fan off and back on, but every time, the fan was operating slower and slower until it stopped. The only way it would work was on the 2 high settings. A while ago setting #4 did the same thing and now setting #5 is the only one that still works. It must be pretty comon because my 2 sisters from michigan have the same problem with their cars (oldsmobile alero, and chevy malibu) and my husband's car (pontiac grand am) only operates on the highest settings. If the fan stops working all together we wold be in trouble when the windshield (windows) needs to be defrosted.
Coolant leak when parked on hill, window fell down and broke. Severe wind noise at speed with passnger window up.
All four power windows stopped working. Sent in to dealership for repair. Motors were tapped and three of them started working again, however dealership suggested to replace three of the four motors.*ak windows haven't worked since 03/21/03, sent in for repair 06/09/04.
Bought a 1999 grandam have all these problems as of 2001.power seat wont work at all,found water in tail light assembly replaced various bulbs,and sealed unit,hazard flashing warning light switch works sometimes,power window on driver side didnt work ,then suddenly it started working and left rear won't work now,also ABS and trac lights stay on .sometimes ABS kicks in when I come to a stop.this car has been a lemon since I bought it.can't get these problems fixed out of warrenty.and do not have monet to fix.shouldn't have to if the car was design right.
When the buttons are pushed to lower the windows a clicking sound is heard. The switch would then cease to operate the windows. Upon taking the vehicle to the dealership consumer was informed that the regulator needed replacement. The regulator had been replaced several times. *ak
Power window regulator broke. Had problems before. Getting repaired. No after market part available. Gm part and installation $327.00.
When rolling down the two back windows it leaves a scratch down the windows. Both windows have the exact same scratch in the exact same spot and its about a inch wide. My mothers grand am though not a 1999 did the same exact thing. For the "other complaint" : the lining that covers the doors on every door, right by the windows is separating. It should be tucked under into the seam but they are all separating.
My passenger side mirror cracked off in the car wash. Dealers and car wash employees stated that this is a common occurance with this vehicle. I am wondering why there is no recall on this. Outside mirrors are a safety feature.
Front driver's side window regulator needs replacement along with a new window. Same thing happened to the front passenger side window in june 2003. According to my mechanic of 24 years this is a common problem he has encountered with this car.
Power windows on the driver side and passenger side broke.
My major complaint is the black glossy paint that is peeling from the side door/rear quarter window pilars. The dealer said that this is not covered under warranty, and I have had several quotes to have it fixed which are in the range of $250 to $500. The side mirror fell off in a car wash two months after the purchase of this vehicle, however the dealer did fix it once at no charge. The radio display does not work right away, and usually has to warm up before I am able to read the digital display. I have also had problems with a sensor, which caused the vehicle not start, and the dealer paid for that service as well. The check engine light has been on almost since the first day I purchased this vehicle, and I have had several diagnostic tests completed at my costs, however the light will go off for a while, and then come back on.
My complaint and I know nw I am not the only one with a newer grand-am and the window mechanism break inside the door causing the window to drop totally inside. I had a front driver window go few weeks ago and this week out of the blue, the same side rear door did the same thing! Does this suddenly happen to grand-am's when they hit 42,000 or what? Imagine my disbelief when two windows break at the same time for no reason. What broke inside is a white plastic wheel, however you have to buy the system inside the door for about $280 from the dealer. For now the windows stay down and I am searching wrecked junk yards! I sure hope they recall this crap.
In august of 2001 when I purchased this car I felt a rattle on my brakes which is still there. My power windows are scratched from rolling up and down. Paint around the spoiler and bumper and on the roof is chiped off. I had to replace the generator in 2002. I had to have the intake manifold seals replaced in 2002. (3.4l v6) I had to have the waterpump replaced in spring of 2003. Now the head gaskets are broken the intake manifold seals again are broken. My transmission is no longer working. In other words I can not drive my car anymore; it is sitting my garage. The cost amounts to more than the car is worth in dollars and I still owe $9.500 on this car.
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