1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM Electrical System Problems

THE THEFT WARNING SYSTEM KEEPS THE IGNITION SWITCH FROM ENGAGING. THE CAR WILL NOT START UNLESS THE KEY IS IN THE "ON" POSITION FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES AND RESETS THE SYSTEM. *TR

THE IGNITION ON THIS COLLEGE STUDENTS 97 PONTIAC GRAND AM RANDOMLY DEFAULTS. IT WILL GET STUCK IN ON OR OFF POSITION. CAR SOMETIMES CONTINUES RUNNING. KEYES WILL LOCK IN THE IGNITION AND CAN NOT BE REMOVED. LIGHTS REMAIN ON WHILE KEYS ARE STUCK IN IGNITION. IGNITION GETS WARM. *JS

COOLING SYSTEM IS FAILING ALL THE TIME ON ALL PONTIACS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM INTAKE MANIFOLD BLOW 5 TIMES AT 50.00 MILES OIL MIXES WITH THE COOLANT AND ALL THE SMOKE FROM THAT GOES IN THE AIR IT IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND THAN THE CARS ARE JUNK SO THAN EVERYBODY WHO BUYS PONTIAC THEY ARE BUYING A LEMON CARS EVEN IF IT BRAND NEW FROM THE SHOP. *TR

I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH MY 1997 GRAND AM GT SINCE PURCHASING IT. I HAVE REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH THREE TIMES IN ONE YEAR, THE SERVICE COSTS ARE $900.00 IN TOTAL. I CAN'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE SAME THING KEEPS BREAKING EVERY 3 MONTHS. MY WINDOWS GET STUCK AND DON'T WANT TO ROLL UP, IT HAS POWER WINDOWS. I WAS REAR ENDED IN 2003, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, NO DAMAGE DONE TO MY CAR. WHAT CAN I DO? JUST KEEP REPLACING IGNITION SWITCHES EVERY 3 MONTHS? I HAVE GOTTEN WRITTEN UP AT WORK FOR MY CAR NOT STARTING. I DO NOT HAVE TRIPLE A. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM. WHILE DRIVING 30-35 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND ON THREE DIFFERENT TIMES. THE WINDOWS WOULD NOT ROLL UP AND DOWN PROPERLY UNLESS CONTROLLED BY THE DRIVER'S SIDE CONTROL SWTICH. THE FOG LIGHTS DO NOT WORK AS WELL AND THE FUSES ARE CHARRED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 128,728.

PURCHASED CAR NEW AT END OF 97 MODEL YEAR. WITHIN FIRST SIX MONTHS RETURNED CAR SIX TIMES DUE TO DEFECTIVE SWAY BAR BUSHINGS. PROBLEM HAS NEVER BEEN CORRECTED. CAR CLUNKS AS IT IS EITHER TURNED TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT OR TRAVELS (SLOWLY) OVER SPEED BUMPS. ALSO HAVE EXPERIENCED PAINT PEELING FROM OUTSIDE MIRRORS, RADIO VOLUME CONTROL PROBLEMS, RADIO/CLOCK DISPLAY WORKS ONLY PART OF THE TIME, RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT MOUNTING BROKE AND SLID PASSENGER INTO DASHBOARD, 2 DOOR SPORT COUPE-BOTH POWER WINDOWS MOTORS HAVE BROKEN AND BEEN REPLACED. THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW JUST BROKE FOR THE SECOND TIME IN TWO YEARS. PASSENGER WINDOW HAS ALSO STARTED TO ACT SLUGGISH. DISCOVERED LEAKY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. ANOTHER EXPENSIVE REPAIR. RAIN LEAKS INTO CAR AROUND WINDOW GASKETS WHICH ALSO MAKE A HISSING SOUND AT SPEEDS OVER 45 MPH. CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN WITH CARE FOR NINE YEARS(ODOMETER=80,000 MILES) AND HAS HAD OIL...

