Faults:

It was in somewhat bad shape when I purchased it as it had sat for about two years without running.

Had to replace the battery right away as well as make a few simple "tune-ups".

Belt broke at about 175,000 miles and was replaced.

Fuel pump gave up soon after and was replaced, cost about four hundred dollars.

Rattles pretty bad when at speeds of 70 mph or above for some reason for past 2 months.

General Comments:

Overall has been a pretty reliable first car that I purchased for $1500. Is fairly fast and handles corners quite well. Was able to use it in winter, but was somewhat of a challenge with such low body clearance.

Faults:

Not much has gone wrong with this car, but there are a few things to touch on.

April 2007- The engine had trouble starting and would idle roughly and rev on it's own. The GM dealer I took it to (and that I've taken it to ever since) told me that the EGR valve and all six of the spark plug wires (since it's a V-6) needed to be replaced: $750.00.

December 2007- First, an exhaust leak had developed. Smoke was seen coming from the engine. Turns out there were some loose bolts: $320.00. Second, battery needed to be replaced: $125.00, no problem.

April 2008- Mirror broke, drunk teenagers on my street in the middle of the night: $220.00.

October 2008- Needed new tires, other ones were bald: $750.00.

Overall, it has been a very reliable car for me. The 3.1L V-6, other than those few problems, is indestructible.

General Comments:

I bought a 1998 Grand Am, after looking at Toyota and Honda's vehicles. Those cars failed to impress me as much as the Grand Am did. This is my first car, and for $5000.00 I got a V-6 engine, automatic transmission, CD and Cassette player with six speakers (stock, except for four of the speakers which I wanted to replace), sunroof, power seat and most of all, a good looking car that even turns some heads. The Grand Am handles very well, and has more than enough power to get from A to B quickly. Overall, the Grand Am is a very reliable car, when cared for. The sound system is great, and very easy to use. This Pontiac has taken good care of me, and in the future I will most certainly buy another Pontiac.

Faults:

Lower intake gasket (manifold).

Needs new engine at 81,000 miles.

General Comments:

Watch out for GM cars from 1994-2000!!! Pontiac Grand Prix, Grand Am, Bonneville,...

GM blames Dex-Cool for problems, won't take responsibility for manufacturer defects!

Factory intake gaskets are faulty - gaskets fail and coolant flows into the crankcase, turning your oil into a thick brown sludge.

GM now recommends replacing with aluminum gaskets to prevent corrosion, but won't do recall for the thousands of owners who've complained!!

Gasket repair will cost anywhere from $550-1,000 (mostly labor / an 8+ hour job)

I waited 2 weeks to repair (until I had the $600) and lost my engine.

Faults:

When I bought the car the intake manifold gasket had blew and both the engine and the transmission were effected by it because the previous owner refused to stop and just kept beating it. I picked up both a used transmission and engine for a very cheap price and put them in. Since than nothing has gone wrong.

General Comments:

Car runs mint and body is clean for 173,000 miles on it only a dent in the drivers side fender. No rust on the car at all, great performance can handle all the abuse and e-brakes that I throw at her. Of course I will by another Grand Am in fact I am buying another one in two weeks...