Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Pontiac Grand Am submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 65 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 65, in the owner's own words
THE HAZARD SWITCH MAKES A NOISE LIKE THE HAZARD LIGHTS ARE FLASHING WHEN THEY AREN'T EVEN ON. TO GET MY BLINKERS TO WORK I HAVE TO PUSH THE HAZARD BUTTON ON AND OFF SEVERAL TIMES.
WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE A RECALL FOR THIS INCIDENTS. I HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALER SINCE 2000 AND CONTINUE WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. THE DASH IS DEFECTED HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE BECAUSE IT LIFTS UP AND CAN'T SEE THE ROAD VERY WELL. IN PUERTO RICO THE DEALER ROYAL MOTORS DOES NOT SELL PONTIAC ANY MORE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE HAZARD SWITCH AND THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE 205,000. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE CONTACT ACTIVATED THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH AND NOTICED THE TURN SIGNAL LIGHTING FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM. UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE SHE HEARD A CLICKING NOISE COMING NEAR THE HAZARD LIGHT SWITCH. THE CLICKING NOISE SHE HEARD WAS VERY SIMILAR TO THE NOISE YOU CAN HEAR WHEN YOU ACTIVATE THE TURN SIGNALS. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE EXAMINED FOR THE CAUSE OF FAILURE AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT HER VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V327000, EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS:SWITCH. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 114,000.
I HAVE A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM AND EVERYTIME I REPLACE THE BRAKE LIGHT BULBS THEY MELT. *CN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE FOG LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED REGARDLESS IF THE FOG LIGHT SWITCH WAS TURNED ON OR OFF. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
THE TURN SIGNAL FLASHER MODULE ON MY DAUGHTERS 1999 GRAND AM GT (54,000 MILES) CONTINUES CLICKING AFTER THE SIGNAL HAS SHUT OFF. AT TIMES THE UNIT HAS CONTINUED TO MAKE THIS NOISE FOR UP TO 15 MINUTES CONSTANTLY. THIS IS EXTREMELY DISTRACTING FOR A TEEN DRIVER. I HAVE LOCATED THE NHTSA ACTION # RQ04005 ON THIS ISSUE. PONTIAC HAD PREVIOUSLY CONDUCTED A RECALL OF 2000 MY GRAND AMS FOR THIS ISSUE. THE NHTSA SUMMARY INDICATES PONTIAC AGREED TO REPLACE THE TURN SIGNAL HAZARD FLASHER FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES. THIS VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN SERVICE 5-12-99 (LESS THAN 9 YEARS AGO). I CONTACTED PONTIAC AND WAS ADVISED THERE WAS A SPECIAL POLICY ON THIS ISSUE #04098 THAT COVERED THE DIAGNOSIS AND REPLACEMENT OF DEFECTIVE PARTS FOR VEH'S WITH IN VIN# RANGE XM893151 - XM 945549. I WAS ADVISED THAT DUE TO MY VEHICLE VIN I WAS NOT COVERED. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER. HOWEVER I HAVE OBTAINED A GM VIS FOR THE VEHICLE WHICH CLEARLY SHOWS SEVERAL EARLIER PROBLEMS WITH THE FLASHER. I DID ADVISE THE PONTIAC REP OF THIS INFO WITH NO RESPONSE. I FEEL THAT IT IS CLEAR THAT MY PROBLEM IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE ISSUES IDENTIFIED BY NHTSA IN ACTION #RQ04005. PLEASE HELP. *TR
99 PONTIAC GRAND AM HAZARD FLASHER DEFECTIVE.*CN
I HAVE BEEN READING THE REPORTS ABOUT THE BLINKERS SWITCH AND HOW IT KEEPS CLICKING EVEN WHEN IT ISN'T BEING USED. I HAD THIS PROBLEM. FIRST IT WAS ONLY ONCE IN A WHILE THEN IT GOT TO BE MORE OFTEN. THE SOUND WOULD CLICK ONE OR TWICE AFTER I TURNED OFF THE BLINKER THEN IT WAS TO THE POINT IT WOULDN'T STOP. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WASN'T PART OF ANY RECALL THAT WAS OUT, BUT TO BRING IT IN. THE MAN THAT LOOKED AT IT SAID THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE MY SWITCH WAS GOING BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO SAVE UP THE MONEY TO GET THE PART. AFTER ABOUT TWO WEEKS I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND SMELLED SMOKE. I LOOKED DOWN AND MY STEERING WHEEL COLUMN WAS SMOKING. NOT REALLY BAD BUT I WAS FREAKING OUT. I ONLY LIVED A BLOCK AWAY SO I JUST WENT HOME. WHEN I GOT HOME I TOLD MY HUSBAND AND HE WENT OUT AND PULLED THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN OFF. HE WAS LOOKING AT IT AND SAW THAT THERE WERE 4 POINT TYPE THINGS THAT WERE STICKING TOGETHER. THESE WENT TO THE BLINKER THEY ACTIVATE IT WHEN YOU FLIP THE SWITCH. THE SMOKE WAS FROM THESE TOUCHING. HE FILED THEM DOWN AND PUT MY STEERING COLUMN BACK TOGETHER AND I HAVEN'T HAD THE CLICKING PROBLEM SINCE. SO IT WASN'T MY BLINKER SWITCH AFTER ALL. SOME OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS SIMILAR TO THIS MAY WANT TO CHECK IT OUT. IT MAY JUST SAVE YOU TIME AND MONEY. GOOD LUCK. *JB
