Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-47
I have a 2002 pontiac grand am and it is starting to give me a lot of problems. The two front windows went out, My fuel pump cost me $600 and the cooling system went bad! If your young or old read up on cars before you buy one, because I have a friend who is now having some of the same problems!
I just bought a 1996 grand am and 3 days after buying it, my engine started knocking really bad. My dad changed the oil and it was running so horribly. I called the dealer that sold it to me, and he wouldn't take it back. I have only had the car 1 month since 6/29/07 and already I have had to put a new engine it in (3.1L V-6) that cost me $1400 and today I had the brakes worked on and tires rebalanced and rotated even though they are new tires. Today while at the repair shop, my car decided to drive itself and I had to throw it into park to get it to stop. The engine revved up really high and then the whole system puked. What is wrong with these cars? It scares me to drive a car that decides to drive itself whenever it wants. If anybody else is having issues like this, please let me know. (www.jlynn8951@yahoo.com) I think I might be contacting a lawyer about all of this. What a hunk of junk.
I too have a 1996 Grand Am Se. I had no problems with the car until I drove it about 30,000 miles and everything went. I had to replace the whole front end including struts, ball bearings, sway bar, cv axle, bushings, tie rod ends and it is still running like there is a vibration in the front. The brakes are completely redone too. It has approx. 186,000 miles on it and about 25,000 miles ago I had to replace the head gasket on the transmission. Also just a few weeks ago my power window on the drivers side went out. I have a loud clunking sound whenever I turn. Regular Maintence does help however, a reliable car is a car that is suppose to not have these many problems. I like the car, but I too can't afford to put more money into it. I have learned that no matter what you do have money saved up to make room for the neccessary repairs that a car may cost you. Also has anyone continued to have front end problems? If so have you found out anything about it?
I just bought a 1996 Grand Am Se with 145,000 miles. The guy said all was well. Now the power steering hose is leaking, the brakes act weird, went through some water and the check engine light came on and ETS will not work. I know there are about 5 recalls on the car so check the recall sites. Thank God I have a mechanical boyfriend.
I bought a 96 Grand Am 3.1L, and so far I've replaced in order: the water pump 100 dollars, the rocker 326 bucks, gaskets 350 bucks, power steering rack 475 bucks, the radiator 175 dollars.
Since I got the car back, it has been shaking; not just a little bit either, hard core shaking. Tonight as I proceeded to drive home from a friends house, the car shut down on me twice; once while I was going 45 miles an hour.
The caution lights don't work anymore for some reason; everyone says its the fuel injector or the spark plugs. Well let me tell you all I've replaced the the plugs and cleaned the injector.
In summary, Pontiac Grand Ams should not be driven by anyone who hates to be frustrated as much as I do.
Unless you got a couple grand to put into a car, don't buy this model.
Mine only has 83000 miles. Why is it doing this?
Someone tell me. My email is sexybeastfrom666@yahoo.com
I bought my 96 Grand Am not even a year ago. We have replaced so many things in it I can't begin to tell you them all. We have had problems with the theft system from the start, now it won't start again because of it. We replaced the cluster, ignition 2 times pumps fuel, water.It acccelerates on its own on and on. There is no more money to sink into it, We are trying to find someone that can help us with this theft system, we have a handicaped child and need 2 cars. We just can't put any more money into this nightmare we bought. I have named this car Christine from the movie about the crazy car that killed people. It even locks us in it and unlockes when its ready. It don't get any crazyer than that. If you can help please email me at jbbowman@sbcglobal.net.
My parents purchased a 1996 Pontiac Grand Am Se in 1996. It never gave them as many problems as it is giving me. I have been driving this car for 5 years. I do the maintenance on this car. However ever since I have driven this car it has done nothing, but give me problems. I have had to replace the all of the injectors, alternator, battery, different hoses, recently it has been the compressor, 3 new gas caps, and last night when I was going to my friends house this obnotious noise started coming from the engine and the sound only got worse when I accelerated. Also right now my engine light has been on for the past 2 months it goes off for a couple of hours and then comes right back on. So please do not get this car if you are a college student like myself. Look at a different car!
