1996 PONTIAC GRAND AM Power Train Problems

TRANSMISSION LOCKS WITHOUT WARNING. AS RESULT, VEHICLE SURGES UNCONTROLLABLY. *AK

Mileage: 102,353

IN THE PAST 4 MONTHS, I HAVE REPLACED MY HEATER CORE, BECAUSE IT IS PLASTIC, AND THEN THE RADIATOR, NOW THE HEAD GASKET. PROBLEMS OF THIS NATURE FIRST SURFACED WITH HEATER CORE FAILURE, WHICH IS MADE OF PLASTIC AND THEN PROCEEDS THROUGH THE COOLING TO SYSTEM, TO MY CURRENT PROBLEM, HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT. THE WATER PUMP AND TRANSMISSION HAVE BOTH BEEN REPLACED, WHILE UNDER THE NEW CAR WARRANTY. I TOOK MY CAR TO HARDIN PONTIAC IN ANAHEIM, CA AT 3 PM ON MARCH 4TH. THEY HAVE NOW HAD MY CAR 2 DAYS AND THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME ANOTHER $80 TO FURTHER DIAGNOSE MY COOLANT LEAK. I HAVE OPENED A FILE W/PONTIAC, REF # 1-78-69-0865. PONTIAC DETERMINED THAT, AS I AM THE SECOND OWNER, THE AGE OF THE CAR (1996) AND NUMBER OF MILES (82,622) THEY HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY. I EXPLAINED TO HER, THAT WHILE I AM THE 2ND OWNER, I PURCHASED THE CAR WHILE IT WAS STILL UNDER THEIR 3 YEAR/36,000 MILE WARRANTY. AND WHILE UNDER WARRANTY, MY TRANSMISSION & WATER PUMP HAD BEEN REPLACED. THE COOLING SYSTEM PROBLEMS BEGAN WHILE UNDER THE NEW CAR WARRANTY. ALSO GM'S N' CAR SERIES HAS NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THEIR COOLING SYSTEMS, I AM BEING PENALIZED, PRIMARILY, BECAUSE I AM THE SECOND OWNER, RATHER THAN THE ORIGINAL OWNER. MY CAR HAS BEEN MAINTAINED AND SERVICED AS SPECIFIED IN THEIR OWNER??S MANUAL. WHILE SPEAKING W/PONTIAC, I WAS TOLD THERE IS AN OPEN RECALL ON THE IGNITION SYSTEM, APPARENTLY IT IS KNOW TO OVERHEAT AND MELT, RENDERING THE CAR UNDRIVABLE. IT APPEARS GM'S OVERHEATING ISSUES ARE NOT LIMITED TO THEIR COOLING SYSTEM AND CHEAP PLASTIC PARTS. I REQUESTED THAT THE SERVICE REP, MR. ROMERO, EXPLAIN WHY HE FELT THEY NEEDED TO FURTHER DIAGNOSE MY COOLANT LEAK, IS THE HEAD GASKET LEAKING, OR NOT? MR. ROMERO, DID INDEED DIAGNOSE WHAT HE TERMED AN "EXTERNAL COOLANT LEAK' IN OTHER WORDS A LEAK AT THE HEAD GASKET. AT THIS POINT, I HAVE INSTRUCTED ERNIE TO HANDLE THE RECALL PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION ONLY. PONTIAC HAS MINIMIZED THE PROBLEM AND CONVEYED THAT IT DOES NOT WARRANT IMMEDIATE ATTENTION.*JB

