Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 Pontiac Grand Am submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 15 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
FUEL SYSTEM RECALL , STRONG GAS SMELL INSIDE CAR EXTERIOR LIGHTING RECALL, HARD TO SEE WHILE DRIVING CAR AT NIGHT ELETRICAL SYTEM IGNITION RECALL POWER CUTS ON AND OFF
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2004 PONTIAC GRAND AM. WHILE THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING AND ATTEMPTING TO TURN, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER AND CAUSED THE DRIVER TO CRASH INTO A SNOWPLOW. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED. THE DRIVER DID NOT RECEIVE ANY INJURIES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V400000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.
KEEP HAVING TO CHANGE IGNITION SWITCH AND TRANSMISSION WENT OUT.
DRIVING MY 2004 PONTIAC GRAND AM HOME FORM GROCERY SHOPPING AND TRIED TO GET INTO LEFT HAND TURN ONLY LANE, BUT CAR WOULDN`T SLOW DOWN AND I DIDN`T WANT TO REAR END THE PERSON AHEAD AS THERE WAS A LOT OF TRAFFIC THAT DAY SO I VEERED TO THE RIGHT TO GET INTO A PARKING LOT TO PULL MY EMERGENCY BRAKES, BUT WAS BROAD SIDED. I HAVE OVER $2,300.00 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO MY CAR AND MY MECHANIC SAID IT IS THE IGNITION SWITCH ON THE 2004 PONTIAC GRAND AM, AND THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A FULL REPLACEMENT OF THAT WHEN THE RECALL WAS DONE REGARDING THE IGNITION. ALL THAT WAS DONE FOR ME WAS A PLASTIC INSERT WAS ADHERED TO MY IGNITION KEY. GM NEEDS TO RECALL THESE CARS AND REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCHES. THEY ALSO OWE ME A LOT IN REPAIRS DONE TO MY CAR. *TR
THE VEHICLE WENT SIDEWAYS AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO CORRECT IT AND WERE T-BONED IN THE DRIVERS DOOR. AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH IS WAS STATED AS ROAD CONDITIONS, BUT WITH THIS RECALL AND THE FACT THAT A LOT OF STUFF USED TO HANG FROM THE KEY CHAIN, WE ARE NOW WONDERING IF THE CAR SHUT OFF AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO CORRECT THE SITUATION. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC GRAND AM. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SMOKE. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES FAILED TO WORK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.
ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED TO TURN, WHICH LOCKED UP THE STEERING COLUMN, MANY TIMES THE KEY WOULD NOT RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH, THEREFORE IT WOULD NOT TURN OFF. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC GRAND AM . THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH SUDDENLY THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME STIFF AND VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THE VEHICLE COASTED ALONG 3 LANES, IT FINALLY CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP WHEN IT CRASHED INTO A CONCRETE WALL. THE CONTACT INJURED HIS SHOULDER AND NECK. THE CONTACT WAS TAKEN TO A NEAR BY HOSPITAL TO BE TREATED FOR HIS INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE SUSPENSION WAS FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
IGNITION KEY CAUSED ENGINE TO TURN OFF WHILE CAR WAS IN MOTION. POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WERE DISABLED. I STILL OWN THE VEHICLE AND THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING EVER SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR. NO CRASH HAS EVER OCCURED BECAUSE THERE IS STILL SOME MINIMAL FUNCTIONALITY TO THE BRAKES AND STEERING WHEN THE KEY SHUTS OFF. HOWEVER, MY WIFE HAS DRIVEN MY CAR AND LUCKILY HASN'T HAD THIS EXPERIENCE. I'M AFRAID THAT SHE WOULD LACK THE BODY STRENGTH NECESSARY TO HANDLE THE STEERING AND BRAKES. AT TIMES, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL AND RESTART WITH THE CAR STILL IN MOTION, BUT IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER AND COME TO A STOP WHILE TRYING TO RESTART AT THE SAME TIME. PLEASE ADVISE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS MAKING A CLICKING SOUND WHEN ATTEMPTING A TURN. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT WHEN THE CLICKING SOUND WAS CONSTANT, SMOKE WAS EMITTED FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 95,000.
2004 GM PONTIAC GRAND AM WITH POWER STEERING ISSUES THAT HAVE OCCURRED AFTER 30,000 MILES. WHEN THE POWERING STEERING FAILS IT'S EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER WHEN TRAVELING UNDER 15 MPH. AT THAT TIME, IT'S HAZARDOUS TO MYSELF AND OTHER VEHICLES AS IT'S CHALLENGING TO AVOID A COLLISION DUE TO STEERING FAILURE UNLESS THE VEHICLE IS ACCELERATED ABOVE 15 MPH. I PREVIOUSLY STRUCK A VEHICLE WHILE PARKING DUE TO THE POWER STEERING FAILURE, HOWEVER A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED DUE TO THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE WAS NOT SIGNIFICANT. GM HAS RECALLED SIMILAR COMPACT CARS WITH THE SAME ISSUE/ ROAD HAZARD AS MY GM MODEL. *TR
OVER THE PREVIOUS SEVERAL MONTHS I NOTICED A NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING DURING TURNING THE VEHICLE IN PARK LOTS AND AT SPEEDS SLOWER THAN ABOUT 30 MPH. TOOK TO GM DEALER WITH 31,655 MILES ON VEHICLE. DEALER DISCOVERED THAT THE POWER STEERING GEARS HAD FAILED AND THEY REPLACED THE POWER STEERING. *TR
DT: WHILE DRIVING IN RAINY WEATHER IT SOUNDED FROM THE RIGHT FRONT CORNER OF THE CAR UNDER THE HOOD LIKE SOMETHING WAS GRINDING OR ABRASION. IT SOUNDED LIKE TWO BEARINGS RUBBING AGAINST EACH OTHER. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER, AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO HEAR IT. THE DEALER TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE, LIFTED IT UP ONTO THE LIFT AND WAS NOT ABLE TO HEAR ANY NOISE.*AK UPDATED 8/14/2006 - THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WARPED. THE BRAKE CALIPERS WARPED SHORTLY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. BOTH FRONT ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO WARPAGE. THE CONSUMER HEARD NOISE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT END. THE DEALER REPLACED THE UPPER STRUT MOUNT, BEARING PLATE AND ALIGNED THE FRONT END. THE VEHICLE WOULD LOSE POWER WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE. THE MASTER CYLINDER LEAKED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. POWER STEERING PUMP LEAKED AND WAS REPLACED. THE TRAMSMISSION WAS SLIPPING. *NM
RENTER CAR I SECURED IN APRIL 2004 HAD STEERING PROBLEMS WHICH RESULTED IN A CRASH. *BF *SC
DURING LOW SPEED MANUEVERS, TURNING INTO A PARCKING SPACE,PARRALLEL PARKING, WHEN TURNING AT IDLE SPEED STEERING TIGHTENS UP LIKE IT IS MANUAL STEERING. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP THEY ORDERED A NEW POWERSTEERING PUMP. CAR CURRENTLY HAS 10,000 MILES BUT HAS BEEN DOING THIS SINCE NEW.. JUST A LITTLE INFO INCASE ANYONE ELSE HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM.*AK
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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