22nd Oct 2003, 16:44
I agree with the opinion that the 93 GP looks great. As a recent buyer of the GP I am still developing my opinion of the mechanical greatness. I have the 3.4L and the comments I am hearing are not too positive. I am now replacing the alternator, oops, Alternator (s). The first one lasted 15 minutes. If anyone has similar experiences I would sure like to hear about it. Also interested in hearing about any experiences with the window motor replacement. That is the next job. Lastly, If anyone is interested in purchasing a (nearly) perfect, one owner, GP, let me know.
Signed - not too sure I'm a GP fan...
22nd Nov 2004, 12:51
The alternator are the weakest part of the car. I have replaced one every 30,000-40,000 miles.
19th Mar 2006, 20:07
I've had mine for about 6.5 years with few major problems. The rear brakes tend to wear faster than normal and the calipers need regular maintenance-- I understand that there is a 60-40 load split between the front and back.
The only other problems of note is the turn signals seem to give trouble as of the last year or so (you have to hold them in to get them to flash-- help anyone?) and the rod connected to the driver's handle seems to bend every 4-5 years (again -- help anyone?).
Overall, with the mileage I have on the sucker and the repairs to date, I would give old faithful an A- rating.
--Saskatchewan, Canada.
25th Jun 2007, 13:33
Order an upgraded alternator from motorcityreman I did, got myself a 160amp version for only $50 more than one from the store and you don't even have to mail in ur core. alternator works great and I run too amps plus a 300watt computer with dual batteries separated by an isolator and the alternator and has worked great.
2nd Sep 2007, 18:56
My turn signals quit working on my 93 Grand Prix. I had to hold the lever or flash it manually. I took the steering wheel off by prying out the center cover with a small screw driver & removing the nut with channel locks, I found grease & burnt stuff on the contacts of the signal switch. I cleaned them with alcohol & scotch brite & got them working again. I think the grease came out of the steering wheel bearing.
20th Jan 2009, 12:39
We got our 1993 Grand Prix from a friend for $200, and I can say without a doubt that this is the biggest piece of junk we have ever owned. When something breaks, which is every other week, it costs 3 times as much to fix.
Both door handles have broken off, and I can't find any in any junk yards, which tells me it's a bigger issue with all the cars.
Could not replace the passenger window myself, because the factory made it almost impossible.
Muffler shop said it would cost over 250 to replace one muffler.
Just yesterday the ignition stopped working, and a locksmith said that the only one who can fix it would be the dealership, because it requires special tools.
And every repair shop says the same thing, "Oh it's a Pontiac Grand Prix, they have always been trouble"
The only place this car should be is in the bottom of a junkyard crusher.
Angry in the Midwest.
20th Jan 2009, 22:03
To 20th Jan 2009, 12:39.
I cannot understand how anyone can complain about a $200 car. $200 buys a bus-pass that'll last 2 months. Nobody has the right to blame the manufacturer for building a shoddy product, when the product you purchased was 15 years old and only $200.
23rd Feb 2009, 12:02
I bought my Grand Prix LE in 1998 when it was already 5 years old (dealership, in the used lot). In the past 10 years I had to replace a steering hose, fuel pump, couple of batteries, and the shocks and struts. That's not bad over a ten year span. Right now I'm trying to get it to pass smog in California. So far the mechanic has replaced the catalytic convertor 3 times, replaced the spark plugs (factory originals LOL), and now have told me that they are going to have to "get creative." Now if what I read above is true that the fuel runs rich, I need to inform the mechanic of this. Thank you random google result!
7th Mar 2009, 17:47
We bought our 93 Grand Prix in 2001 with only 42,000 miles on it. I agree, stay away from the 3.4L, it's expensive to repair and hard to work on, you have to remove intake just to change the spark plugs.
We've had all the same problems other people have had. Timing belt went at 48,000, cost $1,300. The shop told us they never seen a belt so hard to replace.
We are on are third alternator at $350-400 each.
Power steering return line failed.
Rear caliper seized up.
Radiator went bad.
Turn signal switch had to be replaced.
Rear steel brake line broke while my pregnant girlfriend was driving to work, luckily she was able to stop the car.
Door handle broke.
Power window switch contacts were corroded, but just needed to be cleaned up.
Last but not least, the car has developed a high idle problem. Shop replaced the idle control sensor, but it still has the same problem.
I read these cars also have faulty intake gaskets. Anybody else have same problem? Some of these things are age related, some are just defects. All these things happened over 40,000 miles. I've never seen a car with so many things go bad.
22nd Mar 2009, 16:01
I own a 1993 Pontiac Grand Prix LE and it has been with me 14 years now. The engine and transmission is original and I have 365,000 miles on it now. I have just replaced the starter on it.
Brakes haven't been too much of a problem because I drive a lot on the highway.
I have spent about $3000.00 on this car since I bought it used when it had 58,000 miles on it in 1995.
I am on my second alternator and water pump now, but everything else is pretty much original. It's the best car I have owned.
It has the 3.1 litre engine in it. I do change the oil every 3500 miles and the transmission oil every 25,000 miles.
24th Jul 2003, 10:42
I love my Grand Prix!! I had a minor accident (no I wasn't putting on make-up or on the cell phone) and it stopped almost on a dime, which is why it was only a minor accident. The suspension is great, when I am on a rather bumpy street or highway, I do not feel like I am doing a 1980's dance. The sound system is just fantastic! I am considering putting in a CD/stereo/cassette player, in place of my existing cassette/stereo player. I need to replace my brakes often because of the amount of driving I do, and I have had the alternator replaced 2 times. The battery went out, but I bought a Die Hard, and have had no problems since. My only complaint is the turn signals went out. I have to pull the lever towards me and hold it for the blinker to run when making left hand turns, and manually blink it to turn left. I will have that fixed this weekend. My air didn't work when I bought the car used 2 years ago, but I like riding with the windows down any way. I am considering having that fixed since I AM NEVER GOING TO GET RID OF THIS CAR UNTIL IT JUST UP AND DIES!! I LOVE my 93 LE Grand Prix!!