2001 Pontiac Grand Am SE1 3.4L V6 OHV 12V FI Engine from North America

Summary:

Awesome! I love this car!

Faults:

Service Engine Soon light came on all the time (until fixed)

Springs in the back of the seat have popped, but it's the only major problem.

General Comments:

For those who have the mystery Service Engine Soon light coming on, and keep taking it back, request an upgrade to the software. There is a bug in the software that came in the car that will cause it to go off for no apparent good reason.

The software update should cost about 50 bucks from the manufacturer, and is a KNOWN ISSUE! However, it is not one they will mention (and there is no recall), because it is not considered a "manufacturer defect" nor is it considered a "safety issue".

Fountain Tire did about 6 hours of research on this problem because it kept going off with different reason codes. When they found the solution, I took it in to the dealership (you can only get this done there), got the update, and the problem has not recurred.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th July, 2007

2001 Pontiac Grand Am GT1 3.4L Ram Air from North America

Summary:

Good first car

Faults:

The starter has never worked as good as it should. When the engine is cold, the car will start right up. When the engine is warm, it sputters and cranks for a while before turning over.

My air-bag light will come on randomly.

My trac-off/service vehicle soon lights both come on randomly.

My transmission is starting to skip.

I just had it towed due to a short in the computer and a drained battery.

I have the 8 speaker monsoon speaker system and the back speakers had to be replaced.

General Comments:

I am only 17 years old and this was my first car, and I must say, it was a decent car for a 17 year old. I really liked the styling and the leather seats. The power sunroof and steering wheel audio controls were not bad options either.

When I replaced my speakers, I noticed that they are covered with some kind of meshy material so you cannot see the actual speaker. When I removed the meshy material off of the old speaker, I realized that the speakers were not blown at all. The tweeter that is glued in the middle of the speakers had become loose.

Also my transmission is starting to slip a little bit and seems to have trouble downshifting out of overdrive.

My starter sputters every once in a while and I can't get any mechanic to figure out the problem.

Other than that, this car is very comfortable, and all of the features of the car work great. the chrome rims add a nice touch to the appearance. The only feature I would add to the car is heated seats.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 9th June, 2007

2001 Pontiac Grand Am GT 3.4 from North America

Summary:

GARBAGE

Faults:

30000 Kms = INTAKE MANIFOLD

70000 Kms = Head Gasket

90000 Kms = Head Gasket

140000 Kms= Head Gasket

Cruise Control

Power Window module

New Tires at 50000 Kms because of a bad designed rim (ALUMINUM)

Not exactly sure when the head gaskets were replaced, but three have been done.

General Comments:

Not exactly sure when the head gaskets were replaced, but three have been done. This car has giving me so much headache I am going to ged rid of it this weekend and buy a Acura TL Types or RDX this weekend. I will never buy another Pontiac, GM, Chevrolet in my life.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 31st May, 2007

2001 Pontiac Grand Am SE 2.4L Twin Cam from North America

Faults:

I have to add power steering fluid every four days in cold weather, every two to three weeks in warmer weather. It doesn't seem to matter how many miles I drive during the interim. Road and driving conditions don't seem to influence this problem either. Replacing the high and low pressure hoses has not corrected the problem.

The front end also makes a grinding noise with low speed turning. This may be related to the power steering problem as the noise is worse when the power steering fluid is low. It's also worse when braking while turning.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 23rd February, 2007

26th Nov 2007, 12:36

I bought my grand am brand new and have had that grinding noise since the first month. They had to replace my rack and pinion; luckily under warranty. You might want to check the same thing while driving slow, turning, and applying the brakes. This car is a piece of garbage and has given me nothing but problems from day one. The intake manifold had to be fixed because it was leaking, and now at 67,000 miles I have blown a head gasket. So far, about $2,000 in repairs. It's a piece of junk.