1998 Pontiac Grand Am Suspension Problems

GENERAL MOTORS NEED TO RECALL THEIR VEHICLES TO DIAGNOSIS THIS MAJOR ISSUE. MY CASE NUMBER WITH GM 1382341310 HOWEVER, THEY WONT ASSIST ME AND SAID THEY ARE CLOSING MY CASE. I INFORMED THEM NOT TO I AM NOT DONE WITH THIS ISSUE WITH THEM... THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM OR DEFECT WITH MY GENERAL MOTORS PONTIAC GRAND AM SE 3.1L V6 ENGINE IN THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD, 3 INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILURES IN LESS THAN 40,000 MILES, THE FIRST OCCURRING AT APPROX 24,000 MILES THE SECOND AT APPROX 27,000 MILES AND NOW AGAIN AT 40,000 MILES BUT I HAVE SUSPECTED THE ANTI-FREEZE I HAVE BEEN SMELLING IN THE CAB WHEN I TURN THE HEATER BLOWER ON, IS SOMEHOW CONNECTED TO THIS LEAK. WHICH MEANS ITS BEEN LEAKING FOR SOME TIME JUST NOT BAD ENOUGH TO DRIP ONTO THE GROUND BRINGING MY ATTENTION TO IT. I AM ONLY ONE OF THOUSANDS OF VICTIMS THAT GENERAL MOTORS HAS RAPED FINANCIAL OVER THE YEARS. THE REPEATED FAILURES OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET STARTED LONG AGO AND DUE TO THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS TO THE BBB AND GM YOU WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH TO ALARM GENERAL MOTORS THAT THEY ARE HAVING A MAJOR ISSUE, AND THEY SHOULD OF BEGAN A RECALL OF THEIR VEHICLES LONG AGO. IN THE YEAR 2002 THEY COULDN'T SUPPLY ENOUGH INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS TO KEEP UP WITH THE GM VEHICLES THAT NEEDED REPAIR EITHER UNDER WARRANTY OR OUT OF WARRANTY. I HAVE HAD OTHER MAJOR NON-RELATED REPAIRS TO MY VEHICLE AS WELL, 19,693 MILES THE SWAY BAR BUSHINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED, ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED, HEATER CORE REPLACED, THE RACK AND PINION STEERING ROD REPLACED. NOW MY CAR AND MANY THOUSANDS OF OTHER GM OWNERS VEHICLES ARE OUT OF WARRANTY AND GM WON'T STAND BEHIND THEIR OWN VEHICLES, EVEN THOUGH WORK WAS DONE REPEATEDLY UNDER WARRANTY ON MY VEHICLE. I AM CURRENTLY 3 YEARS OUT OF WARRANTY BUT ONLY 12,900 APPROX MILES SINCE THEY DID THE LAST REPAIR ON MY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS. I BELIEVE A CLASS ACTION SUIT IS THE ONLY THING GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION WILL RESPOND TO. *JB

NHTSA ID

10146314

Incident

Dec 22, 2005

Mileage

40,300 mi

NOISE HEARD IN FRONT END GOING OVER BUMPS. FAILURE= LOWER CONTROL ARM REAR BUSHINGS SEPARATING FROM CONTROL ARM.LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES. CORRECTION+ REPLACEMENT OF LOWER CONTROL ARMS

NHTSA ID

10120165

Incident

May 6, 2005

Mileage

67,609 mi

I WAS INFORMED THAT THE PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE DIFFICULTY DRIVING MY GRAND AM AND THE LOUND CLUNKING NOISE AND THE INTENSE "SHIMMY" WAS BECAUSE MY RIGHT LOWER CONTROL ARM HAD SNAPPED AND MY LEFT LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS CRACKED ABOUT TO SEPARATE AS WELL. I DO KNOW A LITTLE ABOUT CARS AND THIS DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A NORMAL MAINTENANCE PROBLEM. THIS IS COSTING ME WELL OVER 600.00 TO REPAIR.

