2000 Pontiac Grand Am SE
Summary:
This car has been good to me so far so I can't complain, but I am worried about the brakes
Faults:
I purchased my 2000 Grand Am Se in 2003. A few months after I bought it the turn signals started to malfunction. There was a recall and the Dealer fixed it. They work fine now. The brakes grunt and grind. At speeds of 65mph or higher the car shakes. The heat or AC does not work on the 1 and 2 dial. The side mirrors come off to easily. I had to replace the driver side mirror. My driver side break light will not work even though the bulbs have been replaced.
Temperature gauge runs high.
General Comments:
The car runs loud even when idling.
Brakes are no good
Seats are uncomfortable
Starts to hard
But it is good on gas
I still like my car.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 17th November, 2004
18th Jan 2005, 12:58
Hello. My wife bought her 1999 Grand Am in 1999 and the problems that she experienced were the brakes and rotors make a grinding noise and constantly has to be replaced, her engine temperature is always running hot, and her driver's side mirror had to be replaced twice. My sister in Dallas, TX had the same problems. Why hasn't a recall been ordered on this car? It is very obvious that Pontiac made some 1999 Pontiac Grand Am lemons if they are all having the same problems.
9th May 2005, 09:24
I was reading these and realized that every Grand Am is pretty much the same!
Great looking car, but with problems...heating, cooling, intake, lights, gages, you name it... something will happen.
I own a 1999 Grand Am SE and I had problems with the brakes as well. until I was told from my excellent mechanic (whom also told me NEVER to buy another Pontiac car for as long as unless I wanted to waste my money)
For the brakes, that grinding/squealing noise can be fixed with a small kit that can be purchased. It is inserted along with the brakes pads and the noise stops. I have not had mine make any noise for a very long time now. I had them fixed a year ago.
I also had a problem with my alternator. It has been replaced on my car times already, so beware of this. My intake is also leaking as with many other cars.
I just figured I would let you all know about the kits of the brakes.
Thanks,
9th Dec 2004, 15:23
I had to look twice at this entry - it is almost identical to one I remember writing a year or so ago. I have a 2001 Grand Am SE. My turn signals also malfunctioned, as did my heat & A/C at the "1" and "2" settings. These may have both been recall items, but the dealership only caught one and so I had to pay more than was necessary (a financial complaint only, nothing inherent with the car or wrong with the dealership). I also had to go to the dealership to have the air dial fixed properly - I had received a few estimates and what was proposed by other non-GM folks would have been an incomplete or improper fix. In other words, this is a common problem for this car. However, all said, these are now fixed and my car is running fine.
The driver side brake light could be a fuse. The noise of the car could be the gas type or muffler. Not sure about starting too hard...?...
I had thought my temp gauge ran high as well, which didn't surprise me since I sit in LA traffic. I spent oodles of $$ with those non-GM folks to flush my cooling system, install a new radiator cap, and install a new thermostat, to find out from the dealership that running up to 220 is normal. If the car is running higher than that, start with the radiator cap - that seemed to be the only item that *needed* replacing due to the pressure. If the cap is faulty, it could affect your thermostat. Or try replacing the Air filter. The other repairs I chalked up to investing in proper maintenance and learned my lesson about going to people not familiar with the car.
If you drive like I do, the brakes probably grunt and grind because you are driving too fast i.e., stopping too fast. Unlike the older ABS-style brakes that would push the accelerator pedal back up to back off the brakes, these are designed to pulsate. And basically, if you understand hydraulics, you are pressing against the pulsation and so it feels like they are 'scraping', so to speak. I have found that when I gently press on the brakes (i.e., drive less like a maniac and have to stop less suddenly) like brakes were really designed for, they act like "normal" brakes. Or, if it's really a problem, have your calipers checked. Mine seem to be my biggest problem - but then again, maybe if I didn't brake so hard my calipers wouldn't be screaming into my rotors! :-)
One gripe I have about this car - well, maybe two - is the suspension and power. I have learned that if I need to accelerate quickly I must turn off the ETS - Electronic Traction System - no surprise if you realize the ETS is an RPM delimiter of sorts. This is a learned habit more than a pain. Even so, it still just doesn't have the power I'd like.
I also have never felt entirely safe in this car - I feel like it's going to roll over in a turn or come out from underneath me. I have learned this is what is called top roll, I believe. And unless I want to add a suspension bar (?) for big $$ (not worth it on this car) I have to live with it. I am quickly and hurriedly trying to find a new car before I put too many more miles on it.
That said, one should know that my last car was a low-to-the-ground Japanese sports car that was lighter and had a sportier suspension. I got spoiled and I was too quick to jump on just any new car. Considering the price, engine, weight, mpg, and reliability though, I am pleased with what I have (especially when I have to rent a car and then climb back into mine - I get grateful real quick!)
-Lisa P., Tujunga, CA.