Used 2004 Pontiac Grand Am Sedan Consumer Reviews
Mediocre has a new definition
Pros sporty look strong v6 engine smooth ride decent mpg for a v6 18-20city 23-26 highway Cons not very reliable cheap interior poor safety rating very little resale value bought car in 2012 with 65k, now has 106k, had numerous pricey repairs done, timing belt twice in 6 months, oil pan and transmission fluid leaks, faulty alternator, air conditioning stopped working at around 95k.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Maintain your car - No problems!!!!
I am sitting here laughing my backside off at all the complaints. All but a few are due to lack of maintaince, just plain ignorance in taking care of a car, and the attitude "if it ain't broke don't fix it"! For instance the clicking in the dash is nothing but cleaning the turn signal wires on the blinker control. I bought my 2004 Grand Am Gt, loaded, used, with 57000 miles on it. It had everything original even the tires. I am still driving it as I bought it cause someone took great care of it and maintained it as any intelligent will do. Get off your backside "crybabies" and read the manual or can't you read???? Great car, no proglems! Always blame someone else for your troubles!! Duh!
Fantastic car.
Got this car 5 years ago with 107,000 miles on her; 70,000 later and she still runs great. Motor mount snapped at 155,000 and we had to replace the water pump as well. Signals stopped working right at 175, and wheel bearings need to be replaced soon. Original battery lasted until 120. The mirrors stick out a bit too far. I've lost three. Eventually got ones that fold in. Overall a fantastic car and so much fun to drive. This was my first car; I think it says a lot about the car that it still performs so well after so being driven around so much by a young, inexperienced driver. A big disappointment they stopped making them so long ago; looks like my next car will be a G6.
Still Going Strong
I wrote a review back in Nov. 2012 when I hit 90,000 miles, and its now 2014, at 127,000 miles and its still going strong. I'm hoping that I can get another 100,000 miles before I have to get a new car. Too bad Pontiac is no longer.
Nice Car
This car has done very well for my wife and I. We bought it 3 months ago and have since put over 7,000 miles on it. When waxing it, you will find that the car is full of small details that sets it apart from the SE model. No doubt, if your going to go in get the Ram Air, the difference isnt that great over the 3400 V6 but the body makes up for it, plus is sounds much better than the standard V6.
Great car
Bought this car due to the low price. Price means nothing now, this is a great car and dependable. Fun to drive around town and excellent on the interstate, great starting in the winter (ND winters at time 30 below)
Great car
I own a 01 grand am se 3.4L and a 04 grand am gt ram air 3.4L 95k miles. the 01 has 185,000 miles and still runs like brand new. never any problems. just replaced normal maintenance stuff like struts, front hub bearings. other then that no prob's whatsoever. brakes lasted just over 3yrs before needed replaced. i tow a trailer also with the 01 sometimes. has original tran's also. both are great cars.
Great Car
In response to 2004 Grand Am SE1 Written by: GrandAmmer on 03/28/2009, I wanted to comment that the reason there is not a dipstick to check transmission fluid level is because these vehicles have a sealed for life transmission!! I have owned this car for six months now and love it. I got it with 70k miles on it. I have the 3400 v6 4door version. It is stylish inside and out. It is also very peppy for a v6 and sips the gas. I average 25 mpg with mostly city driving. I get closer to 30mpg if I drive all highway. The stereo is also very nice for factory!
Great Reliable Car
This car starts for me all the time in the dead of winter especially here in norhtern Il. I love this car, it is the best car I have ever owned. I love the acceleration of this car while on the highway especially going through Chicago's expressways.
The Most Refined FWD Grand Am
I owned a 1995 SE2 before this one, and finally decided to buy the '04 since my truck isn't getting the mileage it used to. So far the gas mileage has been great (25+ mpg)and there is enough power in that LA1 V6 to keep me in the fast lane without getting pulled over. I read some reviews about horrible gas mileage, but their favorite features are SPEED?!? Dumb. If you overdrive any car, after a while it will lose mileage. Stick with AC Delco replacement plugs/filters/wires/etc. and change them at regular intervals. This car will keep you going for well over 100K miles. The LA1 3.4-liter V6 is the most refined, American-built 60° since the 2.8-liter was introduced in the '80s. Great engine.
