7.8
pretty bad
engine problem
I f*cking hate this stupid car! THis is like the 3rd time this has happened but this time I kicked my car. I hate Pontiacs with the Passion. I will never buy this type of car ever again! I hope they go bankrupt and they have so many recalls on there POS cars!!!
Update from May 19, 2009: The Security light is not on. I think Its the stupid starte on it.
- MIke L., Capron, IL, US
I just bought the car 3 weeks ago and never would have if I had found this web site. The car cranks and won't start. The dealer replaced the fuel pump and the sending unit. It ran for about 2 hours and then quit.Now the dealer has taken it back because they just took 650.00 for the repair of something that wasn't broken. I would have never had to of bought an American car if the big mouth on tv would not be telling people to buy old clunkers. This is driving the price of Nissan's or toy's to near new prices for a car about 15 years old. I wonder if the us car company's could start producing quality cars again
- mahnj, Blairstown, NJ, US
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
This started at first, with my car turning over, but not starting, then as the weather would warm up it would start but the abs lights and the battery light came on. I checked my battery connections and cleaned them. Turned the car over again it started then after about 10mins it dropped and clicked. I can not understand this problem, and I don't want to pay over $500 to keep fixing the car.
- heathernew york, Canastota, NY, US
I have a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am that will turn over but will not start. I can see by reading the other complaints that I am not alone. I have towed the car 5 times, and 3 out of those 5 times, when they got it to the garage, it started. The garage replaced the fuel pump thinking that this was the problem but evidently it wasn't. (It is sitting in front of my Grandmothers house right now and will not start). I called several garages and they say if they get it there and it starts, they have no way to check it. I don't have the money to just go get another vehicle and I obviously can't or won't sell this car to another person. So I am stuck. After reading the other complaints, now I'm worried that it could cut out while I'm driving!!!! Time to recall !!!
- Giovianni R., Halifax, PA, US
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
I just bought this car... the car is used and it had only one owner... i was driving from Salinas ca to Sacramento and after 30 miles on the road..... i hear this noise on my left front tire, i thought it was my bearings.... but no its not that, now after 4 months it made a paddling noise coming from the twin cam.... now it wont start.... and i had to buy a new car......
- jalisco_m, Sacramento, CA, US
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Car would not turn over. Had it towed to a local establishment where the fuel pump was replaced. Picked the car up from the shop and parked it at home. Went to work that evening. Came home and parked the car. Got ready to leave again for work the very next day. Same exact problem. Car would not turn over. Repair shop sent tow truck to pick up car and called me back in that evening only to hand me a piece of paper with the passlock instructions about waiting 10 minutes with key in the on position. I was very upset because this was probably the initial problem. Now I'm out of near $700 and upset with myself for not noticing the blinking security light. The problem has happened at least six times since then. In the carwash and while in line to get my oil changed were the most embarrassing. Telling the people behind me I couldn't move for ten minutes. I only wished that I had seen this site before getting repairs so quickly, but I need my transportation. Had no problems until now with this car. Now I'm scared to shut it off sometime for fear I'll get stuck( for 10 minutes) with a deadline.
- Vickie W., San Antonio, TX, US
this makes the 5th or 6th time this has happened never really found out why its happening even had it in the shop on a computer but found nothing the manual says its in the pass lock that apparently they know this will happen as i speak my son in law is helping his cousin that has a 2002 grand am lol
with the same problem he just called and they turned the key to the on position for 10 minutes then off and it started im going to try it on mine what a pain in the azz
- granderson, Simi, CA, US
I am tired of paying all these cost when It is definitely a problem almost time for a lawyer
- Penny S., Seven Springs, NC, US
Well I am A single mother of two that I soley support by myself with no help from the state or the father and I cannot afford to keep repairing this vehicle to do the same thing I think after all the complaints I have read on my Situtation that a reacll would have been called. So please help figure this out .
- Penny S., Seven Springs, NC, US
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
No disrespect but please fix my damn car!!! i am tired and it is very costly RECALL RECALL RECALL
- Penny S., Seven Springs, NC, US
I have already filed three complaints and no results please help us fix this continuing problem
- Penny S., Seven Springs, NC, US
Same issue as others. Car will not crank over. This is the 2nd time now. Will try the 10 min fix. Sure sounds like a recall issue to me.
