1997 Pontiac Grand Am SE from North America - Comments

I recently bought a 1997 grand am se.. the car is amazing it runs so nice.. it seems like everyone one of the cars listed on here has high miles.. The car I bought was from a old couple and was never driven like crap.. it only has 90000 miles and runs like its brand new.. keep you car in good condtion, maintain it regularly, don't bag it and it should last you a good while.. any car will have all these problems if it isn't maintained well or is bagged!! drive it like you want it to last and it will.

I bought my 97 Grand Am 2/12 years ago. I have never had a problem with the windows (thank goodness), but I've had to have a new clutch, water pump, and many other small things fixed that tend to add up; and now I think I need a new ignition switch or battery. It acts like it wants to start up, but then it just doesn't "catch." Esp. after charging my cell phone, or when it is damp out. Also, the brakes tend to want to slip a little just before the car comes to a stop; I was told it could by my ABS. I haven't had a tune-up since I bought the car, LOL maybe that would help. Can anyone help me?

I own a 1997 Pontiac Grand Am. I am the second owner -- my parents were the first. I took ownership of the car back in 2005. My parents maintained their vehicle, and I have taken my vehicle in for regular servicing every 5,000km & have seasonal tune-ups performed as well. My point -- servicing is not the issue! I have had problems with a constant oil leak that several mechanics, including GM, have not been able to properly diagnose or repair. I have spent $1,000 having an engine seal repair, and it still leaks oil?! This past week, my key got stuck in the ignition while the vehicle was running in the 'on' position. GM never notified my parents back in 2002 that there was a recall on the car due to a problem detected with the ignition switch. Anyway, I had to have that replaced, and then had to pay GM for 3 hours labour to repair the security wiring, as 'apparently' it was incorrectly spliced in the past and needed to be redone in order for them to get the car to start. I have spent $1,000 within the past week getting the vehicle to run again. There have been other less serious issues as well which I will not even begin to mention. I am not at all impressed with this vehicle.

I am sitting here reading your comments and can't believe there are so many cars out there with pretty much exactly the same problems. Passenger window dosent work. Blows cold air, no heat, and ignition sticks and I have to wait 10 to 15 minutes before it will turn completely off. Well here is a new one to add. Back brakes lock up when I am trying to stop. it is really bad when it rains. I do need to find a diagram for heater core or instructions so my boyfriend can replace it for me. Is there anyone out there that can point me in the right direction to get a free diagram or manual.

I have a '97 Pontiac Grand AM. I am its second owner. The first owner was able to keep this car in the garage, which I have not had the luxury to do. I also call it my plastic car. I bought it at 23,000 miles or so.

When I first bought the car, I noticed that the steering wheel was a bit worn on the bottom. The first owner was apparently a bigger person and every time he/she got into and out of the car, the more the bottom of the steering wheel would rub against the clothing. Maybe that is why the owner gave up this car. Hum...

At 65,000 miles, I had to have the alternator replaced. My brother-in-law performed this duty. These cars are a bit picky when they are left out in the weather. I hadn't driven it much in a few weeks and when they sit around, things do go wrong.

The first time I had it on the highway, I was quite impressed. My first car was Pontiac Sunbird. This car is, or should I say, was nice...for a while.

The first thing that went out on me was my A/C. I didn't bother fixing it, since I was not driving it long distance very often. (I was unemployed at the time. Go figure.)

I can very relate very well to the "plasticness" of a Grand Am. The plastic seat belt mechanism protector on the driver's seat broke a long time ago, (thanks to my fiance).

I've had the driver's side mirror adjuster fixed 2 times; once by a mechanic. They said the clip needed replacing. The side window controller fell into the door again about 2 months after it was fixed. The plastic piece surround that holds the adjuster knob up to use it broke. I noticed that after my father-in-law had driven it once. My husband's cousin just fixed/rigged it up again for me this past summer. I don't even bother using it. I just manually adjust the mirror. She loves my car. She tried to buy it from me for $1500.00 a few months back. She had one that got totaled.

