25th Sep 2006, 13:04
I bought a 95 Grand Am SE, BIG mistake!!! First cv joints gone, then transmission, then starter motor, then radiator, then water pump, then EGR valve. This has been in two months of driving it! PONTIAC YOU SUCK!!! Stop making cars look nice and learn how to make them run nice, or at least work!!! GARBAGE.
27th Oct 2006, 00:19
We purchased a 1995 Pontiac grand am sedan before reading this!!! We had the car for four hours, and have already replaced the alternator. Luckily, the windows didn't work when we test drove the car, so those got fixed before we picked it up!! Tonight while driving it, the speedometer was fluctuating and them seemed to work fine. After my husband got the alternator in, he started the car, and the speedometer shot up to 110 miles per hour and is currently in that state!! Can anyone suggest a fix to this speedometer problem. And after reading this, My husband is afraid to drive it to the store to get cigarettes!!! So if any good thing comes out of this car, my husband will stop smoking!!!If you have any suggestions about the speedometer problem please e-mail us at rollsbaby@yahoo.com Thanks.
14th Nov 2006, 20:42
I have a 95 Pontiac Grand Am. The windows are manual, not power, but they are difficult to get up & down. I also have a leaking of water into the passenger compartment in the front, mostly the drivers side. The windshield has never been replaced and that was one of the first conclusions, without having to pay for it, of my mechanic. The gas gauge is not accurate, as well as, the speedometer.
Any insights on the water coming in?
20th Nov 2006, 20:26
The problem with the overheating is that you need to get that air out the water system. You need to bleed the system.
27th Nov 2006, 16:45
Yeah a 2007 grand am is now called a g6, kinda odd how they get rid of one model and bring out a new model, A.K.A cavalier cobalt.
8th Dec 2006, 14:52
I have come across many comments on the web about water leaking onto the drivers floor in an older Pontiac Grand Am. Though the operative word here is "older", I find it peculiar to be such a popular defect. The leak in my Grand Am is still a mystery after 4 times to 2 dealerships. I am in no position to have a car payment. Can you steer me into the right direction? Thank you.
11th Dec 2006, 12:14
I bought a 95 Grand Am for a winter beater as my TA is in hibernation. It has 136K miles and 4K on the rebuilt engine. My first problem was the heater hoses. They are a molded five-piece, $75 part. The replacement was not easy because you have to replace them from above and under the car. Its one of those job were it helps to be a contortionist. The car runs good now and after reading all these horror stories, I'll be sure to keep an eye on the fluid levels for this car.
Thanks. Oh ya, if you have what you think is water on the passenger side floor, I'd check to be sure it's not the heater core leaking antifreeze.
10th Jan 2007, 11:48
Right now I'm having a problem with my A/C compressor and the serpentine belt it seems. It makes a very loud squeal most of the time. Could this be causing my car to die when it comes to a stop? When it gets ready to die if at night, my lights will start to dim and you can tell it's getting ready to go. A mechanic says it'll cost me nearly 500 hundred dollars, but to get the whole a/c system replaced so I'll be ready for the summer it will cost a thousand dollars. I think it's time to get a new car.
14th Jan 2007, 18:23
I just bought a Pontiac grand am 95 and in less than a month I replaced the head of the motor, the a/c compressor, he driver side window motor, and now I have coolant leak from heater core. Long live quad four.
19th Feb 2007, 11:15
Mine is a '95 GT with 3.1 V6. Same window problems as everyone else. Had a GIANT rust hole in the area under the "vents" at the bottom of the windshield that let rain water pour into the driver side floor, fixed that with roofing caulking. Also had the ign switch replace under the recall. Now it is doing the weird, wild swings in the engine temperature, just finished replacing the thermostat. That was much harder than any other I have ever done, and it still fluctuates wildly in just a 15 minute drive. Yes I bled the air from the cooling system using the air bleeder valve. I suppose it is the head gasket, but see no coolant in the oil or visa versa.
23rd Feb 2007, 16:11
Boy oh boy, do I ever absolutely agree with 9:21! I could have written that one myself.
I never paid more than $2,500 for any car up front, although I did spend money on repairs over the years. I saved so much money by never in my life having a car payment that I was able to pay off my house after six years.
When my most recent car was about to die, I had been prepared to spend $20,000 on a new Jeep, but instead I bought a 2002 Explorer at a repo auction for $3,750.
With the other $16,000 I started an IRA and bought a mutual fund. Why would you make a $500/month car payment when you could be making that money instead??? Buy an old beater, and spend the couple hundred bucks every few months to keep it going. There is no such thing as being nickel and dimed to death. You will save so much money fixing a cheap, old car versus making the same monthly payment on a new car.
Maybe you've seen an article on the web: "Is My Old Car Undependable?: The Myth of Being Nickel and Dimed To Death." The author documents costs per mile and costs per year, and puts ownership cost in terms of comparison to a monthly payment. It's amazing -- $80/month to keep an old car on the road versus a new car payment of $500/month.
29th Aug 2007, 14:10
What a laugh reading all the comments here. I've replaced the motor on the driver window 3x on my 95 GT which I bought new (the passenger hasn't worked in years). I too have sat in my car patiently rolling the window up a 1/4 inch at a time.
I replaced the oil pan 5 yrs back when all the oil blew out of the engine one day :) Last weekend I went to put it in reverse and the gear shift broke in my hand - a repair that cost me 1000! But I look at it this way - if I get another two months of life without any further fixes I will have done better than dumping it.
Now it is 12 yrs old and has 110,000 miles or so. The car has been very dependable otherwise and I've have no significant mechanical problems (no overheating, leaking, etc). Its solid as a tank and I like it for that. The mechanics are always amazed at how good a shape its in. Maybe I got a good one because it was special ordered standard shift grand am GT. Fingers crossed I get another year out of it. I'm definitely thinking of buying used for less money than going new.
PS: Your dealership will install after-market parts which are often much cheaper than GM- ask them about it before they sell you an expensive part.
20th Jul 2006, 15:01
Well from all comments above, it seems standard that windows are a problem (I've changed my motor 3x's and the passenger window doesn't work again!).
My car was overheating like mad and blew a head gasket. It was fixed and two weeks later broke a rod.
While the car was a deal at 16,000, and it has lasted 128,000 miles and for 11 years, we can blame the dealer because there are too many of us with the exact same problems. I won't be buying a Pontiac again, that's for sure.