I have a 96 grand am SE with the 3.1. This car now has 201k on it and have never owned a better car. As long as the body looks good I will continue to keep it on the road. The only major problem I have had with this car is alternators and brakes.
I own a 1996 Grand Am GT 2 Dr with the 2.4 twin cam. I bought the car less than a year ago with 136,000 miles. I bought the car for only $2,600. The car overheats during the summer in city driving. Then when it got cold in the morning when I wanted to go to school, it would not start. It would jump and stutter on acceleration and occasionally would die while I was driving, but started right back up. The engine light would come on every once in a while, then would just shut off. Then finally it died and would not start, so I got it towed and found that the fuel pump went out ($800). Both window motors died. There is a clunking in the front which is the front control arm bushings ($400) and the AC compressor is gone, but I'm not too worried about that.
I'm glad my car has not had some of the other major problems as some. The car still looks beautiful though.
I too have a 1996 Grand am SE that is having starting problems. Does anyone know much about the theft system? Can this cause this? It will start then stall. It will not start again till the key is turned all the way off. Please help.
THAYS@windstream.net.
For those having problems with the theft system - I recently have had problems with water in the car and the theft system. To start your car, turn the key to the on position and wait approx. 5 minutes and then turn the key to start the car. The theft system resets itself by doing this... The only problem is I have to do this every time to start my car right now.
Have a 98 Pontiac grand am SE. It has 140k on it. The problems I have had was 1 alternator at 90k and the drain holes underneath the windshield cowl got clogged and water drained in the passenger floor when it rained. Also I've replaced the control arm bushings. I had to take off and clean the idle air control valve, and replace the O2 sensors. All pretty minor and normal maintenance. I am no master mechanic, but I have worked on all my own cars since I was a teenager. Most of the complaints are normal maintenance degradation that would appear on any car with such high mileage. Even my wife's Camry (Oh no an import) falls victim to similar ills as it ages (200k). All in all the grand am is a very cheaply built car, but the drive train has proved more than reliable, at least for me. If you want to avoid all the costly repairs, my advice to you would be to learn how to fix it yourself, and learn how to give your car the TLC that it deserves.
I have a 2002 grand am SE. First thing to go was the water pump. 8 hour job had to tear the engine down to the timing $800. The next month the ignition went out and cost me $250. the next month the fuel pump relay went out. $46. Also replaced the driver side window motor, heater core, the blinker system was shorting out causing the blinker to constantly click, and at 130,100 miles I threw a rod through the back side of the block doing about 15 MPH and the centrifugal force from the piston knocked another hole in the other side. I just got the car back today after a $2100 - 21k mile engine replacement. These cars are money pits. INVESTIGATE! INVESTIGATE! INVESTIGATE! Before you buy a GM vehicle!
I do have a 1996 grand am se. Everything you told me is true cause it has happened on my car. Should I keep it or trade it or keep it? I don't have a lot of money to buy another car. How much do you think Car Max would give me? I bought the car from my uncle. He helped me out I didn't have a car. He sold it to me for $1,700 in payments. Should I pay him the rest? I owe him $631? The car has given me nothing, but truble. He still wants the MONEY. He still wants to give me an oldr car for what I paid for the one I got. So what should I do?
I recently bought a 96 Pontiac grand am SE 4 door straight drive as of so far no major problems except when the back brakes are cold or wet they grab when I press the brake pedal The windows are manual so I don't have to worry about that. And luckily I hope not to have as bad a problem with it as others If anyone else can tell me what the problem with the back brakes are then please let me know also if any others have a car like this that is straight drive please let me know how common or rare they are cause I have yet to find another straight shift... ibdazdg@hotmail.com.