NHTSA Complaint #10074747 — 2000 PONTIAC GRAND AM

ON THE DATE BELOW, I DROVE TO WORK AND PARKED. MY GAS GAUGE READ JUST OVER 1/4 A TANK. WHEN IT WAS TIME TO GO HOME, I GOT IN MY CAR AND IT WOULDN'T START. I CALLED A FRIEND AND HE SAID IT COULD BE OUT OF GAS. LUCKILY, THERE WAS A GAS STATION CLOSE BY, SO I BOUGHT A GAS CONTAINER AND GAS. I PUT THE GAS IN MY CAR AND THE CAR STARTED UP FINE. THE GAS GAUGE STILL READ 1/4 A TANK. THIS HAS ALSO HAPPENED TO ME SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE AND IT GETS REALLY ANNOYING. I WILL BE DRIVING AND MY GAS TANK READS 1/8 TO 1/2 A TANK AND MY CAR WILL DIE ON ME. THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS ABOUT A MONTH AGO IN APRIL 2004. I HAD TO WALK 4 MILES ROUND TRIP TO GET GAS. I TAKE REAL GOOD CARE OF MY CAR AS MUCH AS I CAN BECAUSE I DIDN'T EXTEND MY WARRANTY DUE TO LACK OF MONEY. THIS HAPPENS RIGHT AT THE MOST INOPPORTUNE TIMES. I HAVE NOT TAKEN MY CAR IN TO HAVE THIS FIXED BECAUSE I KNOW IT WILL COST ME ABOUT $500 AND I JUST CANNOT AFFORD THAT. THERE'S A WEBSITE THAT I GO TO FIND OUT PROBLEMS WITH THE GRAND AM CAR (GRANDAMGT.COM). A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM WITH 1999+ MODELS. I'VE ACTUALLY HAD TO REPLACE SEVERAL COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PARTS ON MY CAR (SENSORS, RESISTORS, SWITCHES) DUE TO GM'S POOR ENGINEERING AND I CAN'T AFFORD THIS CURRENT PROBLEM. IT'S RIDICULOUS THAT OUT OF ALL THE CONSTANT PROBLEMS THAT GRAND AM OWNERS HAVE, GM CAN ONLY SEND OUT A RECALL ON A STUPID HAZARD LIGHT SWITCH RELAY. THAT'S MY 2 CENTS. *JB