Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-60, 61-75, 76-87
Hey everyone, my first car is a 97 Grand AM SE 6 cylinder car and when I saw this posting a week after I bought It I pretty much had that sinking feeling in my stomach. But to be honest with you so far I've experience an off road University nightmare where I bottomed out atleast 8 times trying to get out of a snow packed snowmobile trail. And some other pretty serious adventures totalling 80,000 km on the purchased 120,000KM all for the price of a set of front disk and pads because I was to stupid to know that the noise I had where my breaks dying. Anyways, I just had three of the listed problems come up today all fixed by comments in the forum. 1: the ETS ABS light problem, fixed by unpluging my battery for five minutes then hooking it up again and leaving my ignition in on the on possition not start for 10 min. The second problem was the security ignition problem which was fixed by setting the key to the on position, but not starting a second time. Thanks to the people who commented, this should add some more beer money for those stupid tuition increases. Did I just say beer money... mom, dad you're not reading this right?
I just brought my GA and loved it right away. But now I am having problems with that you guy are talking about. Mt Ets thinga magi stays on. The electrical system is crazy (interior and exterior lights have a mind of their own). Now my intake has to be repaired. Thank god we have public transportation. The repair cost is 500+. As an single mother the car has helped an lot, but I wish I knew then what I Know now.
OK Here Goes – 1996 PONT GR AM SE 3.1 V6, I bought at 31,000km, currently has 331,000 km so I have put on 300,000 over the past 9 years. Overall, a great little car for the following reasons:
-Good gas mileage
-Easy to repair (and believe me I have had it repaired everywhere)
-Fairly easy to get GM or equiv. parts and do many of the jobs yourself.
Problems/solutions noted as follows:
(1) -ETS light – had it cleared by the dealer or shop many times, finally it went away and never came back, same for ABS and check engine
(2) -Driver side window – replaced motor once, OK now
(3) -Passenger rear window – fixed 3X, currently not working, no $ to keep fixing
(4) -Passenger side water leak – tug back carpets to dry out, watch out for yellow ABS wire, and also remove the plastic cover piece under the wipers you will have to put in some weather stripping to fix it yourself – cost about $15. I have had no more leaks since. Good luck with the hairdryer to dry the carpets.
(5) Ctrl arm bushings replaced once ($800) now clunking again 5 years later, will not bother to replace again, just take the corners real slow (hey, I have 331 km on the thing!)
(6) Gas tank replacement once ($300)
(7) Alternator replacement 2x over 9 years ($350 ea time)
(8) Serpentine belt replacement 2x ($60)
(9) Low coolant light traced to two problems: (a) cracked reservoir tank cap ($10) and leak near the timing chain due to wear ($1000 incl. change the timing chain at the same time)
(10) Brakes – seem to be normal, replacement every 18 –20 months or so
(11) Gear shifter light display burned out – you can replace it yourself, it is real easy (like plug and play) order the part from dealer ($100)
(12) Muffler clamp – replaced 4x – very easy to do it yourself, get the part from the dealer ($40), compared with $150 for them to do it. Pick a warm day and just pull the old one out of the rubber boot. I still have the original factory muffler/resonator/exhaust, but have replaced the clamp 4 times!
(13) Gas tank cable release sticks – lots of oil to keep it working, and you can use an old credit card to pick it if necessary
(14) Trunk gasket seal fits badly to trunk lid, potential for water to leak – again, you can get a brand new trunk gasket for about $50. Just do not install it too tightly to the frame, you will then get a better seal on the trunk
(15) A/C grinds at times after turning off – caused by the two plates of the pulley assembly rubbing together – lots of oil and prayers on the pulley assembly, and the original A/C is still running
(16) Radio volume goes up when turning down – lots of patience, pull the knob to one side or the other when this happens
(17) Radio and clock display goes dark – had this replaced by the dealer ($250) and it happened again within a month. It is not really burned out however, just shorted somehow. If you shine a flashlight into the display you will see it still works
(18) Radio reset after garage work – any time you disconnect the battery you will lose your radio – the reset codes can be obtained from your dealer after lots of complaining and griping to the effect that you own the car and thus the codes to reset the radio
That is all folks: after almost 10 years and 1/3 million km I would buy it again as the annual cost overall has been low due to doing some of the above items myself.
