2003 Pontiac Grand Am Engine Problems

Engine has lost power from 150hp @ 3K RPM and 200ft·lb @ 4K RPM. It is now 50hp @ ½K RPM & 75ft·lb @ 2K revolutions per minute. Gear Shift Button has seperated from globe. Radio needs to be replaced or reset daily. Rear window defroster has seperated from window, and won’t retain position. Tire Pressure Monitoring System hasn’t worked to no avail. Turn signals are showing discrepancies when activated from switch.

NHTSA ID

11556788

Incident

Apr 3, 2023

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND THE ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE DEALER WAS NOT CALLED. THE VEHICE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANI, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 148,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DEALER. THE FAILURE WOULD COST BETWEEN $600 AND $700 TO REPAIR. *JS

NHTSA ID

11163307

Incident

Dec 4, 2018

Mileage

148,000 mi

CAR OVERHEATED CUZ OF A BLOWN HEAD GASKET FAILURE I HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE ENGINE

NHTSA ID

11084544

Incident

Jul 15, 2017

Mileage

120,000 mi

BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND THEN BLOWN MOTOR

NHTSA ID

11015044

Incident

Jul 15, 2016

VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOSES POWER ,ENGINE SHUTS OFF) WHILE DRIVING! STARTS RIGHT BACK UP , BUT CONSIDERABLE DANGER AS IT STOPS WITH NO WARNING OF ANY KIND, HAVE BEEN VERY CLOSE TO BEING HIT BY VEHICLE BEHIND ME NOT KNOWING THAT I HAD NO POWER TO DO ANYTHING, AFTER CAR COMES TO STOP, HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RESTART.. MOSTLY HAPPENS WHEN SLOWING DOWN, OR TAKING FOOT OFF OF ACCELERATOR. GOING DIFFERENT SPEEDS, HAPPENED 6 TIMES JUST TAKING IT TO SHOP VEHICLE HAS 134300MI , HAPPENED AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10945865

Incident

Jan 17, 2017

VEHICLE HAS BEEN "REPAIRED" AS PER NHTSA RECALL #14V400000 WITHIN THE LAST TWO (2) MONTHS. ON WEDNESDAY APRIL 29, 2015, AT APPROXIMATELY 7:30 PM CDST, WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE IS SHUT OFF AGAIN JUST AS IT DID PRIOR TO THE RECALL "REPAIR". KEYS ON KEY CHAIN ARE MINIMAL (6). VEHICLE RESTARTED WITH NO FURTHER ISSUE OR INDICATION THAT THERE WAS A ISSUE WITH THE ENGINE (NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, ETC.). *TR

NHTSA ID

10713751

Incident

Apr 29, 2015

THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10711867

Incident

Mar 26, 2015

Mileage

136,000 mi

MY IGNITION CYLINDER SWITCH IS MAKING MY CAR TO STALL AND SHUT OFF WHILE I AM DRIVING AND I HAD IT REPLACE ON 4/8/15 AND WAS DRIVING AND IT NOT FIX, MY CAR HAS CUT OFF ON ME WHILE DRIVER 3 TIME SINCE I GOT IT FROM THE DEALERSHIP I AM NOT DRIVING IT AND WHAT THE DEALERSHIP TO SEND A TOW TO PICK THE CAR UP. I AM NOT SAFE IN THE CAR AND SPENT $377.00 FOR LABOR AND THE PART FOR IT NOT TO FUNCTION CORRECTLY. I HAD MY KEY REPLACED ON A RECALL AND WHEN I GOT THAT SERVICE MY IGNITION LOCKED AND THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN THE CAR ON. *TR

NHTSA ID

10705146

Incident

Apr 9, 2015

Mileage

242,796 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED AND THE STEERING AND BRAKES SEIZED. AS A RESULT, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A POLE. NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID

10653434

Incident

Oct 29, 2014

04/08 I READ AN ARTICLE IN THE DETROIT FREE PRESS ABOUT GM SETTLING A CALIFORNIA CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR $29 MILLION RELATED TO THEIR LONG LIFE DEX COOLANT LISTING POSSIBLY 1.3 MILLION GM VEHICLES WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR CROSS CONTAMINATION OF OIL & COOLANT DUE TO THEIR DEX COOLANT DISSOLVING THE SILICONE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET.OWNING BOTH THIS 03 AND A 99 GRAND AM GT ON THE LIST I CONTACTED PONTIAC CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE TO ASK WHY NO NOTICE WAS GIVEN BUT THEY SIMPLY PLAYED DUMB AND DELAYED AND DEFLECTED MY CONCERNS FOR MONTHS. THEY INSISTED I TAKE MY CARS TO MY LOCAL DEALER AND PAY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS! I RESPONDED I HAVE 29 MILLION REASONS WHY I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO.FINALLY AFTER BEING STONEWALLED FOR MONTHS I TOOK A DAY OFF WORK 11/08 AND TOOK MY 99 TO SOMERSET PONTIAC IN TROY,MI AND AFTER 1ST BEING DENIED ANY FREE INSPECTION THE SERVICE MGR. HAD A MECHANIC COME TO THE WRITE UP AREA,POP THE HOOD,UNSCREW THE OIL CAP REVEALING A BROWN FROTH HE SAID"YEAP YOU HAVE THAT PROBLEM" BUT REFUSED ANY SERVICE UNLESS GM STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE AS THEY HAD PUT UNDISCLOSED SELF IMPOSED LIMITS ON CLAIMS SUCH AS LESS THAN 10 YEARS,70,000 MILES AND A 10/19/08 FILING DEADLINE.THE 03 MET ALL RESTRICTION EXCEPT THE DEADLINE BUT MY ESCALATION TO THE DISTRICT SERVICE MGR.PAID NO DIVIDENDS.WHEN GM WENT INTO BANKRUPTCY I FIGURED NO SENSE KICKING A DEAD HORSE AND PAID TO HAVE THE GASKET REPLACED ON THE 99 AT A COST JUST OVER $800 & HOPED ANNUAL NON DEX COOLANT REPLACEMENTS & REGULAR OIL CHANGES MIGHT AVOID THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE 03 BUT AN OIL CHANGE AT MATTHEW HARGRAEVES CHEVY ON 2/12 DISCOVERED OIL IN THE COOLANT.FURTHER ONLINE SETTLEMENT RESEARCH REVEALED THAT THE BANKRUPTCY COURT FORCED GM TO EXTEND THE CLAIM DEADLINE TO 9/30/09 MAKING MY CLAIM ON THE 03 COMPLETELY VALID.BUT AGAIN MY EFFORTS THRU THE DEALERSHIP,GM CUSTOMER SERVICE & UP TO THE MANAGER OF STRATEGY& REPUTATION FELL ON DEAF EARS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10633819

Incident

Apr 10, 2008

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STATED UPON TAKING THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR ANOTHER SERVICE, THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING FUEL. THE CONTACT HAD NOTICED THAT THE "CHECK ENGINE" WARNING LIGHT WAS CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS THEN DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WHEN VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHUDDER. THE CONTACT THEN COASTED OVER TO AN EMERGENCY LANE AND THE ENGINE STALLED. THE ENGINE DID NOT RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN BACK TO A MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER :07E021000(FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 155,825.

NHTSA ID

10630937

Incident

Apr 1, 2013

Mileage

155,825 mi

I HAD 2 KIDS IN THE CAR,THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK,CAR KEPT SPEEDING UP.. I WAS USING BOTH FEET ON BRAKE & ER BRAKE AS WELL!! I WAS SWERVING IN & OUT OF TRAFFIC,RUNNING RED LIGHTS & PRAYING FOR OUR LIVES,WE GOT UP TO 85 MILES PER HOUR IN A 35MPH ZONE!! THE CAR WAS REVVING OUT OF CONTROL & BLACK SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD! I MANAGED TO SLAM IT INTO PARK & WE ALL JUMPED OUT & RAN,VERY FRIGHTENING & ALMOST ENDED IN A COLLISION. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET CRACKED AT 1YR OLD AND 10,000 MILES,THE TIRES NEEDED RESEALING AT 5000 MILES. RIDICULOUS!! *TR

NHTSA ID

10596041

Incident

Jul 16, 2010

Mileage

20,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING ON EXPRESSWAY OR STREET THE CAR STALLS WITHOUT ANY WARNING . THE CAR UNEXPECTEDLY DIED CUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING. MUST TRY TO MERGE OFF AND OUT OF TRAFFIC IMMEDIATELY. HAPPENS ON SMOOTH AND ROUGH ROADS. UNSAFE. DRIVING A 2003 GRAND AM WITH SAME PROBLEMS AS THE RECALLED VEHICLES. PLEASE ADVISE, SUPPORT AND SERVICE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10572508

