NHTSA Complaint #10137507 — 2001 PONTIAC GRAND AM

THREE BIG ISSUES WITH THIS CAR: 1) THE WORST-I'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE SECURITY SYSTEM SHORTING THREE TIMES. EACH TIME, THE CAR TURNS OVER BUT WILL NOT START. THE SECURITY LIGHT FLASHED TWICE, BUT DID NOT COME ON THE THIRD TIME. THE FIRST TIME THE DEALER ADJUSTED THE SYSTEM (WHATEVER THAT MEANS) WHICH WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE SECOND TIME (TWO MONTHS LATER), MY CAR WOULD NOT START AT 2AM OUTSIDE OF A BAR, SO I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED. THIS TIME THE WHOLE SYSTEM WAS REPLACED UNDER MY WARRANTY. THE THIRD TIME (FOUR MONTHS LATER) MY CAR WOULD NOT START AND HAD TO BE TOWED. THE SYSTEM WAS AGAIN REPLACED, THIS TIME IT WAS COVERED UNDER A PARTS& LABOR WARRANTY SO AT LEAST I DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING. 2) THE BRAKES. I HAD THE ROTORS REPLACED BECAUSE OF EXTREME VIBRATING WHEN BREAKING, AS WELL AS A LOUD SQUEALING NOISE THAT WOULD START AFTER THE BREAKS HEATED UP. THE SQUEALING NOISE DID NOT GO AWAY SO I HAD THE BREAKS' HARDWARE REPLACED. THAT WORKED FOR A WHILE. SIX MONTHS LATER, THE VIBRATING HAS COME BACK AND THERE IS A LOUD GRINDING NOISE WHEN THE BREAKS GET WET (I.E. RAIN). 3) COOLANT LIGHT COMES ON FREQUENTLY. FIRST, I SIMPLY REPLACED THE COOLANT MUCH MORE OFTEN THAN SHOULD BE NECESSARY. FINALLY, I LET MY DEALER CONVINCE ME TO PAY THE $700 TO HAVE IT FIXED (I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS) A YEAR AGO. THE COOLANT LIGHT IS NOW COMING ON AGAIN, SO I'M JUST REFILLING IT FREQUENTLY. I'VE ONLY HAD THIS CAR 18 MONTHS. I'M IN LOVE WITH THE LOOK AND THE PICKUP, BUT IT IS COMPLETELY UNRELIABLE. WHEN CAN I GET IT DECLARED A LEMON? AT LEAST I STILL HAVE 10K MILES LEFT ON THE EXTENDED WARRANTY I PURCHASED WITH IT. IF I CAN'T EXTENDED IT AGAIN, I WILL SELL THIS UNRELIABLE CAR. *NM