"Grand" in Grand Am refers to the number of headaches I had.

Anyone thinking of buying a Grand Am should read this review. I have given much thought to this writeup before submitting it, and you should take it to heart before spending your hard earned cash on this vehicle.

I bought a brand new 1990 Grand AM LE 2-door coupe, with the Sport Package which included the 160hp 16-valve Quad4 engine, automatic transmission, fog lights, alloy wheels, extra gauge cluster and interior map lights. I had just graduated from high school and wanted an economical yet somewhat sporty car for going to university.

I decided on the Grand Am because:
(1) it was sporty looking;
(2) it was larger in size compared to others of similar price at that time;
(3) the performance of the Quad4 was great;
(4) steering/handling was predictable; and
(5) the claimed fuel economy (32 hwy / 25 city) was attractive.

After paying tuition costs, I took almost every penny I had ever saved (plus some extra money from my parents) and bought this car. Stupidest move I've ever made.

Let's get one this straight... I loved this car. I treated it better than most people treat their BMW or Mercedes. I washed it weekly, changed the oil regularly, took it in for checkups according to the maintenance schedule, and even had it detailed (thorough cleaning and waxing) twice a year. The ONLY thing I may have been guilty of was that I pushed the performance of this car every now and then. But, hey! That was the whole idea behind the 160hp 16-valve Quad4, right?

Note: Back in 1990, Pontiac had a 3-year limited (and I mean LIMITED) warranty that covered warranty work free of charge for the first year only, and then $100 deductible per repair in the second and third years.

This car ran great for the first 10 months. Then, the HORROR began. First, it was just little things, but then it escalated and escalated until... well, you read it and see.

Instead of starting with blood-boiling complaints about the problems I had, let me start by objectively listing all of the problems I had with this car.

Note: All costs are listed in Canadian dollars. Also note that most minor (i.e. non-transmission-related) repairs were performed by a personal friend who had his own mechanic shop, so costs were often lower than if I had brought the car in for repairs to a total stranger.

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Common Complaints

Problem: Premature brake wear.
Cause: Common problem with Grand Am
Cost: $? Who can remember? I had to change brakes every 5000-6000 miles.

Problem: Gas mileage sucks. Only get about 22 hwy / 18 city
Cause: GM mileage estimates are overly optimistic.
Cost: hundreds of dollars in extra fuel costs

Problem: Quad4 engine turned noisy after 25,000 KM (15,537 mi)
Cause: Common problem with Grand Am
Cost: Doesn't matter, can't fix it

Problem: Consistently ran out of gas with gauge showing 1/4 tank left
Cause: Common problem with Grand Am
Cost: Doesn't matter, can't fix it

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Year 1

Problem: Windshield washer fluid wouldn't spray properly.
Cause: Cracked fluid hose.
Fix: Dealer replaced.
Cost: $0

Problem: Windshield wiper motor was noisy, then stopped working altogether.
Cause: Faulty wiper motor.
Fix: Dealer replaced.
Cost: $0

Problem: Center brake light didn't work.
Cause: Faulty bulb.
Fix: Dealer repaired.
Cost: $0

Problem: Parking brake light always on.
Cause: Faulty sensor.
Fix: Dealer repaired.
Cost: $0

Problem: Parking brake button/spring broke; unable to release parking brake.
Cause: Faulty part.
Fix: Dealer repaired.
Cost: $0

Problem: Front right wheel-well interior moulding slightly loose.
Cause: Plastic pins holding moulding onto body broke off / fell out.
Fix: Dealer replaced pins.
Cost: $0

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Year 2

Problem: Major water leak somewhere; every time it rained (or if I washed the car) the interior carpet would be soaked.
Cause: Dealer couldn't exactly locate. Thought it was a leak in the door panel.
Fix: Fixed/reinforced inside door lining.
Cost: $100

Problem: Major water leak persists.
Cause: One of rear side windows "popped" loose from its seals.
Fix: Fixed seal on window.
Cost: $0 (because of previous repair)

Problem: Major water leak persists. Carpet now moldy.
Cause: Turns out that rear window "popped" loose from its seals as well.
Fix: Fixed rear window seal. Pulled carpet out for shampoo and drying; reinstalled carpet.
Cost: $0 (because of previous repair)

Problem: Parking brake light always on.
Cause: Faulty sensor.
Fix: Dealer repaired.
Cost: $0 (because of previous repair)

Problem: Rear left-side tail-light assembly loose; slides in and out.
Cause: Plastic pins (in trunk) holding light in place broken.
Fix: Dealer replaced with stronger pins. (Hmmmm, this seemed strange.)
Cost: $100

Problem: Paint on roof and trunk lid starting to bubble.
Cause: Faulty paint sealing process; acknowledged as warranty repair after fighting with dealership.
Fix: Dealer repainted.
Cost: $100

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Year 3

Problem: Coolant leaking into oil.
Cause: Known problem with Quad4 engines; warranty repair per recall notice that was sent out to owners.
Fix: Dealer repaired.
Cost: $0 (recall)

Problem: Blew head gasket. Coolant leaking everywhere. Car doesn't run.
Cause: Known problem with Quad4 engines; warranty repair per INTERNAL recall notice (meaning owners were NEVER to be notified). Problem only to be fixed if owners just happened to bring their cars back to GM dealer).
Fix: Dealer repaired. (But I had to pay for towing.)
Cost: $100 (see next repair note)

Problem: Horn doesn't work consistently.
Cause: Faulty wiring.
Fix: Fixed wiring.
Cost: $0 (since reported with another repair order)

Problem: Lots of rattling coming from glovebox.
Cause: Glovebox partially detached.
Fix: Reattached.
Cost: $100