NHTSA ID

10098598

Incident

Nov 10, 2004

I HAVE HAD LOWER CONTROL ARM FAILURES ON BOTH SIDES OF MY 1998 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE REAR BUSHING PULLS APART CAUSING A SEVERE SHIMMY WHEN BRAKING AT HIGH SPEEDS AND CLANKING WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS. IT IS EITHER A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THE DEALER HAS REFUSED TO PAY COSTS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10093122

Incident

Sep 23, 2004

Mileage

65,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH ON A WET ROAD SURFACE VEHICLE SWERVED. CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AN DIT WAS WAS FORCED OFF THE ROAD INTO A WOODED AREA, WHERE VEHICLE SPINNED SEVERAL TIMES AND HIT SEVERAL SMALL TREES. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE RIGHT TIE ROD WORE OUT AND THE LEFT TIE ROD WAS GETTING WORN OUT. CONSUMER STATED, THAT FRONT WHEEL BEARING WAS REPAIRED UNDER A RECALL ON MAY 5, 2004 AT A DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ID

10092725

Incident

Jul 28, 2004

Mileage

142,572 mi

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING STEERING WHEEL VEERED LEFT TO RIGHT. *AK

NHTSA ID

10030176

Incident

Jul 25, 2003

CONTROL ARM BUSHING SEPARATED. SOUNDED FROM DEALER LIKE THEY HAD DELT WITH THIS PROBLEM IN OTHER VEHICLES, BUT SINCE IN WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, THEY MADE ME PAY. SEEMS LIKE A SAFETY ISSUE.*AK

NHTSA ID

766830

Incident

May 1, 2001

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WOULD START TO SHAKE WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP & MECHANIC INDICATED THAT BRAKES WERE WARPED & NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER HAVING ROTORS REPLACED, PROBLEM HAS REAPPEARED AGAIN.*AK

NHTSA ID

875630

CONTROL ARM BUSHING KEPT PULLING OUT OF BRACKET. PROBLEM REOCCURRING EVERY FIVE MONTHS. ALSO, SWAY BAR EXCESSIVE WEAR, CAUSED BOUNCE/LOSS OF CONTROLAND WANDERING. VEHICLE BEEN IN DEALER SHOP ON FIVE S,AND PROBLEM STILL RECCURRING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

867809

Incident

Mar 15, 1999

PURCHASED VEHICLE 6/98. THREE DAYS AFTER PURCHASE CAR IGNITION SWITCH FAILED. VEHICLE TOWED 3 TIMES FOR SAME PROBLEM. FOUND WIRES IN HARNESS BAD CAUSING PROBLEM. BRAKE PROBLEMS SINCE OWNING WHEEL CYLINDERS LEAKING BRAKE SHOES SOAKED WITH OIL. ROTORS MACHINED @ 10,462. EXCESSIVE BRAKE DUST. BRAKE PADS WORN AT 10,465 MILES. REAR SHOES OUT OF ADJUSTMENT @ 10,465. 13,985 MILES ABS LIGHT FAILED. WHILE LIGHTS AND AC OR HEAT ON WHEN APPLYING BRAKES INTERIOR AND HEADLIGHTS DIM. CAN'T FIND PROBLEM! WHEN HEATER IS ON SMELL OF ANTIFREEZE. CAN'T FIND PROBLEM. FRONT SUSPENSION NOISE. STABILIZER BUSHINGS BAD CAN'T FIND PROBLEM. NO BRAKE PEDAL AT TIMES. WHEN ROAD SURFACE IS WET AND BRAKES APPLIED CAR WILL NOT STOP.

NHTSA ID

716931

Incident

Dec 15, 1998

HAVE TURNED VEHICLE IN AND REPORTED THIS INSTANCE TWICE, AND BOTH TIMES THEY SAY THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. YET VEHICLE LOSSES SOME TRACTION AND BOUNCES CONSTANTLY.