Mileage: 78,000

THE DAY I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE THE RIGHT PASSENGER POWER MOTOR WENT OUT. WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, THE OTHER THREE ALSO WENT BAD. MY GEAR SHIFTER LIGHT BLINKS ON AND OFF AT TIMES, THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS COME ON AND OFF, THE RADIO LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF, THE CIGARETTE LIGHT FUSE BLOWS ALL THE TIME. IRVINE TOYOTA TOLD ME THERE WAS NO ELECTRICLE PROBLEM AND THAT PONTIACS WERE NOTORIOUS FOR THEIR WINDOW MOTORS HEATING UP AND GOING OUT. ALL THEY DO IS KEEP REPLACING THE MOTORS. LAST NIGHT I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND HAD COMPLETE POWER FAILURE IN THE CAR. I WAS ALMOST HIT BY AN ONCOMING VEHICLE.*AK

WHEN DRIVING SPEEDOMETER IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

WE HAVE HAD COOLANT LOSS THREE TIMES WITH NO VISIBLE LEAKAGE. WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE CAR WAS "SUCKING THE COOLANT IN" RATHER THAN LEAKING OUT. WE HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET REPLACED 3 TIMES. THE 1ST TIME, THE DEALER REPLACED INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET & OIL PUMP DRIVE RING AND VALVE COVER GASKET LEAKING. THE 2ND TIME, THE DEALER SIMPLE RESEALED THE INTAKE GASKET BUT DID NOT REPLACE. THE 3RD TIME, THE DEALER REPLACED THE UPPER AND LOWER INTAKE GASKETS AND RECHECKED FOR LEAKS. ALL OF THESE REPAIRS WERE COVERED UNDER EITHER THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY OR THE EXTENDED WARRANTY (GOOD THRU 72,000 MI). WE NOW HAVE ALMOST 70,000 MI ON THIS CAR AND THE ENGINE IS SHOT! THE MAIN THROTTLE BEARING GAULDED AND THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COMPANY IS DENYING OUR CLAIM (EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE 2,000 MI LEFT ON EXTENDED WARRANTY) BECAUSE THEY SAY THE OIL IS "CONTAMINATED". I HAVE MAINTAINED REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND AM DUE FOR AN OIL CHANGE IN APPROX 200 MI. THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT INFORM ME THAT I SHOULD HAVE HAD THE OIL CHANGED AFTER ANY OF THE COOLANT LEAK REPAIRS. ALSO, WE HAD TO HAVE THE ALTERNATOR REPLACED WHEN THEN CAR WAS JUST 2 YRS OLD. PLUS WE HAD TO HAVE THE R&R SHAFT SEAL & BEARING KIT REPLACED 3 TIMES DUE TO SQUEAKING NOISE COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN. ALSO HAD TO HAVE SHIFTER ASSEMPLY REPLACED BECAUSE THE KEY WAS STICKING IN THE IGNITION.*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISION FAILED/WENT OUT WHEN ATTEMTPING TO PLACE VEHICLE IN REVERSE. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER. DEALER NOTICED A PLACE WITHIN TRANSMISISON WAS MISSING TEETH WHICH CAUSED MALFUNCTIONING OF TRANSMISSION. ALSO, MANUFACTURER HAS CHANGED THE DESIGN OF THE PART TO PREVENT PIECES OF THE TEETH FROM BREAKING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

DUE TO SHELL REACTION CONVERTER, TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED, WHICH MAY CAUSE A CRASH. THERE IS A NEW DESIGN FOR THIS PART. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHEN CONSUMER STARTS VEHICLE TACHOMETER DROPS DOWN TO 0, AND THEN IT GOES UP TO WHERE IT SUPPOSE TO BE.*AK

