1990 Pontiac Grand Prix LE V6 from North America

Summary:

It looks good, but is pretty high maintenance

Faults:

In 1995, all six fuel injectors needed to be replaced.

Coolant system also needed replacing at that time.

Alternator went out on me twice, once in 1998 and once in 2001.

Left rear strut leaked.

Power steering & rack and pinion had problems in 1995.

Driver's side power window wouldn't function properly.

Several problems in the brake system throughout the time I had the car.

General Comments:

The car looks good from the outside and has a good and comfortable interior, but the reliability factor is pretty poor.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 28th July, 2001

1990 Pontiac Grand Prix LE 3.1 V6 from North America

Summary:

A comfortable but high maintenance car

Faults:

When I first purchased this car it was running fine.

After the first week it began to stall whenever it came to a stop at a light.

Within 6 months my air conditioning went and my fan belt snapped.

The alternator went causing much delay.

I have replaced my calipers, rotors, disc brakes and brake pads all at the same time.

The muffler has been replaced twice and one of the inside pipes too.

My heater core went.

My emergency brake has only worked a few times.

General Comments:

It is a very comfortable and stylish car.

There are just too many things that have gone wrong with it, which make it very expensive.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 23rd July, 2001

11th Jun 2002, 17:02

Cars with 118,000 miles need brakes and belts!

17th Apr 2004, 02:18

Fan belt? Hahahahahahahahahahahaha, the fan on this car is ELECTRIC with a direct drive motor on it. The belt you may have been talking about is the serpentine belt, it is not unusual for a belt to wear out, after all they are rubber. Don't tires wear out?

27th Jun 2004, 01:29

I have the same problem with stopping and the car dies. Were you able to solve this? I have had the car tested on a computer and it came up with nothing. Any suggestions?Really would appreciate the help.

Thanks Jack.

11th Jul 2005, 22:32

Possibly the transmission solenoid. While not common on 4T60/440T4 4speed transaxles (more common on THM125 3SPD) It could cause the trans to lock up in overdrive forcing it to stall when stopped.

14th Nov 2007, 12:08

The car stalling is most likely the crankshaft position

sensor.

1990 Pontiac Grand Prix SE 3.1 non-turbo from North America

Summary:

A lemon, but not without its good points

Faults:

Wow, that's a big one...let's see...

The water pump went bad at 110,000 miles.

I've gone through a couple of alternators.

I've got a million little problems like instrument cluster lights that don't extinguish when they should.

The air conditioning must be recharged every year and NO ONE can find the leak.

The rear brakes seized up.

One power window motor died on me.

My ignition module also failed.

The power antenna ceased to function.

The oil pan always has leaked a small amount of oil, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 a quart every 3,000 miles.

Currently there is a mysterious >THUNK< sound whenever I decelerate. I've still got to figure that one out.

General Comments:

Pontiacs in general are gimmick and feature laden and the Grand Prix SE does not disappoint in this regard.

Unfortunately, the more electronics you have, the more electrical problems you will have. I can attest to this.

This model has had a formidable number of factory recalls on various things ranging from the rear brake calipers to the seat belts.

The paint on the metal surfaces has withstood the elements beautifully. However, the paint covering the fiberglass (or plastic) front and rear fascias has faded to a chalky, dull version of it's former glory.

The pushrod V-6 is fairly peppy, even at 150,000 miles. The engine has given me no problems as long as I've owned the car (well, the water pump and alternator went bad, but the engine itself is a tank).

The exhaust has an... interesting note to it. It's sort of a growl. BUT... after 150,000 miles, it's really loud and obnoxious. Especially when the car is first started.

There are no cup holders for the driver and front passenger in this model. The rear seaters get two.

All in all, this car has served me well. It still handles and performs well after all these miles, I just have to keep a close eye on it because something is ALWAYS about to break for some reason. I don't think this car was as thoroughly engineered as some other models from other manufacturers. I think that pretty much all of the early '90s Grand Prixs are lemons, but they've got the style I like, the performance I want, and the comfort I need. That's why I've stuck with mine through all that's gone wrong with it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th May, 2001

1st Aug 2002, 09:27

One other thought on that (THUNK) noise.

It could be one of your rear struts. Had the same problem on a 91 prix, left rear strut had a bad weld that went bad. Replaced it—no more noise.

R.