Tl* the contact owns a 2003 pontiac grand am. The contact stated that the key was turned to the on position, but the vehicle failed to start and the ABS and brake lights illuminated. In addition, while driving various speeds, the vehicle would stall without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the key fob was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000. Updated 08/04/16
Pontiac Grand Am abs comes on
189 of the 5,457 owner complaints about the Pontiac Grand Am describe aBS light or ABS activating, most of them for the 1995 model year.
- owner complaints
- 189
- worst model year
- 1995
- typical repair cost reported
- $700
- typical mileage
- 65,000
By model year
Often reported together
Brake failure 30Stalling 11Check engine light 10Grinding brakes 10Overheating 9Headlights 7Fuel pump 7Jerking 5
What owners say
To start with I read the complaints and was wondering how many complaints does it take for something to be recalled. The driver side window falls, passenger side window has scratches on it from I am guessing the regulator, the dash is separated from the windshield, the struts, and springs have been replaced, ABS light stays on, the suspension feels like the car is falling apart through every bump in the road, the headlights are fogged up and point down. Side mirror has been replaced and we visited several auto yards to try to find a dash and side mirror and wouldn't you know it all the models of the grand am was missing the passenger side mirror where it had broke off and all of them the dash was separated from the windshield. I am not sure as to what will happen if the dash comes completely off but I don't want to be in the car when it does happen. And I don't want to drive a car that has this many issues and no one is resolving the problems. Now the cv boot has to be replaced. I am so frustrated right now seeing the amount of complaints and only six recalls that is a problem. I am sorry take responsibility for the product you put out. I guess it will take someone getting hurt or killed to resolve the problems and I hope ya'll can sleep good at night knowing all these problems have existed for this long and nothing is being done. Tired of putting money into something that is going to continue with the same issues.
Problem: the steel brakes line going to the front and back ruptured at the same time during what was to be an emergency stop. They were on top of the ABS module and were heavily rusted. Hence, there was no braking except by pulling the emergency brake when I was cutoff by another car and had to jump the curb to avoid a collusion. Luckily no damage to me or the car, except two ruptured brake lines. I was in chicago on city streets in the diversey sheridan road area. I had the damaged area replaced and traded in the car....unsafe. These lines should have been coated with some type of rust preventative compound.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 pontiac grand am. While driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled and the rear wheels seized. As a result, the contact lost control of the vehicle and the rear driver side crashed into a curb, deflating the tire. The air bags failed to deploy. The ABS and the check engine warning lights illuminated. The contact did not sustain any injures that required medical attention. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system). The failure mileage was 25,000.
Got key fob recall done, now the ignition switch is not accepting the key at all making it very hard to turn the key to on and start position as if the switch is in lock position before driving. After driving down the road a bit the ignition switch shuts the car off making me have to restart the car while im driving down the road. This should be a recall not only for my car but for all pontiacs like mine that are 2004 and up. This could cause serious injury or an accident if its not fixed. I drive safe and have kids in the car at all times. I shouldn't have to fight with the ignition switch to turn my key to start position. Another thing to get fixed, the traction light and ABS light comes on automatically in reverse and stays on until the car is parked.
Driving down the road ABS, battery and air bag lights come on 99-2005 pontiac grand ams have a common problem with water going through blower motor going on to the floor the air bag module located under the carpet on the passenger side gets wet causing air bag failure this is a safety issue that needs addressed again a common problem general motors has known about but all they did was create a service bulletin to fix water leak which still doesn't save air bag if you don't catch the leak.
I have had this vehicle for 14 years & have multiple issues with it in that the ignition switch has been replaced 2 to 3 times in the first 3 years of owning the car and never did work property; I had to have the intake gasket done & the head gasket done; I too had an issue w/ the ABS light being on and a wire or something was off. Luckily I have a relative who is a mechanic and did not have to endure the upcharge of the dealership however, these were costly expenses none the less. I contacted gm about the ignition switch & was told my VIN was not part of the recall. I also contacted my local news station to try to investigate later model ignition switch issues with no result. I believe this needs further review. My car currently has 185k miles on it but only had about 150 3 yrs ago when the intake & head went. And as I stated the ignition switch never worked property (always a clicking sound like the turn signal was on coming from the ignition - I was also able to remove the key from the ignition & drive the vehicle w/ the ignition in the on position).
