2002 Pontiac Grand Am GT 1 review from North America

I've had the window regulators and sashes go out 10-12 times in the last two years.

I've had to have the brake calipers replaced 3 times because they started making an odd noise.

After replacing one of the calipers I had a brake fluid leak which soaked the pad. The caliper had to be replaced again as well as both front brake pads. I think this was an installation error as opposed to a faulty part.

The stereo began malfunctioning;it would scuff up my CD's when ejecting. This caused them all to start skipping.

I've had 3 coolant leaks. Two in the intake manifold and another in the head gasket.

I had a faulty coolant sensor.

I had a leaking injection valve.

Today, I picked up the car after they repaired the head gasket leak and the car started smoking on the way home. By the time I got back to the dealership it had quit and they decided that it must have been some soap burning off from where they washed off the engine earlier in the day. I was again on my way home when the car began shifting very roughly through gears and made a clunking sound with every gear change. This appears to be some sort of transmission problem. I guess I'll find out tomorrow because the dealership was closed for tonight.

It seems like I've had a couple of other things go wrong with this car, but I can't remember anymore, they all run together and I don't feel like sorting through my pile of service papers. All of these repairs have happened in the last two years. I owned the car for almost a year before my first problem. I still only have 33,000 miles on it!

The number of repairs I've had on this car is ridiculous. Everyone at the dealership knows me by name and I know them. When they have to give me a ride back to work they don't even have to ask where I'm going anymore. Even the car rental company has quit asking why I'm getting a rental.

I've been in contact with GM a few times on this. After the first 10 repairs or so they gave me an extended warranty. After repair 20 or so I called them again and requested a dealer buy-back and was told that all they could do was give me a free service plan for 12 months/ 12,000 miles. Basically this is free oil changes and tire rotations. I'm about to start another round of negotiations with GM customer service to try and get this lemon taken off my hands.

I will say two good things for this vehicle. The first is that I actually like the car and it's fun to drive when it's not broken. Secondly, the car dealership has always had very good service. They always take good care of me. Of course the car is under bumper to bumper warranty still so they're supposed to take care of me.

I wish I'd never bought this car and I don't plan on buying GM ever again.