THE TURN LIGHTS ON OUR PONTIAC GRAND AM SE V6 HAVE BEEN GOING IN AND OUT AT RANDOM. I ASKED MY FATHER ABOUT THIS AND HE SAID TO TRY PUSHING THE HAZARD LIGHT BUTTON. HE GOT A RECALL NOTICE FOR HIS 2000 PONTIAC GRAND AM LAST YEAR BUT HAS NOT EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM, SO I WANT TO KNOW IF THE SAME RECALLED 2000 PART NUMBER HAZARD SWITCH AND WIRING OF THE TURN LIGHT THROUGH IT ARE THE SAME AS MY 1999 ,THE TWO CARS ARE VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL IN EVERY WAY. IF THEY ARE THE SAME PART AND PROCEDURE OF PROBLEM THEN I GUESS MY COMPLAINT IS WITH THE NHTSA WHO DID NOT INCLUDE THIS PART IN THE 2000 RECALL NOTICE. PLEASE DO DILIGENCE, THIS IS MY FAMILY'S CAR. *TR
CLICKING NOISES AROUND STEERING WHEEL, WAS TOLD BY DEALER IT IS THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH, THE HAZARD SWITCH HAS A SPECIAL POLICY BUT NOT THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WHICH IS DIFFERENT ACCORDING TO GM. *TR
THE TURN SIGNALS HAVE NOT WORKED FOR QUITE SOME TIME, THE HAZARD LIGHTS EITHER. CONTACTED PONTIAC TO SEE IF SPECIAL POLICY # 04098 APPLIED, DUE TO VIN # WAS TOLD THAT IT DID NOT. I WAS REFERRED TO GM DEALERSHIP FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE. *JB
I HAVE A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM GT. WHENEVER THE TURN SIGNAL IS ON IT RELAYS TO THE HAZARD SWITCH AND A CLICKING SOUND IS HEARD TO NOTIFY THE DRIVER THAT THE SIGNAL IS ON. WELL LAST YEAR THERE WAS TIMES WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL WOULD ALL OF A SUDDEN STOP. I WOULD HAVE TO MESS WITH THE HAZARD SWITCH A FEW TIMES AND THEN THE BLINKERS WOULD WORK AGAIN. THIS WAS OCCASIONAL FOR ABOUT A YEAR THEN LAST MONTH THE CLICKING WOULD SOMETIMES NOT STOP EVEN WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL IS NOT ON. ALSO IT WOULD ERRATICALLY CLICK VERY FAST AGAIN WITH THE TURN SIGNAL NOT ON. I CHECKED OUT INFO ON THE WEBSITE AND APPARENTLY A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. HERE IS THE FORUM OF SEVERAL POSTINGS OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS HTTP://WWW.AUTOWEB.COM/CONTENT/RESEARCH/FORUMS/INDEX.CFM/ACTION/POSTS/FID/2831 I NOTICED THERE IS A RECALL FOR SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THIS ON A 2000 BUT WHEN I CALLED PONTIAC THEY SAID IT CAN NOT BE FOR A 1999. WHY, IF SO MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH AND ITS CONNECTION TO THE CLICKING IN THE HAZARD SWITCH, DOES PONTIAC NOT RECALL THIS ITEM? *JB
I OWN A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM AND HAVE NOTICED THAT THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT BULBS CREATE ENOUGH HEAT AT THE CONTACT POINT TO MELT THE PLASTIC HOUSING OF THE BULB BASE OVER APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS. THE RESULTANT MELTED PLASTIC EVENTUALLY BRAKES THE CONTACT AND COATS THE METAL AT THE BULB BASE WITH PLASTIC MAKING THE BULB USELESS AND NONFUNCTIONAL. *JB
TL* - THE CONTACT HAS A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT HAS FOUND THAT THE 2000 PONTIAC GRAND AM HAS A SAFETY RECALL 03V327000 FOR EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS:SWITCH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER TURN SIGNAL WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL WAS TURNED OFF IT CONTINUE TO CLICK AS THOUGH IT IS STILL ON. THE CONTACT'S MECHANIC REPLACED THE HAZARD SWITCH AND THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH. THE CONTACT ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH REPLACED. THE REPAIR WORK PERFORMED BETWEEN 03/01/06 - 03/24/2006. THE CONTACT WOULD LIKE TO HAVE HER REIMBURSED REPAIRED UNDER THE SAFETY RECALL 03V327000. *JB UPDATED 02/22/07. *JB
