Used 1994 Pontiac Grand Am Consumer Reviews
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Grand Am SE
I got this car when I turned 16. It made me through high school & I am now a senior in college, over three hours away from home. Had to replace head gaskets around 95,000, alternator at 120,000, muffler at 135,000, and radiator at 145,000, but other than that, this car has been AMAZING! My power windows aren't exactly functional- I now have a crank window on my driver's side due to replacing the motor so often, and the back windows never go down anymore, but other than that, I love this car. I also had the typical water in the front (due to faulty windshield replacement), and I use about a quart of oil in between changes. I'll be sad to get rid of this car- it's been nothing short of great!
Hey the GT is great
I have to say my '94 Grand Am GT is great. I just bought it six months ago with 112,000 miles and I've put 15,000 miles on it with no major repairs, just brake rotors. I don't like the interior of the car. The cup holders are built into a fold down compartment above the glove box that bounces around on bumps, causing spills. Something in my dash rattles too. I don't like the power window buttons in the center console either. The V6 is awesome. I don't NEED any more power than I have, and I average 28 miles per gallon. The engine is a little shaky, especially at low RPMs. My fuel gauge doesn't work. Only minor design flaws. The car is definately worth what I paid for it though.
I LOVE MY 1994 GRANDAM
I BOUGHT THIS CAR WITH 19,000 MILES AND IT NOW HAS 142,000. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH IT. I CHANGE THE OIL ON TIME AND HAVE TUNE-UPS AND TRANSMISSION SERVICES REGULARLY AND IT HAS RUN LIKE A DREAM. I HATE TO GET RID OF IT, BUT I NEED FOUR DOORS WITH KIDS
Great Cat
We bought this car new and it now has 240,000 miles on it. Never had any major problems other than AC and always gets around 35mpg with 5 speed manual and quad 4. Some rust started to show after 13 years over the rear wheels and had to replace radiator and cat. conv. recently. Have taken good care of it and it has taken good care of us.
A huge GM Goof
The engineers who designed the quad4 engine ought to have to pay the repair bills. Not only is it a costly engine to keep up, but with the design it is costly to get to other components to repair. Just replacing gaskets everytime you need a repair (such as a water pump) takes up a month's food allowance. Now I'm trying to decide to see if someone will trade it with needing a valve job or get it fixed and dump it on another poor soul. I usually like Pontiacs, but this one is definitely at the bottom of the barrel. A costly purchase when 75% of the purchase price is put into repairs with in 1 1/2 years.
my baby
I Love My Car!!
Been Good to Us
We bought this car 3rd hand w/107000k and have been very happy with it. Minor repairs; egr valve, o2 sensor, fan belt, brakes. Have kept regular maintenance done every 5000k. Has some oil leaks, but found something to fix that up. Car has over 240000k at this point and we hope to get another 6 months before we replace it.
Great Car
This is a great car to drive. Its reliable, comfortable, and has some power. With its good looks and nice motor, it is the perfect car for anyone.
grand am.....
i bought a 94 grand am for my first car. my mistake i made was buying a 4 cylinder ok some advice don't do what i did. for the size of the engine it should give out a little more power. and the gas mileage isn't that great. get a 6 cylinder gt not se.
good old car
When I bouught the car it was pretty rough, 193k miles, no AC, passenger power window not in working condition, very sticky ignition, motor mount rattle, leaky sun roof, headliner falling down,,,,,you name the problem and this car was probably suffering from it. I have drove this car for several months now and have invested several hundred dollars to make the needed improvements, and it is very clear that my car was simply not taken care of. it now has well over 205k miles on it and still going strong. cranks right up in the cold without hesitation, does not use any oil, and offers about 32 Hmpg. Over all its a good old car, fun to drive and does great on gas.
Good Grand Am
Love this car. 168k miles in about 7 years and runs very well. No engine or transmission overhaul. Just regular service about every 2-3 months and approx. 1-2 years for service to a/c, trans, engine tune-up and other misc maintenance items.
