1986 Pontiac 6000 LE 2.5 liter 4 cylinder from North America
Summary:
Reliable transportation
Faults:
Very dependable car if you keep up on the maintenance. I have only been stranded twice since 1993 because of timing gear malfunctions.
Timing gear went bad in Fall 1998 and during Summer 2001. To replace the timing gear you have to pull the engine out which is a pretty substantial job.
General Comments:
The 4 cylinder engine doesn't supply much power, but it is economical on gas.
Rides pretty smooth if the roads are good.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 24th August, 2001
4th Sep 2001, 01:29
I had a similar problem on my 2.5l '87 Buick Century (which is basically the same car as your Pontiac 6000, just different looks). The car had only 85,000 miles on it. This should not have happened! These engines do not have a timing BELT but a timing GEAR that should never require any maintenance (unless you run out of oil). The mechanic told me that the timing gear had no teeth left on it, but there was nothing wrong with the lubrication system! The only explanation is that the metal used in the manufacturing of those gears was not within specified parameters (if such specifications exist). These defects defeat the purpose of having a gear instead of a belt, which would require some maintenance. But knowing that this gear doesn't need any maintenance, nobody ever checked on it! The result is that I ended up with a complete valve work at 85,000 miles...
This negligence of the manufacturer is very expensive to fix as valve works are not cheap at all...