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