It is my belief that this vehicle may also have had a ignition switch problem like later models. I believe that looking into these faulty ignition switches in earlier models should be investigated. For the last 3.5 years I have just explained my daughters accident as just an automobile accident, but after seeing some of the crash scene photos from a newer vehicle accidents they seem too familiar to what my daughters accident looked like. The airbags were never deployed, the ABS brakes did not work, the skid marks showed no sign of braking only sliding. If you investigate fatality accidents with earlier model gm cars the death toll will most likely be greater than the 13 that gm is currently admitting to. Please investigate older model cars so that people who have lost loved ones can have real closure and not just speculation.
First incident was in 2005 - intake manifold gasket leaking oil, car overheated on my way to work could not drive home. Car towed to mechanic - after evaluation it cost me $700.00 to fix. Then in 2007 my ABS brake system was not working properly, mechanic told me that left wheel hub was damaged and sensor was not working, so I had it changed $300.00. Then in 2008 I had the right wheel hub changed due to same problem as left side $300.00 more. In 2009 the power steering belt was problem left me stranded @walmart in pa, had car towed to mechanic he changed power steering belt plus other time running belts at same time. Cost me $375.00. Now in dec. 2013 I have a problem again with intake manifold gasket leaking oil & antifreeze making car overheat, left me stranded in allentown, pa, had car towed to my house in stroudsburg, pa cost me $225.00. Now I have been trying to get my car fixed and have been to several mechanics here and they want to charge me from 1,200 to 2,000 for the work. I think this should be a recall issue because there has been many other owners with the same issue. I also make sure that I service my car for oil changes, all fluids and state inspection on timely basis. Get new tires when needed I rather donate it then spend more money on the car. Many mechanics I went to say that this particular model has these issues, the cost of the parts is under $100 but the labor is the most because it takes about 6 to 7 hours to do work and half the engine has to be removed which makes it difficult to do work quickly. Word of advice when buying a new car, find out about repair cost for car because once your warranty is over the cost are outrageous. If you know of a good mechanic that doesn't charge an arm or a leg please advise, thanks.
I have multiple complaints on this vehicle. Was bought as a used vehicle, past owner claims his daughter drove it to and from college. It is an ABS car with the 2.3 4 cylinder, auto trans, fwd se. The ABS system is messed up and when you try to stop the tires lock-up on you, the car will slide especially if the roads are wet and this is at a speed of not more than 15 MPH. Luckily we have avoided several accidents, but there is going to come a time we aren't that lucky. Also the headlights and dash lights work when they feel like it. The car won't stay cool no matter what I do to it, the thermostat and heater core were already removed from the car when we bought it. The electric fan does not work and I have replaced countless relays attempting to get this car to be dependable again. The tilt steering column needs work, because it moves when it shouldn't. We can't afford another vehicle because we are wasting money attempting to keep this one on the road. Yes it was a used car and we got what we paid for in reality. But the design of the car just plain out was a failure. Seriously the designers need to test their ideas more before putting them out on the market. We looked at a brand new kia yesterday and walked away from it, because it was never tested for safety. The manager of the dealership claimed they just didn't bother putting the safety ratings on the window sticker. I in fact researched the car and found it had never been tested for safety. Yes it is a brand new 2014 kia cadenza, don't buy one they aren't worth the almost $40,000 price tag. To top it off almost 90% of the car is built and manufactured in korea. Sorry just my opinion, if I'm going to spend that much money I will buy built american.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Pontiac Grand Am abs
Why does the abs come on in the Pontiac Grand Am?
Owners who report it most often also describe brake failure, engine stalls while driving and check engine light.
Which Pontiac Grand Am years have aBS light or ABS activating problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1995 (30 complaints), 1999 (25 complaints) and 1993 (21 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix ABS light or ABS activating on the Pontiac Grand Am?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $700 (median of 13 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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