1993 Pontiac Grand Am GT V6 3.3L

Summary:

It has issues

Faults:

Car tends to start rattling when it begins to get hot. I'm not sure if it's the fan running or whatnot, but it can get loud.

Car tends to get really warm in the summer since there is no way to turn off the fan.

Has an issue with losing power. When I mean "lose power" I mean it! I can be cruising at 70 on the interstate and it will stop running for no reason. It can make a very dangerous predicament. Then, it wouldn't start. It has a tendency to pull this crap whenever I take it on a long road trip. I just changed the spark plugs since sometimes it wouldn't start for over 45 minutes and that has helped a bit, but it hasn't acted up on me for a few days now.

Interior has started to wear, but I think the prior owner didn't take good care of the interior.

Prior owner commented on the original paint had begun to come off and they got it repainted. Well, that paint is starting to come off.

Call me spoiled by my last car (1992 Pontiac Grand Am SE) but the gas mileage is terrible. It isn't so bad when its above half full, but it gobbles gas down at anything below half full.

For some silly reason, my passenger window use to not work, but now it does.

General Comments:

I love the power of the car. How much do I love the power of this car, but sometimes it seem sluggish. It's quick and sporty, but it has its moments.

Factory sound system is great. Sounds really good for being as old as the car is.

I like how low the car is, but you can feel every little bump!

Very sporty and sexy. Moves quick in traffic.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 25th June, 2004

1993 Pontiac Grand Am SE 3.3

Summary:

Still gets me around

Faults:

My head gasket blew at 360,000 miles, replaced myself for $105 in parts.

Over the years I've had to replace the alternator (3 times, at 100,000- 120,000 mile intervals), Fuel pump (317,000 miles), water pump (340,000 miles). I'm on my third pair of struts (I've gotten my money's worth from the lifetime warranty).

Replaced tie rod ends at 370,000 miles.

Replaced both axles at 250,000 miles.

Replaced idler pulley at 280,000 miles.

Rebuilt transmission at 220,000 miles.

A/C compressor was repalced at 178,000 miles (squeaked pretty bad).

Paint is starting to peel after 10 years in the hot New Mexico desert.

General Comments:

I drive an average of 150 miles a day (mostly highway) with this vehicle.

I'm surprised with the durability of the 3.3L engine. While replacing head gaskets (at 360K miles) I was surprised to find little wear in the cylinder walls. This engine still does not burn oil! With over 383,000 miles the engine still has some kick.

Reading some of the other reviews, I guess I've had some luck.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th May, 2004

1993 Pontiac Grand Am SE 2.4L Quad4 SOHC

Faults:

At 65000 miles the radiator broke. (probably a bad install from the accident before I purchased the car)

At 75000 miles the alternator died.

At 99000 miles the sensors started to go bad.

General Comments:

I bought this car used from a dealer in South Carolina. It had been in a semi-minor accident in the front right which was repaired very well. It is almost not noticeable until you lift the hood. Although, I am not sure they put the radiator in correctly)

This car was a great car when I first got it. I took very good care of it, and did maintenance ahead of schedule. However, it is a very finicky engine. If you do not provide the correct maintenance it will bite you in the rear. I found this out the hard way. I began to neglect the car after the alternator died at about 75000 miles. At 99000, it came back to haunt me. Sensors began to go left a right at around 99000 miles. I have replace almost all of them.

I have not yet had the head or head gasket blow (thank god!). Although, I will be prepared if it does.

Typical problems with this car are: power windows will go bad. (Get new aftermarket ones on eBay when they break). The multifunction switch on the left of the steering wheel will go bad. Get one from a junk yard. They last about 6-7 years, and new ones are rather expensive. The alternator will die somewhere in the 60000-90000 mile range. I believe this is due to an elctrical problem somewhere in the wiring harness?

Other problems that I am aware of from dealerships and mechanics are: Head and/or Head gasket (dealerships and mechanics agree this is caused by not flushing the coolant regularly, and infrequent oil changes and then running the engine at excessive RPM for extended periods of time... racing the car with poor maintenance) Brakes wear at an alarming pace (also agreed that this is from racing the car and not replacing the suspension once it is worn out).

This is a fast car when it is young in age. Or, at least, when driving it, it feels as if it is. I believe most people really get on the engine when they drive it. Most people I have seen driving Grand Ams, of the same engine type, seem to drive it as if it were an indy car, taking turns at 40 MPH, going from 0 to 65 as fast as they can, etc. I believe this is the main cause of most people problems. I have driven mine hard, very little, and have not yet had any "major" mechanical problems. At least not ones I could not fix and could not blame on myself, aside from the windows and alternator.

I would not recommend this car to anyone who is not able to do mechanical work themselves, as a mechanic, and a dealership, will charge you a fortune for the work. An example: I took the car to a dealership when the car suddenly would stop running when I came to a stop. They said it was the Oxygen sensor, fixed it, and charged me $160.00. I later found out the Oxygen sensor cost $20.00 and the tool to remove and replace it, costs $5.00 and it is basically like changing a spark plug... a 5 minute job!

I have since learned a lot about this engine. You have to know how to troubleshoot and read the repair manual. Not a problem for me, but may be for some.

If you own one of these, take the time and money and do the work your self. I have made thousands of dollars worth of repairs for a few hundred dollars. The things that go wrong are not that hard to fix if you have the time and tools. Change the oil every 2500 miles. Change the Transmission fluid every 25000 miles (filters too!). Flush the coolant system every year. Use carberator cleaner to clean the intake every year. Replace the plugs every 18 months. When you buy some of the parts that go bad (i.e. the window regulators, light housings, etc), buy new aftermarket parts on eBay. They are a lot cheaper, and are better because generally the aftermarket manufacturers have corrected the original problems.

Overall, this car has been pretty good. Though I still can't figure out why that alternator and the windows died.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 30th April, 2004

23rd Feb 2009, 12:02

224,826: 1 alternator, 2 belts, 1 fuel pump. Would not trade it for anything. The best car I have ever owned.

2nd May 2010, 18:36

I am looking for a used car to drive back and forth to work that gets good gas mileage. I found a 1993 Pontiac Grand Am SE that has 38,618 miles on it. Apparently this is a one owner car, and the owner was a little old lady who over the years has just driven the car to the grocery store, doctor appointments, etc.. Think this would be a bad move? The asking price is $2,700. On Kelly Blue Book, the value of the car for that year and that mileage is only $2K.