2004 Grand Am 260K plus and keeps on going!
I have had my 2004 Pontiac Grand Am for 6 years now and I still love it! Up until this week, i've never had a problem until the climate control went out. Turns out that I blew out the blower motor, and blower motor resistor, along with the circuit breaker. It was about an $800.00 repair which isn't bad considering how many miles were on the car. Other than that, no major problems at all, and it still runs like it's brand new!
Best car ever
I love grand ams, this is the best yet
Lovin' it!
2004 SE1 with the V-6 engine. I've driven most of what's on the road, and I am in LOVE! Of course, it doesn't hurt that I got a great deal on it...Using premium gas I've gotten almost 30mpg with the 3.4L engine. Drives smoothly, gets up and GOES when I need to, reasonable gas mileage, doesn't shake, squeak, rattle or do other nasty tricks AND it turns heads. What more can I ask for?
Best Car!
I've got the 2.2 Ecotec & I'm extremely pleased with it, get almost 40mpg hywy! Very easy to modify ie; added factory spoiler and upgraded to factory monsoon sound system (took some time), fold down seats were a breeze to add, even keyless entry was easy to install. Comfortable, quiet, looks awesome love all the features & most of all, Solid Form Design!
My 2004 Grand AM
This was my last car. It served me well. Wasn't exactly the best car I ever had though. Head gasket went on it shortly after I bought it (used). My aunt bought me a remote starter for it. Wich the car was not to reliable with. Every time I used the remote, I would have to check to see if the car actually started or not. All lights (running lights ect.) gave an indication that it did start, but the engine did otherwise. It would however start every time with the key (sometime a rough start). It was surprisingly good in the snow even with cheap black label tires. I will admit, it never left me stranded any where. I would not recommend this car for a tall person.
great car
had this GA 04 for 10 yrs. got it with 19000 miles on it. So far, had to replace the master/slave cylinder-due to defective master-trailing arm,due to hydroplaning into ditch. and now it's getting close to 200000 miles and it's starting to crunch shifting to third. guess it's time to change the syncro's. been a great car. excellent handling and mileage for gas. don't know if it's worth the expense or time to change them. but it has been an awesome car. I put it through a lot of stuff over the last ten years. would def get another one like it.
great college/college grad car
I love this car. I use to drive a hyundai tiburon which looked great but drove awful. After test driving 8 cars I had to have the grand am. It drives so smoothly and sometimes i don't even realize i just went around curves. My gas mileage is 24 mpg (both city and highway miles) while my old car (a 4cyl.) was only getting 27. I also love how the radio stays on after you take the keys out. Before I get out of the car I leave the cd playing my favorite song and eight hours later I turn on my car to find my favorite song. I just got a chance to drive it in the snow and it handled really well. I was worried because i hate antilock brakes in snowy weather.
Have loved it since it was new...til now
I bought this car brand new in 05. I love driving it, it looks great, and its still got get up and go at 98,000 miles BUT....It needs intake gasket #3 (1st one at 23, 000 miles.) The front end is shot...the bearing, the $400 a piece struts, the steering and the axle thingy. All sorts of warning lights keep coming on too. I think sorry to say its time to trade it in. Ive also had problems with the drivers window falling down into the door twice and the back door hasnt opened in about 3 years. It has never left me on the side of the road, but now its not even safe to drive. Ive loved her and took care of her since the day I got her, but at 98k thats too much to be going wrong.
overall-solid car
So I purchased my 2004 Pontiac Grand Am for $700 from my mothers friend (previously I thought Pontiacs were terrible). I use it as a daily driver to get to school, work, hangout with friends, etc. The only complaint I have is the clicking sound that it makes. It sounds like the turn signal, but is more sporadic and very annoying. I have had it for about a year now and I love how it drives. It handles pretty well in the snow and can pick up pretty quick if needed. I find myself checking it out every time I park. I'm coming up on 200,000 miles and am going to part ways with it soon due to the expense of a timing belt, definitely considering buying another one though!!!
Good car for the price
This is my 3rd Grand Am that I have owned. 97, 00, and 04 models. I have been fairly happy with this car except for the wind noise from the window seals that the dealerships didn't seem to want to fix even though I had it in 5 times for the noise. This car is what you would expect from GM. Low grade interior materials.
