1996 Pontiac Grand Am review from North America
"Better than Chevy's for sure. Good overall cars"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Gaskets leaked twice.
Glove compartment latch broke.
Radio lights went out.
Some kind of valve had to be replaced for hard starting.
BLEW CAM SHAFT without warning at 129,000. Common problem with this motor.
General comments?
Overall the car was very good. Problems were cheap to fix. No major problems until cam shaft cracked; a very common problem for this 3100 motor 3.1 V6.
Maybe I was just lucky with Pontiac's again, but I never really had horror stories with the Pontiac's ever. Our family has owned them since I was born. MUCH better than Chevrolet without a doubt.
I've owned the 6000, 1996 and 2003 Grand Am with very little problems.
Never could drive the Chevy's, so I guess that's why you pay a little more for them.
Rather than risk a change, I will probably still stick with Pontiac's.
You're pretty much guaranteed 100,000 miles.
Recommended reviews
| A fun car not worth the pain of upkeep |
|
| Fun Car, but you better be mechanically inclined |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model year | 1996 |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 1998 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.1 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 2 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 54000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 129000 miles |
| Previous car | Pontiac 6000 |
| Date of Entry | 11th August, 2007 |