1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM Vehicle Speed Control Problems

NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING A 1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM FOR REPAIRS/ REPLACEMENTS OF PARTS. DOOR WINDOWS DO NOT FUNCTION, MOTOR HAS HAD TO BE REPLACED BY FORMER OWNER, WE HAVE REPAIRED MOTORS ON DOOR WINDOWS SEVERAL TIMES ON OUR OWN, WINDOWS WOULD NOT GO UP AND DOWN AT ALL, COST TO REPAIR AT MECHANICS WAS OVER 400 AND WAS DONE BY FIRST OWNER AT LEAST ONCE. CAR SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, HAD TO REPLACE ENTIRE COMPUTER SYSTEM AND NOW SAME PROBLEM IS HAPPENING AGAIN, CAR IDLES HORRIBLY, SOUNDS LIKE IT WILL BE BLOWING UP, AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. PRIOR TO THE REPLACEMENT OF THE COMPUTER CAR FREQUENTLY STALLED OUT WHILE DRIVING IN MID TURN OR WHILE GOING FORWARD, AND CAR FREQUENTLY WAS DIFFICULT TO START, EVENTUALLY NEEDING TO BE TOWED TO A REPAIR FACILITY WHO HAD TO REPLACE ENTIRE COMPUTER. CAR HAS WHEEL BEARINGS THAT MAKE A LOT OF NOISE, SOUNDS LIKE WHEEL IS GOING TO FALL OFF. CAR HAS ACCELERATED ALL ON ITS OWN WITHOUT THE DRIVER STEPPING ON GAS PEDAL OR DOING ANYTHING AT ALL WITH ACCELERATOR, CAR RANDOMLY DECIDES BY ITSELF TO LUNGE FORWARD AND TRY TO DRIVE ITSELF. THIS STOPPED BRIEFLY AFTER THE COMPUTER WAS REPLACED AND IS NOW HAPPENING AGAIN. *JB

THE CONSUMER'S 1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM ACCELERATED SUDDENLY. *MR THIS MAINLY OCCURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS AND DRIVEN AFTER BEING PARKED. *NM

ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHEN CONSUMER DEPRESSED THE GAS PEDAL IT GOT STUCK. WHEN THIS OCCURRED VEHICLE REVVED. CONSUMER THEN PUT VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL, AND RPMS WENT UP TO 5. THEN PUT VEHICLE BACK IN DRIVE AND PEDAL DID NOT STICK. *AK *NM

Mileage: 56,000

WHEN A TURN WAS MADE, THE STEERING WHEEL PRODUCED A LOUD RUBBING NOISE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK THERE WERE HIGH IDLE PROBLEMS. THE INTERIOR LIGHTS AND THE POWER LOCKS WERE REPLACED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON AND THE VEHICLE HAD STARTED TO RUN ROUGH, THE ALTERNATOR LIGHT HAD COME ON AND THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED. THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT AND WAS REPLACED, THE LOWER FRONT CONTROL ARM WAS REPLACED, THE BLOWER MOTOR WAS REPLACED, THE COMPRESSOR WAS REPLACED, WHEN STARTING THE ENGINE COLD, THERE WAS A KNOCKING SOUND ON THE RIGHT SIDE UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS WARM ,THEN THE NOISE WOULD GO AWAY, SURGING WOULD ALSO OCCUR AND WOULD WORSEN WHEN THE ENGINE WAS WARMED, THE VOLUME ON THE RADIO WAS ERRATIC(HAD GONE UP WHEN TRYING TO TURN DOWN), THE SENSOR THROTTLE POSITION SHORTED AND WAS INTERMITTENT, THE VALVE AIR CONTROL WAS REPLACED, AND THE FUEL FILTER WAS REPLACED. *SCC *JB

Mileage: 113,000

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. ACCELLERATE AND SHUT DOWN. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.

