1999 Pontiac Grand Prix Brakes Problems

BRAKE LINE FAILURE OCCURRED 3 TIMES OVER A PERIOD OF 3 YEARS.THE PROBLEM CAUSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR WITH LITTLE OR NO BRAKING CONTROL.

NHTSA ID

10806757

Incident

Nov 6, 2015

Mileage

104,000 mi

COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE OCCURRED AT A HIGH-VOLUME INTERSECTION AT LOGAN AVE., AND RT.20 IN BELVEDERE IL. WHILE APPROACHING INTERSECTION ON A YELLOW LIGHT, WITH NO ONE IN FRONT OF ME, I APPLIED THE BRAKES, HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR BOARD. I HAD ENOUGH ROOM TO APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKES, AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP BEFORE ENTERING THE INTERSECTION. I HAD MY SISTER AND 92 YEAR OLD AUNT IN THE CAR. CAR WAS TOWED TO WOLF PONTIAC IN BELVEDERE, IL, MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE 'STEEL' BRAKE LINE HAD RUSTED OUT, AND BURST. WE HAD ALL THE BRAKE LINES REPLACED FOR APPROX $900. WE COULD HAVE HAD SERIOUS INJURY/DEATH HAD WE ENTERED THE INTERSECTION. THIS IS A SERIOUS EXAMPLE OF AN ENGINEERING DEFECT! WE LIVE IN THE SALT BELT, AND ANY DESIGN THAT WOULD LEAD TO A RUST-OUT SITUATION ON A CRITICAL PART OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM IS INEXCUSABLE. IT IS PROBABLY CHEAPER THAN PUTTING IN BRAKE LINES THAT WOULD BE RUST RESISTANT, BUT I GUESS PROFIT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAT THE SAFETY OF ITS PASSENGERS. WE WERE VERY LUCKY! I CALLED GM, AND OF COURSE THEY WERE APOLOGETIC, BUT THE SAME THING IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO OTHER DRIVERS OF THEIR TECHNOLOGY. THE OWNER OF THE CAR, IS MY AUNT, WHO WAS A PASSENGER

NHTSA ID

10423489

Incident

Aug 28, 2011

Mileage

34,292 mi

THE ABS SYSTEMS ENGAGES WHILE DRIVING AND NOT PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. YOU CAN HEAR THE ABS SYSTEMS TRYING TO ENGAGE AND THEN THE ABS AND TRAC OFF LIGHTS COME ON IN THE DASH. THIS IS DEACTIVATING MY ABS SYSTEM. I HAVE HAD A FAULTY ABS SENSOR REPLACED AND IT FIXED THE PROBLEM FOR ABOUT THREE MONTHS. IT HAS NOW STARTED UP AGAIN. I HAVE LOOKED AT NUMEROUS MESSAGE BOARDS TO FIND A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM AND WAS EXTREMELY CONCERNED TO SEE THAT THOUSANDS OF GRAND PRIX OWNERS ARE HAVING SIMILAR ISSUES AND GM IS DOING NOTHING TO FIX IT... EXCEPT CHARGE $1300 AND STILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

10417422

Incident

Mar 11, 2011

Mileage

145,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL SLOWLY TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR UPON ENGAGEMENT, WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO REDUCE SPEED AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS. IMMEDIATELY, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ENGAGED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT RESUMED OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND THE MASTER CYLINDER RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY REPLACED THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKE LINES AS A RESULT OF RUST. THE CONTACT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER OF THE BRAKE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000.

NHTSA ID

10405387

Incident

May 27, 2011

Mileage

64,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKE LINE FAILED. THE CONTACT PULLED INTO HER DRIVEWAY AND NOTICED THAT SHE WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO BRAKE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE SALES DEALER AND THEY REPAIRED THE FAILURE, ALTHOUGH SHE NOTICED IN MARCH OF 2009 THAT THE BATTERY FAILED. THE CONTACT PURCHASED ANOTHER BATTERY. THE SAME DAY, THE FUEL PUMP AND FUEL FILTER MALFUNCTIONED, WHICH THE CONTACT NOTICED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT HAD THE FAILURES REPLACED, BUT THE VEHICLE STILL WOULD NOT REMAIN ON. SHE HAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER OR SPOKEN WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 135,700 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,533.

