Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2000 Pontiac Grand Am submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 49 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 49, in the owner's own words
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL EMITTED INTO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 136,000.
ELECTRICAL ISSUES BIG TIME: (SO FAR, THESE ARE THE ISSUES I HAVE FOUND) BLINKERS & HAZARDS RANDOMLY WORK, SMELL BURNING WIRES, IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEMS WHEN TRYING TO GET CAR TO START, GEAR SHIFT STICKS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TAKE IT OUT OF PARK TO REVERSE, SMELL FUEL & LOW COOLANT BUTTON COMES ON BUT CANNOT DETERMINE LEAKS. "I'M BEING TOLD BY GM'S CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT I HAVE TO GO TO A CERTIFIED GM REPAIR SHOP, PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR THE DIAGNOSE OF ISSUES WHICH ISN'T GOING TO BE CHEAP, AND THEN SUBMIT THE INFORMATION BACK TO GM WHO MAY OR MAY NOT FIX IT?!?!?! IF THEY DON'T, I'M STUCK WITH THE BILL!!! WHICH IS GOING TO COST ME THOUSANDS TO FIX, BECAUSE I CAN'T SELL IT WITH ALL THE ISSUES." "AS A SINGLE MOTHER OF TWO, I AM HIGHLY APPALLED BY THIS!! WITH ALL THESE RECALLS FROM GM, MAKES ME WONDERING WHAT ELSE WILL GO WRONG WITH THIS VEHICLE, I "PINCHED PENNIES" AND WE WENT WITHOUT NECESSARIES TO PURCHASE SAID VEHICLE FOR MY 17 YR OLD DAUGHTER. I PRAY FOR MY TWO DAUGHTER'S SAFETY AND THE PASSENGERS THAT MAY RIDE WITH HER EVERYDAY, I CAN ONLY HOPE GM WILL ADD HER "VIN" TO THE RECALL LIST AND FIX ALL PROBLEMS, SO I DON'T END UP AT ANYONE'S FUNERAL, AS A RESULT OF GM'S SEVERAL YEARS OF FAILURE TO PROVIDE CONSUMERS WITH THE BIG MISTAKES THEY MADE."
I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW (MY FIRST NEW CAR) IN AUGUST 2000. AFTER THE FIRST 15,000 MILES AND THE NEXT 15.000 MILES THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. AFTER EACH ADDITIONAL 15,000 +/- MILES I PAID FOR THIS SERVICE OUT OF POCKET. IN ADDITION, I STARTED PAYING FOR WHEEL BEARINGS AND REPLACED THEM TOO MANY TIMES TO COUNT. NEXT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WITH THE FAN ONLY WORKING ON SPEED 1 AND 5. MANY DEALER TRIPS TO HAVE ATTEMPTS TO BE FIXED. PROBLEMS GREW TO ADD ISSUES WITH FUEL PUMP. NEW FUEL PUMP ADDED AFTER BEING STRANDED FOR A FEW HOURS ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. NEWEST PROBLEM WHICH WE BECAME AWARE OF REAL EARLY ON WAS LOW COOLANT OR A SYSTEM WHICH CAN NOT KEEP COOLANT IN THE CAR. THE PROBLEM REVISITED US ON XMAS DAY AS WE WERE TRAVELING TO RELATIVES AND WERE STRANDED IN UPSTATE NY IN TYPICAL CLIMATIC TEMPERATURES OF LESS THAN 30 DEGREES F. HAVE TAKEN THE CAR MANY TIMES TO DEALERS AND LOCAL MECHANICS. PROBLEMS ARE STILL ADDING UP. INCLUDED EXHAUST ISSUES. CARBON MONOXIDE. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT FOR A FIRST TIME CAR OWNER. BUT I HAVE LEARNED ONE LESSON...WILL NEVER BUY GM AGAIN. NEVER SATISFIED WITH DEALER COSTS AND FIXES. AFTER LEARNING ABOUT ALL THE OTHER PROBLEMS ON THIS SITE THAT OTHERS HAVE HAD VERY SIMILAR. I AM GLAD THAT MY NEWEST CAR A HONDA SITS NEXT TO THE GRAND AM. I SEE THAT GM IS HURTING FINANCIALLY AND I THINK THIS SPEAKS LOUDLY FOR WHAT CONSUMERS ARE FEELING. I HAVE TAKEN CARE OF MY CAR AND SELECTED GM FOR MY FIRST CAR PURCHASE, UNFORTUNATELY GM HAS NOT TAKEN CARE OF ME. I HOPE GM SEES RESPONSES LIKE THIS TO HELP THE AMERICAN CAR COMPANIES UNDERSTAND THAT AMERICANS ARE NOT GOING TO PUT UP WITH THE IDEA THAT CHEAP CARS ARE MADE AND SOLD TO AMERICANS SO THAT THE COMPANY CAN SELL CARS CHEAPLY AND THAT THE CAR'S LIFE WILL END THE DAY AFTER THE LAST CAR PAYMENT THUS LEADING THE BUYER TO A NEW LOAN FOR A NEW CAR. THIS IS A WASTE! *JB
MY FUEL GAUGE HASN'T WORKED FOR YEARS. I HAVE RAN OUT OF GAS ON A FEW OCCASIONS BUT NOW KNOW TO USE MY TRIP METER, SO WHEN I HIT 200 MILES I NEED TO FILL UP SOON. I ALSO NOTICE IT JUST DOESN'T STICK AT A 1/4 OF A TANK IT SOMETIMES FLIPS BACK AND FORTH FROM FULL TO EMPTY TO FULL BACK TO EMPTY. IT JUST GOES BEZERK. IT IS THE SENSOR AND BY NOW I THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE A RECALL BUT I GUESS THAT PROBABLY WON'T HAPPEN. IT SHOULD FOR GM SAKE. PONTIAC WERE ALWAYS GOOD VEHICLES NOT ANYMORE WHEN THEY WON'T BACK UP WHAT THEY SELL.*JB
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT 65 MILES PER HOUR MY CAR SHUT COMPLETELY OFF ON ME. ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD WAS I ABLE TO COAST OVER 2 LANES TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AVOIDING HAVING ANOTHER CAR RUN STRAIGHT INTO THE BACK OF MY CAR. AFTER TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE MY FUEL PUMP MODULE. THEY STATED THAT THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING QUITE A BIT BUT THAT A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN DONE ON THIS PART YET. NOW, 2 YEARS LATER I AM STILL HAVING ISSUES WITH MY CAR NOW HAVING A GASOLINE SMELL EVERY WINTER BECAUSE GAS IS LEAKING FROM SOMEWHERE AND THEY CANNOT DETERMINE WHERE. *JB
PASSLOCK FAILURE. PASSLOCK SHUTS DOWN FUEL SUPPLY. IT IS SUPPOSE TO IF THE PASSLOCK/IGNITION REPORTS TO THE COMPUTER THAT THE IGNITION HAS BEEN TAMPERED WITH. HUNDREDS OF TIMES PASSLOCK COMES ON AND I CANNOT START MY CAR WITHOUT WAITING AND DOING THE 10 MINUTE PROCEDURE. HAPPENED WHILE I WAS AT A 7-11 ONE TIME, SOME UNSAVORY LOOKING CHARACTERS SAME OVER TO ME, I FLASHED MY PEPPER SPRAY AND CELL PHONE AND SAID I AM CALLING THE POLICE. LUCKILY THEY RAN OFF. ALSO COMES ON WHILE I AM DRIVING WHICH IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. CAR WOULD DIE COMPLETELY OR RUN OK IF NOT ON A HILL OR INCLINE. HAPPENED SO MANY TIMES THAT THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT 50,000 MILES. TWO PONTIAC DEALERS SUGGESTED NEW IGNITION TO BE INSTALLED TO "SEE" IF THAT WILL FIX IT. I WILL NOT PAY TO "SEE" IF THAT WILL FIX IT. AS I RESEARCH THE INTERNET OVER 17,000 PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND REPORTED IT TO VARIOUS SITES. THOSE ARE ONLY THE PEOPLE WHO THINK OF LOOKING ON THE INTERNET TO SEE IF IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM. I DID WRITE GM RECENTLY TO SEE IF THEY COULD DO SOMETHING. HAVE NOT HEARD BACK YET. CAN YOU HELP? AS I RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND CARS AND SUV'S THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS SINCE 1999. WHY HASN'T GM DISCONTINUED OR FIXED THAT PASSLOCK ISSUES IN ALL THOSE YEARS? MUST COST TO MUCH HAVE A RECALL. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE? HOPE NOT. THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOU TIME AND WORK THAT GOES TO HELPING KEEP PEOPLE SAFE. *JB