TRANSMISSION FAILED TWO TIMES. *ET

TRANSMISSION FAILED. YH

TRANSMISSION EXPERIENCED A SLIP DUE TO "REPL 2ND CLUTCH INPUT CLUTCH" AND HAD TO BE COMPLETELY OVERHAULED. MECHANIC STATED THAT PROBLEM COULD ONLY BE LINKED TO MECHANICAL FAILURE. THERE WAS NO POSSIBLE WAY THAT HUMAN INTERFERANCE COULD HAVE CAUSED THE MALFUNCTION. A TRANSMISSION KIT, VALVE, PISTON, AND 12 ATF'S HAD TO BE PURCHASED FOR A TOTAL OF $861.49 IN PARTS AND $1224.00 IN LABOR. FRONT SUSPENSION IS ALSO LOOSE. ENTIRE FRONT END IS "LOOSE AS A TOOTH" ACCORDING TO DEALER MECHANIC. ALSO STATED THAT PROBLEM SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED AT ONLY 40,000 MILES. NEED TO BALANCE WHEEL, ALIGN FRONT, AND PERFORM A TUNE-UP. LABOR IS ESTIMATED AT $200.00 WITH ADDITIONAL COSTS FOR PARTS. *AK

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, TRANSMISSION WENT OUT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL/JERK.UPON APPLYING THE BRAKES, THEY WENT TO THE FLOORBOARD, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. ALSO, STEERING IS TURNING ON ITS OWN, AND DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SURGES AT 60 MPH. THOUGHT THAT TRANSMISSION FAILED AT FIRST, BUT THEN NOTICED CAR WAS FINE AT LOW SPEEDS. SHUT OFF CAR AND RESTARTED, THEN TRANSMISSION WAS FINE. (NOTICED SIMILAR POSTING ON YOUR WEB SITE - ODI ID 802947) FOR THE DEFECT RELATED TO THE STEERING COLUMN, KEY WILL NOT COME OUT OF IGNITION ON OCCASION WHEN CAR IS TURNED OFF. TO FIX THIS, TURN CAR BACK ON, THEN PUT TRANSMISSION INTO DRIVE AND THEN FIRMLY INTO PARK. THIS, AND TURNING WHEEL, WILL USUALLY FIX THE PROBLEM. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILED. NLM

MY MOST RECENT PROBLEM INCLUDED TRANSMISSION FAILURE, AND ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC THIS HAD BEEN HAPPENING FOR A VERY LONG TIME. THE FOURTH GEAR OF THE TRANSMISSION AND THE CLUTCH WERE BURNED OUT. I'VE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE A WATER PUMP ON THE VEHICLE. IMMEDIATELY AFTER PURCHASE, I NOTICED ANTI-FREEZE LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD JUST DIE WHILE DRIVING ALONG. I ATTEMPTED TO GET THE DEALER TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AND DID GET HIS VERBAL AGREEMENT HOWEVER, HE LIED AND WOULDN'T FOLLOW THROUGH. I SUPPOSE BECAUSE HE KNEW HE'D SOLD ME A LEMON AND WAS MORE THAN EAGER TO STATE HIS CASE, THAT HAD NO LEMON LAW. THERE ARE VARIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ESPECIALLY WITH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND I SUPPOSE IT MAY BE SOMETHING ELECTRICAL THAT CAUSES MY VEHICLE TO DIE WHILE DRIVING ALONG. THERE IS NO WARNING, THE VEHICLE JUST GOES DEAD. DURING STOPS IT SEEMS THAT AT TIMES THE REAR END JUST HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN; ALMOST AS IF IT WANTS TO KEEP GOING WHILE THE FRONT END HAS STOPPED - IT'S SORT OF LIKE A SKIPPING EFFECT. OTHER ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS INCLUDE THE PASSENGER DOOR LOCK NOT OPERATING WITH THE POWER DOOR LOCK, THE RADIO DISPLAY IS LIT AT TIMES AND SOMETIMES IT'S NOT, SINCE I'VE HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPAIRED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND ETS LIGHTS WHICH HAVE BEEN ON SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, ARE NO LONGER LIT. DURING THE WATER PUMP FAILURE THE DEALERSHIPS REMEDY FOR IT WAS TO DISCONNECT THE ELECTRICAL WIRING WHICH PROMPTED ME THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THIS SYSTEM. THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ARE NUMEROUS. MY CAR IS A LEMON!