This Car is Not Anyone Should Own
I bought this as my first car, I'm 16, this car has been nothing but problems. The 4 cylinder they put in this model, has to be the worst engine ever made. It delivers an entire laundry list of problems to you in a big expensive mechanic's bill. It doensn't give you much pick-up for such a big 4 cylinder engine, it being a 2.3 liter. This huge engine sucks gas and does get you around very far. It you buy any model coupe of this year, buy the GT. It's not worth getting a terrible engine and getting the same gas mileage you would get with a V6. My opinion stay away from this terrible accident that GM has created. I beg of you do not buy one it will be the worst choice you ever make.
oil leak in all grand ams
I have had an 89, 91 and now I have a 94. I have loved all 3 - they have the looks, the power, the comfort and reliability. I have never had my grand am let me down. The only complaint, and it is quite a serious complaint, is that they've all had oil leaking problems after the warranty expires. Right now, my 94 is actually leaking antifreeze into the engine, as well as the oil leak. Expensive to repair this.
Gets from A to B....but not without a scare!
Okay, I bought this car for $900 with 85k on it...a steal right?...yes, but just like ma says.."you get what you pay for". This car scares the hell out of me sometimes. There is obviously a problem with the cylinders that causes them to work twice as hard as they should and I'm almost positive the engine has an oil leak in it, which from what I hear Pontiac had problems with on this model in the past. The engine is strong and the car always starts but not without scary sounds from the "grinding" transmission....It's horrible...you can hear every gear! Mine also has a swaybar problem that causes the car to bounce all over the place. The only time it really smooths out is on the expressway!.
Why I'm keeping it!
Mine is a '94 Grand Am SE V6 sedan, automatic. I bought it less than two years ago with 236,000 mi. verified by CarFax. There were two prior owners. The interior and trunk are in showroom condition. There is no rust and the paint is original. I have had no problems, get 35 mpg and use no oil between changes. I cannot see buying a new car that has 4 cylinders or a V6 and gets the same or less mileage.
GrandAm
I bought this car at 94,000 miles and it had an engine rebuild. It is now 10 monthes later and 123,000mi. and this car has been extremely reliable. The only work i have done to it has been oil changes! The windows dont work properly which people that i know with a grand am 1994-1997 have the problem as well. This car gets great gas mileage, however i'm told the quad four engine is very unreliable (i guess the owner before expierenced all the downfalls and i have it made!). It goes 112 and the governer hasn't kicked on.
LEMON!!!
Perhaps I just got a raw deal, but my car ran less time than it was in the shop! I spent 1000 dollars in 6 months trying to keep it running!
Never had a problem
I have a 1994 Pontiac Grand Am Se 4d sedan, with 120,000 miles. I have never had a problem with this car. I did have to replace a few things just from age, but other than that it has been a great little car; manual transmission so it's great with gas mileage as well.
Don't even think about it
If you are shopping for a car and you stumble across a nice looking grand am... don't be fooled...keep walking. The only way it might be a good option for you is if you are a certified pontiac mechanic, and if you were you would know how hard it is to get to most of the parts you need to replace...often....keep walking...
Will Keep Till It's A Classic!
I bought this car as my first new car and as a Father's Day gift to myself. Best automotive purchase I ever made. I will do my best to see that my grandson (due in May 2004) inherits it! Needless to say I love this car. It has been reliable to a fault. Only complaint-the control arms for the power windows. Poor engineering and assembly. Be sure to get the V-6 even if the fuel economy is not as good (I avg. 17/city, 23-27hwy). I baby this honey. She still gets compliments. People can't believe she's a decade old. Remember to change your oil every 3,000. Treat this as gospel!!! Happy cruising!
