1995 Pontiac Grand Am SE Quad 4 from North America

Summary:

Overall good; Pontiac will get my business again

Faults:

Windshield leaks.

After owning it for only 2 weeks, the front passenger window would not roll up. Had to replace the window motor.

Various sensors have had to be replaced. Recently, it was the coolant sensor.

Front driver's side window stopped rolling up. Now, it won't go down. They say the control module (near arm rest) needs replaced.

Had to replace the battery twice.

Front speakers are going out.

General Comments:

Overall, this has been a good car. It has just been recently that things were going wrong.

That's just due to high mileage and age.

I bought another Grand Am because my '91 had only one problem in the 5 years I owned it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th May, 2001

1995 Pontiac Grand Am GT Coupe 3.1 SFI V6 from North America

Summary:

The Grand Am GT 3.1 V6 is an exciting car to drive

Faults:

Alternator went at 62k miles.

Power window regulator/motor replaced on the driver's side. $444.00 expense (always let the car warm up in icy weather before operating power windows). Use silicone or WD-40 around the rails every two weeks. Grand Am windows are heavy and the regulator can break easily.

New struts at 65k miles. They were replaced with Midas Gold (Gabriel) touring struts with lifetime warranty.

New brakes at 74,000 miles. Unfortunately GM brakes don't last long. I had them replaced at Midas with a lifetime warranty.

Original Goodyear Eagle RS/A tires were crappy. Firestone Firehawk SH-30 tires make all the difference on wet pavement.

General Comments:

This car is an excellent balance between performance, economy and luxury. The 3000 pound car will do 0-60 in under 8 seconds and gets up to 32 miles/gallon on the highway. It's only 160 horsepower, but its acceleration will outperform similar cars with as much as 200 horses. At 70mph the tachometer loafs at 2000 RPM.

The handling is great, although a bit harsh on some road surfaces.

Visibility is excellent and the seats are comfy.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th May, 2001

26th Jun 2002, 06:38

I had almost the identical problems. Alternator went at just under 70K miles. And driver's side power window is needing repair as I type. Needs a new regulator and motor.

You can save yourself some money though by finding a reliable garage and buying the parts yourself re-manufactured; they are much cheaper that way. Try www.autowhiz.com to help you locate parts.

- Joe.

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1995 Pontiac Grand Am SE Quad 4 from North America

Summary:

The worst car ever built

Faults:

The A/C went out after one month (April 2000),two months after that (June) the electrical system when crazy, two months later (August) the sensors went out, one month later (September) the windows wouldn't work, two months later (early November) the head gaskets were replaced, less than a month later (Thanksgiving) the entire engine was replaced due to crack on the engine's head.

I did not get my car back until January. Today March 19, 2001 I found out that the CV joint is gone (not driveable) and the brakes are grinding.

General Comments:

I have had this car for almost a year and have spent over $4,000.00 in repairs and I paid $7,999. for the car. I used to own a Ford and I will be going back. I would never ever buy another Pontiac.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 19th March, 2001

3rd Apr 2001, 16:48

Don't diss the Pontiac. You, probably unknowingly, made the biggest mistake ever - you bought a Quad. Talk about junk! Every mechanic I talk to says don't ever buy a quad - what a mess. Please warn the people you know that the quad is nothing but crap!

21st May 2001, 11:12

I too own a 1995 Pontiac Grand Am SE. I bought this car in 2000 from Bellmeade Motors in Altoona. Talk about junk. My head gaskets also blew. I am having problems with the engine light coming on and it shows the code of EGR Selenoid, I had this replaced then the coil packs replaced. I have been having transmission problems which they say that it was some kind of sensor, needless to say that cost $400 and after picking the car up from having this done, it is still double shifting and shifting into the wrong gears. No one can seem to locate the problem of why the EGR code is still coming up, even after it was repaired. Anyone with suggestions, other than driving into a lake, please let me know. thom285@aol.com.

26th Mar 2003, 10:51

I have a 95 Grand Am SE V6. I bought the car in 2001 and a month after the a/c went. I have had it fixed twice and it still doesn't work. It is now March 2003. The passenger side power window doesn't work. When I go 50 the car starts to shake and I have to get off the gas.

10th Jun 2004, 06:03

I own a 1995 Grand Am, and love it. It has a quad 4 and I had some over temp issues. I found out that the radiator was half plugged, and solved the problem. My quad 4 runs like a scalded dog, and I am very glad to own it. By the way, it has 165,000 miles.

19th May 2006, 17:28

I own a 95 Grand AM SE V6 with 205,000 miles on it. It runs like a champ and I have only had to fix minor problems. The window problem is easy to fix, just get know motors and they last for years. I got this car and 95 and it is one of the best cars I have owned.

26th Jun 2007, 22:10

Pontiacs are fine as long as you don't buy the QUAD 4 engine. Worst possible engine out there.

I bought a quad 4 and will never buy another one. However, I owned an 89 grand am prior to that and it ran fine. I didn't have a lot of money stuck into the car. With the quad 4 I easily have 6K of repairs into it and now can't give the thing away for $500. Biggest waste of money I've ever spent.

WARNING -- Just stay away from the quad 4 and you'll be fine.