Comments: 1-15, 16-23
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.
Just an update to my above review. The dealership found that I had a faulty temperature sensor in my air intake which caused the engine not to perform properly and shift at the wrong times, causing the clunking noise. The dealer also found that I was receiving poor radio reception due to a faulty antenna base. They're supposed to have a meeting tomorrow to decide if they will do a dealer buyback for me.
Another update on this vehicle. I've now had to have it towed to the dealership twice because it wouldn't start. The first time they said that the ignition cylinder was bad causing the anti-theft system to stay engaged and the second time they said it had a bad starter. They also discovered a problem with the cruise control while they had the car so they fixed that too.
Very sorry to hear of your problems with the Grand Am GT. But it is nice to know that I wasn't the only one that had all the problems you mentioned, and many more. My Grand Am took me to the dealership a total of 29 times! (NOT including regular maintenance). The only "cure" for this car is to get rid of it, and soon, if you haven't already. I was lucky to sell mine and purchase a quality car (Toyota Corolla). But I did learn a very valuable lesson. Research sites like this one for some great info and use this to make an informed decision on what car to purchase next. I can now say that I have a high degree of peace of mind with the Toyota and I will undoubtedly be a repeat customer with them.
I feel like a fool buying the Grand Am, but at least I was able to move forward and get a good, reliable car from Toyota. Good luck to you!
My stereo does the same thing. I can barely play a CD without it spitting it back out and reading “Check CD” when the CD is brand new. I have to push it in and repeatedly press the scan up button to make it stay in there.
I'm really glad I bought the 4 cylinder SE-1 instead of the GT. All the complaints seem to be about the GT model. My 2001 SE-1 has never had one single problem. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat if Pontiac had not dropped the Grand Am in favor of the ugly, slow and totally BORING G6. I guess my next car will be a Ford Fusion.
All of the problems mentioned occurred on my 01 Grand Am GT. Inferior parts, along with inept technician, contributed to numerous trips to the shop. Why can't GM improve the quality from year to year on basically the same car?
Good grief... I have a 02 Pontiac Grand Am with a lot of problems.. now. I leased and then purchased the vehicle last September. When the dealership checked out the car prior to signing the papers, I was told it had a manifold leak which they would fix for free. Time passed, and then about a month ago I received a letter to bring the car in for a turn signal problem... so I dropped the auto off on monday for the turn signal problem, the manifold leak, and a brake job. Received a call from them yesterday (Wednesday) that it wasn't a manifold leak, but a head gasket leak. Sounds expensive to me, also sounds that they should have known about the leak last year when I bought it. Glad I found this site. Hope I get results today.
I currently own a 2002 Pontiac Grand Am GT1 and haven't had any problems. As a matter of fact this is my third Grand Am.
Most people rag these cars out because of the power it has. If you maintain it regularly it will last.
I had a Pontiac Grand Am GT1--2002 model. It was bright red, and the sharpest looking and best handling car I ever had. I had 1 payment left and 3 lifters sticking. Wouldn't do it when I'd get it to the dealer. Cried my eyes out after trading it. I got a Grand Prix Gt--program car for a steal compared to what I paid for the Grand Am. The wheels wouldn't stay in alignment for some reason, and at 70,000 miles, I decided it was cheaper to trade it. Broke my heart, but a rose bush is pretty too, but won't get you down the road.
I own a 2002 Grand dam GT also and Reading these comments makes me not think its just my car. Don't get me wrong I love the look of my car and how smoother it drove when I first bought it, but it has some major issues. I see mine is not the only one that has repair problems all the time. Every time I change a headlight or tail light another one goes out. I think there are some shortage problems in the wiring in the grand dams. My fog lights went out, my rear view mirror light burnt out, my automatic locks stopped working and my radio has shortage problems. Also with the engine my car cuts out really bad when I'm taking off or when I go up a hill... is that normal?
I just bought a 2002 G Am GT, and by reading all of these comments, I wish that I would have found this site first! I have only had the car for 1 week and it has been in the shop twice. I have the wooshing noise in the front end, which by reading so many other reviews, it must be tires, I also have a problem with the car temp gage reading well over 200 degrees, more like 220! I am no expert, but the fan dosen't even kick on at this temp. That tells me that something is wrong. The dealership is telling me that this is normal. I am also having trouble with the car "jerking" between 30 and 50 mph when steadily accelerating. The dealership called and said that it is the valve body, but they need to get an okay to replace this from the used car mgr. Well, let me tell you, I still have warranty on the car and it is only 1 week old!!! Things better be getting fixed! I am some how wishing that I would have done a little more research before jumping into this car. I will keep thinks updated, and if anyone else is having prob., please let me know! I would love any suggestions and or follow ups! Wendy.
I bought my 2002 Grand Am GT off the showroom floor in 2002 and have had no problems, I love this car, it has 60000+ miles on it. It's the v-6 engine, dark green coupe with plenty of zip.
My 2001 Grand Am has never had a single problem, runs flawlessly, and even with the Quad 4 (which is much more powerful and reliable than the EcoTech that replaced it) it will smoke the tires. It is a blast to drive, and it will give my 2007 V-6 Mustang a good run for its money. I love everything about this car and plan to keep it for a very long time.
As for common problems encountered by Grand Am owners on this site, my observations as a mechanic are that most are caused by severe owner abuse. I see comments about brake pads being replaced at extremely short intervals, such as 30,000 miles or less. My front pads and rear linings now have just a tad under 70,000 miles on them and still have lots of wear left.
The window clips braking are caused by violently slamming the doors. Yes, the clips could be stronger, but if you avoid slamming the doors they will never be a problem.
Running rough, losing power or "cutting out" is almost always due to poor maintenance of the injectors. You should run a can of high grade injector cleaner thru the tank every 5000 miles to keep the system clean.
The transaxles used in the Grand Am are some of the most reliable units made, and as a rule don't require any service. However, slamming the selector in a forward gear while the car is rolling backwards (or vice-versa) is not good for them (or ANY transmission). Also, holding the brake to "torque up" the transmission for a faster take off is not only hard on the transmission, but also does NOT result in getting off the line any faster.
I'd buy another Grand Am in a heartbeat if they were still made and still had the bullet-proof twin-cam Quad 4 engine. I don't care for the new G-6, and have blown a couple of V-6 models away in street drags with my 4.
I had a 2000 and then a 2002 Grand Am GT in white, and it was beautiful and a wonderful car. I traded it for a Toyota SUV and the day I did it I knew it was a mistake; the dealership would not let me have it back. I really tried; I loved that car and the whooshing sound I had; it was the tires. Came to find out it was a recall and I got 2 new tires. I had absolutely no problems with it and I am currently looking to buy a 2002 cause I regret trading it everyday.
I recently purchased a 2002 Grand Am GT (replacing a 1992 Toyota Camry), and have had to bring it back to the shop twice in a month. First was a faulty window system on the passenger side-it kept bucking and jumping when I tried to use it. Also, the fog lights kept dimming and turning off. I just got it back today, and now my oil change light and coolant light just came on, even though the oil change isn't scheduled for another 2,000 miles and I've never ever had to replace coolant fluid in any vehicle. (That includes all of vehicles my parents have owned.) Is this coolant problem, which I saw mentioned in a previous comment, a common issue with this vehicle? Did I just buy a lemon? Any help would be greatly appreciated.