The second muffler bracket rusted out and fell off towards the end of the summer. I saw it was rusted out one day and tried to remove it... the next time I drove it and came home and looked at it, it was gone! Oops! Must have fallen off on the road somewhere.

I also had the ignition switch replaced when they had the recall. I've had no problems with that.

I've had problems with my ABS light sticking. The button on the side of the gear shift wouldn't turn it off or on. That is when the "low fluid" engine light came on and wouldn't go off for the longest time. I almost freaked out when that happened the first time. The second time it happened, I was getting ready to drive home from work. I was backing out of my parking spot and heard a 'thump'. Then I noticed I was able to use the switch on my gear shift and it was actually turning the ABS light on and off. My right tire felt a bit more relaxed too. Must have been the brake or something.

I had my A/C pumped up 2 summers ago. 2 1/2 months later, it went out again. I decided to suffer with it since I was the only income maker at the time. My husband and I took both of our cars (his is a 2001 Honda Civic LX; and his relatives all wonder why I don't drive my car on small or long trips) to a garage a church member had recommended. He told me that there was a minute leak somewhere and put a sealant and tracer in the line. He said "drive it all you want, then come back when it starts acting up again". I drove it the rest of the summer and even the vent was almost cool enough not to have the A/C on. The A/C was almost too cold!

I can relate very well the volume knob and having to pinch it or grip it, having to turn it almost at an angle so the radio will be at a reasonable and tolerable level.

The seat adjuster side notches (plastic...of course) broke long ago. Tried putting tape on them, to no avail. I think my seat adjuster got jammed a few years ago. One day, I noticed I couldn't move the top middle part of the seat up all the way. The other side is fine. Maybe I should switch the seats.

My digital clock display has also shown funny lines and language at times.

The first time I went to use the cigarette lighter to charge my cell phone, a fuse blew. So, I went out and bought several fuses just to be on the safe side; no problems since then.

After driving on the highway to and from work an hour each way for 1 1/2 years, my brakes needed replacing. I only replaced the front ones and had the back ones cleaned off (brake dust is what they said at the BP repair shop). Another year and a half later, the front brakes are once again very spongy. I am assuming that the rotors will probably need replacing...again. (I almost get whiplash in my husband's Honda when he drives.) It takes forever for my car to stop and I am not used to his car stopping so abruptly.

At 85,000 miles or so, I had to have the serpentine belt replaced. I guess that's a given when you are driving on the highway a lot.

And I just love it when a truck throws a big rock and breaks through the plastic shield on the windshield on the highway. I had several of those holes filled in at one time by a Valvoline oil changing station, only because the insurance covered them and they offered. I have since acquired a few more.

A few years back, I remember looking at my gas tank opening while filling the tank and noticing that the plastic protection or interior pieces surrounding the nozzle entrance had somehow gotten loose and fallen out. At least $110.00 just to repair that.

I was getting ready to take my car through a carwash one time when I saw a sign that said "No Pontiac Grand Ams Please". I went and asked the owner about this. He said the driver's side mirrors on several cars had fallen off or gotten loose while going through the car wash. He did look and feel my mirror and agreed to let me go through the wash. I thought that was weird. Apparently he has had some car owners come back demanding payment for replacing their mirrors. I've never had any problems going through car washes, ever. Now watch. The next time I go through one, it will happen. Ha!!

We had a theft at our townhouse 2 months ago. The person only took off with my car key. Luckily I had a spare key upstairs. Just to be safe, I moved the car to a different spot. Then I lost the key (thanks to my cat). We went out of town for 1 1/2 weeks. When we got back, I went to a local GM Pontiac Dealer to have a key made so I could get into my car. I gave him the VIN # and the guy made it to the exact specifications. I got back home and went to open the door. It didn't fit! My husband tried. We tried the trunk. Nothing. The townhouse property maintenance guy tried with his GM truck key. It worked!!! He was able to get the doors (I have a 2 door car) and trunk opened. It would not work in the ignition though! Rats! If only I could find that spare key! Wouldn't you know it, late that night, the cat was playing around with (you guessed it) my spare key, under the dining room table. The next day, I took both the spare and new keys back to the GM dealer and they made a new key from my spare key. The key they first made looked nothing like my spare key. The codes must have changed, but I am sure glad I found that spare key.