Stay Away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stay away from this vehicle. We got the vehicle at about 75,000 miles, in a 3 year period to this date, we've since doubled it. In that period we replaced the tranny twice (2 x $750= $1500), all three motor mounts ($222), thermostat ($75), radiator & fan ($40, I got a hookup), starter ($160), ball joints ($50), alternator ($180), 2 power window motors ($250). For a GRAND TOTAL of about $2500. Now I have a water pump, alternator belt, ball joint, and possibly brake caliper to replace, bringing the GRAND TOTAL to $2800. This car is definitely not worth all of this moolah, so save yourself the trouble and money and avoid this car.
Best mid-sized car (my opinion)
The best car I have ever owned. I have 139,000 and repairs have been minimal. Also, I use only Mobil gasoline. I have owned since new.
I got a good one!
I bought this car from a dealership a year and a half ago. It had 103k on it. I am on the second owner. It now has 123k and the only thing I have done is changed the oil and had to re-charge the A/C at 110k. There is now a sound coming from the right front tire, I am told it is probably a bearing or joint and will cost about $150 to replace. The V6 has great power and has given me no problems. The power drivers window is a little slow but am told this is common on this car. This car has done me great!
best
this car is the best and i'm 18 years old i've had 12 cars and i like this one the best out of all of them
Think Twice
Hopefully, I can still write my review. I no longer own this car, but did from new in 9/94 until around December 2001. The warranty was 36,000K and in that time nothing went wrong. Then, at around 50,000K it needed a new transmission. With payments still left, better fix it. We only got about 44,000K more out of it and it needed another transmission!!! We got a used one (to save money) had it installed and got rid of it! I have no complaints about the interior; ours was pretty comfortable (velvet cloth type) and the ride was pretty comfortable. The parts weren't too plastic... just the tranny was!
Fun car to drive
I bought this car about 4 months ago with about 123,000 miles on it. I had to fix the steering collum and some minor things but this car is really aewsome. Great speed with the V6 engine. This car is so much fun to drive. the power windows are a little slow but that is common. I got a really good deal it was 950.00 dollars.
very good
well after my pontiac 600 hit the dust, i bought a 94 grand am gt coupe and its much more raliable and also faster. it hasnt had any real issues, just had to fix a window regulator and currently my keys get stuck at times, but nothing thats big.
Dont buy
I had so many problems with my grand am. The first 20000 miles i put on the car was good then all the sudden the engine went out on me. I had to replace the engine then other things went wrong like the shocks and struts, EGR valve, Exhaust, and the alternator. There are lots of problems with these cars its a car that u have to put money into all the time. I do not recommend this car.
Still works with 120,000 miles
This is my wifes car, she lovesit but here are the repairs: electrical problems shorting out accessories. AC Compressor, lots of batteries, right window electrical,cluth assembly, radiator and thermostat (overheated alot showing no problems)3 sets of brakes, use only synthetic oil so engine is super, truck leakage, key sticking, the list goes on for 10 years. I bought a new 2005 Japanese Scion all parts Japanese, I can't support American car makers anymore. Their is no pride of workmanship or real quality or value for the price. My 20 yr old buick No issues thats the only American I will support. I'm from UK. Thanks
A pretty good car
I bought it new. It had some small problems during warranty period, like the plastic seat belt anchor cover didn't install correctly (just needs to be pushed in), signal lamp socket got higher resistance than normal (one bulb is dimmer than the others) fuel injector wire loose, intake gasket leak, power window express down stopped working, front rotor warpped. All been taken care under warranty. After warranty expires, the things I replaced are battery and CD player. I think both were my fault, I left a the battery on charge and forget all about it. CD player won't take CD in cold weather, so I took it apart, it never worked afterward. The OEM CD player module was made in Japan.
I great running car, with lots of spunk!