OK, so I've seen many comments posted here about the exact same issues that everyone seems to be having, including me! All 3 lights on my '96 Grand Am are lit: ETS, ABS, and Check Engine and I have yet to find anyone who can help me. I've gotten several different "opinions" though. I haven't seen any comments posted here that say "how to fix the problem" without bringing it to a shop to pay OUTRAGEOUS labor fees! Are all of these lights coming on because of one simple problem or do I have several things happening? Oh, and did I mention that my 'check oil' light is on too after getting an oil change! I'm hoping that it's just the oil sensor.
I hope someone has the correct knowledge to help me...I'm broke, so taking it to a shop or getting a new car is not an option.
'96 Gran Am issues: I also had a problem with my driver's side filling up with water and my back seat and trunk would be drenched on the passenger side.??? Well, nobody could figure that one out until one day I had to get new tires and the guy who did this for me told me that the old tires I had on there were too small and that was why I was having leaking problems. I don't have anymore leaking! Yaaaaayy!
I have a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am SE, and my security light is flashing on and off while I try to start my car. It turns over, yet doesn't start. I also paid to fix my signal, and did not know about the recall. I need advice on this security car starting issue ,so I can go to work tomorrow, so that I can put my paycheck into this car :(
I bought a 96 ga in 2001 and it was OK for a year untill I started driving it then everything that has too do with the car runing has gone wrong spent lots of money on this car more than its worth so I went and bought a ford ranger pick up so I coulds have some transportation I think everone who has had lots of problems with grand am s is intitled too a refund from gm for selling junk like this my advise is buy a ford get rid of your grand am.
We recently purchased a 1996 Pontiac Grand am SE. The timing chain and water pumped needed to be replaced, but for $400.00 we figured we'd give it a go. We have since bought the parts and have them on, but cannot find any local places that sell books on these cars and need to know how to set the timing chain in place correctly. Any suggestions other than buying a book online. (we dislike ordering things on line!)
It's complicated keeping a car on the road. My 96 Grand Am is a hand-me-down from my mom, and I appreciate it, both for costing me nothing to begin with, and little now (touch wood.)
Things I have had to buy or replace (my mom never replaced anything) :
-muffler work - this car has needed quarterly muffler work. It could be the fact that I go to the cheap local guy, or that I live in a place racked with potholes, that's hilly so a low car like this scrapes sometimes, and that I drive this car to school and back, which is a short trip, so the muffler never really dries and gets little rust holes, or some combination. It's been running me about $40/year to have it strapped back up, or a patch welded on, so it's not making me crazy. I think the only cure to muffler problems for the long haul is stainless steel and a very good welder, neither of which I am willing to pay for...
-power steering - my mom had a problem forever with something smelling hot, and then, over a year after she gave it to me, a hose in the power steering that is about three feet long got a hole in it that was severe enough you could hear that noise you get when the power steering fluid is low. The hose cost about $50, my boyfriend thought he could do it himself, but then decide he needed a lift, so off to the garage courtesy of AAA (he removed the old part...) and it was $59 for installation. I still don't know why it was getting hot and finally burned through - maybe it had shifted to the wrong place? Anyway, it's been fine since the replacement.
-battery. I had to buy a new battery. And, although this is routine, especially since no one could even remember it being changed before, this is the one problem that left me briefly stranded, so I remain fairly upset, months later. I always thought that batteries would give you some clue, like with trouble starting in winter, but that battery just went. Meanwhile, I know I can't complain - it's routine, I had AAA and everyone was so helpful - it really wasn't a problem except for the fear that comes when your car won't start. I never buy the cheapest or the most expensive part, so the battery was about $100.
-serpentine belt. These are also wear items. I heard it squeaking for half a year when it was really rainy, but I figured sooner or later someone would tell me something was bad. I get my oil changed regularly, and I expect to be told as things wear down. Meanwhile, my boyfriend was checking fluids and noticed. Which irritates me - it was in pretty bad shape. My replacement was more than someone else's who left a comment. $79 for labor and $28 for the belt at Advance. Anyway, to the person who was cranky about needing a serpentine belt - it is in no way the fault of the car. Either you, or a previous owner were neglectful. Rubber simply cannot last forever and letting one break before replacing it is irresponsible.
There are also some voluntary things I've contributed:
-Goodyear Assurance tires. Dear lord, they were pricey. But I hear they are the best, and they seem much better than the $19.99 ones I had before.
-A/C recharge. Since the A/C was no longer properly cold, I felt it was worth the $80. They added a dye so we can detect the tiny leak after some leaks out, but so far (touch wood) the A/C has stayed super cold. I'd still call this a luxury, however. I live in the mountains.