SEPT. 2005 MY 1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM WOULDN'T START. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS COMPLETELY LOCKED. COULDN'T GET THE KEY INTO THE SWITCH,TRIED TO SHAKE STEERING WHEEL AND TRIED BANGING ON THE SWITCH AND TRIED FORCING THE KEY IN, BUT NOTHING WORKED. HAD TO TAKE COVER OFF UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL AND PUSH A BOTTOM THAT I FOUND AND IT UNLOCKED, THEN IT STARTED. EVEN THE DASH LIGHT STOPPED WORKING. BEEN DRIVING WITH NO DASH LIGHT FOR A WHILE. IT STARTED DOING IT AGAIN, BUT HIS TIME THE BUTTON UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL WOULDN'T WORK. HAD TO PUT A TOGGLE SWITCH IN, TO EVEN START. I TURNED THE KEY ON PUSHED THE TOGGLE SWITCH AND IT STARTED. THAT LASTED TILL 6-7-06. THAT DAY I TURNED ON THE SWITCH AND IT SOUNDED LIKE THE STARTER WAS HUNG. NOW MY POWER WINDOWS WONT WORK, THE POWER DOOR LOCKS STILL WORK. FOUND RECALL ONLINE,...

WHEN A TURN WAS MADE, THE STEERING WHEEL PRODUCED A LOUD RUBBING NOISE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK THERE WERE HIGH IDLE PROBLEMS. THE INTERIOR LIGHTS AND THE POWER LOCKS WERE REPLACED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON AND THE VEHICLE HAD STARTED TO RUN ROUGH, THE ALTERNATOR LIGHT HAD COME ON AND THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED. THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT AND WAS REPLACED, THE LOWER FRONT CONTROL ARM WAS REPLACED, THE BLOWER MOTOR WAS REPLACED, THE COMPRESSOR WAS REPLACED, WHEN STARTING THE ENGINE COLD, THERE WAS A KNOCKING SOUND ON THE RIGHT SIDE UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS WARM ,THEN THE NOISE WOULD GO AWAY, SURGING WOULD ALSO OCCUR AND WOULD WORSEN WHEN THE ENGINE WAS WARMED, THE VOLUME ON THE RADIO WAS ERRATIC(HAD GONE UP WHEN TRYING TO TURN DOWN), THE SENSOR THROTTLE POSITION SHORTED AND WAS INTERMITTENT, THE VALVE AIR CONTROL WAS REPLACED, AND THE...

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE RECALL ITEM HAS BEEN INSTALLED BUT STILL EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH KEY, THE KEY CONTINUALLY STUCK OFF AND ON AS THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN, RECALL CAMPAIGN # 02V070000. ALSO, THE ALTERNATOR WENT OUT TWICE WHILE DRIVING AND ONCE IN THE YARD, THE BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. *YD

VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO DEALER 17 TIMES FOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. HORN WOULD STOP WORKING, ETS AND ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON. RADIO WAS VERY HOT TO TOUCH. DEALER HAS REPLACED RADIO 6 TIMES, AND MOTOR OF DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER POWER WINDOWS 6 TIMES. CONSUMER FELT ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE.*AK

ELECTRICAL DEFECT KEEPS SHORTENING OUT ALTERNATOR / POWER MIRROR MOTORS AND HEADLIGHTS. CONSUMER HAS REPLACED 5 ALTERNATORS WITHIN 5 YEARS AND 9 MONTHS. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. *AK

DEFECT WITHIN WINDSHIELD WIPER IS CAUSING THE WINDSHIELD WIPER TO ACT IN AN ERRATIC MANNER, AND AT TIMES BECOMING INOPERATIVE. DEALER HAS REPLACED WIPER SWITCH AND MOTOR TWICE AND COMPUTER CHIP WITHIN BOARD, BUT DEFECT IS STILL OCCURRING. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. *AK LEFT REAR WINDOW MOTOR FAILED, 1150 MILES LATER THE WINDOW SWITCH FAILED. RADIO AND CLOCK LIGHT FAIL, DEALER CHECKED WIRING AND FUSES. LEFT FRONT SHOULDER BELT/RETRACTOR BELT BUTTON DAMAGED, DEALER REPLACED SEATBELT. *SLC