This is the second Grand Am i've owned from this model series and it's been just as nice as the first one i owned. I'm a 19 year old going through engineering so i couldn't either afford an expensive foreing car nor something that would break down. it has ample power and torque, and the fuel economy on the highway us great. If i do nothing but hwy driving i can get 750 km/s to a tank! My car has all the creature comforts, Leather interior, power windows, power mirrors, you name it. Everything has been fine. You should definatly opt for the 6 cyl... these engines don't die!
It's not a bad car for a college student
I just purchased this car for college using, with 112000 miles on it for $2000. It worth the price but I have to change the motor mount which is around $200,side windows(the same problem that all the Grand AM/GT have), seats, water mount( they charge $300 for labor!!!), and worse thing the steering rack(cost $600!!) is getting bad and I have change it soon. But overall its not really bad and can take you to any place you want to go.
Reliable
Had it for 7 years, no major repairs
Why is my car leaking water?
This car has been the best car until recently, started to overheat fan wasn't running, fixed that, fixed sensor heat core dry, Water leaking into the driver's side, can't see it or feel it but floor gets flooded.
Great Car, except for........
I loved this car. The V-6 engine was powerful and always started right up. It handled great and was very comfortable. The fuel gauge failed twice, a/c once, water pump once, in 120k miles. It was too expensive to fix the second time. Except that every year, something went wrong and the bill was always around $1000. The last time was it kept overheating, and the dealer could not figure it out. Even still, it ran great until the coolant overflowed onto the street. I still miss it. but not the cost. I feel sorry for the poor guy that bought it from the place i traded it into.
Great Car
Bought used as third car but drive it the most. Love the power, handling and reliability. Built for a guy. I'm 6'2"/ 240 lbs but have no problem getting in and out. Innovative features like cup holder folding down from dashboard. A smaller car with relatively big engine means it doesn't have to work too hard and has therefore held up well. Great value in used car market which is also a problem- probably have to drive into the ground because can't sell for anything- too bad great car.
Stay AWAY!
The day my bro sold me this piece of junk the c.conv. broke. I spent over 2K in repairs, constant trans.problems,oil leaks,car would not stay running in stop and go traffic. HORRIBLE. WHY do American manufactuares build such crap? I hate Hondas/Toyotas, and want to support American cars, but who has the time and $$ for car repairs? The last straw was the day I slammed on my brakes at 40mph to avoid a collision on the I-580 in the SF Bay and the ABS brakes locked, so the 5,000lbs car skidded and I swerved up the side of the San Joaquin mountain. I gladly sold it for $500.00 after only having it for 1 year and paid 2K,spend over 2K on it. My bro boug
absolute chaos
I love the car- we bought it used- but right around 110K everything started to go wrong. First the brakes, a motor mount, then the alternator, another motor mount, brakes (again), struts, starter, 2 more motor mount replacements, & the list continues. What a nightmare. Watch out!
Good Car
I bought this car with only 73000 miles in 05. Been very reliable, has never left me high and dry. Does have a small oil leak which I was told were loose bolts on the oil pan and needed to be tightened. Developed lifter noise last year from age but dosen't disappoint. The column went out and the wheel ended up in my lap one day but that was pretty cheap to fix. Other than that this car continues to perform excellent and I can't see myself getting rid of it. Very fun car to drive and it can withstand a beating and handle itself on rough dirt roads.
One of my 2 favorite cars
I got this car used about 6 years ago. It was like new then and still runs excellent. This car is a lot of fun to drive, and I can say this as someone who also owns a 2001 Trans Am WS6. Although the Grand Am GT is no muscle car, it is light and sporty, and the stiff suspension gives it excellent handling. This car is also beautiful. Sporty-looking, yet classy. Nice low profile. Much better looking than newer Grand Ams. It also has the most comfortable seats of any car I have ever sat in.
Hunk o' Junk
This car was bought brand new. All scheduled maintenance was done but did that help? NO! New transmission at 160000km, and at 190k its in need of repair again! Ball joint replaced 3 times, AC gone after 5 years. yesterday I was told it needs new high pressure power steering hose, intake manifold gasket is leaking too (expensive repair). I can't afford a new car, but I can't afford to keep this any longer. My wife's 89 Probe is 100x better than this hunk of junk!
