2000 Pontiac Grand Am Powertrain (other) Problems

LAST MONTH MY CAR STARTED REVVING UP RANDOMLY WHILE IN PARK. ONCE I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE IT WOULD PULL FORWARD ON IT'S OWN SPEEDING UP TO 40 MPH IN THE WORST CASE. IT RAN SO ROUGH PULLING AND STOPPING THE ONLY THING I COULD DO WAS PUT IT IN PARK UNTIL THE RPMS CAME BACK DOWN TO A NORMAL RATE. FROM THAT POINT ON, EVERY TIME I STARTED THE CAR WHEN IT WASN'T WARMED UP THIS WOULD HAPPEN. IT USED TO ONLY TAKE ABOUT A MINUTE FOR THE RPMS TO SETTLE AND THE CAR TO RUN FINE. NOW IT TAKES ABOUT 5 MINUTES OF WARMING UP, SETTLING AND THEN DRIVES VERY POORLY IN FIRST AND SECOND GEAR. ONE MONTH LATER THE CAR HESITATES WHEN GIVEN GAS, BEGINS TO "RUMBLE" SLOWING DOWN, AND FEELS LIKE IT WILL STALL OUT AS THE CARS RPMS APPROACH 0. I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC AND THEY FOUND NO PROBLEM. THEY SAID THE RPMS WERE LOWER THAN NORMAL ON IDLE. I READ ONLINE THAT THERE COULD BE A VACUUM HOSE LEAK CAUSING AIR TO BE FORCED INTO THE ENGINE CAUSING THE ISSUE BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. TODAY WHILE TURNING IN AN INTERSECTION MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, PRESSING ON THE GAS NO LONGER MOVED THE CAR BUT MY RADIO, AIR CONDITIONING AND ENGINE... WAS STILL RUNNING. LUCKILY I DIDN'T HIT ANYONE (OR WAS HIT BY ANYONE). AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR I REGAINED CONTROL OVER THE STEERING AND GAS. DRIVING HOME AFTER THAT THE CAR WOULDN'T ACCELERATE PROPERLY AND HESITATED CONSTANTLY. IT WAS AS THOUGH I WAS DRIVING A MANUAL TRANSMISSION CAR AND SHIFTING GEARS POORLY... *TR

NHTSA ID

10605042

Incident

Jun 22, 2014

Mileage

95,500 mi

THE CAR LOSES IT'S POWER STEERING RANDOMLY WHEN MAKING ANY KIND OF TURN. THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS COME ON AND ONCE THE CAR IS TURNED OFF AND BACK ON, IT RESUMES WORKING NORMALLY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10473004

Incident

Nov 15, 2011

Mileage

150,000 mi

MY 2000 PONTIAC GRAND AM GT WITH ONLY 65000 MILES HAS RECENTLY DEVELOPED THE SECURITY LIGHT ON THE IP, AND HAS NOT STARTED ONCE (ONLY OWNER). I TAKE CARE OF MY VEHICLES AND HAVE NOT HAD AN ISSUE UNTIL NOW. THE LIGHT TURNS ON FREQUENTLY, AND IS UPSETTING TO NOT KNOW IF IT WILL START AND YOU'LL BE STRANDED FOR A WHILE. I JUST BOUGHT A NEW G-8 LAST SUMMER. I ALSO OWN A TAHOE. PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING AND HAVE A TSB SOFTWARE FIX FOR THE NUMEROUS PEOPLE THAT CONTINUE TO SUPPORT GM PRODUCTS. IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. *TR

