Expert: Skip Bollinger - 4/2/2007

Question
I have a 2003 Pontiac Grand Am GT with ~78,000 miles.  In my opinion, this car has been nothing but a lemon.  I had to replace the fuel pump recently.  I take good care of the car and follow a recommended maintenance schedule for my vehicle.  Even though this newest problem has arose, I am quite upset by it because it seems that this problem is all too common... I need to know what you recommend that I do from this point... The mechanic who found this problem said that it needs to be repaired soon or I will need a new engine... I think that's really extreme but I don't know that much about cars.  So I am taking this very serious and I don't know if I should get a different car or repair it... What kind of advice can you offer me?  

Answer
Hillary,
  Please note that in my "profile", I'm a Parts Professional, NOT a tech but will offer these thoughts.
  I'm a bit confused by your question vs the Subject. The Subject says "Antifreeze leak to the intake gasket" but your question is about the fuel pump. May I offer my thoughts about both?
  General Motors has had problems with the DexCool "orange" coolant they have used in recent years. You might call your regional GM center to see if there is a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) or to see if there was a recall on your car. The TSB may be something like replacing the intake gaskets as GM has had a LOT of trouble with that type of coolant and gasket sealing. In the parts business, I see a lot of that but don't know of GM has stepped up to admit to anything.
  Now to your fuel pump problem. Those pumps are very fragile. ALL electric pumps are. IF you have EVER run the car out of fuel or IF there has EVER been a clogging problem from debris in the tank choking the "sock" from picking up fuel, this could lead to an early demise of the pump. You see, the pump is electric. It generates heat and uses the fuel to cool the pump. If it is ever starved for fuel (the cooling factor), it will overheat and burn out. I don't know if any of the above mentioned problems have ever existed but watch my mouth, we are going to have a test...
  I don't think that a 2003 Gr/Am GT has a traditional problem with fuel pumps. IF a fuel pump fails, the engine will NOT run. How can your mechanic suggest that the engine will need to be replaced if it won't run?? An engine is not a gerbil. If you don't feed it, it just sits there, it doesn't starve to death! Ask him/her how the engine will be need to be replaced if it won't run... Do you need to get another REPUTABLE opinion?? Just stop by and ask. If they want to look at the car... trust your gut feeling.
  This is all the advice I can offer you and I hope it helps. Again, PLEASE NOTE, I'm a Parts Professional, NOT a tech but have been pushing parts for over 34 years and have heard a lot of "mechanics" give me a line of BS because they think I'm just a parts pusher.
  Thank you for your question and I hope it gives you some direction..
Skip