Owners' Stories

I bought my 1998 Pontiac Grand Am Gt for $1,800. I bought it with 175,xxx miles on it. When looking at the car for the first time, I loved it. It had a really nice body, although the front bumper was an off-white to the car's pearl white. The interior was nice; no tears, no nothing. However, the dash board around the steering wheel and the CD player was coming apart. I did not mind the little cosmetic issues. I bought the car. On the way home, it was fine. I noticed it would need new shocks and tires. The air worked, it all worked. Except the seat belt sensor would NOT go off. I was not worried about that. I was about 15 miles from my house (getting it home), the AC went out and it overheated!! I had not had the car a day and it broke down on me. I had it towed the rest of the way home thanks to my preacher. My step dad, who is a mechanic, worked about $1,000 of labor into the car for free. I had to purchase an all new head gasket kit (the heads did not crack--thank God). He got it running. I was so excited. I had had it for about five months and I finally got to drive it again. First thing: went and got new tires for it. I drove it only once or twice a week. It was fine, except when I would come to a stop (either at a stop light or a stop sign) the car would start to jump and act like it wanted to die. A couple of times it did die on me. I was guessing the fuel gauge was wrong. I guessed this because when it would be at a half tank, it would start doing that. When I would fill it up until it could not hold any more, it would be perfectly fine. We had it hooked up to a computer to see if anything was making it do that and the computer said everything was fine. Well, I just kept gas in it. It was fine. Then I made a two hour trip, there an back. It did wonderfully. I was proud. I then drove it the next day and found out that the radiator had cracks in it. Fluid was gushing everywhere, and the car overheated, yet again. I purchased a new radiator for it. My step dad got it in for me, but the car still would not run. So, he tore it all down again and found out that I would need a new head gasket kit. The heads were not cracked. And that is where I am with it right now. The tires have 95% tread left, and I cannot drive it. As soon as it gets running again, I am selling it. I need something that I know will be reliable. I would NOT recommend the '98 Grand Am Gt to anyone. A Grand Am can be a good car. CAN be, if it is bought new. They are just known for overheating. And that is exactly what mine did to me, twice. I love it, but I just cannot keep affording it to overheat.

me and my g/f just bought a 95 grand am se sedan for $600. it needed a serpintine belt which i replace on 10/22/11 even though it was a lil bit of a pain. it has 101,589mi on it and it's due for plugs and oil change. but for only $600 and only needing a few very minor things i think it was a good buy, if u have advice for me e-mail me @ timesten2003@yahoo.com that way i'll have a heads up for whats to come

I change my battery and starter on the same day and now my theft system show up on my dash and dont have the any odeal how to get it off so my car will start

I have had nothing but problems with this car ever since it was purchased. I had to replace the heads. Put on a new starter. Unhook the tork converter and now the gear shifter button fell out and the gear shifter is broken. The car leaks on the passenger side. I cannot believe so many things could happen to one car. It is a 1992 grand am. Now I'am stuck with this car and can not afford to get another car because I'am on disability and a fixed income.

it will sit in my driveway and run for hours but when i get it on the road it about 7 miles and then shuts off and i have to let it sit 20 or 30 minutes unless i use starting fluid

bought this car new now has 92000 miles. just blew head gasket ,check engine lights on for 2 years. sun roof will open then wont close till it wants to replaced all 4 window parts to open and close windows dealer charged 597.00 can buy at auto parts store for 189.00 only 4 bolts. dashboard curling up . my wife loves this car. but it time to go still looks showroom new

Piece of junk... no wonder pontiac is out of business, replaced head gasket cause pontiac didnt want to do a recall, windshield leaks, trunk leaks, all four window assemlies inside the door had to be replaced, all plastic parts shattered , brake lines blew out, ac doesnt work, and it only has 68,000 miles on it!!!. abs and trac lights stay on... could go on but would run out of room!!

When I accelerate the car bogs down and it acts as if it looses power but it picks up after I let off the gas. The auto part store tested it with a machine and told me I needed an EGR valve. throttle position sensor, and heated oxygen sensor. I have replaced the EGR valve but it is still bogging down like its not gettin enough air to the motor. I need some advice on what it could be now.

