NHTSA Complaint #10173486 — 2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM

MY WIFE HAS A 2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM GT. ABOUT A MONTH AGO 10/2006, FOR THE FIRST TIME, HER CAR WOULD NOT START. IT HAD FULL BATTERY, ALL THE ACCESSORIES STARTED UP WITH THE KEY BEING FITTED INTO THE IGNITION AND TURNED TO THE ON POSITION. UPON HAVING IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND GETTING A SONG AND DANCE ABOUT THE BODY CONTROL UNIT ""POSSIBLY"" BEING DAMP ""COULD"" OF CAUSED THE MALFUNCTION, THEY REPLACED IT FOR ABOUT 300.00 DOLLARS. THIS MORNING (11/14/2006), MY WIFE WENT OUT TO HER CAR AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. IT WOULD NOT START. I NOW STARTED RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET TO SEE IF I COULD FIND A SOLUTION TO THIS MYSELF. I FOUND A PLETHORA OF INDIVIDUALS, ALL WITH 2002 GRAND AMS, ALL HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE. IT SEEMS THAT IN 2002 GRAND AMS A PROBLEM WITH THE SECURITY SYSTEM PREVENTS YOU FROM STARTING YOUR CAR. THE ONLY WORK AROUND IS TO SIT IN YOUR CAR FOR BETWEEN 10 TO 15 MINUTES WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND TURNED ON. AFTER SAID AMOUNT OF TIME THE SECURITY LIGHT SHOULD STOP BLINKING, AND YOU CAN THEN ""POSSIBLY"" START YOUR CAR. I DO UNDERSTAND THAT NHTSA IS ONLY CONCERNED ABOUT VEHICLE DEFECTS THAT POSE A THREAT WHILE OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE. BEING A POLICE OFFICER, I SEE THE POTENTIAL OF A THREAT BY HAVING A VEHICLE NOT START. I DO NOT WANT MY WIFE SITTING IN A DARK PARKING LOT FOR 10-15 MINUTES WHILE THE SECURITY SYSTEM HAS HER VEHICLE DISABLED. WHAT IF SHE SOUGHT REFUGE IN HER CAR TO TRY TO ESCAPE SOMEONE WHO WAS CHASING HER? WHAT ABOUT ALL THESE OTHER GRAND AM OWNERS? YOU CAN DO A GOOGLE OR YAHOO SEARCH FOR "2002 GRAND AM WILL NOT START". YOU WILL THEN SEE THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE AND MIGHT WANT TO TAKE THESE INCIDENTS INTO CONSIDERATION FOR A POSSIBLE RECALL. *NM