Issues of ongoing concern:
-In the winter, when snow sits on the car, water pools in the driver's floorboard. I don't love the way it gets the bottom of my jeans wet. I may consider the tips on here, but I could also just put one of those covers over the car when snow is expected...
-Sometimes the A/C compressor makes an ugly metal scraping noise. I'm going to look for something to oil, as a comment suggests. I'm also going to scout junkyards for a cheap replacement, just in case. And I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Finally, there are things I will buy for the car if I have it long enough, but that I think people should realize are luxury items:
-shocks and struts. I remain floored when someone posts how unfair and expensive it was when they had to get new shocks. Expensive, yes, I'd agree. But unfair, how? Cars need new ones once they're older, but if you don't drive super aggressively, there's no reason to rush the purchase. If I still have the car in the spring and nothing catastrophic has happened, I will probably spring for them.
-timing belt and water pump. I may have the combo changed out sometime, since no one has a clue how old the current are, but the car has 141,000 miles on it, and I'd hate for it to break. Unfortunately, it's kinda buried, so it's difficult to examine the state it's currently in.
Anyway, I really just wrote this unbelievably long post because I was irritated by the other posts. This car has been extremely reliable. It's comfortable and safe and cute enough. It's quiet and it doesn't attract the attention of thieves. No one laughs at it, even thought it's eleven years old. I think it's true on all Pontiacs of that era that problems with the window motor are common. My brother had a Grand Prix that was the same, as did a friend.
All cars need to be properly maintained. If you have serious engine problems, it's not because of an inherent flaw with the vehicle model, typically, but because of the way the car has been treated. And, frankly, I think a number of people have deceitful or incompetent mechanics. If a mechanic keeps not fixing your problem, maybe it's not the car...
I think this is an enormously affordable and reliable car and I may keep it forever. Touch wood.
I have had a 1997 grand am Gt for about two months, let me tell you thought it was a great buy! Come to find the fuel injectors aren't very reliable. It cost about $416.00 and the car has 111,000 miles on it. Well three days later the engine light is back on and here I am wondering what else could it be now? Also I am experiencing difficulties with the drivers side window.. I would not recommend this car to be used with a sound system.. I have two alpine x 12s and they have so far destroyed the sunroof, the spoiler, and lets just say its "loosend" up the car a lot... lol GOOD LUCK TO ALL OTHER un-grand am owners.
I own a 1996 Grand Am SE V6 that had about 134,000 miles on it when I purchased it. I have had the vehicle for about 2 years now and it now has almost 142,000 miles on it. I have read all of the posts on here about this car and have come to agree with the consensus of posters : this car was manufactured with some obvious defects. I thought that I had a car that had unique problems. I come to read on here that the majority of complaints relating to the 96 Grand AM are the same problems that I am experiencing.
Here is a listing of problems and remedies that I have encountered:
(1) Radiator low light keeps coming on. After filling it a few times back up with 50/50 antifreeze and the problem continued, I replaced the radiator cap (the seal wore out).
(2) Skidding when applying the brakes. I replaced the rotors/drums and brake shoes/pads.
(3) Noise coming from the AC compressor that sounds like metal scrapping. I did nothing to fix this, as this car is a money pit, I just keep the AC or heater on 24/7 when driving the car to stop the noise (the noise only happens when the AC or heater is off).
(4) Trunk release lever stopped opening the trunk. Again, since this is a money pit of a vehicle, I now just get out of my car and manually open the trunk using the key.
(5) Windshield wiper blades scraping the windshield. I replaced the wiper blades.
(6) Center console lighting flickers intermittently. I just ignore this as this vehicle has a cornucopia of electrical malfunctions.
(7) The "ETS Off" light is on. I press the button on the gear shifter to shut it off.
(8) The check engine light remains on even after I have taken it into get serviced and spent $1100 worth of repairs on it and there is no reason that it should remain on. I disconnect the battery cable for a few minutes and then reconnect and wait some more and then start the car to clear the memory of the light being on.
***$1100 worth of work done in 1 month:***
(9 & 10) Serpentine and drive belts replaced.
(11) Complete diagnostic and premium oil change.
(12) CV axle replaced.
(13) Brakes done again (again & again, & again over the last 2 years).
(14) Water pump was leaking and the radiator low light came on again and again after filling again and again with more 50/50 antifreeze.
***concludes $1100 in 1 month work***
(15) Replaced the stereo.
