1995 Pontiac Grand Prix SE review from North America
"Great car, would buy another"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Tie-rods replaced at 165,000.
Spark plugs, and wires were original until I changed them at 171,000.
Transmission pump went resulting in a whine like a bad power steering pump and eventually the transmission quit. It was rebuilt at 172,000.
Water pump replaced at 175,000.
For all of those having trouble with brakes I found the solution: Ceramic brake pads, and machine or replace rotors. I did that at 177,000.
ABS Solenoid at 179,000.
Thermostat, and radiator cap at 179,000.
Cooling system back flush at 181,000.
Temp switch and temp sensor at 181,000.
Rear struts go bad and make really weird noises replaced at 183,000.
Alternator was original until replaced along with serpentine belt at 189,000.
Battery cables and new battery bolts at 189,000 (suspected cause of Alt failure)
General comments?
My car is the 4-door model and I am very happy with it. My previous car did not need so much replaced, but this car has a lot more electronics. The car is very quick, but I made it faster by doing the following:
Removed Cat Converter, performance mufflers.
K & N Air filter.
Intake Air Temp sensor modification that makes computer think air is colder coming in than it is so it advances timing and increases fuel flow. They sell them on ebay, but if you or someone you know is familiar with electronics all you need is a 3.9K ohm resistor to plug into Intake air temp sensor plug this will make the car think the air coming in is about 30 degrees.
Another thing I did was install a transmission cooler which will make the transmission last longer.
Recommended reviews
| A very reliable buy that's worth any random malfunction |
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| It is a good value sports car and has been fun to own |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1995 |
| Year of manufacture | 1995 |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.1 Liter SFI Automatic |
| Performance marks | 9 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 164000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 193000 miles |
| Previous car | Pontiac Bonneville |
| Date of Entry | 11th November, 2004 |