I HAVE CLICKING PROBLEM WITH MY 99 GRAND AM. IT HAS RECENTLY BECAME WORSE. THE NOISE IS COMING FROM THE DASH BOARD UNDER THE HAZARD BUTTON. IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY AND THIS SWITCH IS FAULTY AND CLICKING EVERY TIME I START THE CAR. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS ONLY WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN ACTIVATED, THE SIGNALS WORKED FOR A FEW SECONDS, THEN FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS THE ENGINE OVERHEATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE ENGINE'S HIGH PERFORMANCE ADDITIVE CAUSED CORROSION TO THE ALUMINUM CYLINDER HEAD. THE CYLINDER HEAD WAS REPLACED WHICH CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 3/28/2006 - THE WATER PUMP FAILED. THE BATTERY AND BRAKES FAILED. THE COOLANT LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE ANTIFREEZE HAD CONGEALED AND NEEDED TO BE FLUSHED AND REPLACED. THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW REGULATOR BROKE. *NM
1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM - ISSUE BEGAN AFTER WE SET THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS AND THEN PRESSED BUTTON TO RELEASE IN JAN 2006. TO DATE THE AUDIBLE CLICKING OF THE FLASHER INTERMITTENTLY ENGAGES. AUDIBLE CLICKING DURING TURN SIGNAL USE APPEARS NORMAL BUT ONCE THE SIGNAL CANCELS, THE CLICKING WILL CONTINUE ERRATICALLY. *JB
WHERE TO START, .BOUGHT 1999 GRAND AM GT IN AUGUST OF 2002 AND ITHAS BEEN DOWNHILL EVER SINCE. REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR TWICE, HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET PROBLEM, WHICH WAS REPLACED, BUT STILL LED TO THE DEMISE OF MY ENGINE, CAUSING CAMSHAFT TO SNAP IN HALF. THOUGHT THE TROUBLE WAS OVER WITH THE REBUILT ENGINE THAT WAS PUT IN, BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. THE WINDOW REGULATOR BROKE IN THE MIDDLE OF A SNOWSTORM ,CAUSING ME TO DRIVE WITH NO DRIVERSIDE WINDOW. WITH THE NEW REGULATOR I ASSUMED THAT THE WINDOW WOULD STOP SQUEAKING, WHICH DID NOT. I ASSUMED THE SCRATCHES ON WINDOWS WERE JUST FROM ME-SAND OR SOME OTHER ABRASIVE MATERIAL IN THE WINDOW TRACKS--AFTER REVIEWING OTHER COMPLAINTS I DISCOVERED I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. HAVE EXPERIENCED VARIOUS ISSUES WITH THE NO TRAC/ABS LIGHTS, REPLACED THE WATERPUMP, DONE BRAKES 4 TIMES IN 4 YEARS, FRONT HEADLIGHTS ARE MILKY AND MAKE IT HARD TO SEE AT NIGHT. HAVE REPLACED THE STARTER 4 TIMES IN JUST THE PAST 2 YEARS. NEEDLESS TO SAY AFTER READING ALL COMPLAINTS I FEEL MUCH BETTER KNOWING THAT IT IS NOT JUST ME, OR MY CAR, BUT ALL PONTIACS. BOUGHT THE CAR FOR $10000, HAVE PUT OVER $5000 WORTH OF WORK INTO IT. WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER PONTIAC. *AK
TURN SIGNALS MALFUNCTION/INOPERABLE. 1ST REPLACEMENT (DEFECTIVE): MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH FAILED AT 31,825 MILES 2ND REPLACEMENT (DEFECTIVE): MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH FAILED AT 79,287 MILES ***PLEASE NOTE: GM'S SPECIAL POLICY #04098 WILL ONLY COVER REPLACEMENT OF THE HAZARD WARNING SWITCH. THE PART THAT HAS FAILED MULTIPLE TIMES IS THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH (PART #22676853). THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS AND GM IS NOT COVERING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH! THE FAILURE OF THE TURN SIGNALS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION! *JB
I HAVE A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM. IN NOVEMBER OF 2004 MY TURN SIGNAL STARTED TO MALFUNCTION. IT WOULD JUST NOT WORK FOR A PERIOD OF TIME THEN IT WORKED PART OF THE TIME. I STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM TO THIS DAY. NOW MORE THAN EVER IT HARDLY EVER WORKS. I AM NOW USING MY ARE WHENEVER I HAVE TO MAKE A TURN IN MY VEHICLE. I HAVE ASKED A MUNROE MECHANIC AS TO WHY IT WOULD MALFUNCTION AND HE STATED IT WAS PROBABLY AN ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION. I HAVE NOT HAD THE MONEY TO PAY FOR A MECHANIC TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE HE TOLD ME HE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE WHOLE ELECTRICAL PANEL. *NM
LOUD CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM CENTER CONSOLE SOUNDING LIKE TURN SIGNAL WHEN ON, BUT TURN SIGNAL IS NOT ON. TURN SIGNAL FUNCTIONS PROPERLY, BUT CONTINOUS CLICKING IS HEARD. TOLD BY MY DEALER THERE WAS GOING TO BE A RECALL IN 2004, HAZARD SWITCH WAS REPLACED AND PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. *NM
DT: HEADLIGHT UNIT, THE LENS IS NOT OF GOOD QUALITY AND AFTER A WHILE THE COVER TURNED MILKY AND MADE IT HARD TO SEE AT NIGHT. *NM *SB *NM
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .