2000 Pontiac Grand Am SE review from North America

Passenger side chair rail was faulty, and the seat partially separated from the rails. Pontiac dealer replaced it with a new rail under the warranty.

Fan resistor failed preventing me from using fan speeds 3 through 5. It was replaced by the Pontiac dealer under warranty.

The drivers side door rattles like crazy. After repeated trips to the dealer, they inform me that it's the weather seal drying out. After lubricating the seal, the rattle will stop for about a week or so then returns. It has resulted in a frustrating and seemingly never-ending task of coating the seal with Vaseline every two weeks in order not to drive me insane.

Overall, I am pleased with the car despite some quality issues. The problem with the seat rail separating concerned me, it could have become a safety hazard to passengers in an accident. I haven't had any problems with the brakes yet. After reading other comments, I will be watching for rotor problems.

The engine is very capable for a four cylinder but becomes very noisy when pressed. The V6 model seems to address this issue as the power difference is minimal. The transmission seems to be very well built, it changes gears very smoothly.

I realize that the interior and exterior styling is either "love it or hate it". I think the ergonomics are uniquely pleasing, I really like the red back-lighting at night, the automatic lights are also a nice feature. Controls on the steering wheel

are also a nice feature for a car in this price range.

Front seats have proved to be adequately comfortable on long road trips.

The car's chassis feels very solid on rough roads, perhaps a result of Pontiac's "Solid Form Design", however, carrying that "solid form" into fit and finish inside the cabin would assist in making the car much more solid feeling and pleasurable to drive.

The Grand Am is loaded with lots of little extras and gadgets that make the car stand out in this price segment. I still believe the car presents fairly good value for money, but GM needs to make more improvements in interior finishing and build quality.