I will probably keep this car until it wears out and we get a new car (a Honda) for my husband. I'll probably take over his old Honda and give my Grand Am to his parents. I'll keep it in the family. Pontiacs are good cars, don't get me wrong. Mine gets me to where I need to go. My father always had a Pontiac when I was growing up. (He's learned since then too). Every time he took his to the shop, it would come back with something else wrong with it.

Another thing I noticed a long time ago is when it rained, then froze, then snowed; the soft, cushy stuff/insulation around the window frames had disintegrated, which makes a noise and/or lets air in or out much more easily. I panic a bit when trying to open my car doors after a bout of rain then snow. The insulation is of poorer quality than some.

I also wish that there were some kind of ledge or metal protector above the windows so that when it rains, my car seats don't get wet. That's the chance I take during the summers when it gets hot outside. I always try to leave my windows cracked open just a bit, especially when I go on vacation, to keep the car from burning up inside. The angle of my car windows is such that water just drips right in.

And that's my story! If you've got a car, at least you've got a car!! Don't give it up!! Be thankful you have a car.

I just bought a 97 Grand Am with a 3.1 V6 and 78,000 miles. I noticed the coolant smell during the test drive and knocked the price down some, but I don't look forward to changing the heater core. Does anyone know where to find a drawing online that shows the dash layout? It's a 10-year old cheap car, so I'm not going to be picky. It starts, runs smooth, and has decent power. The radio volume knob has the same issue as others have noted, and there is no back-light on the radio display. I didn't expect a Honda, but I didn't pay for a Honda either. The popular (systemic) failings with any vehicle model can almost always be traced back to the bean counters (accountants) that are taking over the decision making in what used-to-be good companies. Honda, BMW, Audi, etc.. all have ENGINEERS as CEO & CFO in their companies. As a result, the "accountant" derived car will always be worth less and more prone to failure. This directly relates to the resale value of the car models. If I buy USED it's the highly de-valued GM stuff. If NEW, it's a Honda. Doing the opposite will put you on the wrong side of the new car devaluation curve.

Cheers, Mike.

I bought a 1997 Pontiac Grand Am SE (used) on Mar 28 2003. I had a lot of problems that I got fixed.

However there is one nuisance problem still. My driver's side carpet gets wet when it rains moderately heavy; it floods and spread to the rear compartment on the driver side.

Can anyone help me locate the possible cause of this leak?

So far:

I changed the drivers side window motor.

I changed the battery.

I changed the camshaft position sensor.

I changed the alternator.

I changed the heater core.

The horn is barely audible.

I changed the water pump.

The engine temperature sensor area of the engine had a hairline crack; coolant had to be added every week. I had to replace that part of the engine plenum.

Yes there were numerous problems; fortunately I got them fixed. But this leak/standing water on the Driver's foot well and rear passenger foot well behind the drive floods when it rains hard. Please give some advise on fixing this.

The AC works, but it is not cold enough.

I bought the car with 100,000 miles, now it has 120,000.

Can anyone help with the flooding problem? Please!

To respond to your driver side floor being wet: I just happened to take my brother's '97 Grand Am to get the window fixed yesterday thinking that is where the leak was coming from. Low and behold that wasn't really the case. The fellow told me he had seen a number of these cars with the same issue. Here is what he said;

There is a black trim along the exterior bottom of the front windshield that he recommends sealing as water tends to seep in there

Mainly however, the problem is water coming in at a seam in the firewall. This is accessed from the interior. You pull the carpet back and seal the firewall seam (he pulled some carpet back to show me and yes the rust there was noticeable). He said it can run about $600 Canadian because of the amount of work involved, but he also said if someone wants to spend the time it can be done fairly easy enough it's more time consuming. He said he then removes the seats and gets dryers so the carpet is good and dry before reinstalling it, otherwise it is going to be fairly smelly when the heat comes. Since it was January and the water was quite frozen he suggested waiting until thaw in order to access things easier. He was very fair in letting me know it didn't necessarily have to be done in a shop if someone had the time to tackle it. I hope this helps you.

