1996 Pontiac Grand Am SE review from North America
"Too high maintenance"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
I own a 96 Pontiac Grand Am SE, 4 cylinder and it has 81,000 miles on it right now. I have had to replace numerous parts on my car since I became the owner two years ago, including constant brake problems. Luckily my husband has been able to locate and fix most of these problems. The most annoying problems are the ones that no one can seem to fix. For example, I have a grinding noise whenever I make a right turn and the brakes pulsate when I come to a stop or slow down. Also, when I'm backing up it makes a clunking noise when I stop to put it in drive. And I've noticed that the car will bang into drive or reverse if I try to put it in gear right away, without letting it run for a second or two after starting it up. I have also had problems with my radio. The volume knob doesn't work properly and the CD player stopped working all together.
General comments?
If anyone has experienced any of these problems and has successfully fixed them, please let me know what is wrong with my car. I'm afraid to wait till it brakes and leaves me stranded in order to find out what is wrong with it.
Frustrated Pontiac owner.
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 | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 4.0 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 6 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 30000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 81000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 17th October, 2003 |