I have a Pontiac Grand Am its a 97' and I'm having problems with it. When the car is coming to a stop the engine will bogg out and then when its at a total stop like at a stop light and I accelerate it dies on me. I will start back up and go but everytime it stops it dies when I accelerate. We already changed the fuel filter and the coils so im not too sure whats wrong.

I bought this car from a dealer. I believe it was not serviced before it was sold. I have replaced the pulley, the belt, the alternator, changed the oil, replaced the front brakes. I do have a problem that when I use the gas pedal it makes a shrieking sound. Sounded like the alternator when I first started the car up now that the alternator is in, the sound only happens when I put my foot on the gas pedal. I will be coasting alot I think, as I definitely do not want to announce my arrival every where I go. I like the trunk space although it does leak and the seats in the car are comfortable and attractive. I do not care for the blind spot on the drivers side. It is attractive and a good grocery car, I just wish there was more hand-on info for older Pontiac cars.

I have a '99 Grand Am SE. I LOVE IT!!! There is 197,000 miles and going string. Ive owned it for 2 years now and have had no major problems. I replaced the thermostat, brake caliper and thats about it. I do have a problem with my trunk getting water in it and also the rear fascia lights have standing water! My transmission slips sometimes. I find it very weird that there is no place to check your fluid unless you take it to a dealer/mechanic. My son will soon be 15 so I am giving him "Cherry Bomb". He doesnt like it because its a 2-door. The only reason for that is because he has gotten his foot caught in the seatbelt trying to get out of the back seat and fallen flat on his face. Anyways......Love my car!! Would get another in the blink of an eye!!!! PONTIAC BABY!!

Very good car. Very reliable! No rust, just has dents and dings and a few chips off of the paint... nothing unsuspected.. just trying to replace the water pump.

170,000 miles and counting. Other than normal wear and tear, it's been a reliable vehicle. Never gave me any problems.

i have had 2 pontiac grand am's and they are the best cars in my book

No maintenance has been required in 7 years except for normal wear and tear. Tires, wiper blades etc. Replaced front disk brake pads at 60,000 miles but they could have easily lasted another 20,000. The only major complaint about the car is rear view visibility. It sucks and there are more than one blind spot. Really have to check the rear view and side mirrors before passing etc. All in all this has been a great car.

i bought my 2000 grand am in june of 2000. my wife drove the car for 8 years. i have been driving the car for the last 2 years. it has over 225000 miles on it now! i still enjoy driving it. i have had a few problems out of it like the flasher clicking, the intake leak, i replaced the starter once, one water pump, and the window regulator. i have been pleased with the car!

car has been pretty reliable so far

I bought my 2001 Grand Am SE1 May of '08 at 104,000 miles. She is at 145,500 and her harmonic balancer on the crankshaft pulley came off. I had to replace 3 belts in the past 9 months. The pulley was shaking very slightly and the tensioner needed to be replaced. Overall though, she has given me a great ride for 2 and a half years. Her drive belt was the only problem.

I have got a 2002 grand am no major problems has 232,576 miles on and still going strong i would not have a problem taking it anywhere i want,i did have to replace the fuel pump at about 200,000 and window clips did brake other than that great car

I have had my car for 110,000 so far and there have been no major issues beyond normal wear and tear.

The 2004 Pontiac grand am is theworst car ever. It has a problem evey day. The security system always malfunctions, the coolant leaks out, the head gaskets go bad, the check engine light is always flashing. No matter how many times you fix it, it always goes back again. This car absolutely sucks!!!

The only other car that had every problem imaginable occur was my 1984 Chevy Camaro. I only wish I had stopped throwing money after bad. The best thing to do is to drive this car off a short pier(if you have one near you, as I don't). -Ugh!!!!

I;ve had my 2001 pontiac grand am se since 2005. in 2006 the radiator cracked and had it fixed. it also had the recall of the ticker continueing even after I turned or randomly come on. took that in to get it fixed. 2006 passlock system failed so I bought a bypass with Viper alarm system with remote start and never had a problem with it. 2008 i replaced the alternator, and had to have the piston redone and the engine machined cause it was having a misfire on cylinder 2. i've also replaced the thermostat two times. 3 months ago i had to replace the driver side rotor cause it seized, replace the coolant resovoir tank cause it cracked, and the coolant upper hose cause it cracked too. now it's having a problem starting, it cranks but wont start sometimes, and it will shut off while I'm driving it on the freeway, in town, ect. If I hadn't bought it used then i would probly have taken it back.