NHTSA ID

10370625

Incident

Nov 20, 2010

Mileage

60,000 mi

FILE DATE 5/2/2000 MFR. INVOLVED GENERAL MOTORS CORP. NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 00V116000 MFR. CAMPAIGN # 00041 COMPONENT AFFECTED SUSPENSION:REAR # VEHICLES AFFECTED 23 DEFECT VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE BOLT THAT ATTACHES THE REAR SUSPENSION TRAILING ARM TO THE LEFT REAR KNUCKLE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TIGHTENED TO SPECIFICATIONS DURING ASSEMBLY. CONSEQUENCE THE BOLT COULD BACK COMPLETELY OUT OF THE JOINT AFFECTING VEHICLE CONTROL. CORRECTIVE ACTION DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THIS BOLT. ------------------------------ I HAVE TO REPLACE THE REAR WHEEL BEARING ON THE LEFT REAR. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER, THAT THIS DID NOT APPLY TO MY 2000 PONTIAC GRAND AM SE, . EACH BEARING IS $ 300- 400, BUT I HAVE NOT HAD TO REPLACE IN OTHER BEARINGS EXCEPT THE LEFT REAR. COULD THE ABOVE RECALL AFFECT THAT WHEEL BEARING, AND HOW MUCH OF A COINCIDENCE THAT IT JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE THE LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARING ON MY CAR, COULD THERE HAVE BEEN MORE OF A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH THE LEFT REAR SUSPENSION OF THIS VEHICLE? ALSO WHEN BREAKING AT HIGH SPEEDS THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON, THE NEW LEFT REAR BRAKE SHOE CRACKED IN HALF AS A RESULT OF THE LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARING HAVING ISSUES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10239410

Incident

Jun 20, 2008

I BOUGHT THIS CAR FOR MY TEENAGE SON THINKING IT WAS A SAFE AND RELIABLE VEHICLE, BUT THE CAR WILL SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING AND WILL NOT START SOMETIMES. AFTER A FEW MINUTES THE CAR WILL START. THE SECURITY LIGHT WILL ALSO COME ON SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING. FROM WHAT I AM READING THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAN BE DONE TO FIX IT WITHOUT WASTING MY MONEY ON THINGS NOT NEEDED, OR WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10223603

Incident

Feb 8, 2008

Mileage

86,500 mi

PROBLEMS WITH BRAKING SYSTEM ON 2000 PONTIAC GRAND AM. *MR THE BRAKES SQUEALED, THE FRONT END WOULD SHAKE, THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE WINDOWS WERE BROKEN, THE REGULATORS IN THE DOORS WERE BUSTED, THE VOLUME ON THE RADIO CONTROL WAS IMPROPER, THE STEERING HOSE BROKE, THE BRAKES AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED 12 TIMES, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE WHEN BRAKING, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED, THE VEHICLE BURNED EXCESSIVE OIL, THE PASSENGER SIDE STRUT WAS BAD, THE POWER STEERING LEAKED, THE ENGINE ACTED AS IF IT WAS GOING TO STALL, THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER WAS INOPERATIVE, AND THE REAR COMPARTMENT FILLED WITH WATER. *SC *JB

NHTSA ID

10087563

Incident

Aug 1, 2004

NHTSA RECALL 00-V-372-000; VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL TRANS AXLES (RPO M86) FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 114, "THEFT PROTECTION." WHEN A DRIVER ATTEMPTS TO SHIFT FROM 5TH GEAR TO REVERSE, A SHIFT INHIBITOR CAUSES THE TRANSMISSION TO BE MECHANICALLY IN 4TH GEAR EVEN THOUGH THE SHIFT LEVER INDICATES REVERSE GEAR. CONSUMER HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10024621

Incident

Jun 20, 2003

THE TRANSMISSION WAS COMPLETELY REBUILT TWICE IN 2001. THE FIRST TIME I DON'T KNOW THE DATE BUT THE 2ND TIME WAS 12/01. ON MAY 20,03 I TOOK IT TO SUNRISE PONTIAC IN MEMPHIS BECAUSE IT WAS LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID. EVEN THOU THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REBUILT TWICE THEY WOULDN'T HONOR THE WARRANTY AND CHARGED ME 350.00 TO FIX THE LEFT TRANSAXLE SEAL WHICH IS WHERE IT WAS LEAKING. NLM

NHTSA ID

10019007

Incident

May 15, 2003

ENGINE IS MISSING OR COUGHING WHILE STOPPED AT RED LIGHT,TRANSMISSION & TRANSAXLE IS SLIPPING,CAR KEEPS PULLING LEFT TO RIGHT & TIRES ARE WEARING DOWN ON LEFT SIDE DUE TO LEFT FRONT END HAS A MAJOR PROBLEM, BOTH FRONT ROTORS KEEPS WEARING DOWN,LEFT FRONT WHEEL AREA HAS A RUBBING & GRINDING NOISE THAT CAN NOT BE FOUND, ENGINE KEEPS OVER HEATING,BRAKES KEEPS PULLING & PULSATES WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED.

NHTSA ID

754634

Incident

Jun 27, 2000