1989 Pontiac Grand Prix SE 3.1 V6 from North America

Summary:

The most comfortable and reliable domestic 2-door sold in 1989

Faults:

At 65000 miles I replaced the front brake pads and rotors.

At 71000 miles I replaced the original Goodyear's with 4 new Eagle GA's. Just goes to show how long tires can last if you buy a quality brand and keep them rotated.

At 83000 miles I replaced the power steering pump as well as the alternator when it was saturated with power steering fluid.

At 96000 I replaced the spark plugs when it started missing and flushed and refilled tranny and cooling system.

At 105000 I replaced the struts on all 4 corners and replaced the fuel filter. I also had to replace the O2 sensor because the check engine light was on.

At 109000 miles I replaced the front brake pads along with new pads and calipers on the rear.

At about 115000 miles I had the car repainted due to pealing paint on the rear quarters and trunk lid. They did a great job and it looked brand new.

No problems other than leaky valve cover gaskets until I had to replace the ignition module at 137000.

Replaced tires at 139000 with another set of Eagle GA's.

General Comments:

Overall I can't complain about the reliability of this car. It's not a high performance car, although I did have it up to 111 MPH once, or at least that's what my digital speedometer said. It does handle and ride very smooth.

I have changed the oil every 3000 miles and always maintained all the other fluids and filters. This is very important and does make a ton of difference if you want to make your car last.

Every option still works perfectly except the keyless entry and the power anteana freezes in cold weather.

The headliner and seats are still in good shape although the driver seat has a little wear on it.

This car also looks good and doesn't feel too dated for an '89.

I do a lot of highway driving and I would certainly recommend it to anyone who's looking for a comfortable and very reliable highway cruiser.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 17th May, 2002

1989 Pontiac Grand Prix SE 3.1 from North America

Summary:

Price worthy

Faults:

Cracked Block engine at 207000

My alternator dies at 216000

Transmission problems: lock-up doesn't work so my RPM is always 3000

Leaking gas tank at 203000

Oil pan change at 207000.

General Comments:

I love the look of the grand prix SE and it's really comfortable so I don't want to change it even if I got my part of problem with this car, but Pontiac part are cheap and I do the job myself.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 20th April, 2002

1989 Pontiac Grand Prix CPE 3.1L from North America

Summary:

Too many problems in such a short time!

Faults:

Instrument panel burned up, started smoking.

Oil pressure sending unit made the oil gauge jump all over the place.

Fuel pump twice.

Fuel pump relay.

Transmission pan seal leaked.

Vacuum modulator.

Coil pack replaced.

Fuel injectors had to be cleaned.

Water pump had to be replaced.

Head liner pulled away from the roof.

Passenger door locks on its own.

Crank shaft sensor replaced.

Valve cover seals replaced.

Power steering pump leaks.

General Comments:

I've only owned this car for seven months now!!

I've put more money into this car than I bought the car for.

8 times out of 10 it breaks down sitting in the driveway and I don't know it's broken till I try to leave!!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 30th January, 2002

1989 Pontiac Grand Prix SE 3.1 V6 from North America

Summary:

Great bargain for a reliable performance car

Faults:

Chews through alternators, have to replace them once every year or two.

Motorized antenna engine had to be replaced.

Fuel injection system had to be replaced at approx. 130k miles.

A few minor electrical problems.

General Comments:

This was my first and is still my only car. Runs great and looks good, I have no reason to buy a new car right now. I will definitely give a serious look at the newer Grand Prix models when I select my next car as I've been extremely happy with my 1989 Grand Prix.

I've only had about $700 worth of repairs since I got my car used back in 1995, despite adding 70K miles. This doesn't include the money I've spent on alternators, though. That seems to be the big problem with my car, it really chews through the alternators - they probably only last 18 months on average.

Radio controls on steering wheel are a huge plus, and I love the automatic controls for driver's seat adjustment.

Gets decent gas mileage even with 140k + miles on it. About 25 mpg on the open road.

Very peppy with the 3.1 V6 engine, I've also exceeded 130 MPH on the open road.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th January, 2002