2001 Pontiac Grand Am from North America
Summary:
I will never purchase another GM product
Faults:
I started hearing a popping or grinding noise in the front brakes, when slowing, within the first couple of months of owning the car. I took it to the dealer and they replaced the rotors.
I then noticed the same noise again, shortly after the first repair. I didn't take it back to the shop for a couple of months.
When I took it back to the dealer, I dropped it off and went back to work. When I picked up the car, I didn't hear the noise & my invoice said that no problem was found & no noises were heard.
Not even a week later the brakes started popping & grinding upon braking again. I immediately took it back to the dealer & asked the service manager to get into the car with me to take a ride down the road so he could hear the problem. He explained that the last time they had resurfaced the rotors & would try something different. I showed him the invoice that said no problem had been found. He changed the invoice to reflect what they had done.
I took the car back 3 more times for the same problem before filing lemon law.
General Comments:
I, being a woman, felt taken advantage of because everyone I talked to said that brake issues generally aren't covered under lemon law because they are a maintenance issue. My question was this: "do you cover maintenance issues under warranty?" Because all of this work was covered under warranty. The arbitrator not only sided with me, but I received almost $2000 after they paid off my car. It pays to keep your invoices and to take notes of who you speak to each time & everything they say.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 4th May, 2004
5th Aug 2006, 11:33
This is a very UNFAIR indictment of a very good car due to a poor experience with a bad dealer. We own a 2001 Grand Am and a GMC. Neither has ever given us a minutes trouble. They are two of the finest and best built cars we've ever owned. I hate to see people smearing good cars because of poor dealers. In 40 years we've owned a lot of cars, including 3 foreign made cars. The GM vehicles we've owned have been the most trouble free vehicles we've had. My nephew is still driving our old '77 Buick with 277,000 miles on it.