Used 2001 Pontiac Grand Am SE 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5M) Consumer Reviews
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My very fist car (Grand Am Se 2001 4 sp auto)
Reinaldo, Sun City, AZ, 07/16/2015
updated 07/28/2021
Pontiac Grand Am SE 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5M)
16 of 16 people found this review helpful
I bought this car used in January 2012 for $ 950 and 176660 miles. It was what I could afford. The turn signal switch worked when it wanted to, so I went to Freight Harbor Tools and purchased my fist tool box and fixed it. The AC started working after the Ac relay was replaced under hood and has never quit working. As a maintenance tip, I run the AC for several minutes in winter time for proper system lubrication. Replaced tranny fluid at 182 K. Right after that I made a trip from Phoenix to Kansas City and back (2460 miles) and got 32 mpg. I replaced the factory fuel pump at 210 K ( $ 58 on Ebay). After several ten minutes waiting for passlock system restart, finally I bypassed it with a resistor (you can look it up online). Breaks were replaced with ceramic pads (do not used semi-metallic ones ) and it´s been two years now and no problems. I went ahead and replaced timing chain, water pump and thermostat as a preventive maintenance last year at 218 K, but I was not having any problems with them. Never had random lights on dash but whenever I see Service Vehicle Soon, it means there is a blown bulb or fuse. My only complaint: rough idle but with almost 223 k miles I guess it has given me a lot for the money. Update: I gathered the resources and replaced all the mounts, even the ones that look "good" : end of the rough idle. Before that , I replaced the front wheel hub and that eliminated the ABS light and the wobbling. The a/c quit working. Before you do anything crazy, go ahead and check the pressure switch in the line on top of the radiator. It was that simple. My friends who have newer cars say mine cools the interior faster than theirs and it is true. At 246k I had the tranny rebuilt (it was the original one) because it was slipping between 3rd and 4th gear, but drivable. Now it is almost 255k miles 6 month later. The enigne is still good. I put synthetic oil to cope with the Phoenix heat. No favorite brand: I just go to 99c stores and pick whatever synthetic at $2.99, not bad. I don't drive like I stole it, specially when first start it. I guess all of this makes possible to keep the car. Update: Justo hit 281000 Miles on the dame engine. Not Bad at all. Still powerful when needed and good on gas at the dame time. Un fact some people have tried to race me. I installed an aftermarket Muffler back in 2014, that is not loud and gives the car some attitude. The xenon lights that I installed back in 2013 are still working ( I could not take yellow bulbs any longer in the headlights) This car is good if You are mechanic inclined, specially if bought with many miles on ir. 8 years later, no car payment and 114000 added miles, so no regrets.
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2001 Grand Am SE
rocky, 01/08/2009
Pontiac Grand Am SE 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I would never buy another car like this. I have had problems with the fuel pump ( 2 times) and the security light 2 time too. I haven't even had the car for two years. Dont ever buy this car
Poor Quality
mikee4667, Lexington, KY, 04/27/2014
Pontiac Grand Am SE 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5M)
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
I would not recommend this car to anyone. It had a water leak in the passenger side that shorted out a computer that cost 500 to fix. 3 out of 4 power windows broke, and the passenger mirror fell off when I scraped snow off it. The security light came on and I had to have a new ignition cylinder put in-another 300. I traded it in while it was still running. Just to be clear I changed the oil regularly and kept up the maintenance. Poor Quality--I can see why Pontiac went out of business.
Looks don't count
shannon, 01/26/2009
Pontiac Grand Am SE 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought this car without doing a lot of research first, mistake ! I wanted it because of the sporty look. It has been one headache after another.I have had to replace the water pump, the brakes multiple times, the traction system is junk. Little things like heater knobs have broken off, heat only works on high, both rearview mirrors have broken off for no reason and the turn signal switch went bad. My mom's full size truck gets better gas mileage! I am doing a lot of research for my next car!
do you really wanna
jasdva, 02/29/2008
Pontiac Grand Am SE 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Sure the cars and everything about them look great, but after so long they end up leaving you stranded. It's all due to the security/passlock system (e.g. the ignition switch and the electrical part of that switch). Read all the post on Edmunds.com about this problem before going out and buying a Grand Am.