Shaz.

I got a used '97 Grand Am SE (V6 coupe) with about 75,000 Miles on it. Used to be a rental (ouch). IMHO the V6 is far superior to the stock engine.

First thing broken was a control arm, which turned out to be a bushing - 200$, it was like this off the lot I believe, although they didn't.

My 1st winter I broke the rear axle, which cost me 900$.

The lighting in the dash has never worked, however my gauges are all very bright red.

My gas gauge floats a little bit, but only once was I out of gas when it read 1/8th of a tank.

Next winter the intake manifold cracked on me; that one was about 800$.

A week after I got it back, the alternator went, 200$.

Installed an amp and subs (2-12"), which make all the lights dim when the bass kicks.

Just last winter I blew a gasket; this time my own fault, I hadn't kept coolant levels up like I should, that one was pricey, had to basically rebuild the engine. On the upside the mechanic dented my hood and paid for a brand spankin new one with a fresh paint job.

To this day (my fifth year with the car) I can't figure out how to get the plastic facia underneath the bumper off, in order to replace my fog lamps.

Most recently my window has come off its track. Manual window, probably happened these last few weeks as it's been absurdly wet and cold. A good ol' fashoned winter like we used to have up in MI. Actually killed my battery a few weeks ago, but it was old anyway. Used the crank and the window didn't move, so I tried a little more firmly and "pop". The window moved, but not like it should, now I'm having trouble closing it since the front end doesn't seem to work. Everywhere I've read I'll need to pop off the outside door panel which I'm not looking forward to.

I don't agree with these anti-GM types though. Their quality has improved 100 fold since these particular cars were fresh off the line. Buying a GM car puts money in American pockets.

I bought a 97 Grand Am SE the Summer of 2006 for $3700.00 with 175,0000 Kilometers at the time.

I just did my brakes and just started to have an ugly knocking sound when I brake... on the front driver side.

The passenger side window motor is now starting to pack it in also like many others here.

I want to replace my rear speakers and got both sections of the back seat out... now my question is... How do I get the cover over the speakers out???...was driving me nuts trying to get this out without doing any damage.

I bought my 97 Grand AM SE on June 6 2008 and have drove it for 6 days and 30 minutes since then.

It ran fine 4 days in a row then I stopped at a red light, when the light turned green I didn't even have time to give it gas just took my foot off the brake and it died. It wouldn't start, didn't even act like it wanted to start until I quit trying for about 4 or 5 minutes, but when it did start, it had no power to go hardly, backfiring and sprutting. Got across the road and it died. Waited a few minutes and it started right up with no problems, drove it to a repair shop. Just before I got there it started acting like it wanted to die again and did as soon as I pulled into the parking lot.

He had a hard time starting it, but when it would start it would die as soon as he took it out of park. He told me it was the Torque converter and I paid him $650.00 to replace it.

Picked up the car a week later drove it for 2 days, stopped at a light, same thing happened. Had a friend drive it the next day and we drove around about an hour or so, did great, stopped to get gas and it died at the pumps. Waited a few minutes, it started right up. Took it to Goodyear & was told it had something to do with the anti theft system (this car has a button you have to push along with turning the key to start) and the ignition, to take it to a dealership.

Took it to a Chevy dealership and they said there were recalled parts on it. They got them, installed them at no charge, but did charge me $495.00 for fixing it where I don't have to use the button, starts like any other car now. Picked up the car and about 30 minutes later when I stopped for a light, same thing happened. Had Chevy pick it up, and now they tell me they have no idea what's wrong with it. It has not given them any problems while they have had it. They have drove it, let it run and it's fine and nothing shows up on the computer stating what it wrong.

