2002 Pontiac Grand Am review from North America

Well I'll start from the beginning. My Grandma for some reason has always purchased Pontiac vehicles. Then she got a Grand Am, like a mid 90's model I believe. That thing was a turd - I remember having to stop on the way home from school one day to let it cool down and not blow up the engine. So a few years later my fiancée is getting a car, and all she can talk about is how she has to have a Pontiac Grand Am. I tried countless times to talk sense into her, but she would not listen, so I let her have her way.

About a month after having the turd, the transmission went out on it and had to be replaced. Fortunately that was under warranty.

Next about a year or so later, it would refuse to start like there was no fuel getting to it. We had to soak a rag in gas or spray ether into the air cleaner to get it to start, and the A/C also went out at this time. I had to replace the fuel solenoid and take it back to Pontiac where they found that the electrical bundle had burnt to a crisp, screwing up several small components in the car and my A/C. Saying mine because by now the turd had become my temporary ride while my now wife drove my nice truck.

Next, now we have coolant leaking badly from the reservoir, and it's not going to the head gaskets. I think it may just need a new cap to prevent evaporation. But it does do this God awful clicking noise constantly like the blinker noise, but it never stops, well for a few minutes, then it starts up again. In like a rapid clicking mode.

I also have a problem with the security system on the car. I don't know if my electrical meltdown caused it or what, but my alarm will kill the ignition system from time to time, and you have to put the key in and reset it - it takes 10 minutes of your time just sitting in the hot car. I took it to Pontiac and they wanted $800 to replace the alarm system. Of course I said no thanks, and I deal with 10 minutes of hell.

No to my current adventure with this Pontiac Grand piece of crap. All my lights for my service engine, traction control and ABS are coming on, and the brakes will just make a humming noise and basically stop working for a matter of seconds. Yea real safe huh, nothing like bumper to bumper traffic with no brakes all of a sudden.

I hate this car! I will NEVER EVER own a Pontiac product again after the crap I dealt with in this car. In fact if this minor depression we are in made GM shut down the Pontiac plants, I would volunteer to burn the assembly plant down for them and dance on the ashes.

I have put way more money than I can really afford into this so called reliable and cost efficient car. I love GM, but this car is in my opinion the rear end exit of their outfit.