1997 Pontiac Grand Am SE review from North America
"Good deal till behind the wheel for a few months"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
To start with the first problem I had with the car was the transmission at about 100,000 miles two months after buying the car it went out. It took 6 trips to the mechanic for them to fix it "right".
The next problem was battery and alternator. Next was water-pump. Then the motors on both back windows. Stock radio has the volume problem. I have had new strut mounts upfront and struts all the way around.
I have replaced engine at about 125,000 miles. It has the brake problem with the cheap $16 rotors warping.
Currently the car needs all ball-joints, tie-rod ends, CV joints, wheel-bearings, and rotors.
General comments?
All in all the car is junk, but when in running order a pleasure to drive. It has adequate pickup and braking, strong in corners.
The car is beautiful, yet needs more aftermarket parts. EX: tail lights, motor hop-ups, and brake hop-ups.
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| Its holding up admirably considering how hard I run it |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.1 V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 1 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 0 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 98000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 148000 miles |
| Previous car | Chevrolet Beretta |
| Date of Entry | 24th February, 2003 |