NHTSA ID

10265343

Incident

Feb 25, 2009

Mileage

135,533 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINE WAS RUSTED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 51,000. UPDATED 11/12/08. *LJ UPDATED 11/14/08.*JB

NHTSA ID

10245689

Incident

Oct 11, 2008

Mileage

51,000 mi

THE FOLLOWING OCCURRED ON A 1999 GRAND PRIX THAT HAS 52,300 +/- MILES ON IT, LOCATED IN SOUTHEASTERN PA AND NOT GARAGED. I WENT TO START MY CAR AFTER A MEETING AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION IN THE MEETING LOCATION PARKING LOT SHOWED THAT BRAKE FLUID WAS PUMPING OUT OF THE BRAKE LINE SYSTEM. I HAD THE CAR FLAT-BED TOWED TO THE LOCAL PONTIAC DEALER. A BRAKE LINE HAD RUSTED THROUGH IN THE ENGINE AREA. THE OTHER BRAKE LINES UP UNDER THE CHASSIS WERE ALSO RUSTED. THE PONTIAC DEALER IS REPLACING ALL OF THE BRAKE LINES WITH NEW LINES THAT HAVE TO BE BENT TO SHAPE. ONLY TWO SMALL LINES WERE AVAILABLE PRE-BENT FROM GENERAL MOTORS. *NM

NHTSA ID

10168896

Incident

Sep 18, 2006

Mileage

50,300 mi

WE HAVE A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX WITH A LITTLE OVER 100,000 MILES ON IT. IN THE PAST MONTH, IT BECAME MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. FINALLY, WE WERE UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY AT ALL. WE HAD THE CAR CHECKED OUT BY A LOCAL PONTIAC DEALER AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THE CAR COULD NO LONGER RECOGNIZE WHEN THE CAR WAS IN PARK. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE COMPLETE FLOOR SHIFTER WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE UNIT PARTS COULD NOT BE INDIVIDUALLY FIXED. WE ALSO WERE TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE BYPASSED, BUT THAT IT WAS REALLY A SAFETY ISSUE. I WORK WITH SOMEONE WHO ALSO OWNS A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX WITH A LITTLE OVER 100,000 MILES, AND THEY HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. MY DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY ARE SEEING A LOT OF THIS PROBLEM ON THE 1999 VEHICLES WITH THE SAME MILEAGE. IT COST OF $377.16 TO REPAIR THIS PART.*AK

NHTSA ID

10088645

Incident

Jul 30, 2004

Mileage

104,000 mi

AFTER DRIVING IN THE RAIN BRAKES WILL NOT WORK EFFECTIVELY FOR 2-3 SECONDS AFTER APPLICATION. HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE NEW. WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT THIS WAS NORMAL. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION TO BE EXITING AN EXPRESSWAY AFTER A 10 MILE DRIVE AND HAVE THIS OCCUR IN LIGHT RAIN. *AK

NHTSA ID

758981

THIS COMPLAINT IS NOT NECESSARILY CONCERNING THE ABSOLUTE FAILURE OF A COMPONENT, BUT RATHER THE REPEATED NEED TO REPLACE, WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE, A CRITICAL SAFETY RELATED COMPONENT. FIRST OF ALL THE NEED TO REPLACE THE FRONT ROTORS PRIOR TO TAKING DELIVERY OF THE VEHICLE IN MARCH '99, AND THEN THE NEED TO REPLACE THE REAR ROTORS IN OCTOBER '00, WITH A LITTLE OVER 15,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. NO EXPLANATION WAS GIVEN BY PONTIAC. MY CORRESPONDENCE TO PONTIAC IN RESPONSE TO A CUSTOMER SERVICE SURVEY, YIELDED MERELY A TELEPHONE MESSAGE THAT CONFIRMED BASICALLY WHAT I HAD TOLD THEM REGARDING THE TWO TIMES ROTORS WERE REPLACED, IMPLYING TO ME THAT "I CAN EXPECT TO REPLACE ROTORS ON THE VEHICLE EVERY 15,000 MILES. TO ME THAT INDICATES THAT PONTIAC ARE ESENTIALLY UNWILLING TO ADMIT TO A QUALITY, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, CRITICAL SAFETY PROBLEM IN A COMPONENT OF THEIR PRODUCT. *AK

