1993 Pontiac Grand Am SE review from North America
"Despite the little "bugs", it is holding promise"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
This car was given to me by a friend that no longer wanted to pay for repairs. The problem was a cracked head and blown head gasket.
In 3 boxes, were all the parts to put the top end back together. Keep in mind now I still had to hunt for a head that was still usable. After a 2 week search, a head was found and was certified as being a good part.
The car was then reassembled. I was very pleased with how smooth the engine ran.
I drove it on real short trips less than 10 miles at a time to make sure all the "bugs" were worked out and was ready to be put to good use.
The problems then started. On a family cruise in the Grand Am, the overdrive seemed to not disengage, the car violently shook and died while trying to come to a complete stop. After a few attempts to get rolling again, I was able drive the rest of the way home.
At every stop that I had to make the car would keep doing the same exact thing. Limping home was no fun.
The following day came and it was time to work on the Grand Am once again. This time the Grand Am would no start. Frustration and borderline anger was showing it's ugly head. The best thing I did that day was walk away. The next day, the trouble maker was found, turns out that the problem was within my shifter. I know how to get it to start, but cannot pinpoint the actual source.
Oh yeah, I forgot to also mention that the front motor mount seems to be bad. there is a terrible noise when shifting in reverse that sounds like marbles are under the hood. You can push against the mount and the noise goes away, let it go and here comes the marbles again. I think that when all the bugs get worked out this will be a fine car and hope it lasts as long as my 1992 Ford Explorer has, that has 332,500 miles on it and still goes everyday.
General comments?
This car for its age was very well kept.
The interior looks like brand new.
The seating is more than comfortable and I imagine it would be comfortable on a long trip.
The overall ride that it gives is underrated. Comparable to luxury.
Low interior noise.
Great braking response.
User friendly cockpit.
Rather easy to work on. (for me anyway)
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| 1993 - Grand Am SE 2.3L QUAD FOUR The fastest car I've ever driven, sorry my bros Celica, you slow! |
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| I love this car. Extremely Reliable |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Year of manufacture | 1993 |
| First year of ownership | 2004 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.3L Vin Code 3 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 131307 miles |
| Most recent distance | 131388 miles |
| Previous car | Ford Explorer |
| Date of Entry | 28th June, 2004 |