HAD THE CAR FOR ABOUT ONE YEAR. BOUGHT USED, NO HISTORY OF THE CAR. HAD TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP, FUEL FILTER LESS THEN A YEAR OF PURCHASE. HAVING THIS GAS SMELL WHEN THE AC IS ON. WITH THE PHOENIX WEATHER THERE IS NOT ONE DAY YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT AN AC. THE SMELL GETS SO BAD THAT YOUR CLOTHES AND HAIR SMELL WHEN YOU GET OUT OF THE CAR. I HAVE THREE KIDS ONE TODDLER THAT I HATE TO HAVE THEM GET SICK FROM IT. I BELIEVE IT IS HARMFUL TO THEM. *NM
THE FUEL GAUGE WAS MISREADING FUEL LEVEL. GAUGE WAS SHOWING GAS IN VEHICLE WHEN THERE WAS NONE. I RAN OUT OF GAS 3 OR 4 TIMES. I ENDED UP REPLACING THE FUEL TANK. THE DEALER EXPLAINED THE CAUSE TO ME AS THE DIRECT OR INDIRECT RESULT OF THE ULTIMATE FAILURE OF THE FUEL PUMP AND SYSTEM. I AM DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS AND ALL THE OTHER PROBLEMS I HAD WITH THIS VEHICLE. BECAUSE OF MY EXPERIENCE WITH GM I PROBABLY WOULD NOT PURCHASE OR RECOMMEND TO ANYONE ELSE TO PURCHASE A GM PRODUCT. NO ONE WANTED TO STAND BEHIND HIS PRODUCT. MAYBE IT DOESN'T MATTER, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ASK AND FOLLOW MY ADVICE. I GATHERED INFORMATION THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL FOLLOW. IT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE AS IT IS REMEMBERED AND REPEATED. *AK
1. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD A GAS SMELL SINCE PURCHASE IN 03. I HAD IT INTO DEALERSHIP WHOM SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. I FOUND OUT FROM INTERNET PAGES THIS IS A COMMON INTAKE SEAL PROBLEM THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED WHILE UNDER 2 YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY. SMELL OF GAS HAS MADE PERSONS SICK. 2. FAN CONTROL SWITCH FAILS AND ONLY WORKS ON #3 SETTING OR HIGHER. 3. TURN INDICATORS FAIL INTERMITTENTLY. 4. ELECTRONICS COMPUTER FAILS INTERMITTENTLY AND HAS TO BE RESET BY TURNING THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTING. (WAS THIS MADE BY MICROSOFT?). *NM
DT: THE CONTACT STATES INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE WILL NOT START. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR TWO YEARS. HE CAN JUMP START THE VEHICLE AND IT WILL START FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE FUSE AND RELAY FOR THE FUEL PUMP. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE BATTERY, BUT THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY ARE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THEY STATE THE FUEL PUMP MAY NOT BE GETTING ENOUGH POWER. THERE HAVE BEEN NO FURTHER REPAIRS MADE AT THIS TIME. *AK
MALFUNCTION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM ON MY 2000 GRAND AM.THE PROBLEM HAS HAPPEN 3 TIMES TO THE CAR.
