1996 Pontiac Grand Am SE review from North America
"I had to divorce it, because it almost killed me"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Please note that this is not a complete list of maintenance problems.
At 26,000 miles, replaced brake pads & resurfaced rotors at $200.
At 38,000 miles, I replaced brake pads, brake drums, and resurfaced rotors at $600.
At 43,000 miles, I replaced the timing belt & spark plugs, with tune-up, at $300.
At 47,000 miles, I replaced brake rotors and pads at $600.
At 54,000 miles, I replaced intake manifold gaskets at 54,000 miles at $900.
At 54,000 miles, I replaced push rods at 54,000 miles at $300.
At 54,990 miles, the caliper bolts for the front right wheel partially detached from brake rotors/disk unit during a freeway drive, costing $100.
General comments?
The 1996 is a nice looking car, perhaps the best looking Grand Am in Pontiac's history.
However, maintenance issues, and the incident where my front right wheel partially came off while driving on the freeway, have forced me to get rid of this car.
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 |
| Model year | 1996 |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 1996 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.1 Liter V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 6 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 17000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 55000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 17th September, 2004 |