I own a 99' Grand AM GT, and I love it, it has 160K on it and I have been maintaining this vehilce since it had 20K on it. Runs strong every day for me

Bought the car used with 40K miles, it now has 107K miles. At the time of purchase the driver side window would not go up or down and had to be repaired (manual system). Since then the automatic transmission shifter cable broke and I replaced it after carefully disassembling the center console. The turn signals started failing to work and I found in a Forum that if you spray WD40 through the flasher button at the top of the steering column it resolves the problem. Apparently the connection gets dirty with dust and it affect the turn signals. The latest problem is that the A/C vent switch stopped working. Had to take the front of the dash apart and remove the glove compartment and found that there is no vacuum reaching the switch. I traced the line and plan to replace/fix it this weekend. Having said that, the car has been extremely reliable on the power train, brakes suspension etc. The car gives 28 mpg highway with 5 people in it and stuff in the trunk. It has held up pretty well and the paint has not had problems even though the car sits out in the sun and is 15 years old. All in all I have been very happy with this vehicle and my daughter will be driving it to school next year.

Good driving and riding car. I have had a 96' grand am se and currently a 98' grand am gt both have had coolant leaks and overheating problems. If you have to replace anything it's extremely difficult. If you can fix the coolant leak problems it would be a good car.

This is the best car I've ever had- 188,000 miles with no major repairs since i bought it in 2002. Very reliable! Only a few things to report- Had the automatic window clips on passenger side break, one fuel pump replaced, and radio light go out. Did have to replace the gas cap- but got a locking one anyway. Still runs strong with no noises, shimmies, or problems.

I have had this car since 03' It had around 25K when i bought it & its now at 70k. I didn't put many miles on it but since i had it, it had/has many electrical problems. I think my problem was that i put in an amp/sub (sound system) in it with the stock battery & it litterly died in 06' where i had to use my portable battery jumper anytime the car needed a start. My suggestion if you have this car & want to hook up a sound system up to it, replace the battery with an OPTIMA or another high end battery & replace it if it ever stops working for you. You might avoid electrical problems this way. If you do repairs on your own, i highly suggest you have the A/C system done professionally. You can install a new compressor (only after a pro ejects all the AC Coolant). Never, add coolant yourself. I made the mistake by overcharging the system when my BCM (Body Control Module) was going out on me. (yet another electrical problem). Overall the car works great for me, i only use Shell premium with mine (V6-3.4 Litre Engine) & the engine performance is great, works like new (yea just wait til i hit 130-160K). If you take care of this car & not treat it like your rustbucket, meaning do all oil changes (every 3,000-6,000 miles) or since the 2000 grand ams have a change oil light indicator change it during that time. Do what the manual says for preventive maintenence & you should be fine. And, if your check engine light comes on & flashes get it to a repair facility immediately. (you might be able to stop by a auto part store that checks the codes for you). If its not flashing its minor but should be checked out right away to avoid a more serious problem. It could be bad spark plugs, or you didn't put your gas cap on correctly. Get regular check ups even though it seems to run good, when i need my oil changed i get a free inspection to see what needs replacing. Since this is car is 10 years old (like any other car) you definatly want a professional (trusted) mechanic looking at the car to see what needs fixing/replacing & also i look at it this way, no car is junk, the only problems i see with the cars are how the previous owner(s) cared for their car (or didn't). Of course grand ams are not flawless, they do have their own share of problems or defects.

Car has original 34,000 miles. everything to repair is difficult to get to. many repairs. injectors, suspension, shakey on hills with injection, interior is plastic, faulty electric window motors (two door coupe) has very heavy large doors. if you have knee problems it will be difficult to get in and out. right now i'm working on the blower motor and resistor. A/c is cold. but it wont blow. have to remove power steering to get to blower motor, It's a quick car, V6 3.5ltr, but with all the problems for such little milage, not worth the trouble. I'm glad GM stopped making Pontiac. I'll stick with my Chevy Truck!

stay away from 2000 pontiac. it's a piece of junk

I've had the 2001 Grand Am 5 speed manual transmission since new, my third Grand Am. It is coming up on 110,000 miles and just now has to have the rack and pinion steering unit replaced. Only routine maintenance otherwise. What else is out their for an Old Pontiac Lover?

