NHTSA Complaint #10240192 — 2001 PONTIAC GRAND AM

PROBLEM: INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILURE AND PASSLOCK SYSTEM MALFUNCTION DESCR: PURCHASED CAR IN 1/01, DOCUMENTED LEAK OF COOLANT IN NOV. '01. NOTHING COULD BE FOUND. IN 2003, AFTER I TOLD THEM WHERE THE LEAK WAS COMING FROM, THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM AND REPLACED THE GASKET. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR ME BECAUSE I WAS A DIVORCED MOTHER WITH A SMALL CHILD WHO DRIVES ALMOST 300 MILES EACH WEEK TO WORK AND BACK. AFTER SOME ARGUING THE DEALER COVERED THE COST, EXCEPT FOR A 200 DEDUCTIBLE. IN JANUARY 2007, THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN - THIS TIME COSTING ME $900.00. THE NEXT SAFETY ISSUE IS THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM ON THE CAR. THE LATEST STRANDING OCCURRED ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2008. I HAVE BEEN "STRANDED" THREE OR FOUR TIMES BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD CRANK BUT WOULD NOT TURN OVER. TWO OR THREE TIMES, THE CAR HAS HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. I BOUGHT THIS CAR, MY FIRST NEW CAR, BECAUSE I NEEDED SOMETHING RELIABLE. EVERYTIME THE CAR HAS BROKEN DOWN, I HAVE MISSED TIME FROM WORK, HAVE HAD TO PAY SEVERAL TIMES TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED (THANKFULLY INSURANCE HAS COVERED SOME OF THAT) AND HAD TO PAY FOR REPAIRS. *TR