- Deo R., Modesto, CA, US
This car has run great for the 3-4 years that we've owned it. All of a sudden it won't start up. It cranks but won't turn over. This problem presented itself probably April or so this year but it would come and go so there was no way to diagnose it. Well two days ago my wife was getting ready to go to work when the car did it again. She absolutely couldn't get it to start. So when I came home from work I looked at it. It seemed like she would tell me about the occurrence earlier in the year and I'd try it and it would start right up for me so I thought she was just up in the night. lol
Just kidding love.
Anyway, I tried it this time and sure enough it would turn over but not start. I had my neighbor come take a look at it who's actually a mechanic for GM up in Logan UT and he said that without running any tests he's about 80 percent sure it's the fuel pump. So I went and bought a shiny new pump and filter and we were about to dig into it until I began researching and found this website. So I got all excited reading about the 10 minute thing and went out and tried it and NOTHING. So I tried it for 15-20 minutes and NOTHING. So I decided I'd post. My next step will be to contact GM and ask what they recommend doing. This is rediculous. When we do get it to run again we're gonna sell it and get a Toyota.
- Joel J., Brigham City, UT, US
I left work this afternoon and had lunch at a fast food restaurant. When I left, the car would not start. It sounded fine, it just wouldn't turn over. I called my father and asked him what he thought and he mentioned the normal things...fuel filter, fuel lines, battery, etc... He agreed to come take a look at it for me and before he did he looked up the year/make/model online and found the fix where you reset the computer by leaving the key in the "on" position for ten minutes. Excitingly, at the time, it worked like a charm! We were thrilled! I've started it up fine twice since then but now seeing all these similar complaints I'm wondering if it is time to buy a new car.
- John S., Oklahoma City, OK, US
well i had bought this car from my brother for cheap but it was in great condition. love the car then out of the blue it just stop working, had it in the shop 5 times and each time they changed the fuel filter or the fuel pump. well it worked for a while, then this last time they changed the fuel module and supposedly it was fixed i drove it for about 2 days and then it cut out on me , never again will i buy a Pontiac.
- topher, Scranton, PA, US
Like all the other complaints, car will turn but will not start. 10 min thing worked for a while, left at a mechanics for a week who could not find the problem. Today cut out while driving with my two kids in the car, coasted to the side of the road started it back up and took to autozone to see if it reads any codes (does not). I don't even want to take it to the dealer to charge me an ass load of money to tell me they cant find the problem. Which seems the familiar fate of this problem. Has anyone had this actually fixed permanently????
- scow, Queen Creek, AZ, US
Again, I need to know what the problem is. Not process of elimination, or just getting stranded someday. I had a 2000 grand am and there was a ignition switch recall on it. Could this be similar?
- austinbear, Jordan, NY, US
01 grandam, purchace brand new, ran great for 5 yrs. then in 09/05 experience passlock issue, got over that after 3 mos, now today i cant get the damn thing to start, i am frustrated, and not to mention p'd off per i need my card to go to work 50 mi away from home, car battery has juice, alternator charges, starter makes noise but not a sound or turn. lights, radio, bells and whistles all come on, tried jump and chrg to battery and nothing, lights that stay on are check engine soon and battery. mech, tells me to bring it in what do they not understand in the phrase "my car will not start" i thought maybe i wl try the 10min fix again, did absolutely nothing. now i am leaving on for longer in hopes it doesn't drain my battery,didn't work. clueless and frustrated. what now?
- Kelly W., Brighton, CO, US
Not sure if I entered the right "system", I think the cam shaft sensor is part of the fuel system. Engine turned over but would not start. No codes were given, which made it difficult for the mechanic to determine what was wrong. Thank goodness I had an honest mechanic.
- Tina A., Fort Worth, TX, US
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
When I was nearing my home on Saturday, I noticed all of my gauges were not working. The next time I tried to start my car, it would crank but not turn over. Concerned that perhaps I had a fuel leak, I parked my car in my driveway and put gas from my gas can in the tank, and it started, but the gauges were still not working. After filling up my car I was able to make a few more stops, but the next day when I tried to start my car, it would crank but not turn over. I called a friend of mine who deals in cars, and he did some research to determine whether this pass lock issue might be the problem. Sure enough, he told me to try the 10 minute reset, which worked. My car was fine for a day and a half, but when I went to start it this morning, it cut out again. I tried the 10 minute solution, but that solution is not working now. I am extremely upset---it seems like it will be a costly expense that I just can't afford right now. There better be a recall on this issue...
- Marianne E., Lyons, GA, US