1998 Pontiac Grand Prix GT 3800 V6 from North America
Summary:
Nice looking car. Bad build quality
Faults:
Starter.
Valve cover gaskets.
A/C fan control module (only worked on speeds 3 and 4); didn't feel like tearing the dash apart, just lived with it.
Head light lenses fell off. Can't buy just the lens, has to be the whole assembly.
Water leaked in trunk and passenger floor board.
Dex-cool coolant turned into mud at 60,000 miles, supposed to last up to 150,000. Very common problem with GM cars of the time with cast iron blocks.
Power steering pump shaft broke. Replacement pump leaked fluid.
Belt tensioner plastic pulley seized. Can't buy just the pulley but the entire tensioner set up which includes alternator bracket and coolant bypass outlets (dumbest design ever).
Plastic coolant bypass elbows cracked.
Clear coat on the trunk spoiler and rear bumper was starting to fade.
A/C started to blow on the warm side. Never even checked it, that was the last straw.
All this with under 85,000 miles. Good thing I did all the repairs myself, would have cost the average person a lot of money at a shop.
I ran it through an auction to get rid of it.
General Comments:
This was a very nice looking car. 2 door (the way a GP should be) Bronze metallic body color with matching honeycomb wheels.
The interior was nice with cloth seats and a cool looking dashboard.
Engine performance was pretty good. The ride quality was a little on the harsh side.
I've always liked the Pontiac GP's of the past (never cared for the 5th and last gen.) and have owned a 3rd and 4th gen. prior to this one. Even though they were totally different cars, they were so much better as far as build quality and reliability.
The mid 90s seemed like a time when GM went on a nose dive. Most of the problems listed above were also notorious on other vehicles from different divisions.
The 3800 V6 was a great engine, but the series II starting in late 1995 was nowhere near as good as the prior editions. Dex-cool and various engine parts made of plastic were no help either.
May Pontiac R.I.P.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 17th September, 2020
20th Oct 2010, 08:15
They make a polish for the headlights. It'll make them look like new again, and it'll be safer driving at night.