NHTSA ID

715203

Incident

Oct 1, 1999

I HAVE HAD MY ROTORS REPLACED THREE TIMES NOW. EVEN THOUGH MY MILAGE IS RATHER HIGH FOR THE TIME OWNED, MOST OF MY DRIVING IS FREEWAY DRIVING. I HAVE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE BREAKS FAILING, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE WEATHER IS DAMP OR WET. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE ANTILOCK BREAKS KICK IN WHEN I WAS DOING NORMAL BREAKING. THIS CAUSED ME TO ALMOST HAVE AN ACCIDENT, BECAUSE IT INCREASED MY STOPPING DISTANCE. I WAS GOING ONLY APPROXIMATELY 5-25MPH IN EACH OF THE SEVERAL INCIDENTS. WHEN THE BREAKS FAILED IT FEELS LIKE SOMEOPNE PUT VASELINE ON THE ROTORS. I STEP ON THE BREAK PEDAL, AND GET NO RESPONSE. I USUALLY HAVE TO PUMP THE BREAKS IN ORDER FOR THEM TO WORK. THIS PARTICULAR CAR ALSO HAD A BEDSPRING, CREAKING, CRACKING NOISE THAT SEEMS TO APPEAR WHEN I GO OVER BUMPS AND WHEN THE BODY FLEXES. NUMEROUS PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME WHAT THE NOISE IS, BUT MY DEALER CAN'T SEEM TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY DID PUT SOME TAPE AROUND SOMETHING AT ONE POINT THAT HELPED SOME, BUT THE NOISE IS VERY DISTRACTING AND CONTINUES. THE DEALER ACTUALLY TOLD ME THAT I SHOULDN'T BRING THAT CAR BACK TO THEM FOR THAT PROBLEM. ON MY LAST TRIP TO THE DEALER, THEY DID SEEM TO FIX THE PROBLEM TEMPORARILY, BUT WHEN I WAS ON THE ON RAMP TO THE FREEWAY, SOMETHING "CRACKED" AGAIN, AND THE NOISES ARE HEARD DAILY NOW. I ALSO HAD ONE OF MY FROMT TIRES FAIL. THE SIDEWALL BUBBLED OUT. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOTHING FOR ME. I WAS MORE OR LESS TOLD THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PROVE THAT THERE WAS A DEFECT IN THE TIRE. I STILL HAD ALMOST ALL OF THE ORIGIANL TREAD. THE NOISES IN THE SUSPENSION/BODY ARE IRRITATING, AND THE CAR SOUNDS LIKE IT IS GOING TO FALL APART ON THE ROAD SOMEDAY, BUT MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THE BREAKS. I AM A VERY SAFE DRIVER, BUT FIND THE BREAKING SYSTEM THAT IS IN MY CAR VERY UNRELIABLE. I HONESTLY FEEL THAT I WOULD BE BETTER OFF WITHOUT THE ABS, AS I DON'T NEED THEM KICKING IN WHEN I AM DOING NORMAL SLOW STOPPING, SUCH AS PULLING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY OR JUST SLOW DOWN. VERY SCARY WHEN I DON'T STOP.

NHTSA ID

715188

Incident

Nov 11, 1998

NO SUMMARY

NHTSA ID

713314

Incident

Aug 10, 1999

TIRES GOING BALD FROM INSIDE TO OUTSIDE. VEHICLE OUT OF ALIGNMENT. FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT DUE TO CRACKS. DEALER WANTS OWNER PAY FOR ALIGNMENT & FRAME CHECK. WILLING TO PAY FOR 1/2 TIRES. (THEY CHECKED FRAME ONLY AND BOUGHT TWO TIRES, WILL NOT DO ALIGNMENT, WHICH CONSUMER FEELS IS NECESSARY). *MJS

NHTSA ID

845455

Incident

Jan 20, 1999