(1)GAS GAUGE DOESN'T WORK, SHOWS STILL HAVE GAS AT 1/4 TO 1/2 TANK FULL AND IS NEAR EMPTY OR I RUN OUT. (2)RUN OUT OF GAS. HAD TO CALL SOME ONE TO BRING ME GAS. (IT WAS -10 DEGREES F) (3) NOTHING CAN'T AFFORD TO GET IT FIXED.
THE DRIVER SMELLED A GAS ODOR COMING IN FROM THE VENTS. CONSUMER NOTICED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED A BROWN LIQUID WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL RAIL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
HAD TO HAVE FUEL PUMP REPLACED, NOW GAS GAUGE IS FAULTY. (THE DEALER ASKED ME IF I HAD HAD PROBLEMS WITH IT I SAID NO BECAUSE I HADN'T THEY WERE SUPRISED THEY SAID THEY HAVE CHANGED ALOT BECAUSE THEY WERE FAULTY. A MONTH LATER MINE ACTED UP.)*AK
I BOUGHT A 2000 PONTIAC GRAND AM 3 YEARS AGO THE FUEL PUMP WENT OUT 2 YEARS AGO AND I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THIS CAR FIXED AT ALL IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 2 OR 3 TIMES AND THEY HAVE NOT FIXED IT SO MY QUESTION IS ,IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM IN THIS CARIT IS A 4 CYLENDER I WOULD ASK BUT I HAVE RAN INTO OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM *AK
I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE IN JUNE OF 2000. IN AUGUST OF THE SAME YEAR I WAS LEFT ON THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE BECAUSE MY GAS GAUGE READ 1/2 TANK AND WAS ACTUALLY EMPTY. I WAS TOWED INTO TOWN AND LUCKILY MY CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND REPAIRED AT NO CHARGE. I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE FUEL SENDER. SINCE THEN IT HAS HAPPENED FIVE MORE TIMES IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS. I'M ASTONISHED THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN INVESTIGATED MORE THOROUGHLY AND A RECALL ENGAGED. SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS.*AK
ON THE DATE BELOW, I DROVE TO WORK AND PARKED. MY GAS GAUGE READ JUST OVER 1/4 A TANK. WHEN IT WAS TIME TO GO HOME, I GOT IN MY CAR AND IT WOULDN'T START. I CALLED A FRIEND AND HE SAID IT COULD BE OUT OF GAS. LUCKILY, THERE WAS A GAS STATION CLOSE BY, SO I BOUGHT A GAS CONTAINER AND GAS. I PUT THE GAS IN MY CAR AND THE CAR STARTED UP FINE. THE GAS GAUGE STILL READ 1/4 A TANK. THIS HAS ALSO HAPPENED TO ME SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE AND IT GETS REALLY ANNOYING. I WILL BE DRIVING AND MY GAS TANK READS 1/8 TO 1/2 A TANK AND MY CAR WILL DIE ON ME. THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS ABOUT A MONTH AGO IN APRIL 2004. I HAD TO WALK 4 MILES ROUND TRIP TO GET GAS. I TAKE REAL GOOD CARE OF MY CAR AS MUCH AS I CAN BECAUSE I DIDN'T EXTEND MY WARRANTY DUE TO LACK OF MONEY. THIS HAPPENS RIGHT AT THE MOST INOPPORTUNE TIMES. I HAVE NOT TAKEN MY CAR IN TO HAVE THIS FIXED BECAUSE I KNOW IT WILL COST ME ABOUT $500 AND I JUST CANNOT AFFORD THAT. THERE'S A WEBSITE THAT I GO TO FIND OUT PROBLEMS WITH THE GRAND AM CAR (GRANDAMGT.COM). A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM WITH 1999+ MODELS. I'VE ACTUALLY HAD TO REPLACE SEVERAL COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PARTS ON MY CAR (SENSORS, RESISTORS, SWITCHES) DUE TO GM'S POOR ENGINEERING AND I CAN'T AFFORD THIS CURRENT PROBLEM. IT'S RIDICULOUS THAT OUT OF ALL THE CONSTANT PROBLEMS THAT GRAND AM OWNERS HAVE, GM CAN ONLY SEND OUT A RECALL ON A STUPID HAZARD LIGHT SWITCH RELAY. THAT'S MY 2 CENTS. *JB
MY 2000 MODEL PONTIAC GRAND AM WOULD CUT OFF ON ME GOING DOWN THE ROAD, SOMETIMES IN A STRAIGHT AWAY AND SOMETIMES IN A TURN, AND AT RED LIGHTS. WITH THE VEHICLE QUITTING LIKE THAT I HAVE NO POWER FOR STEERING AND BRAKES. I KNOW OF LOTS OF COMPLAINTS ON PONTIAC FUEL PROBLEMS IN THE PAST. I HAD TO REPLACE MY FUEL PUMP, WHICH WAS VERY EXPENSIVE,WHICH SHOULD NEVER COST THAT MUCH IN THE FIRST PLACE! I DO HAVE THE OLD PUMP IN MY POSSESSION.
FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM INDICATOR ALWAYS READ 1/4 TANK, EVEN WHEN THE GAS TANK WAS FULL. DEALER INDICATED THE NEED TO REPLACE THE FUEL SENSOR INSIDE THE GAS TANK AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE OF $1,000. *AK
THE FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM ON MY 2000 PONTIAC GRAND AM, HAS REPEATEDLY HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. AFTER INITIALLY PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, AFTER ABOUT A YEAR, I NOTICED THAT MY FUEL GAUGE WAS READING THAT IT HAD MORE FUEL THAN I KNEW IT SHOULD HAVE. I TOOK IT TO MY DEALER (THIS WAS PRIOR TO THE RECALL) AND INFORMED THEM OF THE ISSUE. THEY HAD NOT HEARD ANYTHING. THEY RESET MY COMPUTER SYSTEM, AND THIS SEEMED TO WORK FOR A WHILE. THEN I RECEIVED THE RECALL LETTER FOR THE ISSUE THAT I HAD TOLD MY DEALERSHIP ABOUT. THEY REPLACED THE SENSOR, AND EVERY THING SEEMED TO BE FINE. THEN ABOUT A YEAR AFTER THAT, THE SAME THING STARTED TO HAPPEN. THEY ASKED IF I HAD RUN OUT OF GAS, I SAID NO, BECAUSE I HAD PAID ATTENTION TO THE GAUGE AND KNEW IT WAS NOT REGISTERING CORRECTLY. THEY REPLACED THE SENSOR AGAIN; THIS WAS ABOUT MAY OF 2003. NOW THE SAME THING IS STARTING TO HAPPEN AGAIN. MY HUSBAND CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND HE WAS TOLD THEY ARE NO LONGER RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A CONTINUING PROBLEM, BUT THEY WILL CHECK INTO IT. I FEEL THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTED A LONG TIME AGO. THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SENSOR SEEMS TO BE A BANDAGE, NOT A CURE.
ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, VEHICLE STOPPED RUNNING WITH TWO/THREE MARKS OF GAS ON THE GAS GAUGE. *PH CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL ON VEHICLE AND WENT TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER SAID THAT THERE MIGHT BE ANOTHER DEFECT ON THE FUEL PUMP. *LA
VEHICLE DID NOT START. A MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP STOPPED WORKING. *AK
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE STALLED. THIS CAUSED THE DRIVER TO DRIFT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT FUEL GAUGE FAILED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THIS CAUSED LOSS OF BRAKING AND STEERING POWER. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, ALTHOUGH THE FUEL MODULE WAS REPLACED TWICE. *AK
I TOOK MY CAR IN BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T CRANK. AFTER THREE WEEKS, THE MECHANIC SAID IT WAS BECAUSE IT DIDN'T HAVE ANY GAS IN IT!! THE GAS GAUGE SAID IT HAD 3/4 TANK. HE REPLACED A SENSOR FOR THE FUEL TANK AND SAID THAT WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT. FOUR DAYS LATER, IT'S DOING IT AGAIN!!! I'VE SEEN WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME TYPE. WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL TO FIX THIS? THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE IT WOULD LEAVE PEOPLE STRANDED WITHOUT ANY WARNING! *JB
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
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