2000 Pontiac Grand Am GT 3.4L V6 from North America

Summary:

The car is great despite this one problem

Faults:

There is a rubbing/grinding sound coming from the front end caused by the rubbing of the rims on the tires.

General Comments:

I have had similar problems with the rubbing sound from the front end. It started only about 3 months after I first purchased it used (warranty was already expired). So last fall, my parents finally took it in to get it checked out. First, they replaced the brake pads, rotors, and other things under the car. This solved the problem for a few days. Then we took it to another locally owned service center and after about a week of trying to figure out what was wrong, they finally found that the tires were wearing from the inside from the rims. So they replaced the front tires with Kumos. However, I know that the back tires were bad as well because we had them rotated in the beginning to see if that was the problem. Anyhow, that solved the problem for a little while. Now a year later at about 44,000 miles as the weather is getting cooler, the sound is starting again (with the new tires)!! I am getting really upset with this and I would really appreciate any information on how to handle this situation properly! Thanks!

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

Review Date: 23rd October, 2004

2000 Pontiac Grand Am SE 4 cylinder from North America

Summary:

Not reliable, too many mechanical problems

Faults:

Transmission made noises constantly.

Seats were broken.

Radio volume control broke after a month.

Check Engine light on dash wouldn't shut off without a computer assisted "over-ride" by Dealership.

Front-end alignments (4 total in a year) never ligned it up! Always pulled to the right.

Heat/Cooling system never worked properly.

Engine made a constant "grinding" noise.

Replaced headlights.

Replaced Back-up lights.

Replaced brake pads (normal wear)

Replaced wheels - Original wheels rattled (cheap)

General Comments:

This car was NOT a dream vehicle, but was seemingly appropriate for a 16-yr. old girl driving it 20 miles a day to commute back and forth to school.

Never trusted it on the Highway (long-distance driving) due to the alignment problems.

Too many mechanical problems to have to deal with. With only 30,000 miles... it should not have had so many problems!

Spent more time taking it to be fixed than driving it! It was totaled last week as my 16-yr. old rolled it.

I will say... the seatbelt worked wonders in that roll-over!

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

Review Date: 19th October, 2004

2000 Pontiac Grand Am SE 2.4 Twin Cam from North America

Summary:

Great car for a bargain

Faults:

I have had my 2000 Pontiac Grand Am SE for just a couple of months. The night I bought it, it started making a noise in the front end. It was very loud and made the car sound like a piece of crap. I had to take the car back to the dealer 4 times, each time they thought they fixed it the noise continued. I kind of just gave up on it. About a week after I bought it, the brakes needed replacement. Here it is, about 2000 miles later, they are starting to make a grinding noise again. About 3 weeks after I bought it, the driver side window motor broke, that was replaced under warranty. About a month after I bought it, the "Service Vehicle Soon" light came on. That worried me quite a bit; its usually something serious. The light kept going on and off, and one night as I turned my high beams on, my headlights flickered and then the Vehicle light came back on. This confirms that the problem is electrical and not the engine, which was a pretty big relief for me. Now, the blinkers sometimes don't work, and I have to turn my Hazards on for a second to get them to work. This makes no sense, but I can deal with it. I can't get the "Trac Off" light to turn off and the "ABS" light stays on all the time as well. I don't understand, I have never locked my breaks up yet the light is always on. To this day, my Service Vehicle light remains on at all times, but since I know it is nothing serious, I don't worry about it.

General Comments:

Over all I like the car, most of the bugs seem to be worked out and the only thing I am worried about now is the brakes needing replacement. This is a very nice looking car and I have a custom paint job (metallic blue) so it is very nice looking. I love the interior.

The 4 Cyl. 2.4 Twin Cam has more acceleration and overall power than my previous car which had a 3.0 Liter V6, and it's pretty noticeable. I test drove a Grand Am 3.4 Liter V6 Ram Air, and only has 25 more horsepower than my 4 cyl 2.4 Liter. The better engine's power and acceleration was barely better than mine, it was almost unnoticeable. This is the most powerful 4 banger I have ever owned, and the power surpassed my last car which was a 3.0 V6. This car handles very well and has very quick response. I love this car and none of the problems are serious, so they don't bother me.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th October, 2004

8th Nov 2004, 10:07

I have 1999 Pontiac Grand Am SE (4 Cyl. 2.4 Twin Cam). The "Service Vehicle Soon" light came on today. I'm a student and I cannot afford a major car repair right now. In your review you said that you ignored this light and it remains on all the time. I was wondering did anything happen since you wrote this review?

I'm thinking to postpone the repair until next month when I have extra cash in my hand.

Thank you in advance for your help.