RECENTLY MY WIFE'S 1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM GT HAS ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS ENGAGED THE CRUISE CONTROL AND WOULD NOT DISENGAGE, EVEN IF YOU BRAKE OR MANUALLY SELECT THE OFF POSITION ON THE CRUISE CONTROL SELECTOR SWITCH.*AK

VEHICLE ACCELERATES WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

VEHICLE WOULD SURGE FROM A STOP LIGHT OR STOP SIGN WHEN FOOT WAS OFF BRAKES. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND WAS SUNABLE TO CORRECT PROBLEM.*AK *SLC

AFTER APPLYING, CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO DISENGAGE, THE CAR ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL AND WOULD NOT DISENGAGE WITH BRAKING, NEED TO TURN OFF CAR TO SLOW DOWN WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, BARELY AVERTED CRASH.*AK

CAR ACCELERATED TO 100+ MILES, COULD NOT BRAKE OR SLOW DOWN FOR APPROX 3 MILES, AND THEN AT FIVE MILE INTERVALS IT WOULD DROP. THIS WAS DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. I COULD NOT TURN KEY NOR SHIFT, UNTIL IT GOT DOWN TO 10-15 MILES PER HOUR. THEN I WAS ABLE TO SHIFT SO IT WOULD STOP. DEALER WAS CALLED. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER SAYS THERE'S NO SIGN OF ANYTHING WRONG. BUT OF COURSE THERE IS. THIS WAS A HORRIFYING, TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE, AND I SHOOK FOR HOURS. WHEN I FINALLY GOT THE CAR TO STOP, IT SMOKED (BLACK) FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SEATBELT WAS ON. *AK I'M NOT SURE WHAT A 2-POINT OR 3-POINT BELT IS.

DEALER HAS TRIED TO FIX VEHICLE 5 TIMES FOR SAME PROBLEM. VEHICLE IDLES UP TO 1500 RPM'S IN PARK AND VARIES IN DRIVE. PCM-VCM WAS REPLACED TWICE. THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR REPLACED TWICE, AND THE THROTTLE BODY UNIT WAS RECENTLY REPLACED. PROBLEM HAD NOT OCCURRED FOR A YEAR, AND DEALER DIDN'T SEEM TO HAVE A REMEDY.*AK

THIS FAILURE IS PARTICULARLY BAD BECAUSE BOTH TIMES THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON ABOUT 10 MILES BEFORE THE OCCURRENCE (WHICH IN HINDSIGHT) I SEE WAS THE ONLY WARNING OF DANGER AND BOTH TIMES WERE PITCH DARK OUTSIDE, FIRST THE CAR SEEMED TO BE IN NEUTRAL IN THE DRIVE POSITION, IN THAT THE ENGINE REVVED, BUT HAD LITTLE REAL POWER AND WHILE IN ANTICIPATION (FEAR) THAT THE CAR WOULD LUNGE WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY TOOK HOLD DIDN'T COME TO FRUITION, WHAT OCCURRED COULD HAVE BEEN AS BAD. THE DASH LIGHT INDICATORS STARTED FLASHING BUT THE MAIN DASH LIGHTS SEEN FREGUENTLY (SPEEDOMETER) DISAPPEARED AND THEN I NOTICED THAT I WAS ONLY BEING GUIDED BY STREET LAMPS (SECOND OCCURENCE, I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THAT) AND THE CAR DIED AT THE SAME TIME, MAKING ME LOSE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES AND HAVE TO GET THIS THING OFF THE ROAD. THIS CAR HAS NEVER MISSED A BEAT BEFORE THAT, BUT WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME, A BUNCH OF CITY WORKERS OUT TRYING TO FIX A BURST PIPE IN THE STREET AT 5:30 A.M. WERE WATCHING THIS HAPPEN AND CAME RUNNING OVER AND SAID THAT THE WAY THIS CAR FAILED SHOULD BE REPORTED BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE BEEN BAD FOR ANY DRIVER TO LOSE CAR MANUEVERABILITY AT THE SAME TIME AS EXTERIOR LIGHTS. THE SECOND TIME, WHEN I SAW THE ABS LIGHT COME ON, I WAS PREPARED. I CALLED MY HUBBY ON THE CELL PHONE AND HE CAME AND FOLLOWED ME FROM THERE AND I HAD ABOUT 10 MILES OF DRIVETIME BEFORE MY CAR BECAME POSSESSED AGAIN. IT IS SITTING BY THE ROAD ON AN ISOLATED SECTION IN INDIANA AND I'M FEELING PRETTY DARN LUCKY.*AK

ENGINE ACCELERATED FROM LOW TO HIGH-PREDOMINANT ENGINE SURGE AT 3500-4000 RANGE/HUBBY IS ASE MASTER MECHANIC-WILL LOOK INTO. *AK

