About 2yrs. ago my 2001 Grand Am would'nt start, the security light would go on and I would have to step out of the car and leave the car key in the on position for ten minutes then turn it off and start it up. I tried taking it to the shop but i have spent over $2,000 dollars in the past two years until a friend told me about this website. I thought to be the only one with this problem until i read every other complaint on this page. I get so F...ING pissed cuz the car has caused me to be late at work and don't forget the ass-chewing from my supervisor. If there is any changes and GM decides to fix their screw-up, please let me know, sincerely NINE...YEPA YEPA.

Car won't start. Security light had been on intermittently. Instead of investigating, researching, or thinking, the dealer techs look at the scanner output and say "PassLock Sensor is bad" and charge $650 for replacement, when it should have cost $0 to reset the sensor by waiting 10 minutes. Infuriating. 14 months later, another $650. This is after 3 tows and three repair trips to baffled neighborhood shops, totaling about another $700. They also charged me for a BCM in there, too. Really it's more like $2,300. Two other sensors replaced under the repair warranty. The fifth sensor is now in the car. Finally a competent tech took a good look and said the discharge hole on the AC drain box is clogged, water overflows, drips into contacts of the BCM (body control module that controls all function in the interior of the car), contacts corrode, voltages are out of spec, PassLock sensor shuts down the ignition. Solution: wrap the opening of the BCM with $1.99 electrical tape to keep the water out. Also, keep the hole unclogged using a wire hanger, and take it easy on the AC. Funny how they refused to do anything except charge big bucks. I turned to GM requesting reimbursement for their design flaws and technical incompetence and they said no. I grew up riding in my Dad's GM cars, never bought anything new except GM in my lifetime, and rarely drove any other make. Now I'm finished with GM for good. I'll buy whatever model is in at least its fourth model year and that consumer reports says has the most reliable maintenance record. It saddens me to turn my back on a US corporation, but GM has left me with no choice.

WHAT THE F*CK!! ha. thats the nicest way i can say. So I went out and bought this car with my father. Who used to race formula cars at pocono and stuff in new Jersey where were from and such.. and said this is a good car.F*CK THAT DAD. this car sucks. no way of bypassing problem. Well there is a way but there f*cked up and dicey. Wouldn't trust em. No way. USe 10 minute thing and it will get worse! would rather walk than have this car. but when this happened i caught a sick deal on 2000 Civic SI. buy anything but gm. and if you dont have this problem dont f*ck with your car! no aftermarket radio or electrical cuz it will mess it up. Or some kind of indicator on your wheel hub needs to be changed. NO CHEAP FIX. Just part out the car!!!

alright so thought i was doing great i WON a 2001 pontiac grand am gt silver paint leather interior power everything all for beating my cousin in a game of madden 2010 on xbox 360. at the time i had a 96 nissan maxima all i ever had to replace on it was just maintence and a few odd and end hings and the guy i sold my maxima too is still driving around in it today. meanwhile my grand am is stuck in my drive after the second time this passlock crap has happened the first time i went into the radioshack goofed off came out ready to go to school and nuthin. i thought maybe im outta gas so i borrow a buddys car to get 5 gallons of gas and still nuthin .i was pissed i thought maybe fuel pump so i leave my car at the radioshack and come back the next day with a tow truck to take it to the shop i work at and i say well hell i'll just try to start it and what do u no it cranks rite up. wtf i drive it to my shop they couldnt tell me anthing. i drive around for a few more weeks and go into a restaurant to get something t eat come out and again nuthin. i let it sit for a while ands still nuthin so i get a buddy to pull me home and after hookin up a chains in the POORING rain. i come in and one of my freinds that helped get me home tells me to google 2001 grand am passlock im like what the hell is that and i see alll these pissed of people just like me saying the same thing i am. even if you replace the ignition its just a matter of time before it happens again so if you look behind your ignition switch youll see 3 wires... cut the yellow one in half put a toggle switch there turn the switch off and taaaa daaaa no more bll sh*t. DO NOT JUST CUT THE WIRE IF YOUR BATTERY EVER DIES OR IS REPLCE OR ANYTHING LIKE THT THEN YOUR CAr WILL NEVER EVER CRANK AGAIN you will have to replace computers and modules and everyting else just try this and youll be happy it took all th balls i had to do this but as long as the switch is off then you dont ever have to worry if its gonna crank or not and turn the switch on and you can still run any diagnostic test you may need

OK WELL I HATE THIS CAR I REALLY DO. BUT MANAGED TO GRIPE ENOUGH AND GOT THE PHONE NUMBER TO CALL PONTIAC 1866 790 5600X32859 (THE EXTENSION OF THE GUY THAT HELPED ME OUT). OF COURSE PONTIAC ACTS AS THOUGH THEY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PROBLEM (BS ARTISTS) WELL THEY WANT ME TO GET IT IN THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY CAN DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM (REMEMBER ITS ALL NEW TO THEM) I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT BUT THERE IS A CHANCE THAT GM WILL REIMBURSE ME IF THEY FIND THAT ITS A DEFECT COMMON TO THESE CARS. (AFTER ALL THIS IS THE FIRST THEY HAVE EVER HEARD ABOUT IT) ANYWAY THERE IS A SITE WHERE I FOUND THE REPAIR. http://bergerweb.net/grandamsecurityfix.htm I WILL TAKE IT TO THE DEALER TO GIVE THEM A SHOT AT THIS FIX I URGE ALL OF YOU TO CALL PONTIAC AND COMPLAIN THEY CANT IGNORE US FOREVER