NHTSA ID

737359

Incident

Sep 1, 2000

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

735824

Incident

Nov 1, 2000

THE INSIDE BRAKE PAD ON BOTH FRONT BRAKING SYSTEMS ARE WEARING VERY UNEVEN, THIS UNEVEN WEAR IS CAUSING THE INSIDE PADS TO DISINTEGRATE AND CAUSING METAL TO METAL CONTACT, FOR LACK OF BRAKE PAD MATERIAL. THIS UNEVEN WEAR PATTERN ALLOWED THE OUTSIDE PAD TO BE ABOUT 90% OF NEW AND THE INSIDE PAD TO BE DESTROYED, THERE IS A WEAR INDICATOR ON THE OUTSIDE PAD THAT TELLS THE OPERATOR THE BRAKES NEED TO BE CHECKED OR REPLACED. BECAUSE THE CALIPERS WERE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND WERE PROBABLY STICKING(AS THEY ARE SUPPOSE TO SORT OF FLOAT)THE INSIDE PAD WAS DOING MOST OF THE BRAKING, THIS ONE PAD BRAKING PREMATURELY WORE OUT THE INSIDE PAD TO THE POINT OF METAL TO METAL CONTACT,AND BECAUSE OF THE BRAKING WAS MOSTLY WITH ONE PAD THE ROTARS WERE ALSO WARPED CAUSING ACCLERATED WEAR.THE AUTO DEALER I TOOK IT TO FOR REPAR STATED THAT THIS WEAR PATTERN WAS UNUSUAL(FOUR OTHER SERVICE PEOPLE ALSO STATED THIS AT THIS DEALERSHIP)BUT SAID THAT NO SERVICE BULLITANS WERE ISSUED AND THEY FELT THEY HAD NO LIABILITY. A REGIONAL SERVICE MANAGER FROM GENERAL MOTORS WAS IN THE DEALERSHIP AT THE TIME, INSPECTED THE BAD PARTS AND STATED THIS WEAR PATTERN IS VERY UNUSUAL, BUT STILL DECLINED TO ACCEPT ANY LIABILITY. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO OPERATE A VEHICLE THAT CAN PREMATURELY DESTROY ITS BRAKING SYSTEM. I HAVE CONTACTED AND SHOWN OTHER CERTIFIED BRAKE TECHS THIS AND ALSO CONTACTED OTHER GEN. MOTORS EMPLYEES ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT THE AGENCIES IN MY OWNERS MANUAL. THE GENERAL MOTORS AREA SERVICE MANAGERS NAME WHO WOULD NOT FULLY ACCEPT LIABILITY NAME AND PHONE # IS AS FOLLOWS: DON J. STEVENS, AREA SERVICE MNGR. SALT LAKE NORHT 4001S 700E SUITE 610 SALT LAKE CITY UT. 84107 800 248 5507 EXT.58751,58750 SINCERELY PAT GILLESPIE

NHTSA ID

728205

Incident

Aug 16, 2000

DISC BRAKES ARE GRINDING - METAL TO METAL. THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE DISC BRAKE SYSTEM. IT IS HANGING UP ON THE INSIDE OF THE DISC BRAKES. IT IS CAUSING THE BACK SIDE OF THE DISC ON ALL FOUR WHEELS TO "GROOVE" THE ROTOR, WITH THE WORST BEING IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

723957

Incident

Jun 3, 2000

THE REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR WIRE BUNDLES (LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE) RIDE THE EDGE OF SHARP METAL CUTOUTS AS THE WIRING PASSES OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE FEEDTHRU GROMMETS. *AK

NHTSA ID

723818

FRONT BRAKES KEEP GOING OUT AND LOCK UP. *AK

NHTSA ID

858091

Incident

Feb 7, 2000

WHEN TRAVELING ON SNOW PAVEMENT SURFACE AND UPON DEPRESSING BRAKE PEDAL, REAR BRAKES LOCKED UP, CAUSING VEHICLE TO GO INTO A SKID, RESULTING IN VEHICLE ROLLING DOWN INTO A DITCH AND HITTING A TREE. UPON IMPACT, NEITHER DRIVER'S SIDE NOR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED ALSO THERE WAS AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF FRONT END DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED MANUFACTURER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

856686

WHILE DRIVING THE ABS LIGHT ON THE INSTERMENT PANEL LIT AND REMAINED ON (NOT FLASHING). LATER WHEN THE CAR WAS RESTARTED THE LIGHT WAS OFF. AFTER DRIVING A FEW MILES THE LIGHT AGAIN LIGHT AND REMAINED ON. I NOTIFIED THE DEALER SERVICE DEPT. OF THE PROBLEM AND AN APPOINTMENT WAS MADE. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THE ( LEFT FRONT WHEEL SPEED SENSOR WIREING HARNESS WAS BROKEN ) A NEW PART WAS ORDERED. WHEN I RETURNED HOME I LOOKED FOR MYSELF AND NOTICED THE HARNESS FROM THE WHEEL SENSOR WAS RUBBED ALMOST IN TWO. THE HARNESS IS LOCATED IN SUCH A PLACE THAT WHEN THE WHEELS ARE TURNED ALL THE WAY TO RIGHT THE LEFT TIRE TIRE RUBBED THE HARNESS.THESE ARE THE THE ORIGINAL WHEELS AND TIRES FROM THE MANUFACTURE. ANY ADDITINAL INFORMATION YOU MAY NEED PLEASE FEEL FROM TO CONTACT ME. THANK YOU. ALAN ZELLER. *AK

NHTSA ID

717291

Incident

Jan 6, 2000

WHILE ACCELERATING FROM PARKED POSITION, ENGINE DIED AND THE ABS BRAKE LIGHT COME ON. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND PROBLEM WAS NOT FOUND. VEHICLE STILL EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROPLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

847274

Incident

May 8, 1999

REAR BRAKE PADS WORN CAUSING A METAL TO METAL NOISE.

NHTSA ID

545105

Incident

Mar 16, 1999