1997 Pontiac Grand Am SE review from North America
"If it wasn't for the starting problem, this would be a dream car!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Rotors where warped when I bought the car - replaced, haven't had any problems.
When my car would get to 3000RPM, my alternator would make a high pitch squeaking noise - replaced myself with a duralast gold, works great, under 100 bucks, 2 hour job.
Had a bad cell in the battery - replaced with another AC delco, 70 bucks.
Water pump had bad seals, couldn't fix myself, 550 bucks to replace.
Had the engine wiring harness replaced, safety recall, 4 months into having that replaced, after driving my car for no more than 20 minutes, turning it off, and starting it up, it does not start. I had to sit there for over an hour, then it started up fine, had the wiring harness replaced again, the car worked fine for 4 months, same problem. It seems that something gets too hot in the ignition and I have to wait for it to cool down before the car will start. I turn the key up, all the cab lights go on, but that's it, no noise, no nothing, a very annoying problem. Anyone else having this problem?? The battery is fine, starter is fine, and the alternator is fine, I can't figure out what the problem is.
General comments?
Handles well in snow etc, but stopping in snow or on ice is annoying. ABS my ass, the brakes lock up and I slide.
Quick, can outrun almost any V6.
Passanger side seems a bit cramped, but who cares, I'm driving it :)
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| All in all, not a good car to keep around |
| 1997 - Grand Am SE 3.1 liter V6 Better bought new than used |
| 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 | 2.4L Automatic |
| Performance marks | 10 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 0 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 60000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 93000 miles |
| Previous car | Pontiac Firebird |
| Date of Entry | 17th January, 2004 |