NHTSA Complaint #10074751 — 2000 PONTIAC GRAND AM

I DID NOT HAVE A VEHICLE FAILURE, HOWEVER, AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM, I WAS BOTHERED BY THE RESULTS. ON LATE MODEL PONTIAC GRAND AMS, MAINLY THE INTAKE MANIFOLD HOUSING/GASKET GOES BAD WITHIN ANY VEHICLE MILEAGE RANGE ESPECIALLY LOW MILEAGE. I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE MY GASKET HAD GONE BAD UNTIL MY OIL LIGHT CAME ON. THE OIL LEAK DOESN'T LEAVE PUDDLES ON THE GROUND. IT GETS BURNED ON THE ENGINE BLOCK AS YOU DRIVE. I RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON GRAMDAMGT.COM AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD THIS PROBLEM AS WELL AND AT 15000 MILES AND HIGHER. I KNOW THIS COSTS ABOUT $800 TO FIX, BUT IT'S A RECURRING PROBLEM FOR DEALERS TO TAKE CARE OF. SEEMS LIKE ITS A WAY FOR THEM TO MAKE MONEY BY INSTALLING FAULTY PARTS IN THEIR CARS, SO THEY GET THE BUYER'S MONEY. MY WARRANTY EXPIRED BECAUSE I COULDN'T AFFORD THE COST OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. I ACTUALLY BOUGHT THE INTAKE AND EXHAUST GASKETS FOR MY CAR, BUT I FOUND THAT I NEED TO BUY MORE TOOLS AND HAVE AN EXTRA CAR (WHICH I DON'T HAVE) IN ORDER TO PERFORM THIS JOB. I DON'T MAKE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY MY RENT AND SUPPORT MY WIFE AND SON AND PAY TO HAVE THE PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR FIXED AND IT'S MY ONLY CAR. I RARELY HAVE TIME TO WORK ON IT. LUCKILY FOR ME THE ONLY THING THAT I GOT FIXED BY THE DEALER FOR FREE WAS MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER. IT MELTED AT 48000 MILES. IT'S WARRANTED FOR 8 YEARS. *JB