This car has been nothing but problems since the day I bought it. I'm constantly repairing and replacing suspension components, struts, bushings, you name it. The electrical harness is a joke. One day the car won't start, two days later none of the lights work, and by the weekend everything works again. I've spent hours trying to seal this car but it still floods everytime it rains. The engine and drivetrain have worked well but space is cramped so be ready for some miserable repairs. Just to swap the serpentine you have to remove the entire passenger side engine mount assembly and put the motor on a jack. Replacing the radiator requires you bleed and disconnect the AC lines. When the factory alternator was installed they put the main bolt in the wrong way requiring the whole thing be cut apart because there wasn't enough clearance to the suspension tower (this was down in the dead of winter in a supermarket parking lot). If you value your time, money, and don't want your kids learning a barrage of nasty words please just avoid this car at all costs.

I love my 2002 Grand Am GT with a 3.4 in it. I have had it for six years it has 146,000 and is still going. I recommend it to anyone. Do not buy a 1999 grand am though. there were a lot of problems with that year.

I Got this car last year from a friend for 500 guess what same engine as my old firebird, that said... I love it but at 17 years old the interior is still pretty sweet. The worst repair I have done is replacing the Heater core.$30 Cheap enough (but not a fun Job) other than that minor maintnence, most expensive part i've replaced is the top motor mount $ 50. This car is Sweet!!!!

Replaced the Fuel pump and filter on my 2004 Pontiac Grand Am about two months ago. Now the fuel guage is not working properly. Should the Fuel Level Sensor have been replaced with the pump and filter? Whats the typical cost to replace the sensor on this vehicle?

I have owned a Grand am for about a week and it is now in the shop. Enough said. loved the tight ride and driver controls for the week it was running. Pontiac could be on to something if they put in the time and worksmanship to make it right so it would last. To damn much like BP. And our government. To anyone who took the time to read this, thx for listening to me vent.

we've had our 2001 Grand Am SE for almost four years now, and we've only had to replace a few things, but the car was used when we bought it so you can't expect it to be perfect. We replaced the computer, the driver side window, and we're about to replace the brakes. We love this car, it's perfect for our family. It has 124,000 miles on it and I'm pretty positive it has a lot more miles to go before we have to retire it for good.

87,000 miles.4Dr. 4cyl. The heater/ac blower motor has a squeak that drives me nuts, on low speed. Just had both front wheel bearings replaced - I got a Direct Tire that is really honest and charged me $503 for both installed. They were going to do all brakes, but told me they are fine for now. I read online that is COMMON for wheel bearings to go on Grand Ams made in the late 1990's thru 2005. Figures GM did not get it right for some 15 years. They stopped making this model in 2004, but did a limited run in 2005 for fleet owners like rentals, lease companies, and fleets for corporations. It is a very well liked car for that use. I like the car overall. Been good to it, it is good to me. The factory-sealed transmission scares me, sometimes I think it slips or mis-shifts. Can't check the tranny fluid, as it is sealed. It is supposed to outlast the car, or you need to replace it or find a rebuilt one - if you can. I consistently get 20 - 24 mph. mostly depending on the weather. worse mph in the winter.

Bought mine brand new. it had 3 miles on it when I took the keys. Have had afew problems but what car dont? Had to replace the AC compressor at 38000 miles. THen had problems with AC again at about 60000 miles. Had to replace EGR valve at about 50000 miles. The rest of the things are normal things that every car has to have replaced from time to time. Wish they had not stopped making these cars as I would buy another one without a moments thought. Seats and exterior still are in very good condition.

Have replaced both electric window motors, head gasket, intake manifold gasket, both drive shafts, rotors and brakes every 20K miles, front wheel bearings 2 or 3 times a year, ignition lockout replaced, needs a rack and pinion unit, needs front bushings, losing power oon acceleration (feels like trans is starting to slip) at 130,000 miles, hoping to make 200,000k.

Love my Grand Am GT, no problems with this car!!

