1991 Pontiac Grand Prix Brakes Problems

I HAVE A 1991 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX W/ A 3.4L V-6 AND I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS W/ THE BRAKE SYSTEM SINCE 1999. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND THE BRAKES WOULD WORK ONE SECOND AND NOT THE NEXT ( WOULD GET REALLY STIFF AND FIRM, NO ASSIST), SO A COUPLE DAYS LATER IT JUST WENT STIFF FOR GOOD. I DECIDED TO CHECK THE CAR FOR THE BRAKE FUSES AND FOUND THE ABS PUMP FUSE HAD BURNT OUT. I REPLACED AND AS SOON AS I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE IT WENT SOFT FOR A SPLIT SECOND AND THEN STIFF AGAIN. HAD A FRIEND WATCH THE FUSE AND HE SAID AS SOON AS I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE IT BLEW THE FUSE. NO MATTER WHAT I DO I CAN NOT FIX THIS ISSUE AND THE DEALERSHIP IS TRYING TO CHARGE ME A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE BOOSTER THAT IS FAULTY. THIS IS SUCH A POPULAR ISSUE HER IN WASHINGTON THAT PEOPLE CONSTANTLY KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THESE CARS IN THE JUNK YARD SO THEY CAN HAVE FIRST CHANCE AT PULLING THE UNITS OUT TO FIX FAULTY ONES. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS NO MATTER HOW OLD THE CAR IS! I HAVE OVER $8,000 DOLLARS UNDER THE HOOD TO KEEP IT AND STILL CANT FIX THIS ISSUE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10045779

Incident

Apr 6, 1999

BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR CAUSING VEHICLE TO HAVE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PH

NHTSA ID

10005932

Incident

Dec 15, 2002

VEHICLE'S MASTER CYLINDER FAILED. MR

NHTSA ID

767873

Incident

May 20, 2002

THE ALTERNATOR/STARTER GO OUT EVERY 6 MONTHS, THE FUEL PUMP HAS BEEN REPLACED 8 TIMES, THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL DOES NOT BLINK, THE BRAKES GO OUT EVERY 6 MONTHS, I THINK THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE BRAKE SYSTEM. THE POWER STEERING HAS TO BE REFILLED EVERY 100 MILES. THE DRIVERS SIDE POWER WINDOW DOES NOT WORK. THE WINDOW IS DOWN ABOUT AN INCH AND WILL NOT GO UP OR DOWN.

NHTSA ID

753865

WHILE DRIVING DURING DAY TIME VEHICLE WAS FINE. BUT, AT NIGHT NOTICED VEHICLE WOULD IDLE HIGH & START TO OVERHEAT. VEHICLE WOULD STUTTER LIKE IT WAS STALLING. APPLIED BRAKES & VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. ALSO, SMOKE WOULD BE COMING INSIDE OF VEHICLE FROM UNDER HOOD. PROBLEMS WERE INTERMITTENT. *AK

NHTSA ID

875432

POWER STEERING FLUID IS LEAKING. *SLC

NHTSA ID

557739

I ENTERED MY AUTO ON THE EVENING OF 10/4/00 AT 8:10PM AND TURNED KEY TO START. I DID NOT AT ANY TIME DEPRESS GAS PEDAL. AFTER ENGINE STARTED, I ALLOWED RPM'S TO SETTTLE DOWN AND PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. PUT TRANSMISSION IN "REVERSE" AND LET UP ON THE BRAKE. THE IMMEDIATELY STARTED MOVING IN REVERSE IN AN UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION (S?). I SET MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THE BRAKE PEDAL DID NOT MOVE. THE CAR KEPT SPEEDING UP UNTIL IT HIT A TREE, BROADSIDE. THE TOTAL DISTANCE WAS ABOUT 20-25 FEET, BUT THE CAR WAS "TOTALLED." THIS IS THE 2ND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED, EXCEPT ON THE PREVIOUS OCCASION, THE AUTO STOPPED IN ABOUT 3 FEET. TWO TIMES SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THE AUTO, I HAVE HAD TO STOP SUDDENLY AND, IT SEEMED TO ME, THAT THE BRAKES WORKED THE WAY ABS BRAKES ARE SUPPOSE TO, BUT I'M NOT SURE. A WITNESS WHO SAW THE ACCIDENT ESTIMATED THAT THE AUTOMOBILE WAS RACING IN REVERSE ABOUT 20-30 MPH,BEFORE IT STRUCK THE TREE, BUT ONLY A GUESS. (DOT NUMBER: N/A TIRESIZE: N/A)

NHTSA ID

733740

Incident

Oct 4, 2000

THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN LISTED AS A COMMON PROBLEM ON CARPOINT.COM. HERE IS THE URL FOR THAT PROBLEM HTTP://CARPOINT.MSN.COM/VIP/USEDSINGLEYEAR/PONTIAC/GRAND%20PRIX/1991.ASP#ENGINE THE OTHER PROBLEMS LISTED HAVE ALSO OCCURRED WITH THE CAR. IT FIRST APPEARED ON JUNE 24 1997 AND THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT 20 MPH. THERE IS A COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKING DUE TO THIS. IT HAPPENS WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING AT ALL. THE BRAKES ON THE CAR HAVE LESS THAN 20,000 MILES ON THEM. I WILL BE SENDING A LETTER TO PONTIAC AND GM WITHING 1 DAY.

