NHTSA Complaint #10218950 — 2001 PONTIAC GRAND AM

A FEW YEARS BACK, I HAD A PROBLEM IN WHICH MY RPMS WOULD RISE INSANELY WHEN I WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT, AND EVEN WHEN I PUT MY CAR IN PARK. IT WAS AS IF I WAS "FLOORING IT". I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THEY SAID IT WAS A HEAD GASKET PROBLEM. LUCKILY, IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, AS I ONLY HAD ABOUT 45,000 MILES ON IT. I TOOK IT HOME AFTER IT WAS "FIXED", AND IT CONTINUED TO DO THE SAME THING. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER, AND THEY SAID THAT THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM AND THAT IT WILL BE OK. I TOOK IT BACK HOME AND IT HAS PRETTY MUCH NEVER STOPPED. IT TENDS TO DO IT MORE IN THE SUMMER AS OPPOSED TO THE WINTER. RECENTLY, THE CAR WAS LEAKING COOLANT. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER. I WAS ONCE AGAIN TOLD THAT IT WAS THE HEAD GASKET. MY CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, SO I HAD TO PAY $1600 TO GET IT FIXED. 2 HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS WITHIN A MATTER OF 2 YEARS? THAT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN. AFTER GETTING THAT FIXED, I TAKE IT HOME. IT RUNS FINE FOR ABOUT 2 DAYS, AND THEN STARTS PULLING SOME CRAZY STUFF. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON, ALTHOUGH THERE WEREN'T ANY NOTICEABLE ISSUES. THE LIGHT WENT OFF 2 DAYS LATER. AFTER THAT, I STARTED EXPERIENCING OTHER PROBLEMS. MY CAR HAS A SERIOUS LACK OF POWER WHEN GOING UP A HILL. IF I STEP ON THE GAS A LITTLE MORE, THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT WILL FLASH. IT DOESN'T STAY ON, IT JUST FLASHES FOR ABOUT A MINUTE. WHENEVER I COME TO A STOP, MY CAR TENDS TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE. I'M AFRAID TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER TO SEE WHAT'S WRONG, BECAUSE I'M AFRAID I'LL HAVE TO PAY EVEN MORE MONEY FOR SOMETHING THAT WASN'T WRONG PRIOR TO TAKING IT THE 1ST TIME. *TR