2004 Grand Am
Purchased this car new in October of 2004. It may be one of the best cars I have ever had. Has been stone cold reliable, everything seems to last forever. With a V-6, I get 21 mpg in the city, and 27 on the highway. If you can find a clean one used, buy it. Car has original rear brakes and original tires! Unbelievable!
Great!!
I bought this car in August 2011 for $4,550 and it had about 147,000 miles on it. I only replaced the fuel pump, my enemy put diesel in my gas tank. I got it replaced for $800, but the car runs really good so far! Now it has about 155,000 miles on it. I change oil every 3,000 miles or every 3 months. I barely let my gas to go below half tank. It works really good but sometimes the light "trac on" and "check the engine" will come on, I got them checked but nothing was wrong with my car.
2004 Grand Am 2.2 4cyl 4A
I've had the car for about 3 months now and have put a little over 3,000 miles on it. I bought it used with 98,000 miles on it. So far I've had no problems with it. The 4cyl engine suits this car well, but sometimes seems reluctant to downshift. It has absolutely zero power at low RPM. The gas mileage I get is exactly as listed at 27 MPG. Love the way the car handles. The interior (especially light switches) are obviously cheaply made, and often pop in and out of their slots.
Grand Am 2004
I purchased my Grand Am in Oct. 2004. Carfax report said it was a rental car. It currently has 79,000 miles. The door panels developed bubbles. Had them replace since it was under warrant. Didn't last long. All 4 door panels has bubbles in them. A/c knob broke. Inside light only works 10% of the time. A plastic nut in the widowshield wippers broke, I couldn't just buy the nut I had to buy the whole motor system. trunk leaks. Biggest problem is the dashboard lifting up. Dealership says it will cost over $1200 to fix and they will need my car 3 or 4 days. The lifting dashboard crumbled my defrosters. I can't use them. Blinkers keep blinking. 3 windows need new window regulator cost $390 each.
Love it, wish they still made them
I love my 2004 Grand Am, by far the best car I’ve ever owned. To this day it still only has 170,000km. I’ve tempted and turned down 3 brand new cars because I couldn’t let my Grand Am go. Only minor issues that are easily fixable that don’t put a dent in the pocket. I’ll never get rid of this car. I wish they still made them!
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
pontiac grand am se2,not that good
I bought this grand am abought a 3months ago. its a nice car for a girl, the car is very cramped. performance is pertty good very fast car. there is some minor problems with this car. the trunks leaks bad. there is a clicking sound behind the dash. ac does not work. dash lights only half work. the fog lights do not work if pontiac comes back they need to redesign the grand am.
This car is a step behind the rest
This is my 1st Pontiac that I traded my Nissan Altima for, big mistake! My Altima drove like a luxory vehicle, this thing is so loud and rough riding. You can hear everything that is going on outside of the car, especially freeway traffic. The inside is pretty basic compared to other sedans in its class (honda, nissan, toyota...) Its getting left in the dust by other competitor's styles.
they seem nice until you own one.
i enjoyed this car until stuff starting breaking for no reason. like the strut broke and broke the spring and ripped up the tire, at 50000 miles. then at about 51000 the power steering pump and pressure hose behind it broke. not only that but that parts for GM cost an arm and a leg and the labor for this poorly desigened cars is a killer too. as i said i liked this car until i had to do repairs on things that should not of broke or the expensive labor costs.
Love this car!
Bought this car a month ago and really am pleased with it. It handles much better then the 1997 Chev Lumina I had. It is fun to drive and is very good on gas and has great pep for a 2.2L. I get lots of compliments on the styling of the car. The graystone metallic is just my color.
Fun to drive but some issues
I purchased this car in July of 07'. Loved it when I laid eyes on it. I have had some issues as far as repairs go. An ignition control sensor went out 1 month after I bought it. That was about $500. About 2 months later had the wheel berring and traction control sensor go in the left front, that was about $300. And the last thing was kind of expected with 65,000 miles about 1 year later. Had a fuel pump go out. That cost about $500. All those things were just basic maintaince but still expensive. Other then those things my car has been a great car and expensive on gas with the higher prices.