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH NO PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE STARTED TO LOSE POWER. CONSUMER PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR, AND VEHICLE FELT LIKE IT WANTED TO CUT OFF. BUT, VEHICLE DIDN'T CUT OFF, AND CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO GET VEHICLE TO DEALER. DEALER CHECKED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICEDTRANSMISSION FLUID SHOULD HAVE BEEN PINK, BUT THE FLUID WAS BLACK, AND SOME METAL OBJECTS CAME FROM TRANSMISSION WHICH CAUSED PROBLEMS FOR CONSUMER.

TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM FAILED. ALSO, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON.

ALTERNATOR FAILED DUE TO THE CHARGING SYSTEM.

WATER FAILED DUE TO LEAKING.

TRANSMISSION LEAKS FLUID DUE TO A FAILED TRANS-AXLE SEAL.

THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP INTO NEUTRAL WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC ALSO I NOTICED IT, SOMETIMES ON THE HIGHWAY, TOTAL LOSE OF POWER. WE TOOK THE CAR IN 4 TIMES BEFORE THE DEALER DIOGNOSED THE PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. WE HAVE EXTENDED WARRENTY SO WE PAID $100.00. NOW THE CAR SEEMS NOT TO HAVE THE ACCELERATION POWER FROM A STOP THAT IT ONCE HAD. ALSO, THE ENGINE SOUNDS LOUD WHEN ACCERATING. AND I HAVE LOST FUEL ECONOMEY.

STARTED ENGINE & HEARD A TICKING NOISE IN FRONT OF VEHICLE. AFTER VEHICLE WAS WARMED NOISE DISAPPEARED. TOOK TO DEALER. KEPT OVERNIGHT TO COOL DOWN. PRINT OUT SHOWED NOISE MIGHT BE IN TRANSAXLE. NO WAY OF REPAIRING AFTER COLD START. *AK

TRANSMISSION BEGINNING AT THE LAST 14,000 MILES HAS FAILED TO SHIFT INTO GEARS CORRECTLY. DEALER HAS REPLACED THE COMPUTER RELAY AND ALSO RECONDITIONED THE TRANSMISSION WHICH DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILURE; VEHICLE EXPERIENCES SHIFTING PROBLEMS, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL. ALSO, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE. *AK

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE, LOST USE OF FOURTH GEAR. *AK

OWNER STATES THAT STEERING ARM BOLTS WERE FAULTY. ALSO, THERE WERE OTHER DEFECTIVE ITEMS, SUCH AS FAULTY MOTOR MOUNTS AND FAULTY TRANSSMISSION MOUNTING BOLTS. *AK

EXPERIENCED THREE TIMES BEFORE WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY ON CRUISE CONTROL AND THE ENGINE WOULD JUMP TO NEUTRAL. TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED AFTER THE FIRST TWO (2) TIMES. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

VEHICLE TOPPED OUT AT 88MPH TWICE.

WHILE DRIVING, 11-80MPH EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONING WHEN SUDDENLY VEHICLE DECELERATED AND ACTED AS IF IN NEUTRAL, BUT, WHEN DROPPED TO 10MPH, TRANSMISSION RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATING LEVEL, NO PRIOR WARNING, DLR CAN'T RECREATE. *AK

DRIVELINE FAILURE.

AUTO TRANSMISSION: WHILE DRIVING, TRANSMISSION SLIPS, LOSES 3RD GEAR, ENGINE SURGES, TACKOMETER/ODOMETER GOES UP, PASSES 7,000 RPM'S, NO WARNING, HAPPENS AT ANY GIVEN TIME.*AK

AUTO TRANSMISSION: WHILE DRIVING, TRANSMISSION SLIPS, LOSES 3RD GEAR, ENGINE SURGES, TACKOMETER/ODOMETER GOES UP, PASSES 7,000 RPM'S, NO WARNING, HAPPENS AT ANY GIVEN TIME.*AK

WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING THERE IS A BOOMING NOISE MADE AS LONG AS THE CAR IS IN MOTION. TT