2000 Pontiac Grand Am engine and engine cooling problems

“LETTER FROM SENATOR BROWN ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE VEHICLE RECALL. *SMD ON JANUARY 8, 2013, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A POST CARD IN THE MAIL, IN JUNE 2014 REGARDING A RECALL CONCERNING A POSSIBLE ENGINE FIRE. THE CONSUMER NO LONGER OWNS THE VEHICLE. *JB”

“ELECTRICAL ISSUES BIG TIME: (SO FAR, THESE ARE THE ISSUES I HAVE FOUND) BLINKERS & HAZARDS RANDOMLY WORK, SMELL BURNING WIRES, IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEMS WHEN TRYING TO GET CAR TO START, GEAR SHIFT STICKS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TAKE IT OUT OF PARK TO REVERSE, SMELL FUEL & LOW COOLANT BUTTON COMES ON BUT CANNOT DETERMINE LEAKS. "I'M BEING TOLD BY GM'S CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT I HAVE TO GO TO A CERTIFIED GM REPAIR SHOP, PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR THE DIAGNOSE OF ISSUES WHICH ISN'T GOING TO BE CHEAP, AND THEN SUBMIT THE INFORMATION BACK TO GM WHO MAY OR MAY NOT FIX IT?!?!?! IF THEY DON'T, I'M STUCK WITH THE BILL!!! WHICH IS GOING TO COST ME THOUSANDS TO FIX, BECAUSE I CAN'T SELL IT WITH ALL THE ISSUES." "AS A SINGLE MOTHER OF TWO, I AM HIGHLY APPALLED BY THIS!! WITH ALL THESE RECALLS FROM GM, MAKES ME WONDERING WHAT ELSE WILL GO WRONG WITH THIS VEHICLE, I "PINCHED PENNIES" AND WE WENT WITHOUT NECESSARIES TO PURCHASE SAID VEHICLE FOR MY 17 YR OLD DAUGHTER. I PRAY FOR MY TWO DAUGHTER'S SAFETY AND THE PASSENGERS THAT MAY RIDE WITH HER EVERYDAY, I CAN ONLY HOPE GM WILL ADD HER "VIN" TO THE RECALL LIST AND FIX ALL PROBLEMS, SO I DON'T END UP AT ANYONE'S FUNERAL, AS A…”

“WHEN TURNING A CORNER THE CAR WILL DIE AND LOOSE ITS POWER STEERING. IT SOMETIMES WILL HAPPEN JUST GOING DOWN THE ROAD AS WELL. AFTER PUTTING CAR IN NEUTRAL IT WILL RESTART. *TR”

“THIS CAR HAD THIS PROBLEM WHEN I BOUGHT IT BUT I HAD NO OTHER CHOICE, I HAD TO BUY SOMETHING. BESIDES, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY "THOUGHT" THAT THEY MAY HAVE FIXED IT....WRONG! WHEN THEY HAD THE PROBLEM WITH THE CAR, APPARENTLY EVERYTHING WAS CHECKED & REPLACED BUT WITH NO LUCK. THE 02 SENSOR WAS REPLACED A COUPLE TIMES, TUNE UPS, FUEL FILTERS, ETC....THEY EVEN HOOKED IT UP TO A DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE AND IT DIDN'T DETECT A THING. I AM NO EXPERT BUT............1ST OF ALL; THE CAR ONLY STALLS WHEN I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE PEDAL. I COULD BE DOING 65 DOWN THE HIGHWAY, BUT AS SOON AS I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS....DEAD! THE CAR TOTALLY CUTS OFF. NO FUNNY SOUNDS, HESITATION, SMELLS, ETC. IT JUST DIES. WHEN I 1ST START THE CAR (THE INITIAL START UP), I MAKE IT ABOUT A COUPLE BLOCKS BEFORE I HAVE TO DRIVE "TWO FOOTED" SO THE CAR WONT STALL. THERE WERE A FEW MORE PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT IT THAT HAVE SINCE STOPPED OR JUST GOT WORSE. ALL ELECTRICAL ISSUES. FOR EXAMPLE: THE CAR HAS DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHTS. AT TIMES I WOULD HAVE TO ACTUALLY TURN THE LIGHTS TO THE "OFF" POSITION B/C THE HIGH BEAMS WOULD START GOING NUTS AND FLASH LIKE A POLICE CAR. BUT THAT HAS…”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 PONTIAC GRAND AM. HE STATED WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE OVER HEATED. THE DEALER ADVISED HE WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 120,000.”

“THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET HAS GONE BAD AND MY CAR HAS NEVER GOTTEN HOT OR OVER HEATED FOR ANYTHING LIKE THIS TO OCCUR. I BELIEVE IT IS DEFECTIVE GASKETS IN THE 2000 PONTIAC GRAND AM. *TR”