WHEN THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATURE FAILED THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELLERATED AT FULL THROTTLE, SYSTEMS BEGAN TO ALARM ONE AT A TIME FIRST THE ABS THEN THE ETS, ECT LOCKING UP THE BRAKES KEPT THE CAR FROM MOVING FOWARD WHEN THE ALTERNATOR FAILED THE ENGIN FINALY STOPPED. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT WHEN THE BATTERY FAILED THE ALTERNATOR WAS UNABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE LOAD AS THE VOLTAGE DROPPED SYSTEMS BEGAIN TO BECOME UNRELIABLE AND EITHER THE COMPUTER OR CRUISE CONTROL CAUSED THE THROTTLE TO ACCELLERATE. A VOLTAGE THRESHOLD LOCKOUT IS NEEDED SO THAT WHEN POWER FALLS BELOW THE LEVEL WHERE A SYSTEM CAN NO LONGER OPERATE SAFELY THE SYSTEM SHUTS DOWN.*AK

ENGINE IDLES TO 3500 RPMS WITHOUT APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE VEHICLE HAS TO BE PUT INTO THE NETURAL TO GAIN CONTROL. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING VEHICLE IDLED HIGH AND RAN ROUGH IN TRAVELING. *AK *ML

TH NEXT YEAR AFTER I PURCHASED MY CAR, I BEGAN TO LOSE COMPRESSION. THE CAR WOULD ALSO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN, I NOTICED THAT MY "CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS WERE ON." I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERS AND THEY GAVE A DIAGNOSIS OF "USING THE WRONG GAS". I AM A WOMEN, AND I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT CARS, THEREFORE, AT THE TIME, I DID NOT DISPUTE THIS RIDICULOUS DIAGNOSIS. A YEAR LATER, I HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES/DISC PADS TWICE. THERE WAS LOUD SQUELCHING NOISES. I ALSO BOUGHT NEW TIRES AFTER ONE YEAR. MAJOR PROBLEMS HAVE DEVELOPED SINCE 1999, WHICH ARE: I HAD TO HAVE THE THERMOSTAT REPLACED (AIR CONDITION AND HEAT STOPPED WORKING), I HAD TO HAVE A NEW WATERPUMP INSTALLED (CAR WAS POURING ANTI-FREEZE AND SMOKING), AND AS OF FEBRUARY 6, 2000, THE CAR JUST COMPLETELY STOPPED RUNNING. I RECEIVED TWO QOUTES FROM AREA REPAIR SHOPS ESTIMATING BETWEEN $3K TO $4,500 TO REBUILD AND ENGINE! I HAVE EXHAUSTED MYSELF CONTACTING FRED JONES (SPOKE TO HIM PERSONALLY) OF FRED JONES PONTIAC, AND THEIR CUSTOMER CARE CENTER. PLEASE HELP ME! ALSO, I READ ON YOUR SITE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE FOR UNDERHOOD FIRES - I NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER AND MY CAR WAS NEVER TAKEN IN! I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT BESIDES THIS MAKE OF CAR BEING A LEMON, THIS MAY HAVE ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO MY PROBLEMS. PLEASE HELP ME!!! *AK

REAR BRAKES BIND DURING NORMAL STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. UPON ACCELLERATION THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE SQUEALS AND 1 OR 2 LOUD BANGS ARE HEARD AS THE BRAKES RELEASE. DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE AND UNABLE TO DETECT ANY BRAKE PROBLEMS. VEHICLES ALTERNATOR FAILED WITHOUT ANY TELTALE WARNING SIGNS, STRANDING THE CONSUMER. 60 DAYS LATER THE BATTERY DIES. ENGINE USED TO REV TO ABOUT 1500 RPM WHILE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND IN GEAR. REPLACEMENT OF 02 SENSOR CURED PROBLEM. OTHER MINOR PROBLEMS INCLUDE POWER DOOR LOCK BUMPER FAILURE (REPAIRED) AND POOR DESIGN OF THE DRIVER'S SUN VISOR. (IT MOVES THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR) WHEN MOVING VISOR FROM WINDSHIELD TO SIDE WINDOW. CONSUMER HAS ALREADY REPLACED VISOR ONCE DUE TO CRACKS AT MOUNTING SCREWS. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING AT SLOW SPEEDS (IN PARKING LOTS, ECT.) CAR WILL ACCELLERATE UNCONTROLLABLY. APPLYING BRAKES DOES NOT HELP, PUT IN NEUTRAL AND RPMS REV UP TO "RED ZONE". *AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SURGED AND IDLED VERY HIGH, CAUSEING SUDDEN ACCLERATION, WHICH MAY HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH. DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SURGED AND IDLED VERY HIGH, CAUSEING SUDDEN ACCLERATION, WHICH MAY HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH. DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE. ENGINE WILL RACE AND TRY TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. BRAKES MUST BE FIRMLY APPLIED OR VEHICLE MUST BE PUT INTO PARK TO AVOID VEHICLE TAKING OFF. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. MANUFACTURER HAS PURCHASED VEHICLE BACK. *AK