I paid $1500.00 for the car and never thought I would be paying for repairs that don't work and I still don't have a car after a month and 10 days.

Anyone have any ideas on what the problem could be. I don't know what to do now, since even the dealerships don't seem to have a clue. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Well I own a 97 Grand Am SE, and it's great. It got caught in the flood; water was over the engine, and all I had to replace were the wheel bearings...

It has 120000 miles and its starting to die now (flood reasons), but to me the Grand Am is a good car.

As the for GM hater. GM is all I've ever owned. They are the easiest and cheapest cars to fix.

As for the Grand Am, I had a 94 with 3.1L. Bought at 100,000 miles. It now has 200,000 miles.

Never had one problem with the motor. Still runs like a champ.

The transmission is gone though, and that could be due to a chunk of asphalt I hit 3 years ago. Put a ding in the pan. Unfortunately there happens to be 2 oil transfer tubes right at the spot. One got caved in. Which could be why it quit or I would still be driving that car.

It doesn't have the th125 or whatever. But the other transmission, the 3t40.

But that car had one alternator, one waterpump. one heater core, and one fuel pump.

The car does get real hot in July. This year I changed the radiator and fan motor. That helped a little, but engine never blew a gasket.

Best car I've ever owned. Had it for 10 years, and now I'm looking for a used transmission.

As for the 2.4L, it's called a twin cam and not a quad4. That was the 2.3L. The 2.4 was redesigned, but apparently still has same poor qualities.

I now have a 97 Grand Am with a 2.4. Got it real cheap because #4 cylinder is dead. But now I'm having second thoughts as to rebuilding the engine. I have been driving with 3 cylinder and I am quite surprised it's still running. Most cars would have died by now.

Some cars can take a licking and still keep on ticking. Other don't do to well if not properly maintained. The key is maintenance folks. You take care of your car and it will take care of you. No matter what a junker it is. Most cars will have problems with the amount of plastic they are built with these days, but taking care of that engine and transmission will get you a long ways in miles. Some applications are very picky when not properly maintained.

Being a retired mechanic. I'll never sway from GM. 2 wrenches and I can diagnose and fix in 2 hours. Most cars require a full set of diagnostics tools and wrenches to fix. And usually require 2 weeks down time. An alternator requires 60 bucks and 5 minutes. Try getting one that cheap for a Ford. Or better yet, a Honda that requires pulling one of the axles out to replace the alternator.

Pull the brakes of an American car and the rotors slide off. Pull the brakes off on a Toyota or Honda, and you still need a wrecking ball to get the rotors off. But then, japan won't let them drive a car after 30,000 miles. So maintenance is not a priority for them. That's why Japanese engines are a dime a dozen in America. And probably the rest of the world. According to japan, engines start polluting after 30,000 miles and require new engines, but Japan has one of the world's worst pollution problems.

1997 Grand Am Owner.

My list of repairs in the last 2 years:

Heater Core...$380.00

Instrument Panel...$300.00

Intake Gaskets (designed to go out)...$1400.00

Window Motors (2) (keep a spare)...$75.00

Tune Up...$400.00.

Now the car won't start. When you turn the key, it will run for a second, then cut off. It's getting spark and fuel. A friend mentioned the Mass Air Flow sensor. If anyone can give me some advice on this problem, please give feedback.

I have owned many Pontiac's over the years, most recently a 2000 Sunfire. All have treated me very well, and most made 300,000 miles on basic maintenance.

As far as the no start condition on the 2.4 twin cam, try checking the ignition control module/coil pack. They are notorious for failure. Also CSM and crank position sensors can cause the car to run for awhile and die out of the blue.

All cars have their own unique problems, not just Pontiac. Many Fords have a lot of transmission problems, as well as Jeep and Dodge.. Chrysler's 2.7 liter engine has been said to be the worst engine ever built. General 3000 mile maintenance would prevent most car issues.