This has been, well, a real machine. I drive a 2002 Grand Am GT, and racked up 165,000 on it in that time. Other than minor typical problems that afflict any car, this thing has been great! Starts fine, drives great, smooth ride....a good basic ride w/ a bit of style. The only major problems I've had were because of AFTERMARKET parts: a wheel leak issue (bent aftermarket rims), and intermittent ignition lockouts (aftermarket remote starter triggered the alarm lockout feature). All in all, a great reliable car, that take a beating by me and still keeps cruising! :D

One of the best cars I have ever owned. it has 230,000 miles on it and I have never had a problem with the engine. A few problems with the brakes and air cond. but that is all. An excellent car!

I got mine at 83,000 miles, currently I'm at 202,000 (over 5 years). I've replaced the rack and pinion twice and still have a problems with it. Other than that I've just replaced common items like the water pump, vacuum hoses, tires, and brakes. The problem with my rack and pinion is that it leaks power steering fluid. Both times I got it replaced by a 3rd party repair shop and both times it worked for a year and then started leaking and popping again. Since my water pump replacement I've been taking it to the Pontiac dealership and I haven't had the same issue twice. For the rack and pinion I just fill up the power steering fluid every 3 months, because it's 1200 to fix it by the dealership.

I have owned 2 of these cars and the head gasket went in both of them and in my first one there was a wiring problem it would always blow a fuse which would shut off the car while i was driving NEVER AGIAN will I buy one

So I have a 2000 grand am and its junk. The brake lights are shorted out, the front pass. window worked when it wanted to and both pass. side windows are now off track. The braking system sucks! My engine light wont shut off and noone knows why. The water pump has went out. I've had numerous ignition problems...2 of them involving Security light crap and a non-start of my p.o.s. The intake manifold has had leaking gaskets. The power steering has failed. The engine revs uncontrolled and by itself occasionally. My side mirror fell off by itself! The heat/ac resistor has stopped working 4 times. The fan motor has also failed. The battery shorts out occasionally. My warning lights illuminate telling me there's a problem, but really there's nothing wrong at all, they will flash or go out w/in a day. The radio/cd/clock display no longer functions. The tachometer shoots up somtime when the car is turned off. My turn signals click long after the switch has been tured off. And currently the car stalled out on me while driving down the interstate at 70mph and left me w/ no steering or brakes, it will not restart. I've had problems w/ the way it starts since I bought the thing in 2001...slow and hesitant, sometimes hard starts. GM dealers say they don't know what the problem is. I've had problems w/ this car since purchased in 2001 and really went down hill a couple of months after the warranty expired, the car had less than 36,000 mi...don't ever buy one of these cars, stay away from pontiac!!! I take care of my car and it still fell apart! Buy a honda, I wish I had! I've seriously put $5000 into this car and bought it for about $13000 in '01...it's not worth the trouble...stay away! Everyone I know that has owned a grand am has had similar problems!

Brakes have been a major problem ... pads and rotors don't last more than 15k miles. I've given up on taking the car back to the dealer. Imagine my surprise this last winter to turn on the fan to clear the windows only to have nothing happen. Second time for the fan to go out. But overall it hasn't been a bad car. Just not like the Trans Am I had in college. A real CAR!

Barakes have always been a problem with all GM cars owned in the past. Pads and rotors NEVER last more than half of short term estimate. Currently having probs with cooling system and no warning lights came on and was given a vague description of what the problem might be by dealer. Otherwise.. only expensive repair has been $600 to replace pwr window switches and inside parts for driver side window. All others have been very minor.

Very reliable, minor problems in 7 years.

Had this car three years this month and the only things we've had to do to it are the strut mounts (under warranty), the battery, tires, spark plugs, brakes (pads and rotors), a washer pump as well as a floor mat. The right rear window has seized up on us a couple of times, but this is very minor. Total cost of these repairs was less than $600 and most is considered normal wear and tear. Not much to look at, after all, it's a Grand Am. The interior is cheap-looking, quirky and for a six footer such as myself, this car is a challenge to get in and out of. It’s as if General Motors deliberately made a car that only people of short stature could fit in. My wife loves this car and drives it 90% of the time and it’s been very reliable. It had 17000 miles on it when we bought it, it has 46000 at present. It has the 2.2 liter Ecotech 4 engine.

Good basic car. May have problems with coolant leaks from the engine. Interior trim and seats will show signs of wear sooner than expected. The front brakes may pulsate when stoping caused by worn rotors. Just keep up with the minor repairs and you may be able to avoid some of the major ones.