2001 Pontiac Grand Am SE 1 2.5 I4 from North America

Summary:

Handles Very well, good gas mileage, and good side impact crash ratings

Faults:

When I first test drove the car I noticed this grinding popping sound when I would hit the brakes. The driver's seat is falling apart. When I would idle from red lights I would get this gas scent. Also the service vechicle light came on with the traction control light and the ABS light came on also.

General Comments:

Overall this vechicle gives me very good gas mileage and it handles very well. I was in a very bad accident I was able to drive the vechicle home. Of course I had to take it to a body shop to repair it, but overall it was not as bad as bad as I thought.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 31st May, 2005

16th Sep 2005, 18:29

Did you get the problem fixed with the service engine soon light, ABS light, and traction control light on? I had a 2001 GT that the same thing happened to. It was on for awhile, then off, then was intermittent. I got it to a shop and when plugged into a computer, no code showed up. I never saw the lights again?

Email me please. tbrotzman@gmail.com.

21st Sep 2005, 11:54

I just bought the 2001 Grand Am SE1 model used at 87,000 miles. The very next day after taking it home, I noticed the ABS, Track/control, and Service vehicle soon lights came on and stayed on. Not until I got back home and shut the car off and restart did they go away. I read the owners manual and it stated that if this happens, to shut the car off and restart it. If every time the lights come on, then get the vehicle serviced. If not, then its just the electrical system reseting itself. Also have a problem with the brakes squealing every time I slow down. Could it need new brakes, new rotors, or something else? Any suggestions would be welcome.

2nd Nov 2005, 00:07

My car has not started for me many times. It gets towed to the dealer and of course there it starts and they cannot figure out the problem.

2001 Pontiac Grand Am SE 3.4L V6 from North America

Summary:

This car is a poorly made "money pit"

Faults:

Master Window Switch malfunctioned at 40,000 miles.

Flywheel cracked at 47,000 miles.

Fuse blows when cigarette lighter is engaged.

Throttle body is covered with carbon buildup which causes it to stick shut when the engine is hot. It has to be cleaned every 400 miles.

The turn signal audio clicks constantly in the cabin when the blinker is not even on. Probably a crossed wire, but very hard to get to.

Consumes oil at a higher rate than any other car I've owned. Roughly 2 quarts per 3,000 miles.

A strange electrical problem has recently surfaced where the car has seemed to grow a mind of its own. This has caused trouble starting, and a gallery of warning lights, doors locking and unlocking by themselves, and occasionally it stalls while driving.

When the steering wheel is turned after startup the ABS, Traction Control, and Service Vehicle lights come on.

The brakes have actually engaged while I was accelerating several times.

The car is in the shop right now for the brake and electrical difficulties.

General Comments:

This car has good acceleration and handling.

There are just too many little and now big repairs that I have had to make.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 20th April, 2005

20th Apr 2005, 15:43

There are some telltale signs in your review that suggest you might be driving this car very hard. Your car has traction control, and it is normal for the brakes to engage under hard acceleration to prevent the tires from spinning. That is (for the most part), how traction control works. If you regularly drive in such a manner, so as to accelerate strong enough to spin the tires, and engage traction control, that would also explain your throttle body oil problem as well. When you accelerate that hard, you are causing a large amount of blow by past the rings, to the extent that are building up enough pressure at the PCV valve to not only vent exhaust gas, but to also push oil out the valve (and into the throttle body as well). If you pull your breather hose off the throttle body, I am sure you will find that it is full of oil. All engines will do this when they are driven hard. If you are driving very hard, try easing up a bit, and the carbon problem might stop. However, if the rings are now bad (from hard driving or otherwise), it will not stop.

Good Luck.

View 4 more comments