1996 Pontiac Grand Am SE 2.4Liter from North America

Summary:

Waist of money

Faults:

Well the first thing that went wrong was the water pump ($700.00). A couple of months after that the alternator went out on me ($200.00). But lucky for me, a friend of mine knew how to fix it so I didn't have to pay too much to get it fixed. For about a year the only problems I had were the front brakes. But this past year. The front driver side, front passenger side and the rear passenger side windows have all went out. I took it to the dealer to see how much it was going to run me... they told me 130.00 a piece. Soon after that the radio knob has a mind of it's own. And two months after that the horn stopped working and the heating element went out.

General Comments:

Other than these problems it has been a good car.

Will I buy another Grand Am?

I don't think so!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 28th February, 2003

7th Dec 2006, 12:31

I bought a 96 Grand Am and paid 1000.00 for it.

The alternater went 2 days after I bought it.

The radiator went a week after that.

Wiring problem/s Pontiac always had.

The rotors are made out of cheap steel, so you guess they are gone again. They're not even 3 months old.

Then the water pump went 3 weeks ago.

I changed the oil in it for the winter time, and now the head gaskets are gone too. I am not going to fix it this time, it is going to the junk yard in the spring were they all should be.

1996 Pontiac Grand Am GT I-4 2.4 from North America

Summary:

A fast, fun, and reliable car to own!

Faults:

My cable linkage broke at 103,000 miles.

General Comments:

This has been the best car I've owned. Not only is it fast, but sleek and detailed. My car is a deep purple color and the paint still glistens! Interior of the car is hardly rattles at all. The suspension on the car isn't all that great. I'd buy lowering springs, but I don't think it would look good. Air conditioning and the heat are better than my buddies imports. I get a lot of comments from people that my exhaust sounds awesome. I took off the mufflers and just have two 3"1/2 tips (cheap horsepower). That gave my car a definite boost off the line and in the higher rpm. The only drawback with Pontiac is the winding noise the engine makes when it gets older. Does anybody know why they do that? But other than that, I couldn't be any happier with my baby.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th February, 2003

17th Oct 2003, 02:04

The valve seats wear out, causing the noise... expensive to fix, but causes no noticeable problems.

1996 Pontiac Grand Am GT 3.1L V6 155HP from North America

Summary:

If you like to pay and pay and pay for parts, this is the car for you

Faults:

Alternator went almost every 20000 miles.

Head gasket blew at 80000 miles,

Radiator went bad 3 times.

Fan malfunctioned twice.

Heater Core went at 50000 miles.

Transmission went twice.

Airbags didn't deploy when I had an accident.

Everything rattled inside.

Lights always dim.

Tensioner broke at 70000 miles.

General Comments:

This car is not worth the money.

Since the day the extended warranty expired, all it has given me is headaches.

The looks a very appealing and unique, but the engine is very unreliable.

This car was taken care with oil changes every 3500 miles and basic maintenance and still these problems occurred.

Times that car did work, very good.

However this car broke down, on average almost every 15000 miles.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 29th December, 2002

14th Jan 2003, 14:49

Just wait a year or so. Enjoy your car now while it works. Get rid of it as soon as the warranty expires. I'm not the only one that has had these problems. Check the internet and you will see that I'm not the only one.

31st Jan 2003, 03:37

My first car was a 96 grand am and I agree the problems I had with it were endless. If it wasn't the water pump going every 20,000 miles it was the transmission constantly slipping, and the power windows what a joke those are. The steering I always had problems with, which after doing research, consumer reports classified my car as being a "consumers risky investment". (Wish I had seen that before I bought it. I took very good care of my car also. And my dad being a mechanic, knew how well I took care of it, and told me never to purchase one again. I feel your pain...

13th Mar 2003, 23:59

I'd have to say wow! I'm really shocked that your grand am has given you so may problems. I've owned my 97 Grand Am GT from 40k to 90k and knock wood so far its been very reliable to me. Heres what I've bought in up keeping my car. 1 alternator, 3 full sets of tires (yes I'm rough and like to play), and I've had to fix the door locks, other than brakes and plates its been great. It shifts very tight even for automatic! I love the performance and would like to add more!

Shawn.