(16) Replaced battery connectors.
...In conclusion, there is much much more work that needs done on this vehicle and I have decided that it is time to trade it in on something more dependable with less headaches. I have a clunking noise when I brake or go over speed bumps and that is the brushing arm on the drivers side. The car needs alignment done also and more brake work as it still skids and makes noises. The motors on all of the power windows are worn out and I can't roll down 3 of the 4 windows and the one that can still roll down (passenger side) takes some time to finally roll back up. The car persists to have electrical malfunctions with the headlights and interior lights and the seat belt light will remain on (even though all people in the car are wearing seat belts) and the air bag light has been on the entire 2 years that I have had the car. It has died on me a couple of times, with unknown reasons causing the vehicle to do so, and then it will start right up after-wards. I thought my car was just problematic, I come to find out unfortunately that I am not alone when it comes to these problems. I am among legions of Grand Am owners with the same plight. I don't feel so alone in my quandary. Thanks to everyone who posted to shed some insight on the problems and solutions that they have been experiencing with their Pontiac's. I hope that I could have helped out as well with my novel here. -Grand Am Chica.
My Dad purchased a used 96 grand am about 10 years for about 60k and just recently gave it to me as I went off to university. He failed to mention all that this car is a deathtrap. When he first bought it, it was running fine until about a year later when the alternator and driver side window motor had to be replaced under the warranty. Since then the intake manifold and head gasket had to be replaced, coolant sensor, the water pump, and the starter motor had to go too. The bearings on both sides had to be replaced and had to change the whole braking system twice. At one point all the window motors and locks would not work or would go down, but not up and the inside of the car would always be soaked. I'm guessing that it is finally time to get rid of it, but its still on its first engine and transmission and at 350k+ and was very reliable.
Well, guys,good luck with the grand am, I think everyone will have the same problems... water on floor board, I fixed my leak,like 2 months tryin to locate the leak, finally I looked under the fresh air vent, under you wipers, and there are drain holes on the passenger and driver side that get clogged up, you can either take a water hose and wash them out, or a coat hanger, also, on the passenger side the is a vent for you're a/c, its was also leaking @ that, to fix that I just took it out and put some caulk under it and solved all my water leakes. As far as the check engine light, if you have had it checked, and nothing comes out of it, it make be because your catalic converter may be clogged, to fix you can ream it out, but don't GET caught, Well guys I hope I could help you a little bit, Good luck with those grand ams.
I have a 96 SE that I bought from my friend with 100k last year, now I have over 108k on it, it has never failed to start or left me stranded. Here's the issues I have with it: the water leak issue, that it sounds like everyone has... still haven't been able to solve this. Air bag light is stuck in on position... no idea why (but I think it may have something to do with the water leak and wire (s) getting wet. It needed control arm bushings and a ball joint. I believe the previous owner also replaced the alternator. Also needed a muffler and intermediate pipe. Standard front pads and rotors, and it needed a serpentine belt last summer (did both myself).
Right now the biggest issue with the car is the damn water leak, which I can't seem to fix. Other than that the car has been good to own; fun to drive, reliable, great power and MPG from the 2.4 liter DOHC, and, considering the way my friend drove the car before me (he beat the living hell out of it), I'm very impressed it still runs as good as it does. At 12 years old and 108k miles.
After reading a bunch of these comments, I feel for everyone who owns a Grand Am. I have a 1996 Grand Am GT, 5 speed manual. Bought it from a cousin of mine 4 years ago for 1k because there was a problem with it and he didn't want to deal with it, plus he just put a new engine in the car.
The car was leaking water inside by the passenger side; got that fixed. It was leaking from under the wipers cover. Paid about $350 and got it up and running like a charm. Since then I have been replacing parts on it left and right. I would drive it for a month and it would sit in the shop for 2. Here are the problems I had with it.
Radiator leak, got that replaced.
Misfire, replaced all 4 spark plugs.
Head gasket replaced.
Transmission replaced.
Clutch replaced.
Computer replaced twice.
Bushings replaced.
Rotors and brake pads replaced twice.
Clutch line replaced.
And just recently, my car would turn off while I'm on a high-way, and all the lights on my dash board would come on. The car would not start for about 10 or so minutes, and then the lights would clear up and car starts again.
Check engine light comes on every now and then, and stays on for a couple of days. I am trying to get this problem fixed soon... still working on this problem, I hope it's some thing as simple as sensor or something...
My first and last american car will be this one!!!