THE DAY I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE THE RIGHT PASSENGER POWER MOTOR WENT OUT. WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, THE OTHER THREE ALSO WENT BAD. MY GEAR SHIFTER LIGHT BLINKS ON AND OFF AT TIMES, THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS COME ON AND OFF, THE RADIO LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF, THE CIGARETTE LIGHT FUSE BLOWS ALL THE TIME. IRVINE TOYOTA TOLD ME THERE WAS NO ELECTRICLE PROBLEM AND THAT PONTIACS WERE NOTORIOUS FOR THEIR WINDOW MOTORS HEATING UP AND GOING OUT. ALL THEY DO IS KEEP REPLACING THE MOTORS. LAST NIGHT I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND HAD COMPLETE POWER FAILURE IN THE CAR. I WAS ALMOST HIT BY AN ONCOMING VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #766684 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Mosinee, WI
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
THE LIGHTS ON THE CLOCK/RADIO FADE IN AND OUT. THEY ARE OFF MORE THAN THEY ARE ON BOTH AM AND PM YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS OR WHAT STATION YOU HAVE ON THE RADIO. *AK.
NHTSA complaint #750385 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Springer, OK
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
I CAN DEAL WITH MOST OF THE THINGS THAT WENT WRONG WITH MY CAR BUT I DONT THINK THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH MY INTERIOR COMING DOWN FROM MY DOORS AND MY PAINT FADING AND CHIPPING AND EVEN MY CD PLAYER DONT WORK.. I KNOW IT IS A 1996 BUT THESE THINGS SHOULD NOT BE MESSING UP ALREADY.. I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THESE THINGS.. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY OUT MY POCKET FOR THINGS LIKE THIS.
NHTSA complaint #747342 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Shreveport, LA
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
I BELIEVE THIS CAR TO BE A LEMON, MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS DESCRIBED BY OTHER OWNERS THIS YEAR MODEL EXIST WITH THIS VEHICLE. HOW CAN I GET HELP, NOW SOMETHING IS SMOKING UNDER THE HOOD, I BELIEVE IT TO BE ELECTRICAL BUT I DON'T HAVE THE CASH TO TAKE TO A MECHANIC. HELP. NO SAFETY DEFECT.
NHTSA complaint #739723 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
IN ORDER TO CHANGE THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE OF MY CAR WHICH HAD GONE FLAT AFTER HITTING A POTHOLE, I PARKED ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I LIFTED THE VEHICLE AT THE DESIGNATED LIFTING POINT USING THE AUTOMAKER-PROVIDED JACK AND PROCEEDED TO REMOVE THE TIRE. JUST AS I WAS PULLING THE TIRE OFF OF THE WHEEL, THE JACK SPLIT INTO TWO PIECES AND THE CAR FELL DOWN. FORTUNATELY, THE TIRE WAS NOT YET COMPLETELY OFF, AND BY VIRTUE OF ITS POSITION, MANAGED TO KEEP THE CAR FROM FALLING COMPLETELY AND CRUSHING MY HANDS. HOWEVER, THERE WAS SOME ADDITIONAL DAMAGE INCURRED TO THE WHEEL AND THE ALIGNMENT. THIS JACK HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY AFTER THE ORIGINAL JACK PROVIDED AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE WAS STUCK CLOSED (WOULDN'T OPEN). THIS WAS, THEREFORE, THE SECOND FAILURE OF THIS JACK. I CONTACTED PONTIAC CUSTOMER SERVICE, BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN WILLING TO REPLACE THE JACK AS THE VEHICLE'S WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. REPORTS HAVE BEEN FILED WITH BOTH THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND THE LOYOLA UNIVERSITY POLICE DEPARTMENT.
NHTSA complaint #733013 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
St.louis, MO
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
WHEN A/C IS FIRST TURNED ON THE CONSUMER SMELLS ODOR FROM A/C DURING HUMID DAYS.
NHTSA complaint #784423 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Jeromesville, OH
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS WERE SERVICED TWICE BECAUSE THEY WOULD FLICKER ON AND OFF WHEN THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN AND PARKED. AFTER I HAD THE CAR FOR ABOUT A YEAR THE AIR CONDITIONER WOULD NOT PUT OUT ANY COLD AIR. WE HAVE REFILLED THE FREEON ONCE AND THAT DIDN'T SEEM TO HELP AT ALL. THE DRIVERSIDE POWER WINDOW WILL NOT GO DOWN UNLESS ITS BEEN A VERY WARM DAY AND THE CAR HAS SAT IN THE SUN. THE FUSE WAS CHECKED AND IS OKAY.
NHTSA complaint #723669 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Denmark, TNCrash
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE ARE NO DEFECTS INVESTIGATIONS IN THE DATABASE FOR THE 1996 PONTIAC GRAND AM GIVEN THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS SUBMITTED CONCERNING THIS VEHICLE. WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN A DEATH? MY VEHICLE LIKE SEVERAL OTHERS I'VE READ ABOUT , STALLS AT ANY GIVEN TIME WITH THE MOST RECENT BEING ON THE INTERSTATE WHERE I HAD TO TAKE THE MEDIAN FOR SAFETY. OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE BEEN RUN OVER BY A RIG. THIS CAR IS UNSAFE AND WAS REPORTED BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER AS SUCH; HOWEVER, NO INVESTIGATION HAS TAKEN PLACE. THE CAR JUST SHUTS OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC, LOSING ALL POWER (INCLUDING STEERING AND BRAKES). ALL THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS COME ON AND THE CAR IS DEAD; THAT'S RIGHT DEAD. LEAVING THE OCCUPANTS IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC HOPING THEY'RE NOT GOING TO SMASHED BY SPEEDING TRAFFIC CONSIDERING NO SIGNAL WILL WORK AND NEITHER DO BRAKE LIGHTS OR ANYTHING. PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE AT STAKE HERE AND COMPLAINTS ARE BEING HANDLED BY THIS DEPARTMENT AS IF THEY COULDN'T CARE LESS. HOW COULD ANYONE WITH THEIR RIGHT MIND NOT ASSESS THIS SITUATION AS A SAFETY VIOLATION. THE REPORTS FOR THIS SAME DEFECT ARE JUST TOO NUMEROUS AND IF YOU CAN'T SEE IT THEN I NEED A HIGHER OFFICE AND THIS OFFICE NEEDS TO CLOSE SHOP!
NHTSA complaint #718141 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Shirley, NY
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
CONTINUALLY DISREGARDED BY DEALERSHIPS AND CORPORATE OFFICES
NHTSA complaint #712744 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
West Alexandria, OH
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
I DRIVE 50 MILES A DAY TO AND FROM WORK THATS THE REASON FOR HIGH MILEGE ON MY CAR. I STILL BELIEVE THIS CAR SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN ITS PAYMENTS.
NHTSA complaint #710573 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Philadelph, PA
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONIG SYSTEM FAILED. NLM
NHTSA complaint #545487 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Dickinson, TX
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND THE AIR CONDITIONER DON'T WORK AND THE VEHICLE IS OVERHEATING, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO HAVE PROBLEMS SEEING OUT THE WINDOW. DEALER HAS WORKED ON THE VEHICLE FOUR TIMES, AND STILL CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. ALSO, WATER PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED.
NHTSA complaint #833599 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Valencia, CA
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
CIGARETTE LIGHTER FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #603840 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNK, 00
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
CIGARETTE LIGHTER INOPERATIVE.
NHTSA complaint #515714 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.