NHTSA Complaint #10025265 — 2000 PONTIAC GRAND AM

I OWN A 2000 PONTIAC GRAND AM GT. AT ABOUT 15,000 MILES MY BLINKERS STARTING EITHER JUST COMMING ON BY THEIRSELF OR WOULD NOT WORK AT ALL. I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE HAZARD SWITCH. THEN, ABOUT 6 THOUSAND MILES LATER, MY FRONT END STARTED SHAKING AND MAKING NOISE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID MY BRAKES WERE DOWN TO THE ROTOR AND I WOULD NEED NEW BRAKES AND ROTORS. I ASKED IF IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AND THEY SAID THE WARRANTY ONLY COVERED THE BRAKES UNTIL 20,000 MILES AND IT WOULD COST ME $500 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC AND HAD PERFORMACE BRAKES AND ROTORS PUT ON MY CAR FOR $375 (I HAD READ A FEW REPORTS OF OTHERS HAVING PROBLEMS AND HAVING TO GO BACK TO THE DEALER EVERY 5-6 THOUSAND MILES AND DID NOT WANT TO GO THROUGH THAT, AND CONCIDER MYSELF LUCHY THAT THEY LASTED AS LONG AS THEY DID.). I HAVE PUT ANOTHER 15,000 MILES ON MY PERFORMACE BRAKES AND ROTORS WITH NO PROBLEMS. MY MECHANIC ALSO SAW THAT I HAD A PLUG IN MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO TAKE MY CAR IN FOR A FLAT SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE, SO MY GUESS IS THAT THE DEALER PUT THE PLUG IN THE TIRE. I HAVE BEEN READING SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FROM PEOPLE THAT OWN 2001, 2002, AND EVEN 2003 GRAND AMS. APPARENTLY THEY ARE USING CHEAP PARTS ON A "PERFORMACE CAR" AND ARE IGNORING THE PROBLEM AND SOMETHING NEED TO BE DONE, BEFORE SOMEONES BRAKES GO OUT COMPLETELY. THERE IS ALSO A PROBLEM WITH THE PASSENGERS FRONT SEAT NOT LOCKING IN PLACE. IF YOU DO NOT PUSH THE SEAT BACK ALL THE WAY FAIRLY HARD AND CHECK THE SEAT LEVER TO MAKE SURE THAT IT CAME BACK UP, THE SEAT WILL SLIDE ALL THE WAY FWD DURING EVEN LIGHT BREAKING. THE SEAT HAS DONE THIS SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE CAR. IF THEY USED BETTER COMPONENTS ON THEIR CAR AND WOULD STOP CUTTING CORNERS THEY WOULD NOT BE HAVING THESES PROBLEMS. *AK