Bad fuel economy
Nice car but can, t seem to get more than 250 km on a tank of fuel ( city driving in cold winter ) maybe summer will be better. Even took it in to get looked at and apparently there is nothing wrong. Once again bad fuel economy. Bought a lemon.
2004 Grand Am SE1
Bought this car with 21K miles in good condition. Had to replace front brakes at 40k miles and front wheel bearings at 51K miles. I have now found out that these are common issues with Grand Ams. Car has been reliable running and decent on mileage. But resale value drops quickly. There are some shortcuts in this car, like no dipstick for transmission fluid level. Fog lights are for appearance only and are totally ineffective in actual fog. Not a bad car for the low price, but expect to pay for additional maintenance if you keep car for a few years.
Good Transportation
This is a reliable car and I still like the body styling. The styling makes it look kind of hot, but with the 2.2 four, it can't really do anything performance wise. The interior is one of GM's (unrotunate) specialties: hideous hard plastics in dank colors. The dash is really ugly with two hard plastic lumps that I suppose are supposed to resemble an airplane cockpit??? The GAm's interior is so bad that I rode in a friend's Corrolla and thought I was in a Bentley. On the other hand, the GAm is extremely reliable. I've only had to do regular maintence. No breakdowns and no nagging problems at all. This car is good transportation, but it's market value is weak.
Best car that I have owned
I love my Pontiac Grand Am its too bad that there not going to make any more Pontiacs. The car gets great gas mileage and it is very peppy especially when your passing someone on a two lane road. What I dont like about it it has to many cup holders and the rear cup holder that folds out you cannot place any cup in the holder without it spilling onto the floor.
Almost Five years of Fun
I am still enjoying my car, I love the pick up on the open freeway. The CD player went out a very long time ago. All of the repairs I have had were minor such as radiator, waterpump.. when I first got the car I had problems with the sensory switch (or security light) but that was fixed under the warranty and it never happened again. When I sell my car next year (to up grade) someone will be getting a heck of a deal..
Best purchase I made.
I happened to walk onto a car lot just browsing and laid eyes on this car and had to have it immediately. It was used with 80k miles for 7000 dollars at the time. I grabbed the car up, since then I added a K&N air filter and new 17' rims and low profile tires and omg yes 2 12' subs in the trunk. Awesome Car. I love the way the car handles and feels while driving it. Working on dual exhaust and a new paint job because white isn't my style, but over all that car is hot. No mechanical problems and I keep maintenance up on the car.
Poorly made car to say the least
I had bought this car used in '05 and am the first real owner as it was a rental car prior to my purchase. For a kid I put quite a few miles on it, came with 28,000 and now it has 93,000. Brakes were a huge problem, replaced them and front rotors a couple times. Caliper went out, wheel bearing went out, and now I've been facing these electrical problems which eventually led to the passing of this car. No dash lights, smoking from the dash area, no brake lights, and now the fuel pump is shot. Interior falls apart each time i sneeze, and I've had nothing but the worst experiences with it (excluding the time I topped out at 120). Do yourselves a favor and buy a Honda, Toyota, or Mitsubishi.
Great First Car!
This is my very first car, and I'm still loving every bit of it. Though we've had to change the front brakes once at about 84000 miles and just replace the signal flasher (?), which was only about $150 (But that was doing the labor from my dad). Even though it has only about a 12 gallon tank, it still gets fairly good gas mileage. I figure I got about 19 to the gallon...could be worse.
Good First Car
First car ever. While I mourn the lack of power windows, the car itself isn't all that bad. Has quite a bit of zoom for a 4cyl, with excellent freeway acceleration. Also, good gas mileage. I've done 400 miles on a tank. I've made a few boo-boos, and drove for over a year without the passenger side mirror, as well as crunched a few fenders. However, this car has a horrid side crash safety rating, which occasionally gives me nightmares. On the whole, it makes a good first car, since it's fairly cheap but has some power.
STINKS ON GAS!!!!
I don't know if anyone else has this issue but this car all of a sudden is getting bad gas mileage. Was getting around 32mpg before but now I'm lucky if I get 14mpg. Have had other issues too and the car is only 4 years old. Will not buy a Pontiac again.