Incident

Jan 10, 2014

Mileage

163,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 79,000. *TR

NHTSA ID

10567852

Incident

May 8, 2013

Mileage

70,000 mi

BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED. 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM 3.4L V6. CONSTANT TICKING FROM HAZARD LIGHT SWITCH. GROUNDING PROBLEMS. LOOKED FOR RECALLS AT GM DEALERSHIP. NO RECALLS ON THE PROBLEM. NO CHOICE BUT TO REMOVE HAZARD LIGHT FUSE UNTIL REPAIR. SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED BY GM. GONNA COST US $500! THE TRANSMISSION COOLING LINES ROTTED AWAY CAUSING COOLANT SPRAYING EVERYWHERE CAUSING WHITE SMOKE AND OVERHEATING OF THE ENGINE. SPRAYING THE SERPENTINE BELT AND WATER PUMP. WITH VISUAL INSPECTION AND TOUCHING CONFIRMED SPOT. 3/4 OF RESERVOIR IS LEAKED OUT CAUSING RUST ON SUB FRAME. ALSO FRONT ROCKER PANEL BAD. FRONT PASSENGER PANEL ROTTED OUT. BAD OXIDIZING ON THE MANIFOLD COVER AND EXHAUST MANIFOLD COVER. SHAME ON GM FOR NOT COVERING ALL GAS ON THE HAZARD LIGHT MALFUNCTION AND MULTI SWITCH ISSUES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10552581

Incident

Nov 1, 2013

Mileage

236,000 mi

COOLANT LEAKED INTO ENGINE CAUSED PROBLEMS, WOULDN'T START HALF THE TIME, COULDN'T FILL UP WITHOUT GAS PUMP CUTTING OFF CONSTANTLY (TOOK 20 MINUTES TO FILL UP). TOOK CAR TO DEALER AND OTHER SHOPS SPENT TONS OF MONEY PROBLEM NOT SOLVED. GOT SO FEED UP WITH THIS CAR I PULLED THE TAGS AND BOUGHT A HONDA. IT IS REALLY UNFAIR HOW THE MANUFACTURER OF THIS CAR WAS ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH PUTTING OUT SUCH AN INFERIOR PRODUCT. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR RECALL ON ANY NUMBER OF THESE PROBLEMS. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF ANY RECALLS OR THE CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10500953

Incident

Mar 1, 2009

Mileage

50,000 mi

HI, MY GRANDAM OVERHEATED WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I NOTICED THAT THE COOLANT COMPARTMENT WAS EMPTY. I DID NOT RECEIVE A LOW COOLANT WARNING FROM THE CAR SYSTEM. I HAD TOPPED OFF MY COOLANT COMPARTMENT ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO. WHEN I LOOK AT THE ENGINE BLOCK, I CAN SEE THAT THERE IS A TRAIL OF COOLANT COMING OUT THE ENGINE GASKET. I DID SOME GOOGLING AND NOTICED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE GRANDAMS AND THAT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST GM A COUPLE YEARS AGO. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE AS I WORRY IF THE ENGINE WILL CATCH FIRE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10490674

Incident

Jan 1, 2013

Mileage

99,500 mi

VEHICLE CONSTANTLY OVERHEATS COOLING FAN DOES NOT COME ON. FLUID LEVEL NEEDS REPLENISHED CONSTANTLY. ENGINE PRESSURE BUILD UP FROM THE OVERHEATING. STILL CANNOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM AND VERY COSTLY TO REPAIR IN THE SHOP. PLEASE DO SOMETHING WITH THESE CARS HAVE RESEARCHED LOTS OF THE SAME ISSUES ON THE INTERNET. ESTIMATED COST TO REPAIR 967.00. WHICH SOME PEOPLE CANNOT AFFORD. THIS IS A MANUFACTURE ISSUE AS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD SEEM DEFECTIVE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10447115

Incident

Apr 21, 2010

WAS ON THE FREEWAY WHEN CAR STARTED OVER HEATING AND JUST SHUT OFF. I HAD TO ROLL ONTO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY WAS ALMOST HIT BY TWO DIFFERNT CARS. HAD IT TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT IT FROM THEY FIXED THE HEAD GASKETS, BUT CAR IS STILL OVERHEATING. *TT

