1996 Pontiac Grand Am SE review from North America

An oil valve went bad, replaced by a non dealer mechanic for 150 dollars US total.

The drivers side fog lamp mount broke, I replaced them with some really nice aftermarket lights for sixty dollars.

(Probably could have replaced with junkyard lights for about five or ten dollars)

Transmission dipstick was corroded. I bought a new one for fifteen dollars.

I knocked out a taillight found a replacement one for 17 dollars US at a junkyard.

I had to replace all four brakes. (even the rear drum brakes.) This was my most expensive repair at 410 dollars US. (The brakes were factory original) I didn't even notice a lack in brake performance. I would never had known if it wasn't for the fact that they made a small squeaking noise, and on long trips the traction assist feature would turn off and refuse to come back on.

The engine runs pretty warm, slightly above the halfway point on the temp gage. I've checked some little things, but I haven't look really hard at the problem just yet.

My E brake doesn't work. Every time that I pull the handle, instead of engaging the E-brake, all the lights, (Dash lights, day time running lights, turn signals, and fog lamps) all turn off. I don't know if something is seriously wrong, or if the previous owner did some sneaky tampering. (It would come in handy for say, dropping off a girlfreind after her curfew.)

Drivers side view mirror adjustment knob ring broke. The joystick fell into the door panel. (Not a big deal, you just roll down the window and adjust it by hand.) There is no adjust for the passenger side, (I guess that's what passengers are for)

My Pontiac came feature laden. It has the optional V-6, power door locks, traction assist on the shifter, dual airbags, and daytime running lights.

The V-6 engine is freaking awesome, if a bit of a pain to work on due to the cramped engine compartment. Gas mileage runs between 26-32 miles per gallon. It has great low end acceleration and torque. I test drove a 98 SE with the standard 2.4 four cylinder, and I could really tell the difference. Get the V-6, it matters a lot.

The suspension is about average for the mid size four door sedan class. The long nose can take some getting used to if you typically drive vans or small cars. If you are used to driving a truck, the nose feels fine. Just watch out for ground clearance.

The dent resistant bumpers are amazing. I got rear ended by a vehicle that was going at least 25 while my Pontiac was at a standstill. There was literally no damage. None. No dents, no paint chips, no crumple zones crumpled, it didn't do a thing to the back bumper.

The interior is holding up well. My only complaint is that it is a black interior, thus it gets very hot during the summer (The windows aren't tinted) The defrost vent has come loose and is rattling some, but a little super glue will fix that right up. There is a small tear above one of the airvents, but it is not all that bad. I replaced the factory door speakers with six inch round speakers. (The originals were little 2inchx4inch (I think) speakers, very odd looking and very cheap. I had to cut up the brackets,) I had to get some speaker covers from an earlier model, (the factory models were held on by clips, the older ones just snapped into place with tabs.)

The trunk is gigantic, but a little recessed. Its great for large amounts of bags or small boxes, but it is not good for single large objects. (When I got my 19 inch computer monitor, I couldn't fit it in the trunk. I had to sit it in the passenger seat. I couldn't fit my 27 inch TV in the car period.) The drivers side seat sucks horribly. I'm not heavy in the least (135 pounds) but I can still feel the support frame members in the seat.

I bought a new pair of windshield wipers, but I'm not impressed with their performance. I can't tell if it is the blades, or the wiper arms.

This car is beginning to develop a case of what I call "GM syndrome". Everything is broke, but it still works good enough not to warranty replacement.

This is the first car that I have owned since I joined the US military. This means that I use it for two purposes. First, I use it to get to my worksite on base. This is a daily six mile low speed (25mph-45mph) commute that occurs in heavy stop and go traffic. The second purpose, is for driving home. That is a seven hour 450 mile(One way) Road trip that is sustained at high speed (65-85 mph) In both cases, I am driving in the south east United states (Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky) most of it during summer (80-110 degrees farenheit, 75-100 percent humidity) These are very rough operating conditions, but the car takes it and keeps asking for more.

One of the surprisingly impressive aspects of the car is its appearance. It just looks sexy. I have recieved several complements about its' appearance, and that is pretty surprising considering the fact that it is a six year old car. One person even looked at my car, compared it to a brand new Nissan Maxima, and said that mine just looked better. (Though I must say that the Nissan was a kind of tacky metallic mint green color while my Pontiac is the ever sexy bright red.) My only complaint about the paint is that the bright red has a tendency to draw the attention of local law enforcement. (But you'll get that problem with any car painted red.)

The great thing about Grand ams, is that a bunch were built. This means that they are a whole lot of them in junkyards. Not only that, but they share a lot of commonality with other GM vehicles. (Most other Pontiac models from the respective time period, A good deal of mid size Buick and Oldsmobiles, (Skylarks, Achievas, ete) a few Chevrolets,) So if you need any parts, Especially non mechanical parts like panels, knobs,

light fixtures, All you need to do is head to your local junkyard. I have literally found myself at the junkyard comparing parts from six different vehicles just to figure out which one would be best for my car.

All around, it is a great car. I do plan on replacing it at the beginning of 2006, but that is because I am worried about the dependability of the vehicle while I'm on a long road trip. I don't want the transmission to go out from me when I'm 250 miles away from base and 250 miles away from my parents house. At this rate, the car will have approximately 130,000 miles by the time I'll be looking to replace it. If I'm married by then (Doubtful, but you never know,) I might just keep it for a commuting car, and buy another car for my wife that we could use for long trips.