2004 Pontiac Gto: grinding or squealing brakes

Filed May 21, 2010 · Brakes, Suspension · 32,754 miles · WA

1. My wife was complaining of a squeaking sound whenever she put on the brakes. When researching brake pads and rotors online I noticed numerous complaints for 2004 and 2005 gto's regarding tires rubbing on the front struts. Since I was going to remove the tires to get a better look at the brake pads I also checked for the tire rub problem. Sure enough the right side tire and strut both showed signs of wear. The tires inside tread was worn and there were areas on the tires where small cracks had started and one 3 inch long crack through the sidewall. Left side tire tread was not worn yet there was evidence of tire rub on the strut. 2. Since I was fortunate enough to run across the information online, I will be able to avoid a failure. The failure if I were to let it go would most certainly be eather a gradual loss of air pressure or if running freeway speeds a sudden blowout. Simply replacing the tires (with oem replacements) and adjusting the front end alignment will not prevent the problem from occurring again. 3. I'm currently in the process of researching options to correct the problem. We purchased the car used but with very low miles and got an extended warranty. Since other items contribute to the tire rub such as premature failure of bushings and brearngs I hope to get at least those replaced since they are covered. A formal recall has not yet been required, so any replacement parts would be the same as those that failed in the firstplace. I'm strongly looking at installing an aftermarket kit designed to correct all the problems.

Filed Mar 17, 2010 · Transmission · 72,000 miles · NJ

My problem was with the 6 speed manual transmission which would cause a grinding sound while shifting and "popping" out of gear while driving. I took it to the dealer who diagnosed the problem as the clutch. They replaced the clutch but the problem not only still existed but it got worse. It became so bad that it was impossible to shift into any gear at any speed. I had the car towed back to the dealer about a week later. Now they told me that it was the transmission. Ok. So I told them to replace it but it took 4 weeks until gm could supply one. It came with a 3 year, 100k warranty at a cost of $4000. This plus the $1200 for a new clutch made for a very expensive out-of-warranty repair.

Filed Sep 11, 2007 · Suspension · 31,117 miles · NV

Own a 2004 pontiac gto. Took my car in for a noise in the front end area. Everytime I went around a corner slowly I could hear a rubbing noise. And sometimes when I would back out of the parking space I hear a loud grinding noise and the steering wheel would jump out of my hands. I took the car in to my gmac dealers service department to have a look. The mechanic told me that the strut was rubbing on my tires. We looked at the tires on my front end and there were groove marks all along the radius of the tire. Some chunks of tire were taken out and some of the steel belts were showing through. He told me I was lucky to catch this when I did or I could have had a blow out at any time. I had to replace all four tires because they had been rotated a couple of times all ready. The back tires weren't as bad as the front but of course you can't just get two new ones. This tire purchase came out of my pocket because the mechanics told me there was nothing they could do. I have pictures of my struts and you can clearly see where they were rubbing on my tire. *jb updated 10/10/07

Filed Aug 8, 2007 · Suspension · 6,700 miles · WI

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 pontiac gto. While driving 5 MPH, the contact heard a squealing noise when he turned the steering wheel. The tires were rotated by the repair shop, however, the noise grew louder. The repair shop reversed the rotation and returned the tires to their original positions. The tires had wear marks and the strut was discolored. There was an odi action number (pe07010). The current and failure mileages were 6,700. The consumer stated feels this is a big safety concern would like manufacturer to reimburse $1100 in repairs. The consumer provided information from the website and also photos of the defect. Updated 09/18/07

Filed Jul 26, 2007 · Suspension · 18,000 miles · GA

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 pontiac gto. In 2005, the contact took the vehicle in to have the tires rotated and it was discovered that the struts failed. The struts have shredded the tires. The steering wheel vibrates very badly and a grinding noise is present while driving 25 MPH. She took the vehicle to the shop and they stated that it was unable to be driven. The current mileage was 19,127 and failure mileage was 18,000.

Filed Jul 22, 2007 · Suspension · 25 miles · IL

Purchased my 2004 pontiac gto used from carmax. And on the way home noticed a vibration and a squeal from the right front side,arrived home and smelled rubber burning looked under the car and see a groove cut on the inside of the right front tire.

Filed Jun 9, 2006 · Suspension, Wheels · 16,000 miles · NV

After I had put 20,000 miles on my car I could hear a rubbing noise from the front wheel. Upon closer inspection I noticed the inside of the tire was rubbing against the struts on both front wheels. Since I had the tires rotated on a regular basis all four wheels had the wear on the inside. Since the tires were bubbling out on the inside wall of the front tires I purchased new tires. The new tires were still rubbing the struts. I took it to the first dealership and they suggested grinding down the struts. The next dealership I took it to changed the camber in my alignment. It now has 1/8 inch clearance and when I hit bumps or when I turn the wheel sharply it still rubs. I have taken it back to the dealership and they claim it is within specifications for the car. The dealership will not address the problem as if it doesn't exist.

Filed Aug 29, 2004 · Suspension · 4,300 miles · IN

Immediately after purchase, heard grinding noise from right, front tire when turning and backing up. Also noticed that steering wheel was slightly turned to the left while driving straight down the road. Before 5000 miles I noticed an ever increasing rough ride and that the steering wheel vibrated badly while driving, also noticed that the inside of both front tires were worn completely bald. The right front tire even had the cords hanging out. Immediately after discovering this, I took the car to the closest pontiac dealer. After being harassed and turned away by the local dealer, I was forced to take the car to the original selling dealer over 2 hours away. Dealer discovered that the right front strut was bent, which caused this severe alignment issue, which made the tires rub while turning, also caused the steering wheel to be turned while driving straight and also wearing out both front tires to the point that driving on them was very unsafe. Dealer replaced the bent strut, while stating that they could not find any evidence of a road hazard that would have caused this failure after delivery of the vehicle. Also replaced the front tires. Then the gm (indiana ) regional service manager refused to cover the cost under warranty stating that I could have caused this failure after delivery (even after dealer stated that their was no evidence of customer damage) also stated that struts were not covered under the gm 3yr 36k mile warranty . The dealer feeling badly, gave me a set of tires off of another gto that they put new tires and rims on. This gm "pre delivery" defect was very costly to me and even more importantly, could have cost me my life due to the potential for a tire blow out due to this gm alignment issue. Pontiac customer service, after weeks of appeals, has refused to reimburse me. This is terrible and I advise any gto owner to check his or her front tires and alignment for unusual wear before it is too late.

Filed Aug 29, 2004 · Transmission · 4,300 miles · IN

Transmission is difficult to put into reverse. Double clutching does not remedy and you almost have to force the gear shift into reverse. This is a safety issue because it takes an unacceptable amount of force (in lbs or newtons) to force vehicle into gear. Transmission also occasionally "pops" out of gear. Gears also grind sometimes when clutch is fully engaged. Vehicle has only 7000 miles.

Filed May 28, 2004 · Electrical, Transmission · 2,800 miles · AZ

Put key in ignition, turned key to start postition, radio, everything was right, then bells started going off, and error said ABS fault, went to start vehicle, and error said airbag fault. Car wouldnt even turn over, just a click. I have also had problems getting transmission into gear, any gear, have had it pop out of gear while driving, and there is also a grind in the front right when I turn. Very unsatisfied.