2005 Pontiac Grand Am SE review from North America

Around 30,000 miles, my power steering container lost air pressure, making an uncomfortable vibrating feeling when I turned my wheel. The power steering system had to be replaced. This was covered by my warranty and quickly fixed by my Pontiac dealer.

At 40,000 miles, my car would not start due to a misalignment with my ignition slot and my starter. Alignment was done by my dealer at my cost. My warranty period had ended and I paid from pocket $700 for parts and labor.

Most recently, my car has started to violently vibrate when put into reverse ONLY. This occurs when I first start my car and am backing up at a slow speed. I still have yet to fix this problem, but it does not immediately affect my driving experience.

I purchased this car from a Pontiac dealer in August 2005. The car had only one owner and was used primarily as a demo car. There were no accidents and there was slightly more than 18,000 miles on the engine at purchase.

In March 2007, I had XM radio installed through a separate receiver to my CD player & radio. The company did a good job, but the installation damaged the player, burning out the back light to the display screen. My dealer told me that the player was unable to be repaired and must instead be replaced. I got an estimate and was given a check for the amount.

While many say they are rather uncomfortable, I have had no problem with the seats in my car. However they are quite stiff and probably not recommended for those who want a little more padding in their seats. I do not notice a problem with this.

I enjoy the air conditioning vents which allow anybody to get cool air from every conceivable angle. The air conditioning quickly cools down the car in the hot summer within 30 seconds of starting the car. I also like the unique all red back lighting on the dashboard.

I am not entirely fond of the placement of the cup holders. There are 3, one large cup holder in front of the parking brake and two smaller behind the holder in front of the brake and automatic shift. You cannot shift your car in reverse if there is a cup in the left holder. You also will have a problem with the parking brake getting in the way with the right holder. The larger holder is well placed, however.

The light in the glove compartment shorts out often and needs to be touched to reconnect and turn on again.

Gas mileage is pretty close to estimations projected by Pontiac and can stay accurate if the car is well maintained.

I plan to use this car for a few more years until I save up for something that I enjoy more. I recommend it for anyone who needs a pretty reliable starter car.

I will definitely buy Pontiac again.