NHTSA Complaint #10153928 — 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM

PONTIAC GRAM AM 2003, NOW HAS 75,000 MILES. LOW COOLANT LIGHT TURNED ON. CONTACTED DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD TO ADD MANUFACTURER BRAND COOLANT. A WEEK LATER LOW COOLANT CAME BACK ON AND ADDED MORE COOLANT. TOOK INTO SHOP FOR REPAIR AND WAS TOLD THAT COOLANT WAS LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE MANIFOLD AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. COST OF THE REPAIR $1,250.00. THEY TOLD ME THAT SEAL GASKET WAS WORN OUT AND CAUSED THE LEAK IN TO THE ENGINE AND IT HAPPENS WHEN CAR REACH A HIGHER MILEAGE. I BELIEVE THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTED FROM THE YEAR 2000 MODELS. THIS SAME PROBLEM CAUSED MY OTHER CAR PONTIAC GRAND AM 2000 TO DIE OUT AT 80,000 MILES AND ONLY THAT TIME THE WARNING WAS ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON BEFORE THE CAR DIED AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN. I DON'T SEE THIS TYPE OF A PROBLEM WITH OTHER CAR MANUFACTURER EVEN IF THE CAR REACH MILEAGE 60,000 - 80,000 MILES. *JB