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Out of Warranty Repairs

Problem: Battery doesn't charge.
Cause: Common problem with Grand Am. Faulty alternator.
Fix: Replaced alternator with one from junk yard.
Cost: $150

Problem: Car has strange humming noise and performance is not as good as it should be.
Cause: Faulty fuel pump.
Fix: Replaced pump with one from junk yard.
Cost: $150

Problem: Car shifts jerky, sounds terrible.
Cause: Transmission gear teeth grinding; some teeth broken.
Fix: Replaced with new transmission.
Cost: $1200

Problem: Battery dead - premature.
Cause: Faulty alternator has had an impact on battery.
Fix: New battery.
Cost: $100

Problem: Heater doesn't produce anything above mildly warm air.
Cause: Faulty thermostat.
Fix: Replaced thermostat.
Cost: $120

Problem: Oil gauge keeps going off and warns of low oil levels.
Cause: Faulty oil level sensor.
Fix: Replaced sensor.
Cost: $70

Problem: Car shifts jerky, has a tendency to stall when idling at a light, and can't restart for average for 5-7 minutes.
Cause: Faulty transmission (again). Internal clutch mechanism not disengaging properly.
Fix: Replace with new high quality GM transmission.
Cost: $1300

Problem: Car sounds terrible when accelerating.
Cause: Exhaust system rusted out.
Fix: Replaced with new exhaust system.
Cost: $200

Problem: Rust appearing on trunk lid edges, around window, and at bottom of driver side door.
Cause: Who knows?
Fix: Remove all surface rust, repair as needed, repaint.
Cost: $600

Problem: While driving, turn signal arm breaks off while signalling.
Cause: Metal arm was cracked. (Trust me, you can't signal that hard even if you wanted to.)
Fix: Replaced with new arm.
Cost: $50

Problem: Three weeks after taking into GM shop for tire rotation, right front wheel breaks off while turning left.
Cause: Dealership didn't tighten wheel nuts properly, nuts came loose, bolts literally sheared right off, wheel rolls away.
Fix: Replaced with new wheel assembly.
Cost: $0 (because of GM shop stupidity)

Problem: Wipers moving slowing, interior lights very dim.
Cause: Faulty alternator (again).
Fix: New alternator.
Cost: $150

Problem: Shifter button breaks; spring no longer works.
Cause: Shabby construction.
Fix: If I wanted this fixed, I would need to replace entire shifter.
Cost: $110 (so I didn't proceed with repairs)

Problem: Plastic shifter guide breaks into two pieces; impossible to shift into gears 2 or 1 as broken assembly is jamming against shifter.
Cause: Shabby plastic construction.
Fix: Replace with new piece of plastic.
Cost: $80 for a piece of plastic! (so I didn't proceed with repairs)

Problem: Water leak problem reappearing.
Cause: Rear window popped out of seals.
Fix: Brought back to dealer for repairs.
Cost: $0 (because of previous repair)

Problem: Rear right-side tail-light assembly loose; slides in and out.
Cause: Plastic pins (in trunk) holding light in place broken.
Fix: Brought into dealer for repairs; should replace with stronger pins. (Hmmmm, why didn't they replace all the pins when I originally had the left side fixed?)
Cost: $100 (suggested repair cost)
Comment: GM dealer said they were being generous because they were offering to perform out-of-warranty work for the "nominal" warranty deductible. I argued that they should have fixed right side when I had the left side pins were replaced with stronger ones the first time. After much trouble, they finally agreed.

Problem: Car makes weird sounds, coolant leaking everywhere, white smoke from tailpipe.
Cause: Blew head gasket (again). Known problem with Quad4 engines.
Fix: None. Dealer acknowledges problem, but says they will only repair the problem once under the recall notice. Subsequent occurrences of this problem must be paid for by owner.
Cost: Estimates ranged from $1500-$1900
Comment: This was the last straw. After years of trying to band-aid fix this car, I finally gave up.


As you see, the list of problems is HUGE.

Because I was going to school, fixing this car was not only financially difficult, but also hard on my schedule as I had to find alternate means of getting around when the car was in the shop.

After finding out that I had blew the head gasket again, and that GM wouldn't cover a known problem, I decided to GIVE the car to my mechanic in exchange for a full brake job on my other car. He, in turn, gave it to one of the mechanics that worked at his shop. To this day, the new owner has spent about $2000 in parts and over 50 of his own hours repairing that beast. He regrets owning it and intends to buy a new car as soon as he can afford it.

This is the worst car experience of anyone I know. When I finally got rid of it back in 1997 (I only owned the thing for 7 years!!!), it only had 135,000 KM (or about 83,900 mi). This car cost me CDN$18000 new (about US$13000 at the time), over $4600 in repairs, and drank gas like an alcoholic goes through liquor.

STAY AWAY FROM THIS OR ANY OTHER GRAND AM. It is one of the the most unreliable cars ever built.

You would only buy this car if you had money to burn and wanted to impress your friends and co-workers with your ability to pay major repair bills on an ongoing basis.

Pontiac's slogan is "Built For Drivers". They should consider changing it to "Built For Mechanics" or "Built for Suckers".


On a happier note, I immediately purchased an Acura 1.6EL (an upscale version of the Honda Civic sedan, only available in Canada) after junking the Grand Am. I have had no problems in the 2 years I've owned it. It runs as well today as it did the day I drove it off the lot.

I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER GENERAL MOTORS PRODUCT AGAIN. Sure, American cars are cheaper, but beware! You'll get what you pay for!

If you are considering the Grand Am, save your money and buy the comparably-sized, slightly more expensive, highly more reliable Honda Accord. I know five people who own Accords of 1990, 1992, 1994, 1998, and 1999, and every one of them has nothing but good things to say about their cars. You won't find that kind of consistently good feedback from Grand Am owners, guaranteed!