14th Feb 2001, 22:11

I purchased a 1999 Grand Am SE2 with a V6. There's only 17000 miles and the brakes have always sucked. Now they have to put new rotors/pads on as it sounded like the front end was coming off. I'm going to unload this dog ASAP as the warranty is up in August and then I'll have to start paying for this stuff. You pay $19,000 for a car and get this ? And to think I could have bought a Honda, for less! Adios GM

Tom

4th Mar 2001, 22:22

What do you do when you love a car that everyone is forwarning you is a piece of crap. I bought my 2000 Grand Am SE a week before Christmas, it had 8700 miles. I had a 91 Grand Prix with a lot of radiator problems.

Anyway, I has always wanted a Grand Am and the commercials on TV really hooked me. Silver Metallic Grey, dash cover, 4 door & 4-cylinder. All the little extras except power windows.

Anyway, just love the car. Of course I started feeling a vibration when I applied the brakes about 3 weeks ago. Thought it had to be a bubble in the tire at only 13,000 miles. Took it in and sure enough rotors needed shaving, but the pads still had good size left. It just doesn't seem possible to need to do this every 13,000 miles. Cant I just buy top of the line rotors, bite the cost and be done with it? I mean Pontiac say I won't even need to check my plugs until 100,000, yet brake replacement is closer to that of oil change... laugh.

Well I am looking at a 5 year car loan and this is the first car I feel good driving and love everything about it. My history with new cars was non-existant so I was just happy with everything. But now you all have me worried. Tell me what I can do now to avoid these brake problems. The best pads, the best rotors, what....??? And I too would have loved a V-6 but I think I'm "hotstuff" now, I would have probaly killed myself.

Seriously though, I am very pleased with the car so far. I can even deal with the brakes now that I know more, but I swear if Pontiac ever hassles me, I will have my Aunt who works as a reporter for Channel 7 news start a war.

My only complaint is that the cup holder in the rear doesn't hold those supersize sodas everyone sells. I'm sorry for all your troubles and I think too I should have done more research before I got caught up in the superficial aspects of the car, but I am just hoping that the crew who put mine together was sober on the day it rolled off the assembly line.

Lastly, I spoke to the previous owners who traded it for a SUV and the gentlemen said he loved it and didn't really want to give it up. The wife wanted to. They had left some paperwork in the glove box and I could not resist contacting them. I pretended I was from the dealership and needed to know more detail about the car, older man but very nice. He said his only complaint was that he factory ordered the CD player to be in style and realized he only owned cassettes. I laughed my head off. But even the original owners had no complaints. I even suggested that if he really loved the car he should have kept it. He said he couldn't afford to. I guess the bottom line, some people are satisfied and some who have had a god awful experience are tring to warn others.

Truthfully, had I known about the brake issue, knowing me I still would have bought it. Well, thanks for listening and any advice you have is appreciated.

27th Mar 2001, 15:47

I too bought a 2000 Grand Am SE2. I've brought it in 3 times for the rotors. Once they were turned at 12,000 miles, and I was told by the service dept that Pontiac was aware of the problem. The 2nd time they were changed out at 17,000 miles along with the brake pads. The third time I was told I abuse my 7 month old car. I called the 1800 # and filed a complaint regarding the rotors and the dept for telling me how I drive my vehicle.

Since that time I found this website: www.c5registry.com/technical/brjan2k.htm. I plan on taking the information I found there with me to the dealership in the next a couple of weeks... a different dealership!

5th Apr 2001, 16:59

Interesting. I have a 1996 Grand Am which I bought new. It now has 154,000 miles on it and is going strong. I put new shocks and struts on it last summer and had to have an oil leak fixed in November. So, other than routine maintenance, tires, etc., I have only had to put $750 into this car. Since I put a ton of miles on a car, when this one dies (which it doesn't seem to have any intention of doing), I plan to look for a late model used Grand Am. My previous car was a Taurus, which, while rated number one, was a great big pain in the neck. This is the greatest, most reliable car I have ever owned.

20th Apr 2001, 23:08

I have a 1999 Pontiac Grand AM that just turned over 17,000 miles last week. I was having a very bad vibration when I brake - took it to the dealer and was told the pads needed replaced and the rotors needed turning. I find it hard to believe that after ONLY 17,000 miles the rotors need to be turned. By the way, I brought my car new and it will be 2 yrs old May 2001. GM should really investigate and possibly have a recall because I'm hearing this complaint more and more and I research my problem.

27th Nov 2001, 19:49

I have owned three Pontiac Grand Ams thus far. I love everything about them. My first one was a 1991 Grand Am which I am proud to say had 180,000 miles on it when I gave it away to a family member. Two years later and it is still running. The car has been great.

Next I bought a used 1994 Grand Am, and again no trouble.

Recently I traded the 94 in on a 1999 model and I love it. I have and will continue to by Grand Ams because the car has more than satisfied me and is a proven winner in my book.