Boooo
Fuel pump went out atleast 4 times within first two months of owning car, constant, constant, constant ticking in dash, AIRBAGS DID NOT GO OFF in wreck when rear ending someone at 35 mph, coolant leaked constantly, tires leaked in cold weather, keyfab did not work, lots of problems. I would not suggest this car to ANYONE.
Love my Grand Am
I love my 04 Grand Am. This is the 3rd Grand Am I've owned and I'm not disappointed. I wish they would still make them. My first car ever was 93 - SE, my second car was a 95 - GT and my third car is my 04 GT. It's got enough getup to keep me happy, but it keeps me out of trouble. I have a race car for that.
Good but not great
I bought my grand am gt 2 months ago and love it for the most part. It really runs well and has a thrill factor to it. I would like a little more power though. The ram air is a joke and im looking into cold air intake. Car guzzles gas like a v-8. It is important not to run cheap gas in these cars as your performance will suffer. Dont get me wrong i love th e car but pontiac cant seem to get enough power out of a 6- cylinder engine. Should be faster than it is. Any model but the gt is a waste of money.
Looks over quality
I purchased this vehicle back in '07 it was working perfect up until about a year of having it all was well until I noticed some things going out and as murphy's law fix one thing another breaks. hazard switch was the first, then the breaks, then the bearing, electrical issues, a/c, wont turn over on hot days, heat goes on smells like gas, and now my window motor. this car is a beauty....but on the in-inside its all falling apart and i cant afford another vehicle let alone the repair costs. Dont bother to get this car if you REALLY want one, you can buy mine $12k.
Security system light probs
I have loved my car for the last 5 years i have had it, but then slowly I am starting to have probs. The security light flashes and I do the "10 minutes, keep your key in the ON position" and it goes back to normal. I did have to finally replace the pass lock cylinder which GM swears they are the only ones that can fix this. $500 later it's fixed, but its been 3 years and I am starting to have those probs again! Very frustrating. Other than this issue, I love my car.
2004 Pontiac Grand Am SE 4 cyl (Automatic)
Frankly, I do not believe the negative commenters, I have had mine for 14 months, and it has been a very reliable vehicle, granted I have ran into some rarely occuring transaxle problems, otherwise it's a strong, car with a peppy motor
Not Half Bad
I was forced to buy this car as the result of a divorce. Other than that bad taste fact the car has performed very well. Purchased new in 2004 and now has 97K on it. Have replaced battery, brakes, tires, front wheel bearing and the turn signal switch. Not to shabby if you ask me. Have had a couple of interior pieces break in the last year but its cosmetic and easy to replace. My son has inherited the car now and loves it. Do your scheduled maintenance and most cars will serve you well. I won't buy new again because I hate taking the hit when I want to change cars. Buying used you have to be careful and have a mechanic you trust check it before you buy it. Maintenance records great.
I Really Enjoy This Car
My 2004 Pontiac Grand Am I have had since 2005, and never had one major problem with it besides the blower motor kept going out on it and to replace it 3 times but I think it was because of where I got it from. The car has over 107,000 miles on it and have drove it from Illinois and Michigan numerous times with no problems at all. It drives great and looks great as well. I have been in a couple fender benders but the car still holds up in appearance. The only thing I do not like about this vehicle it has to many cup holders and the interior has to much plastic. Other than that it has great gas mileage while on the highway in the city it is about average.
Keep or Sell ???
I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep my 2004 Pontiac Grand Am Gt but I LOVE IT & it's such a nice looking car I would hate to get rid of it & would certainly miss it. Although since January all I did was start to replace things in it that have gone bad. First the rack in January then a good cleaning on the EGR sensor then last week front brakes,pads & routers then to top it all off on Saturday while moving a friend of mine the factory battery finally went after 7 yrs. Also the TRANSMISSION. OMG didn't know what to do at this point, pay the bank or pay 3000.00 to have the trans fixed, Well guess what I decided to do. Everything is getting fixed & replaced. Can't wait to get my "NEW" car back!
better than anticipated
the grand am is providing better performance and enjoyability than I had imagined- its acceleration is fairly peppy, cornering quite good, braking excellent and the ride is smooth for the car's size. Standard features are numerous as one would expect from a GM vehicle.