is anyone elses GP a total piece? If i didnt like the way it looked so much i swear i would change its primary use from a car to an anchor.

its been a while since i posted but im feeling a little frustrated again. i noticed the DS window getting slow a few months ago but it finally stopped the other day. it was actually kind of wierd the window switch actually smoked a little. so because im a chronic procrastinator im replacing the switch and the motor. ill just add it to the list of rediculously stupid things that break on this car.

by the way that was a real question, is there anyone else whos car constanty has stuff going wrong with it?

happy holidays.

If you're replacing the window motor, get one with the regulator, you'll be better off in the long run.

Procrastination will lead to failure every time.
Typically it will lead to failure in related components too which leads to more work and parts needing replaced.
Maintenence is the key to happiness.

Crimpton is right,and with th exception of a few weak points on the GP it is a relatively trouble free car ,adress the known issues common to all GP's and you will be golden .Chico.

well from what ive learned stay stock and stay trouble free

My car has been very trouble free so far, Wouldnt trade it for the world!

I'd trade mine for an Rx-7 with an LS1 in it
FD's are chick magnets!

HAHA, good point! ok, I would trade it for other things, but only on a case by case, but I do love my GT

So basically you are saying that because you refused to get the window motor looked at when you noticed that it was slow and it stopped working that your car is a POS. so by that way of thinking if i dont ever change the oil in my car and the engine blows, or if i never change the tires and have a blow out, or if i dont dont do any prevenitave mantinence and something fails then my car is a POS. Um i dont think so i just think you a a whinny little kid that had their parents by them a GP then didn't take the time to fix the little problems that soon become bigger problems. but i could have summerized all of this by just saying that your car isn't a POS i think you are the POS for not taking care of a great car like a Grand Prix.

At least fixing that is cheap and doesn't keep you from driving it. I consider a POS something that has MAJOR mechanical problems that actually effect the drivability of the car, constantly. As in like every month or something.

The GPs have very few major problems, if you're not a nut with it. And if someone IS a nut with their car, they should expect it to have problems, which in that case they should blame themselves and not the car. AFAIK, the trans is the only really critical thing, but even it has been shown to withstand the test of time rather often.

I love my Grand prix to death i wanted one for 4 years before i got it..now it has 230,000 WELL BEATEN km on it it stillf lys and has had NO failure of any kind ever..cept for struts..but we all know thats a given when owning one of these cars

ive had very few problems with my GTP
little things like back lights on the DIC, which i fixed
i also had a coolent leak coming from the upper radiator hose to the thermostat housing. the cause was the idiot that owned the car before me put to big of a bolt in, stripping all the threads.
but i havent had any major malfunctions since ive had the car, and i love driving it ever minute.

(lol)

The only major problems I had was the coolant leak and clogged cat, its never left me on the side of a road yet.

Yeh my '98 grand prix gtp has 230,000 km on it, (well maintained) and im not easy on it and it has never had a mechanical failure of any kind i've put almost 100,000 of those k on it and i drive the car HARD-it runs great has had no problems and is IDENTICALLY as fast as a 2003 GTP with a quarter the kms-Cept the struts..the struts have gone but if you dont expect that when you buy this car(or alot of other GM fwd platforms) then you shouldnt have one

You mention you had other problems? What were they?

Problems could be caused by lack of maintenance, poor design on GM specific or other company parts (engine, Goodyear tires) or average wear-tear. Are they a accumulation minor, annoying things i.e., dash light, brake light, tire blew, etc.

When you send us a quick list, at a glance we can identify if it could have prevented with required maintenance, chance, or if you just got a lemon.

i think he pissed himself and is hiding in a corner.

Hopefully he's fixing his power windows...

no i wasnt hiding...i had to do the dishes so my mom would give me enough allowence to fix my window...cause im just a little "kid" and all.

anyway so since i purchased (and of course when i say "purchased" i mean whinned until my dad gave it to me) the car 2 years ago...

1. the front valve cover began leaking (fixed)
2. the car stalled repeatedly (replaced the fuel pump reistor and fuel filter) without solving the problem - dealer replaced crankshaft pos. sensor and wiring harness
3. blower motor stopped blowing (replaced blower motor resistor)
4. the bracket that holds the fuel line to the car, the area around the gas cap, broke.
(i havent fixed this properly yet but secured it with L brackets)
5. the shifter would not move from (P) and the key would not release from the column. (fixed)
6. window motor/regulator and switch (by the way i already admitted fault for the switch)
7. passeger seat would not lock in place (fixed)
8. DIC backlight stopped working
9. a bulb behind the speedo sometimes doesnt work

not too mention the acceptable maintance

i have done the struts, brakes and replaced the tires, but jeremy you mentioned something about "changing the oil" maybe you could elaborate, maybe thats whats causing the other problems?

i know you guys love this car, and like i said in my original post i love it too, but as far as im concerned most of 1-9 is absolute nonsense and in some cases dangerous.

so you can make assumptions that i dont take care of my car or what ever else but if your car has experienced even half of these issues and you still think you own a well built vehicle you are a fool.

That list is nothing. I'm sorry but no car made is free of defects. Every vehicle make and model of car ever made has it's fair share of stupid problems.

ok well if u havent fixed 8 and 9 they are easy fixes.
and u have had your share of problems. but its worth it cuz the GTP kicks a$$

X2 what Herc said; I wish my repair list had been that small...

what other things have you run into?

ive only owned three other cars, two of which were much older '89, and i dont recall ever having issues like these. perhaps its the lack of technology on the older two that explains them not having these types of issues. the other was a '95 and it shared many of the same features and none of the same problems...

i certainly didnt mean to start a bitch session though. ive recieved a lot of help from this forum and from what i hear forsee needing much more. i hope my frustration was viewed as frustration and not complaining even though there is a fine line between the two.

I have had my 98 GT for about a year and half now and have had only one thing that I would not consider general Maintenence the speed sensor in the trans went out It cost a little over $200 to have it fixed.

As far as Maintenence stuff I have replaced the tierod ends and ball joints and just last week the water pump witch was only $30 bucks heck I spent more on a new belt and hoses. I don't feel that this is bad since there is almost 170,000 on the car and it is on the road over an hour a day for work. This is the second Pontiac I have had both where/are good cars. My other one was a sunbird and it had around 200,000 on it and it was running good when I sold it sumtimes I wish I didn't sell it.

I don't think those things you listed were part of maintenance. If they occured one after the other, then I would feel my car is a lemon.

However, you have to take into account your car is a 97 and if made in 96, your car is 10-11 yrs old. From the items you listed, many of those items are associated with age ie., all those bulbs burning out, brackets loosening e.t.c. Another factor could be the previous owner rode it hard hence the valve cover leak.

It feels like you car is junk because each time something breaks, you have to ask for your parents for help, which gets kind of annoying. I remember going through that with my first car. I actually used to get only 2 cartons of milk for lunch so I can save and fix all those little things that kept breaking. Fix one thing and two other things broke. When I was able to get a job, I was just working to support my car.

Rest asurred even though your car is 10-11 yrs old (exact date is on the back of the driver side door), the problems you will run across will most likely not be severe as your GTP is relatively a lot more reliable than many other '97 cars minus the Accord and Civic. You can go to cars.com and check the reliability rating for verification. When you get older, things will get better in the "car department" (may not get better for other things ).

BTW: The fuel resistor and the blower motor are very well known issues in the GP community.

i was being sarcastic when i said i was doing the dishes for my mom...but i appreciate the words of encouragement

im only posting to see if the pic i added shows up...

sonofabeesting

a little big...

lets give this a try - mod feel free to delete these, im stupid.