2002 Pontiac Grand Prix exterior lighting problems

“THE MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH HAS MALFUNCTIONED THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE ON THESE CARS. THE MALFUNCTION OF THIS SWITCH HAS MEANT THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT WORK CAUSING SOMEONE TO RUN INTO THE BACK OF MY CAR AS I WAS SLOWING IN TRAFFIC. THE SHIFT LEVER LOCK WILL NOT ENGAGE LEAVING THE KEYS UNABLE TO BE REMOVED AND THE SHIFTER CAN BE MOVED OUT OF PARK WITHOUT THE BRAKE PEDAL BEING PRESSED. THE IGNITION SWITCH AND HARNESS MALFUNCTION CAUSING THE FAN TO NOT WORK IN ANYTHING BUT 5. LOOK AT THE MESSAGE BOARDS ALL THREE A COMMON OCCURRENCE AND WORSE GM KNOWS OF THESE PROBLEMS AND HAVE REFUSED TO ADDRESS THEM. *TR”

“MECHANIC ALERTED ME THAT MY BRAKE LIGHTS ON THE BUMPER ARE NOT WORKING. BRAKE LIGHT IN CENTER OF BACK WINDOW WORKS. REPLACED THE BULBS AND CHECKED FUSES. BRAKE LIGHT STILL DO NOT WORK. DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE. FOUND THAT IT IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL CAR. SOME SAID THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM BY TURNING THE HAZARDS LIGHTS ON AND OFF. WE TRIED THIS AND FOUND THAT THE HAZARD LIGHTS ALSO DO NOT WORK, THE BUTTON IS ACTUALLY STUCK. FOUND AFTER PRESSING THE HAZARD BUTTON VERY HARD, THE BUTTON WILL PUSH DOWN. THE BRAKE LIGHTS START WORKING, HOWEVER, THE TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS NO LONGER WORK. SEARCHED THIS ISSUE ON THE WEB SOME MORE. FOUND THAT THERE ARE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME ISSUE. THE BRAKE LIGHTS, HAZARD LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNAL ARE ALL IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURES OF THE CAR. THE ISSUE IS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE MULTI SWITCH ASSEMBLY IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR. GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE MECHANIC FOR THE EXPENSIVE FIX. I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS DEFECTIVE PART. NOT HAVING BASIC SAFETY FEATURES WORKING ON MY CAR DUE TO A DEFECTIVE PART SHOULD WARRANT A RECALL BY GM! *TR”

“BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT WORK AND FLASHER SWITCH IS STUCK IN THE UP POSITION,MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM CAUSE NEW PART FROM GM IS $700.00 LABOR NOT INCLUDED. *TR”

“I HAVE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED TWO MAJOR DEFECTS WITH MY 2002 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GTP. FIRST, I HAVE HAD BOTH MY DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS TO GO OUT. THESE ARE NOT CHEAP TO REPLACE. THE COST PER BEARING IS ABOUT $90 PLUS LABOR. THEN, MY BRAKE LIGHTS HAVE STOPPED WORKING. AFTER LOOKING AT OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE WEB, I HAVE FOUND THAT I MY VEHICLE WILL REQUIRE A MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH WHICH IS COSTLY AS WELL. AS FAR AS THE BEARINGS GO, THERE IS A STRONG POSSIBILITY THAT I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THOSE AGAIN IN THE NEAR FUTURE. MY OPINION IS THAT IF GM IS AWARE OF THESE DEFECTS IN THEIR PRODUCT , THEY SHOULD BE TAKING MORE STEPS TO SATISFY THEIR CUSTOMERS AS WE HAVE PUT FAITH IN THEIR COMPANY AND HELP KEEP THEM IN BUSINESS WITH SALES AND OUR TAX DOLLARS (BAILOUT). I APPEAL TO GM TO RECALL THE PARTS THAT ARE NOT UP TO STANDARD ON THEIR CARS. *TR”

“ACCORDING TO MANY SOURCES (ONLINE INTERNET AUTO FORUMS, MECHANICS, ETC), THE 2002 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX, AND POSSIBLY OTHER YEARS, HAVE HEADLAMPS THAT ARE PRONE TO FAILURE. THIS FAILURE MOSTLY HAS TO DO WITH THE SEALANT OR THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY ITSELF WHICH CRACKS. THIS CAUSES A LEAK FOR AIR, MOISTURE, AND OTHER THINGS TO ENTER THE HEADLAMP AND DRASTICALLY FOG UP THE INSIDE. AS A RESULT, THIS CAUSES A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN VIEW DISTANCE AT NIGHT, AS THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS ARE BLOCKED BY THIS FOG AND MOISTURE ON THE INSIDE OF THE HEADLAMPS. THIS COULD EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AS THE DRIVER HAS MINIMAL VIEWING DISTANCE AT NIGHT FOR OTHER CARS, PEDESTRIANS, OR OBJECTS. MIND YOU, THIS IS JUST FOR THE FRONT HEADLAMPS AND NOT THE CORNER LENSES. FURTHERMORE, THERE IS NO EASY FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM BESIDES PURCHASING NEW FRONT HEADLAMPS FOR EACH SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH PUTS THE PRICE TAG ABOVE $250, NOT INCLUDING INSTALLATION COSTS. AS STATED PREVIOUSLY, THIS APPEARS TO BE COMMON PROBLEM AS MECHANICS THEMSELVES HAVE SAID THAT IS FAIRLY NORMAL FOR THIS CAR AND MANY OTHER PONTIAC GRAND PRIX OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED OF THIS PROBLEM AS WELL. I HOPE THAT SOMETHING CAN BE DONE SO…”

“I OWN A 02 GRAND PRIX GT WITH ONLY 45,000 MILES ON IT AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T WORK. AFTER BUYING NEW LIGHT BULBS AND BACK TRACKING ALL WIRING TO THE FUSE BOX, CHECKING ALL FUSES AND AFTER A COUPLE ASPIRINS LATER I CHECKED THE HAZARD SWITCH THAT WAS SEIZED AND WOULD NOT MOVE. PROBLEM FOUND. CHECKING ONLINE, COST A NEW TURN SIGNAL SWITCH $250.00 CHEAPEST PRICE. I WILL FIX THE PROBLEM MYSELF BUT FEEL SORRY FOR OTHERS WHO CAN'T DO THIS TYPE OF WORK THEMSELVES BECAUSE THE LABOR COST WILL BE ABOUT THE SAME PRICE AS THE PART. THANK GOD NO KIDS WERE INJURED IN A REAR END COLLISION OVER A FAULTY SWITCH THAT HAS HAD NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE VEHICLE OWNERS MANUAL SHOWS CHILDREN SHOULD BE RESTRAINED IN THE BACK SEAT. "GO FIGURE". I WOULD UNDERSTAND IF THE VEHICLE HAD 100K MILES ON IT BUT WITH THESE LOW MILES THE SWITCH SHOULD NOT BE MALFUNCTIONING, SORRY GM THIS IS WHY BUYERS ARE LOSING FAITH IN U.S. PRODUCTS. *TR”