1999 Pontiac Grand Am GT HO 3.4 from North America
Summary:
My 3.4L HO is mechanically reliable, but an electrical headache
Faults:
My head gasket blew around 70,000 miles.
The electrical system is screwed up.
The turn signals work when they want to.
The trunk button works when it wants to.
The cigarette lighter works rarely.
The car was brought to a electrical automotive shop, and they had to fix the security system on the car, which was not a promise it would not need to be fixed in the future.
General Comments:
I have the 3.4L HO, and it is still fast at 99,000 miles.
However the car has serious electrical issues.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 22nd May, 2009
19th May 2009, 22:52
I totally agree with commenter 09:29. People buy battered and beaten cars, have not the slightest idea how to do ANYTHING to them, then scream about them having problems.
I'm a mechanic and I drive and work on all kinds of vehicles. One of my personal vehicles (we have 4) is a near-mint 2001 Grand Am with the bullet-proof Quad 4 with mild modifications. After 9 years this car looks, runs and drives BETTER than new. I've been out a whopping $27 on this car in 9 years. I spent $17 replacing my front brake pads (the rear are STILL original) and $10 for a headlight bulb. This reviewer obviously does none of his own repairs, as you could replace EVERY PART IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM in one afternoon for less than $350 yourself. I replaced my front pads in 15 minutes on my lunch break!!
People buying older cars need to learn a bit about auto repair. It would save them a ton of money.
My guess is that this car had been overheated at some point, as most drivers are so clueless that they will drive a car after it overheats, oblivious to the fact that this warps engine surfaces and makes the car forever totally unreliable. To blame Pontiac for someone else's abuse is silly.