10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 4 / 1
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 2 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 72,575 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
I was driving my vehicle on a city street and as I turned right I heard a loud pop and my steering wheel froze making me unable to steer in any direction. I had my vehicle towed to a repair shop and after inspection I was informed that my steering rack had broken off of the subframe. Before this occurred I had never experienced any problems with steering so this was totally shocking along with the repair cost. After doing a little research I discovered that there were numerous complaints pertaining to this very same thing and GM has done nothing to ensure consumers safety. This should have been recalled years ago before someone dies as a result of poor craftsmanship on gms behalf. This isn't a repair consumers should have to take on.
- Akron, OH, USA
The contact owned a 2003 Pontiac Grand Am. The contact stated that there was a sudden loss of power and the steering wheel became extremely tight and difficult to turn. The contact applied force to the brake pedal which did not stop the vehicle, causing the contact to veer to the right and crash into a curb and then a stop sign. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was not inspected or repaired. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was filed. The contact sustained head injuries and whiplash, which required medical attention. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14V400000 (electrical system), but experienced the failure before the recall repair was performed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 139,000. Updated 5/29/15 the consumer hit a curb then a fire hydrant. Updated 04/05/16.
- Pontiac, MI, USA
The contact owns a 2003 Pontiac Grand Am. The contact stated while driving over a bump at approximately 25 mph, the steering wheel seized and the brakes failed. As a result, the contact side swiped another vehicle on the passenger side and crashed into a concrete ridge before coming to a stop. Also, the contact added that due to the failure one of the tires blew. The contact did not sustain any injuries and a police report was filed. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V400000 (electrical system). The approximate failure mileage was unavailable.
- Washington, DC, USA
The contact owns a 2003 Pontiac Grand Am. The contact stated that while driving at 40 mph, the steering wheel seized and the brake pedal was depressed but the brakes failed to respond causing the vehicle to crash into a garage. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a back pain and lacerations to the arm, chest and face area which required medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
- East Louis , IL, USA
Car died unexpectedly while driving but restarted after vehicle had stopped.
- Valparaiso, IN, USA
The contact owns a 2003 Pontiac grand-am. The contact stated that he attempted to start the vehicle but it failed to turn over. The contact mentioned that he attempted to restart the vehicle multiple times. Also, the contact stated that the horn would go off by itself at different hours of the day and in order to deactivate it he had to push on the horn multiple times. In addition, the contact also mentioned that the steering wheel did not lock after shutting the vehicle off. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to diagnose the problem. However, the mechanic advised the contact that the failure might be cause by an electrical issue and he would need to consult with his local dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000 and the current mileage was approximately 50,000.
- Saginaw, MI, USA
The contact owns a 2003 Pontiac Grand Am. The contact stated when starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal clicking noise coming from the steering column with smoke emitting. The engine was turned off. The vehicle was diagnosed by a certified mechanic who informed the contact that the failure was contributed to the steering column multi-function switch. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified and they advised that there was not a recall related to the defect. No assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 104,718.
- Powell, OH, USA
The contact owns a 2003 Pontiac Grand Am. The power steering failed consistently in cold weather. Whenever the contact started the vehicle the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they were unable to duplicate or diagnose the failure. The manufacturer had not been called. The failure mileage was 41,156.
- Canton, IL, USA
Originally, I had notified that whenever I had my windshield wipers on for more then 10 minutes, they would freeze and stop moving in the middle of my windshield. This was easily fixed by turning the wiper off, then back on again; this would continue to occur every 10 minutes. Less then a week later, the clicking noise that occurs when the signal lights are blinking, began to click all the time, even when the signal lights were not in operation. Two weeks after the wiper incident happened, there was smoke coming from the steering column, and inherently obstructing my vision. These factors were very similar to the recall issued to the 1998-2002 Grand Am model years, and seems to be the same problems in my 2003. The procedure to fix the problem is to initially just clean the multi-function switch located in the steering column, and then replace the multi-function switch, if the problem persists.
- Charlotte, NC, USA
Steering is very loose, and sometimes does not work.
- Galion, OH, USA
- Charleston, WV, USA