1997 Pontiac Grand Am SE review from North America
"Has served me well until recently"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Air conditioning problems after 90,000 miles.
Clutch hydraulic problems after 90,000 miles.
General comments?
Unlike some here I have been pretty pleased with the reliability until recently. I got it at 50,000 miles and drove it repair free except for maint things like tires, brakes, and 1 battery.
The fuel economy has been very solid and is actually improving with more miles. I assume the plugs are the original plugs 100,000 miles, which have 113,000 on them with no signs of giving up.
I was not real happy when I went to get my front rotors turned and they told me they were to thin to be turned and I would have to buy new.
But that was very minor when I found out they only cost about 10 more per rotor than to have them turned. Since I replaced brakes: in cold or wet conditions my right rear brake pops and tries to lock up until ABS takes over, but once warms up I am good. That is probably my fault when I put it back together.
I have manual windows so no window problems like many of the others posted here. My radio was stolen so no problems there.
However, recently I have been not happy that my a/c system developed a leak and some electrical issues that is still having issues after 3,4 times in the shop. One thousand-eighty dollars worth of repairs and replaced parts and now it is down again. My clutch master cylinder went out and now when cold or wet does not want to release the clutch the rest of the time it is fine. I believe some of that may be my fault and I want to replace the clutch slave cylinder, but it is inside the transmission so I am trying right now to decide whether to try and fix or just get another car. One time in an emergency I put fluid in other than brake fluid, I strongly suggest you do not try this. If anyone has any ideas on what to do about this or how you can bleed the system closer to the clutch or how hard it is to replace slave I would appreciate a response or a post on the issue.
So far I have not had any of the other issues mentioned here and have been pleased with this engine and it has not leaked any oil unlike many other American made engines I have owned in the past.
Recommended reviews
| Good car, but don't buy older than a couple years, or high mileage, for more that a few thousand $$ |
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| 1997 - Grand Am 4 cylinder, small option Great car, but don't skimp on maintaining it - oil and coolant especially |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1997 |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2006 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.4 four cylinder Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 50000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 113000 miles |
| Previous car | Honda Civic |
| Date of Entry | 18th September, 2006 |