Update from Jan 15, 2011: http://bergerweb.net/grandamsecurityfix.htm THIS IS THE REPAIR FOR THE PASSLOCK ISSUE!!!!! THE DEALERSHIP WONT DO THIS FIX BUT THE COST IS MINIMAL. WIRE CUTTERS, A RESISTOR, AND MULTIMETER. MY MECHANIC CHARGED ME $50 KEEP IN MIND GM CHARGED ME ALMOST 2K TOTAL. DO THIS REPAIR IT WILL WORK

i was reading this forum for info on why my 2001 grand am would not start,and found that it is a flaw in the security feature. yes it worked (letting the car sit for 10-15 min with the key in the acc Position) but this is a pain in the ass!!!! i called this # for a recall and so should you! we shouldnt have to deal with this after spending our hard erned cash on a car!! call National Highway Traffic Administration (1-888-327-4236). If they get enough of us to file a complaint they can have gm recall them for this reason.

Well, as you may know this pass lock system is just driving me crazy. All started as usual, SECURITY light on and car will start for 2 seconds and then the engine will shut off. I called the dealership for assistance and they told me to tow the car there for inspection and scanning, I asked the price for this and they told me at least 100.00 for scanning and diagnose. So I decided to call a friend that used to work at a Cadillac Dealership and now he owns a small car workshop. He brought the scanner, connected and found a failure code 1626 (pass lock failure), we reviewed all fuses and resistance on the wires behind the ignition switch, all ok. We tried the 10 minute x 4 times wait and start with no luck. Another thing that was happening in my car is that courtesy lights, power locks, trunk release and the bipping sound were not working. He explained me that there was a hight chance that the BCM (BODY CONTROL MODULE) was damaged because the scanner was unable to go into the BCM and get the faulty codes. He told me that we will try a used one first (BCM), he told me that if this works I should get a new one. I will write again when we complete the loop and make that piece of junk work. I love that engine, but that Pontiac car has to be sold....

He only charged me 35.00 for the diagnose.

Hi everyone, I'm getting so tired of never knowing if my car is going to start, It started happening in 2006, so after having it towed twice a new fuel pump and ignition switch, it's still doing it. And now they tell me just turn the key on and wait til the security light goes off, then it'll start almost 30 mins later. I called general motor headquarters and they don't know nothing about it (right) so heres what everyone who has this problem should do is call National Highway Traffic Administration (1-888-327-4236). If they get enough of us to file a complaint they can have gm recall them for this reason.

My husband and daughter drove to the store. Car was fine. Ready to drive back home, car won't start. We had the car towed to our mechanic. Mechanic told us that our Grand Am has a CA Emissions Computer in it that was not telling the fuel injection system to put gas into the carburetor. They took the computer out and sent to an automotive electrical shop. As of right now, the advice is to replace the computer system.

We have noticed that the SECURITY light had come on a few times in the last few days but did not know that this could be tied to the problem with the car not starting. This is totally a pain the backside. We have 2 children and my husband was laid off from his job a year ago. I can not afford for ANY major car repairs at this time.

Has anyone else out there received this same advice? Has it corrected the problem? Where do you find a CA emissions computer for a Pontiac Grand Am in Upstate SC?????

GM needs to recall these cars with passlock theft deterrent system. Had this happen to me before, paid 400 to change ignition out and then it started happening again 1 year later. I have to wait 10 min with key in start to reset passlock. They have this action listed in the vehicle book that came with the car saying how to do this. Well, I say, they are expecting the problem which means they know there is one. I will contact GM to complain about this. Pain in the ass it is. I want to hear from other people because I know I'm not the only one with it...should be a recall!! There is something wrong with this passlock system GM!!! Wake up!!

I have to go out and pray to god that my car will start in the morning!!!! Otherwise I have to sit there and wait ten minutes for it to start. Sometimes this happens two or three times a day. I suggest if you're going to purchase a car ,go with anything but a Grand Am.. they SUCK!!! I have only had it for a year and its already given me more problems to repair costing more than what I paid for it. There are way better cars out there for you, ones that are at least reliable because this one is not at all.

okay, about 2-3 weeks ago my wife took my car to work it worked just fine when she drove it to work and when she got off she went out and it would not start? my anti-theft light was on she said. well i tryed finding some one to fix my car but no one could look at it well any way i got some some to look at it and i had it towed to the place and the guy looked at it and said that their was nothing wrong with my car well some how my car just started right up!!!!! and the light was off. so the other night driving home it came on again well i pulled over and shut off my car and wiped my key off and put it back in and it was off. and just so you know never by a grand am they suck!!!! i payed 7,500 for my car and i have only had it for a year and a half and i have spent about 6,000 just fixing my car for how much i payed for my car i could have went out and bought a brandnew car and it just makes me mad because ever sence i have had my car every week i have had something go wrong with my car.