NHTSA ID

731854

Incident

Sep 15, 2000

WHILE TRAVELING AND WHEN DEPRESSING BRAKE PEDAL VEHICLE WOULD CONTINUE TO TRAVEL, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

869733

REAR BRAKE LIGHTS STAY ON AFTER RELEASING BRAKE PEDAL. CAR WAS DROPPED OFF AT PALM PONTIAC SERVICE DEPARTMENT A TOTAL OF 9 TIMES FROM 11/4/99 TO 7/24/00. THE REPAIRS PERFORMED ON THSES 9 VISITS INCLUDED REPLACING ABS BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER, REPLACING BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, ADJUSTING BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH AND ADJUSTING BRAKE PEDAL. PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS AS OF 9/5/00 WHEN I CONTACTED WAYNE TURNER, SERVICE DIRECTOR AT PALM PONTIAC AND HE ADVICED ME TO CONTACT PONTIAC CUSTOMER SERVICE. I CALLED PONTIAC CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AT !-800-762--2737 AND SPOKE TO PATRICK CLEMMINS. HE GAVE ME A REQUEST # C01463354 AND SEND HE WOULD CHECK WITH HIS SUPERIOR AND CALL ME BACK.

NHTSA ID

730511

Incident

Jul 6, 2000

CONSUMER FOUND OUT FROM REPAIR SHOP THAT REAR BRAKES HAD NO POWER. ONE OF THE BRAKES WAS COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED. ALSO, THEY WERE BOTH RUSTED. CONSUMER WILL CONTACT MANUFACTURER. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID

863564

Incident

Jun 14, 2000

WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND THE PEDAL WAS VERY HARD AS IF THERE WAS A LOCK ON IT. THERE WAS LITTLE REACTION THE VEHICLE VAGUELY SLOWED DOWN. CONSUMER HAD TO DROP THE VEHICLE INTO A LOWER GEAR ALONG WITH STILL APPLYING THE BRAKES TO STOP. DEALER HAS BEEN COTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

851879

THE BRAKE LIGHTS FREQUENTLY STAY ON AFTER THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. NLM

NHTSA ID

548634

WENT TO APPLY BRAKES THE BRAKES DIDN'T LOCK UP. THE PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR.CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ID

844203

Incident

Nov 3, 1998

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

708803

Incident

Jul 3, 1999

FROZEN PISTONS, REAR BRAKES NOT WORKING

NHTSA ID

704045

CIRCIUT UNIT FAILED CAUSING DASH LIGHTS AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE TO SHOW FAULTY READINGS.

NHTSA ID

538831

REAR BRAKE CALIPER FAILED DUE TO CORROSION.

NHTSA ID

537672

Incident

Jul 1, 1998

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES HEARD A LOUD SQUEAKING NOISE. DEALER SAYS THE CALIPERS LOCK UP. HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK

NHTSA ID

823223

REAR BRAKES NEEDED REPLACEMENT DUE TO CORROSION. *AK

NHTSA ID

533866

RIGHT REAR BRAKE CALIPERS, ROTORS, PADS AND BUSHINGS/SLIDERS HAVE FAILED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY.

NHTSA ID

532844

BRAKES COMPONENTS CONTINUE TO FAIL DUE TO FAULTY SYSTEM.

NHTSA ID

531680

Incident

Aug 7, 1995

BRAKES WEAR EXCESSIVELY AND FAIL TO STOP VEHICLE AT TIMES. PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT OPEN. WHEN TURNING VEHICLE INTO LEFT CURVES THERE IS A LOSS OF CONTROL.

NHTSA ID

527808

ABS INOPERABLE DUE TO MISSING ABS WARNING BULB.

NHTSA ID

527754

Incident

Nov 1, 1997

CONSUMER NOTICED REAR DISC BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY DUE TO REAR BRAKE CALIPER/ROTOR BEING CORRODED AND RUSTED. HAD TO REPLACE THEM TWICE. *AK

NHTSA ID

818614

Incident

May 1, 1997