NHTSA — Engine Problems

1.3

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
136,141 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

1996 Pontiac Grand Am engine problems

engine problem

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1996 Pontiac Grand Am Owner Comments

problem #1

Dec 192012

Grand Am 4-cyl

  • 136,141 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I started my car in a parking lot and was driving approx 10mph when the car died almost immediately, after restart, it did it again. Then, it wouldn't even turn over. I had it towed to a mechanic who told me that it was probably a bad fuel pump. Turns out it was the Pontiac anti-theft device that was keeping it from starting. When your key starts getting worn and rounded off, (as most keys do after some use!) the theft system locks your car up. There is no fix for this problem other than replacing the ECU, ignition system, key tumbler, or a combination of the same, and reprogramming it, which costs upwards of $1000 this anti theft system is preventing me from using my lawfully owned car! the only way to fix it is to have a dealership replace defective Pontiac parts. An anti theft system should be a preventative measure to keep crooks from boosting your car, not something that will cost the owner more money later when their key wears down! worse yet, if the car is disabled on a highway and the steering wheel locks up, you risk killing yourself or others on the road! this has got to be a safety violation and a red flag for a recall. I'm going to probably sell this rat-trap for scrap/crush value to a junk yard and buy another car, so although this complaint won't benefit me, hopefully my comment will help someone else who is having problems with their pos Pontiac.

- Fayetteville, NC, USA

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