I just bought his car last year and am still paying monthly payments on it. ($200 a month to be exact) One day the car just started running hot and coolant was running out fast on my way to work, so I put a new radiator in and still no change. So next I bought a new thermostat and had a mechanic place that in, still no change. So then he told me that my head gaskets are blown and that these cars are notorious for that failure. And then said it would be best to get a new engine, but that would cost me a fortune to get done and he gave me advice to get a new car instead and and stay clear of Pontiac's in the future.

As of today I was just promoted at Walmart, and am a single dad of two kids. This car if not fixed soon or if I don't find a new car is gonna cost me losing my job and my family is gonna be living on the streets. I truly hope that God will save us and the car will run again, because I love my car, but it has let us down 1yr in driving it.

I bought this Pontiac for 1,200 dollars. So I guess you get what you pay for. A couple of months after the purchase, the car's check engine light came on. The car's engine started shaking and it turns out I blew a head gasket. Eventually we had to replace the damn engine because the head gasket was so severe that it started to leak oil. After I bought a used engine and had someone put it in for me, I had ANOTHER head gasket issue 6 months down the road. We replaced that head gasket, only for the other one to go. I had put close to 4 grand of work into it and I'm done! Getting a new car. F*CK YOU GM AND F*CK YOU PONTIAC

My WIFE was right, Hate to say it guys, but it's true. We have had this argument for many years. She always told me of how superior Japanese cars are to North American cars. Well she proved Herself right. Had a GEO with a JAPANESE 3 cylinder motor, not one bit of problems with 375,000 KM, but it was bought thru GM dealer. So She was half right that time. Never learned my lesson and in 2002 got myself a 2000 Pontiac Grand-Am. Never driven hard, changed the oil at 3000 miles religiously, took good care of the vehicle, thought the motor would do as well as the Geo or better. What a mistake! At 97,000 miles the thing is up on ramps, the head gasket is blown and now I'm trying a fluid fix called Thermogasket because putting any money into this vehicle would in my opinion just be throwing it away, the Thermogasket treatment cost $150.

There are a dozen other issues with this piece of JUNK, but up till now I've been able to drive it. Is there any part of the electrical systems that was designed to last past 50,000 miles? The radio LED is out, has been for years, the window mechanisms have failed and I hold the windows closed with DUCK TAPE, the auto locking mechanism went bad and a GM dealer told me it would cost $99 to just check it out! To their benefit they said it would got towards the price of the repair, which could have cost up to $500, best case scenario, I can start it with a popsicle stick and remove said stick while driving. Numerous plastic parts have disintegrated and cost a ridiculous amount to replace. Needless to say the quality of this car..... WHAT QUALITY, it sucks. But now it is completely not drivable and to get a junked engine I think I would only end up in the same situation as I find myself in now, not to mention how poorly designed the car is for the backyard mechanic, just looking at how much work it would be to just drop a motor into it, I recognize it would have to be done professionally. Asking price to replace the engine $2600 with no guarantee. Apparently, this engine is so notoriously bad, no-one offers a guarantee on it for less than $3800, I think there is nothing more I can do than take the VIN # off it and park it (on the Ramps of course) in the dealership parking lot with a list of everything that is wrong with this vehicular ABOMINATION. It won't help me but could save someone the grief of buying one of these NORTH AMERICAN pieces of CRAP!!

In closing I have to add My wife drives a Honda Element, Good car, I love it. My next car will be Foreign, I'm sorry to say. She was RIGHT all along. (but I'll never admit it to her!!!)

NOTE to GM: to design something to fail after just 100,000 miles is not only wrong, it's theft.

2 days after I paid $800 dollars to replace intake manifold gaskets, stupid car overheats again. This time I am in Fresno, 70 miles from home. Mechanic diagnosis the car and says the head gaskets are blown. He then informs me that the cost would be approx $1400 to repair and once again it is not covered by my warranty. Piece of sh*t warranty. Had to tow car home. I was also informed that he has had the same problem with several Pontiacs. Did some research and found out that just about anyone who has had this type of car has had the same problem, somewhere between 75,000 to 95,000 miles. If anyone has any info on lawsuit in progress, please let me know.