2000 Pontiac Grand Am SE review from North America
"Unreliable and terribly built"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
I bought a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am with 55,000 miles on it about a month and a half ago. The first night after I picked it up, I noticed a banging noise in the motor. I took it back once, they said it wasn't serious. It started getting louder, so I took it back again, they put a new part in it, and still, the noise remains. I took it back a third time, they still don't know. Its getting louder and louder and it seems like there's nothing I can do about it.
A week after I bought it, the driver side window wouldn't work, so I took it back to the shop and they fixed it. Soon later, the suspension started making a noise when I went over bumps, and I needed new brake pads and rotors. They were replaced under warranty, but the noise in the suspension still remains.
Shortly after, the right headlight went out when I went over a bump, and went back on when I punched it. To this day, I still have to punch the light literally every time I drive at night, about 3 or 4 times each night.
Yesterday, about a month and a half after I bought it, I started the car, put it in drive, and as soon as I let my foot off the brake, the car peeled out and jolted forward. Keep in mind, my foot WAS NOT on the gas. It just went on it's own. When I got to the end of the road, (no more than 1/8 of a mile) the Engine Light came on. Now the engine makes a humming noise, but I have not had the time to take it back to the dealer yet, but I am quite sure this time it's a serious problem. I am about to take this "car" back to the shop for the FIFTH TIME, and I've only owned it for 44 days (about a month and a half).
I had a 1988 Ford Tempo, with 44,000 miles when I bought it, and I owned it for about a year. This car had absolutely NO problems whatsoever, and I only paid $1,100 for it. It was SO much more reliable than this piece of crap Grand Am, I will NEVER buy a car from Pontiac again. This is by far the worst car I have ever owned, I strongly discourage anyone from buying one. Sure a Grand Am looks nice, and when I got it I thought it was going to be nice, but it is disgusting, honestly. This is by far the worst built car I've ever owned, and sadly, its the most expensive car I've ever owned. To sum it up, this is a VERY bad car, if you get one you WILL have problems with it.
General comments?
Car handles well and is very quick for a 4 cylendar, but it still by far the worst car I've ever owned. I've taken it to the shop 5 TIMES and I've owned it for a month and a half. I have nothing good to say about it except it looks good.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| First year of ownership | 2004 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.4 Twin Cam 4 cylinder Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 2/10 |
| Comfort marks | 8/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 4/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 55000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 57000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 6th September, 2004 |

