* this has happened on 2 occasions * I have a 2005 pontiac grand am I had the rack changed as the bolt that holds the steering rack & pinion to the frame had broke at the weld as well as the front part of where steering rack & pinion attach to the frame so I took car to mechanic he put a brand new rack in the car as well as a new frame now about 4 1/2 months later (last week) noticed vehicle was not steering properly, my wife had than went and picked the 2 girls up from school and on the way home she made a turn to pull in the driveway and wouldn't steer at all I did get the vehicle in the driveway and had jacked it up and noticed that yet again the frame ( which is only 4 1/2 months old )was broke in the front where the rack attaches to the frame was snapped right off and the back on both left and right sides are completely broke off as well as the the stabilizer bar bolt and bushing that attach it to the control are were completely gone on the passenger side I have now have to send the vehicle yet again to the mechanic for repair I have had the control arms replaced as well as all bushing etc.. In case that something had been twisted, outter & inner tie rods have been changed as well as front struts and 4 brand new tires and a wheel alignment has been done on the vehicle
Pontiac Grand Am ball joint problems
46 of the 5,457 owner complaints about the Pontiac Grand Am describe ball joint or control arm failure, most of them for the 1996 model year.
- owner complaints
- 46
- worst model year
- 1996
- typical mileage
- 89,548
By model year
Often reported together
Grinding brakes 7Steering noise 2Knocking 2Won't start 1Wipers 1Pulling 1Seat belt 1Premature wear 1
What owners say
Where the steering pinion attaches to the frame rusted out and broke making right turns impossible because of the pinion moving and the inner tie rod hitting the frame. Pretty much making the car worthless.
May 2008 had my right tie rod replaced may 2009 had my left tie rod replaced. My vehicle only has 54,000 miles on it and I have not hit any curbs.
Wiper/turn signal control arm isn't working correctly.
Noise heard in front end going over bumps. Failure= lower control arm rear bushings separating from control arm.left and right sides. Correction+ replacement of lower control arms
The control arm (a arm) on the front drivers side has a bushing which came loose and caused an awful sound when slowing down. This was replaced last year at my expense. Now a year later, the same arm has the exact same problem. I'm sure that I am speaking for many when I say that I can not afford to fix the same problem every year.
Driver took vehicle to dealer for routine maintenance, and mechanic determined that the left and right tie rods needed to be replaced due to corrosion. *ak faulty power steering pump caused grinding noise when turning the steering wheel in either direction. The turn signal went out. Consumer wants to know if there are any recalls. *bf
While driving a loud clicking noise from the front end was produced. Dealer stated the control arm and the stabilizer bar bushings needed to be replaced.
During inspection dealer informed the consumer about loose lower ball joint. Dealership repaired the problem.
I was informed that the problems related to the difficulty driving my grand am and the lound clunking noise and the intense "shimmy" was because my right lower control arm had snapped and my left lower control arm was cracked about to separate as well. I do know a little about cars and this doesn't seem to be a normal maintenance problem. This is costing me well over 600.00 to repair.
Related recalls
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Certain passenger vehicles equipped with rear suspension knuckle bolts that are not to specification and could fracture under high loads that can occur in some driving conditions.
- Risk
- If the bolt fracture, the rear suspension linkage could detach from the knuckle and the rear wheel would be able to turn inboard or outboard. Sudden changes in vehicle handling could occur, particularly at higher speeds, and the driver may not be able to control the vehicle and a crash could occur without warning.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace both rear suspension knuckle bolts free of charge. The recall began on february 9, 2005. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 or pontiac at 1‑800‑620‑7668.
Recall number 05V054000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The bolt that attaches the rear suspension trailing arm to the left rear knuckle may not have been tightened to specifications during assembly.
- Risk
- The bolt could back completely out of the joint affecting vehicle control.
- Remedy
- Dealers will tighten this bolt.
Recall number 00V116000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- The bolts and nuts which attach the bearing-hub assembly to the rear axle flange are not sufficiently tightened on some vehicles.
- Risk
- This would allow excessive movement of the bearing-hubassembly relative to the rear axle flange and could cause elongation andeventual separation of the attaching bolts from the rear axle flange. If thiswere to occur while the vehicle was in motion, the affected tire and wheel couldtrack erratically, eventually causing failure of the other attaching bolts. Thetire and wheel assembly could separate from the vehicle which could result in avehicle accident.
- Remedy
- Tighten rear axle bearing-hub assembly fasteners, and replace all the fasteners on a wheel if two or more bolts are found to be loose.
Recall number 91V204000 · Recall details
Questions about the Pontiac Grand Am ball joint
Which Pontiac Grand Am years have ball joint or control arm failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1996 (11 complaints), 1998 (6 complaints) and 1994 (5 complaints).
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