Faults:

After having my car for a few months, I realized the passenger window leaked.

At approximately 41,000 miles the transmission needed to be rebuilt. Fortunately for me, I only had to pay about $300 because of it being so close to the warranty.

I have had at least four lights replaced. Inside the light, fog and condensation would build up on the lens. After the warranty expired, one lens fell completely off.

I've also noticed that when the blower is on, either for air conditioning or heat, it makes a "tweet, tweet" sound, almost like there's a bird in the dash.

At approximately 70,000 miles, I noticed a bubble in the paint near the gas tank. It was rusting from the inside out. This was covered by warranty.

The water pump went out at 80,000 miles.

General Comments:

This car has great acceleration and pick-up.

The car handles great.

Faults:

The air conditioning compressor seized at 28,000 miles and was replaced under warranty.

At 33,000 miles the headlights were filling from every rain so they were also replaced.

The battery has been replaced twice, which is almost normal considering our Miami summers.

The alternator went out at 55,000 miles, but was quick and easy to replace.

The Mass Airflow Sensor failed at 72,000 miles.

General Comments:

I was quite taken with the overall performance when new and that feeling has diminished only slightly now after nearly 80,000 miles.

The interior is quite comfortable and well laid out.

The suspension isn't very forgiving and seems to bottom out more than it should. Replacing the struts has helped only slightly.

I very much like the overall design: It looks sporty and drives well, but has 4 doors and can carry 5 people with ample trunk space.

The V-6 engine has gobs of low-end torque and offers great acceleration while still delivering 22-26 mpg overall economy.

Faults:

The heads up display was not calibrated with the speedometer thus two different speeds were displayed. The dealer shrugged this off for two years as unimportant.

The 1998 Gran Prix streams water in from the right front passenger side whenever it rains. The dealer was notified of this a year after purchase and ignored it like everything else. It floods every time it rains.

A low speed rear end hit ripped the drivers seat out of the floor. As usual, it took the dealership four or five tries and a year to put the seat back half correctly. It should not have ripped out in the first place with such a low speed impact.

I have used two sets of tires already and have them balanced and aligned frequently. Something is definitely wrong here.

The electronics viz. windows, seats etc are frequently in the shop for repair.

General Comments:

This is a comfortable car, but it is a piece of junk backed up by GM/Pontiac and dealership unscrupulous and disingenuous business practices.

The electronics problems, leaking and other technical problems are well known and documented by the manufacturer and Consumers Union. It is time for class action lawsuits.