1996 Pontiac Grand Am SE review from North America
"A real lemon"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
I have had to replace my water pump at 50,000 miles, which seems to be the complaint of half the people I have read reviews about. I have also had to replace the battery and then the dealership messed up my recall and they had to replace my alternator and battery (initially told me that my battery went bad and when I refused to pay for a new battery, they came back with the real story, they messed up the recall and fried my alternator and battery). Finally, my ignition system has had problems twice in less than 50,000 miles.
General comments?
I am looking for people who have had similar problems in order to begin communicating these problems to Pontiac in a more concerted effort (i.e. possible law suit). If you have had similar problems, especially with your water pump being replaced and/or problems with ignition system I would be interested in hearing from you. Please e-mail me at jgalecke@hotmail.com.
Recommended reviews
| A fun car not worth the pain of upkeep |
|
| Fun Car, but you better be mechanically inclined |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 1998 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8L Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 2 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 5 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 2 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 37000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 84000 miles |
| Previous car | Chevrolet Celebrity |
| Date of Entry | 11th December, 2002 |