NHTSA ID

10417173

Incident

May 15, 2011

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT INITIALLY START UP. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS, THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE STARTED AND TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING FOR MORE THAN 30 MINUTES WITH THE HEAT OR AIR CONDITIONER ON, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY STALL AND SHUT DOWN. SHE LET IT SIT FOR 30 MINUTES AND IT WOULD RESTART, BUT THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE A FUEL PUMP WAS INSTALLED BUT THE FAILURE OCCURRED AGAIN AFTER THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 113,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 07/01/11

NHTSA ID

10393877

Incident

Feb 12, 2010

2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM GT STARTED NOT STARTING 8 MONTHS AGO, NOT A REGULAR THING ON/OFF, BEEN TOWED NUMEROUS TIMES HAS COST ALOT OF MONEY IN FEES, HAD NEW IGNITION, NEW KEY. OLD PART IS AVAILABLE. TRIED TURNING KEY ON WAITING 10 MINUTES DOESN'T CHANGE ANYTHING. CAR WILL START WHEN IT FEELS LIKE IT, SOMETIMES LEAVING MY YOUNG DAUGHTER AT WORK LATE AT NIGHT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10324860

Incident

Aug 7, 2009

Mileage

98,000 mi

I HAVE A 2003 GRAND AM GT, SEEN OTHERS HAD INTAKE MANIFOLD ISSUES TOO, HEARD THERE WAS A RECALL ON 2002 BUT NOT 2003, LOOKING IF THERE IS A RECALL ON IT, IF SO HOW DO I GO ABOUT FIXING IT, BECAUSE I ALREADY PAID $600 TO GET IT FIXED BECAUSE I HAD TO, THE GRAND AM IS OUR MAIN CAR TO TRANSPORT BOTH CHILDREN PLACES. ALSO, THE ACCELERATOR ISSUES...I HAVE YET TO GET A EMAIL, OR LETTER OR ANYTHING FOR THAT MATTER ABOUT ANY OF THE RECALLS ON THIS VEH...DO THEY PICK AND CHOOSE WHO THEY SEND THEM TO OR WHAT? *TR

NHTSA ID

10282470

Incident

Aug 29, 2009

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION, BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS FOR THE IDENTICAL FAILURE, BUT THERE WERE NO RESOLUTIONS. THE FAILURES OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE OWNER'S MANUAL SPECIFIED A DEFECT WITH THE PASS LOCK AND ANTI-THEFT DEVICE SYSTEM, WHICH COULD RESULT IN UNEXPECTED STALLING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, BUT THE DRIVER STATED THAT THIS WAS A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 28,300.

NHTSA ID

10277943

Incident

May 5, 2009

Mileage

27,000 mi

I HAVE A 2003 PONTIAC GRAN AM GT RAM AIR FOUR DOOR SEDAN. SEVERAL WEEKS WE EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WHERE THE CAR WOULD SUDDENLY ACCELERATE WITHOUT THE GAS PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED, THE CAR WOULD CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE UNTIL THE GAS PEDAL WAS QUICKLY DEPRESSED OR I HIT THE BRAKES. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY REPAIR SHOP AND THEY REPLACED A CABLE. THE PROBLEM ENDED THAN A FEW WEEKS LATER REAPPEARED. I TOOK THE CAR TO A PONTIAC DEALER (ADAMS/ANNAPOLIS) AND THEY CLEANED OUT SOME CONNECTIONS, BUT THE PROBLEM RETURNED SHORTLY AFTER THIS. I RETURNED THE CAR TO ADAMS AND THEY REPLACE THE COMPUTER. THIS APPEARED TO END THE PROBLEM BUT I EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM ONCE YESTERDAY BUT IT HAS NOT REOCCURRED SINCE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10275642

Incident

May 1, 2009

Mileage

55,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF, IT WOULD FAIL TO RESTART IMMEDIATELY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 84,000. UPDATED 08/14/09. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS WITHIN THE SECURITY SYSTEM. THE TURN SIGNALS WOULD CLICK WHILE DRIVING. UPDATED 08/14/09.*JB

NHTSA ID

10275314

Incident

Jun 30, 2009

Mileage

84,000 mi