ON-GOING / INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH SUDDEN ACCELERATION. WHENEVER VEHICLE CAME DOWN TO A SLOW SPEED OF APPRX. 20 MPH OR LESS, ENGINE WOULD ACCELERATE. CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ENGAGED. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. CAN NHTSA PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY ACCELERATE, AND THE BRAKES WILL NOT SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN. HAD TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE A COUPLE OF TIMES IN ORDER TO STOP. DEALER REPLACE COMPUTER TWICE. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. OCCURRED 3 TIMES. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES. CONSUMER HAS TO HOLD FOOT ON BRAKE. ENGINE WILL RACE, AND THEN THE VEHICLE WILL SLOW DOWN AND COME TO A STOP. *AK

VEHICLE ACCELERATED WHEN SHIFTING FROM DRIVE TO THIRD GEAR, AND WHEN SHIFTING FROM SECOND TO THIRD GEAR, IT ALSO ACCELERATED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK, AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UPTO 75 MPH AND RACED UP TO OVER 2000 RPMS WITHOUT WARNING. VEHICLE WOULD STOP UNTIL DRIVER SLAMMED ON BRAKES REALLY HARD. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

THE ENGINE IDLES AT 2000RPM WHEN TURNED ON. THEN BRAKES HAVE TO BE APPLIED SO THAT VEHICLE DOES NOT TAKE OFF. DEALER CAN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATES WHENEVER VEHICLE IS STARTED OR WHEN DRIVING. VEHICLE BEEN IN/OUT DEALER SHOP ON EIGHT OCCASIONS, AND DEALER WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK

VEHICLE CONTINAULLY EXPERIENCE HIGH RPM'S AND ACCELERATION ON ITS OWN WITHOUT THROTTLE, REPLACEMENT OF O2 SENSORS AND PCM DID NOT RECTIFY ACCELERATION PROBLEMS. MJS

WHEN DRIVING AND DRIVER PRESSES THE ACCELERATOR, VEHICLE WILL STALL AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN ACCELERATE AND TAKE OFF. VEHICLE WAS AT DEALERSHIP, AND THEY REPLACED FUEL PUMP/OIL PUMP AND COMPUTER ANALYSIS WERE DONE. RECENTLY BRAKES SEEMED TO BE PERFORMING POORLY. UPON BRAKING, STOPPING DISTANCE EXCEEDED APPROXIMATELY HALF CAR LENGTH. PLEASE ADD VIN.#. *AK

WHEN DRIIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE ACCELERATED VERY FAST, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO PUT THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL. BUT VEHICLE DID NOT STOP, KEPT ACCELERATING. CONSUMER TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF, AND VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN. CONSUMER ALMOST HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. ALSO, VEHICLE ALMOST WENT INTO THE GARAGE BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK

THE VEHICLE IDLES HIGH WHEN IT IS FIRST STARTED AND WHILE DRIVING. IT IDLES ANYWHERE BETWEEN IT IDLES 1000-1500 RPM'S. THE BRAKES AUTOMATICALLY PUMP THEMSELVES WHEN THIS HAPPENS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP, WHERE THE DEALER CORRECTED THE PROBLEM BY REPLACING A COMPUTER CHIP. THE VEHICLE IS DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN.*AK

WHILE STOPPED THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES SUDDEN ACCELERATION.

ENGINE IDLES AT 3000 RPM FOR REASONS UNKNOWN. ALSO ONCE BRAKE IS RELEASED VEHICLE WILL RAPIDLY ACCELERATE TO 60 MPH. DEALERS HAS REPLACED COMPUTER MODULE WHICH DID NOT CORRECT PROBLEM. VEHICLE ALSO HAS BRAKE PROBLEMS. *AK

WHILE GOING DOWN RAMP, EXITING A PARKING GARAGE ENGINE BEGAN TO RACE AND ACCELERATE. HITTING THE BRAKES DID NOT HELP, WAS ONLY ABLE TO STOP THE AUTOMOBILE WHEN IT WAS PUSHED IT INTO NEUTRAL AND THEN DRIVE. THEN IT CALMED DOWN. *AK *SLC

SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING ACCIDENT.