1999 Pontiac Grand Am SE 2.4L twin cam

Summary:

The car is great for about 175000 miles.. then it breaks down

Faults:

I have had my Grand Am from day one. The car has been great until recently. I had a problem with the car sputtering at acceleration about 3 weeks ago, put it on a Tech 3 and got a code. Fixed the problem, was a small hose on some air flow part, cost $1.00 to fix. Now stupid car starts, but won't accelerate. Completely lacks engine power. Put it on the Tech 3 and it won't even throw a code. Replaced the timing chain and gears, reset timing and is still causing problems. Now I am in the process of changing the Coil housing. Heard that could be the problem. If that doesn't work I will check compression and fuel injectors. This car has been amazing, but when something goes wrong everything goes wrong at once. That just isn't right.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 8th September, 2007

24th Sep 2007, 18:47

Sounds like it could be related to the mass air flow sensor. Check the hose and associated connections between the air box (my term for it - where the air filter is located) and the throttle body. Did you disconnect anything during your repair, and perhaps not put it on tightly during reassembly? If there is an air leak in that area, it will cause hesitation (possibly severe), sputtering, etc. No guarantees that is the problem, but that is what I would check first. Not all answers lie in the Tech-3.

I would not recommend arbitrarily replacing coil packs unless you are sure that is the problem. It could be an expensive mistake. The tachometer would be going crazy if the coil packs were the problem. Also, those are easy to check anyway. If you disconnect the spark plug wires and check for spark the old fashion way, you will get a misfire code. But, if you have multi-meter with an inductive RPM pickup/clamp, you can check it that way; just look for a tach. signal. Or, a timing light with the same type of pickup will do the trick too. Just hook it up to the plug wire of the suspect cylinder (s) and make sure it blinks. But, I don't think that is your problem anyway. You would definitely be getting a misfire code, at the very least, if it were.

1999 Pontiac Grand Am GT1 3.4 V6

Summary:

Not all Grand Ams are unreliable

Faults:

It needed new brakes.

The driver's side seat belt buckle trim piece is broken.

The rear cup-holder is broken.

It needs a new fuel pressure regulator (cheap part, I just haven't had the time to fix it).

General Comments:

It looks great, and it seems as though my car's sole purpose is to disprove the bad reputation the Grand Ams have. This car runs great, even with 109k miles. It's fast, it handles good, the brakes stop well (despite being loud and squeaky), and it's very comfortable for trips. It gets respectable gas mileage too, better than my 2.2 liter four-cylinder Beretta did.

I've had the car since April and all it's required of me is two oil changes and a brake job. I've also done a coolant flush and replaced the fuel filter as part of preventative maintainence though.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd September, 2007

1999 Pontiac Grand Am SE 3.4

Summary:

Not a good choice. High maintenance

Faults:

Pump died after warranty expires at 101000 KM. Cause car to overheat and repair cost was too high.

Left on the drive way for a week, I was shock to see the left wheel spring broken.

Security light has been coming On and Off. Car will not start.

Bought anti-rust module, but rust develop near the gas tank. Informed guarantee doesn't cover.

Too many problems.

Fan will only work if set at 4 or 5. Have to replace the Fan Resistor.

Something to charge the battery (Inverter?) failed at 45000 KM.

Rotor disc has to be fixed.

General Comments:

Look nice but not good for the wallet. Will consider Japanese car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 9th July, 2007