1997 Pontiac Grand Am SE review from North America
"Great if you have lots of time and money to put into it"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
I bought the car in January of 2002. Everything was fine until June. My radiator had a crack, and then I had what I thought to be a major leak in my water pump. It turned out to be a huge leak in the radiator, right below the water pump. I still had a warranty, but the radiator wasn't covered. Take it in for service, it took them 1 1/2 months to get the radiator, and once they did my head gaskets and my water pump went out. They were covered under my warranty.
There is a major unidentifiable squeaking noise from my back right brake. It pulls and jerks the car, and in the rain it will slide. I have had it checked out many times and they say it's nothing.
The O2 sensor went out on the car in September of 2002.
My computer is messed up, and from time to time the ABS and ETS lights come on for no reason. This started happening after the O2 sensor.
My clock light is out and was told there's no way to fix it unless I buy another radio for the car.
The drivers side door will pop off, and I have to align it and pop it back on from time to time. This has caused a crack on the inside door handle. The windows (all of them) will get stuck every now and then, the drivers side being the worst.
I recently had an issue with my alternator. Thought it was the battery, had it checked, and all they told me was that it had a bad cell in it. Bought another one, and when it died I found out it was the alternator the entire time and had it reworked.
My air conditioning is messed up and will only blow out the air like it's supposed to if I let off the gas.
General comments?
This car is great for interstate travel, and the gas mileage is better. City travel has poor gas mileage.
Tire ware is minimal, nothing like my last car.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.1 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 6 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 5 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 120000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 144000 miles |
| Previous car | Toyota Tercel |
| Date of Entry | 4th August, 2003 |