NHTSA Complaint #10633819 — 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM

04/08 I READ AN ARTICLE IN THE DETROIT FREE PRESS ABOUT GM SETTLING A CALIFORNIA CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR $29 MILLION RELATED TO THEIR LONG LIFE DEX COOLANT LISTING POSSIBLY 1.3 MILLION GM VEHICLES WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR CROSS CONTAMINATION OF OIL & COOLANT DUE TO THEIR DEX COOLANT DISSOLVING THE SILICONE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET.OWNING BOTH THIS 03 AND A 99 GRAND AM GT ON THE LIST I CONTACTED PONTIAC CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE TO ASK WHY NO NOTICE WAS GIVEN BUT THEY SIMPLY PLAYED DUMB AND DELAYED AND DEFLECTED MY CONCERNS FOR MONTHS. THEY INSISTED I TAKE MY CARS TO MY LOCAL DEALER AND PAY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS! I RESPONDED I HAVE 29 MILLION REASONS WHY I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO.FINALLY AFTER BEING STONEWALLED FOR MONTHS I TOOK A DAY OFF WORK 11/08 AND TOOK MY 99 TO SOMERSET PONTIAC IN TROY,MI AND AFTER 1ST BEING DENIED ANY FREE INSPECTION THE SERVICE MGR. HAD A MECHANIC COME TO THE WRITE UP AREA,POP THE HOOD,UNSCREW THE OIL CAP REVEALING A BROWN FROTH HE SAID"YEAP YOU HAVE THAT PROBLEM" BUT REFUSED ANY SERVICE UNLESS GM STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE AS THEY HAD PUT UNDISCLOSED SELF IMPOSED LIMITS ON CLAIMS SUCH AS LESS THAN 10 YEARS,70,000 MILES AND A 10/19/08 FILING DEADLINE.THE 03 MET ALL RESTRICTION EXCEPT THE DEADLINE BUT MY ESCALATION TO THE DISTRICT SERVICE MGR.PAID NO DIVIDENDS.WHEN GM WENT INTO BANKRUPTCY I FIGURED NO SENSE KICKING A DEAD HORSE AND PAID TO HAVE THE GASKET REPLACED ON THE 99 AT A COST JUST OVER $800 & HOPED ANNUAL NON DEX COOLANT REPLACEMENTS & REGULAR OIL CHANGES MIGHT AVOID THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE 03 BUT AN OIL CHANGE AT MATTHEW HARGRAEVES CHEVY ON 2/12 DISCOVERED OIL IN THE COOLANT.FURTHER ONLINE SETTLEMENT RESEARCH REVEALED THAT THE BANKRUPTCY COURT FORCED GM TO EXTEND THE CLAIM DEADLINE TO 9/30/09 MAKING MY CLAIM ON THE 03 COMPLETELY VALID.BUT AGAIN MY EFFORTS THRU THE DEALERSHIP,GM CUSTOMER SERVICE & UP TO THE MANAGER OF STRATEGY& REPUTATION FELL ON DEAF EARS. *TR