1996 Pontiac Grand Am GT review from North America
"You get what you pay for"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
My rear head gasket blew at 93,000 miles and then my front head gasket blew at 95,000 miles.
My driver's side window motor is not working.
Now my coolant temperature sensor is not working correctly.
General comments?
I enjoy driving my car. It is pretty zippy for a compact car.
I also enjoy the gas mileage. I had a gas hog Dodge Dakota before this.
Also I had to replace numerous other things when I purchased the car, like brakes, fuel filter, air filter and spark plugs. I work at a auto parts store and I know that this is regular happenings for a high mileage vehicle so I wasn't upset at those things.
What bothers me is that head gaskets blew out at 93,000 miles when other manufacturer's vehicles way out last that.
If I didn't have so many problems with my Grand Am (especially the expensive ones) I would love driving it. It handles great and it picks up and goes.
I would probably not get another grand am due to the fact that I think they were made to only last 100,000 miles. In other words, it is a throw away car.
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? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.1 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 2 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 0 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 2 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 92000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 97000 miles |
| Previous car | Dodge Dakota |
| Date of Entry | 25th May, 2003 |