1987 Pontiac 6000 LE 2.8 4 cylinder from North America

Summary:

Dependable and stubborn underdog

Faults:

Previous owner had puttied head gasket leak.

General corrosion due to road salt.

Severely damaged hood due to previous owner hitting a deer.

Weld at front of muffler has broken, causing pipe to rattle hard.

Severe engine knock at startup.

Headlight switch mooring broken off.

Also a short in head light switch.

Power windows work at random intervals.

Power locks ineffective.

Windshield washer switch broken.

General Comments:

My girlfriend calls it the 'rolling couch' due to it's bench front seat. Although, I don't have a power couch in my living room.

Very perky for a 17 year old car.

Heavy duty brakes were installed at some period. I recommend strong brakes. Especially in non-ABS vehicles.

Due to head gasket leak that I can't afford to repair, oil leaks onto the serpentine belt. This leads to a general splatter all over the motor, and unfortunately, onto the right front disk brake. This can make stopping interesting in wet weather or after a period of hard driving. I run 30 weight oil to help keep the motor from leaking so much.

Previous owner had installed a new thermostat that sticks like crazy in stop and go traffic. Radiator fan also doesn't work, which doesn't help the problem. I'm considering hardwiring a new fan to a toggle switch and removing the thermostat all together. It won't warm up so well, but there are work arounds to that problem as well.

I love this car, for all it's problems. It has great handling in slippery conditions and can keep up with the big dogs rolling down the freeways these days. She provides a very smooth drive, and comfortable seating for 4.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st January, 2005

26th Jan 2005, 09:41

This car sounds like more of a dead dog than an underdog.

1st Nov 2005, 19:16

The car is not a "dead dog". If you invest in one, I promise you will not be let down.

1987 Pontiac 6000 STE 2.8L V6 from North America

Summary:

Handling, and braking

Faults:

Transmission went out at about 70,000 miles, but that was driving during an "emergency situation" at 100+ mph, shifting it manually.

Plastic "side" tank on aluminum radiator cracked and had to be replaced, (typical GM cost cutting)

General Comments:

I also have a 1997 Pontiac Grand Am, and it is a piece of crap. (It is made in USA, vs. my 6000 which was made in Canada of mostly German (Bosch) parts. My Grand Am has NO brakes after 2 hard stops, because the brake system is too small for such a big car. it takes longer to start than my 6000 that is 10 years older.

I also has a leak somewhere in the trunk, that cause it to have 2 inches of water to sit in the spare tire well all the time.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 29th October, 2003

1987 Pontiac 6000 STE 2.8 from North America

Summary:

Bottomless money pit

Faults:

At the end of the ownership the car had more replaced parts than the original ones. Air flow sensors, oxygen sensors, water pumps and fuel injectors were replaced on annual or semi-annual basis. The inflatable shocks died at 55,000 and the cost of replacing them was 1/4 of the car's value. If the car would be services at a dealer, out of the 115,000K 100K would be spent on trips between the repair shop and the house. The oil pump started acting up at 60,000 leading to sudden death at 115,000K. Until today, the family gathers yearly to celebrate the day this car was towed away.

General Comments:

One big GM misfit. Unfortunately, GM hasn't learned much from this mistake since Corsica's and Lumina's were made until 1999 with similar engineering solutions (and similar problems)!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 31st July, 2003

3rd Aug 2003, 01:06

You just had a bad seed. The A-body cars (Chevy Celeb, Pont 6000, Buick Century) were based on the same design since the early 80's until they quit making them in '91. I've found that the later models ('87-'91) are for the most part extremely reliable since by then GM had worked the "bugs" out. I've owned several of them, all high-mileage and had no major problems or bad experiences with these cars.