1996 Pontiac Grand Am SE review from Switzerland
"A mixed bag of mechanical problems"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Dashboard light went off and nobody was ever able to repair it... even the official agent.
Front brake disks had to be changed every 20'000 km.
Head gasket blew at 120'000 km and again at 170'000 km
Lost front left wheel on highway at 150'000 km (broken bolts)
Had to change alternator at 125'000 km.
General comments?
This car is rather nice to drive on good roads, with enough power and a decent handling.
On Switzerland's narrow mountain roads, it is another story. This car hates bad roads (jumps and bangs) and the engine overheats quite fast (in summer).
On the positive side one can mention a reasonable fuel consumption.
On the other side I would say that this was the less reliable car I had in all my life.
I sold it for 300 U$ to a car exporter who intend to bring it to Irak. A good place for this piece of junk!
Recommended Reviews:
  | A fun car not worth the pain of upkeep |
| Fun Car, but you better be mechanically inclined |
All 1996 Pontiac Grand Am reviews
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.1 gazoline Automatic |
| Performance marks | 6/10 |
| Reliability marks | 3/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 4/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 80000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 171000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Honda Legend |
| Date of Entry | 19th July, 2004 |