1999 Pontiac Grand Am - transmission problems with the 4 speed automatic

Complaints.com received the following consumer message on July 3, 2002:

From:

RE: 1999 Pontiac Grand Am - transmission problems with the 4 speed automatic

I own a 99 Pontiac grand am that is still under warranty as far as the 3 year warranty but is over in mileage. I am having transmission problems with the 4 speed automatic. Under acceleration when it shifts from first to second gear there is slippage and when going into second it bangs into gear.

I had a GM dealer check the transmission and they told me it was a valve body and the cost of the repair would be $900 minimum. Now this is a sealed transmission and as a owner I can not even check the fluid level because there is no dipstick.

Under Scheduled maintenance in the owners manual it states that the transmission requires no maintenance or even a fluid and filter change unless driven under harsh conditions. I am a police officer and my wife works for Wi Dept. of Corrections and drive sensibly and the car has not been beat. I telephoned Pontiac customer service and voiced my complaint.

Pontiac beat around the bush for a month all the while my wife had to drive the car to work and I was concerned that the transmission would get worse. I telephoned Pontiac back several times and I always would get a different person. When I would ask for the person I originally talked to the answer would be that they could not transfer me to this person and didn't have the capability to transfer calls. I left messages for the person to call at specific times when I could be available to talk with them.

I found calls on my answering machine a hour and one half after there time I specified and when I was working. I finally got a call back from the original person on 7/3/02 one hour after I specified that I would be available and was advised that Pontiac would do nothing for me.

At one time in my career I was a Parts and Service manager for a GM dealership and thought that GM made a Quality Product and stood behind that product. At this point I do not plan to purchase another GM product

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