What I Expected
I bought the car used with 63K and change. In the 2.5 years that I have owned it, I have had no major repairs. There have been a number of pesky problems. One of the cables linking the shifter assembly (5 speeed manual) and clutch broke ($450) and the shifter is sticking again after the repair took place 6 mnths ago. I put shocks on the back and, as usual, routine maintenance by the amateur mechanic is ill-advised given the unfriendly dipsosition of the Quad 4. The car is pretty noisy inside in terms of rattles and cheap plastic shaking around but I have experienced absolutely no problems with any electrical components (i.e. windows, locks, lights).
WELCOME BACK,AMERICA!
I bought the Grand Am GT for my wife, as I NEVER TRUSTED American-built cars. WOW! WAS I WRONG! We've had it 8 yrs. now, 3 sets of brakes w/o any other repairs! Regret not buying one for me! Fun to drive, GREAT PERFORMANCE W/GREAT FUEL ECONOMY! Purring like a kitten w/175,000+miles and counting! YEP! WELCOME BACK,AMERICA!
Alright little car
I bought my car used in February 2014 with 180,000 miles on it for $950. Since then we had to replace the head gaskets, fuel pump, brake pads, power steering belt and pulley. It all totaled to be about $3000 to $4000. The driver window is off balance, so it rolls up weird an the passenger door lock actuator is out. Other than that, its a great little car. Sub-par gas mileage but very sporty looking.
My BEST car yet!!
Bought this car with 42,000 miles on it and I now have 181,000 miles on it. I have only done routine maintenance until last month when I replaced the water pump. This car still sounds like the day I bought it! I fully expect to hit 200,000 miles with this baby!
Excellent
very nice good get up and go. Enjoy turning over the wheels and leaving big blackys.
Very nice car
My 94 GAGT is a very nice car. So far i have not had any really bad things to go wrong with it. NOTTTT LOL i had to have the tranny rebuilt, i put a newer 3100 from a 97 monte Carlo (170hp) with short Ram intake dyno. I see some people saying some bad things about this car. well i its truely a remarkable car. True if you dont take car of it while its new in the long run the 3100 will have lots of disasters when someone gets it used it with Example - 100,000 on it they things will go bad. I hope to get mid 15's out of it this summer so i can run with the new 03's GAGT's
Good starter car
I bought this car right before i went off to college in 2004 for about $1750. I just let it go a few days ago because it has a cracked head gasket which will be about $1000-1200 to fix- not worth it!!! But it lasted 5 years so I guess i got my money's worth in a way. But since having it I have gotten 2 water pumps replaced, a new radiator cap, a new belt, new brakes, new struts, a new battery, and a new alternator so it definitely gave me about 1 major mechanical problem a year. It also leaked oil. Also found out the hard way that the Low Fuel light doesn't work! Horrible gas mileage in my opinion, but could be because i never had a tune up. This car was always running hot!
Grand Am SE Coupe
I have had this car since new. I have driven 180,000 miles on the 4-cylinder model with out any problem. It has been a good reliable car. The most money that I have had to put into it besides normal wear items was $150 for a new distributor and wires, which I replace at 170,000 miles.
GM's Draft or Hard Copy
This really is a decent car, I am 16 and purchased it with 158,000 miles on it.I now 3 months later have 162,000 miles on it.It has had few problems but what can I expect for a 94 with 160,000 miles?I've replaced 2 motor mounts and now in need of a 3rd I think.The 4 cylinder has loads of power and will spin a wheel or 2 The car does have some flaws.the drivers seat quit moving the lever broke to adjust it.but I am rather tall and it is back all the way. Mine is a 4 speed Auto and the transmission is doing fine I use 3rd gear to get the use outta my little 4's power.It will fly.