2004 Pontiac Grand Am: fire, smoke or burning smell

Filed Jun 27, 2019 · Acceleration, Brakes · 120,000 miles · PA

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 pontiac grand am. While driving 55 MPH, the vehicle began to accelerate on its own. The contact exited the interstate and attempted to brake as the transmission made an abnormally loud sound. The contact pulled into a fuel station, raised the hood, and observed smoke coming from the engine. The vehicle was unable to be driven. The contact waited a while and then drove home with the brake pedal down to the floorboard. The contact's husband was a mechanic and diagnosed the vehicle, but no failure code was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.

Filed Jul 30, 2013 · Electrical · 59,547 miles · NV

Car did not start, security light flashing. Called mobile mechanic, he had no clue, cost $85. Decided not to tow the vehicle to dealer as recommended by user manual. Did my own research online, wow, a lot of people with the same issue! Used 10-minute fix seen online, which worked. This happened approx. 1xweek almost every wk., keep using 10-minute fix. 6 months later, while making a right turn in a parking garage, the engine stopped dead, the security light flashed - I almost hit another car as the steering went out. Afraid this will happen again on the road. Still having pass lock issues about once weekly, scary not knowing when it will occur or where. I cannot afford $1,000+ to get this 'fixed' (no guarantee I'm told); this is a product defect and should be recalled before someone gets hurt, whether by being stranded in a dangerous situation (night, weather, location) or in an accident while driving. Just because the car hasn't burst into flames doesn't mean this isn't dangerous.

Filed Aug 9, 2010 · Electrical · 52,000 miles · MI

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 pontiac grand am. The contact stated that when the security light came on, the vehicle stalled. If the key was left in the on position, the system would reset itself and the vehicle would function normally. A mechanic told the contact that resetting the system could cause the electrical system to fail. The contact previously owned a grand am that caught fire because of this failure. The dealer stated that the pass lock system was failing. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileages were 52000.

Filed Feb 21, 2010 · Lights · 66,000 miles · TX

Turn signal system keeps clicking. Found pages of reports on the web for this proplem. No smoke or flames yet. The federal safety agency needs to get gm to fix this problem.

Filed May 17, 2009 · Electrical · OK

Clicking noise that sounds like turn signal, though turn signal nor hazards come on. Sound is very unpredictable, and very annoying. Have notices small wisps of smoke coming from steering column, but thought it was only dust until reading other complaints. Have taken to dealer and was told they had no idea what the problem might be.

Filed Apr 11, 2007 · Lights · 46,500 miles · NC

2004 pontiac grand am. Incessant ticking, such as the turn signal that seemed to come from the emergency flasher area on the dashboard. However, quite a few people I had talked to had the same problem that has been fixed with a replacement part in the steering column. The amounts spent varied from a few dollars for a junk yard part, which was still the same manufacturer ,to upwards of $400 for a dealer fix. I am not replacing a bad part with another potentially bad part from the same maker, nor am I paying a dealership hundreds of dollars to fix a problem they should be held accountable for. This was apparently a widespread problem that occurred for many years with these vehicles, yet very few of them were actually recalled. As a noted, the ticking began after. While driving)I suddenly saw a small wisp of smoke coming from the steering column. The smoke had an electrical smell. When I called the dealership about this, I was told this was a normal occurrence sometimes when the temperature was hot. There was nothing to worry about. Also, when I called regarding the ticking noises no one seemed to have any idea what I could be referring to... That' was when I began my internet search and discovered lots of nasty stories relating to gm dealerships and the same problem.