Overview & Reviews

The Pontiac brand is part of the General Motors family, and is home to many of the automaker's more performance-oriented vehicles. Currently, the marque offers a broad range of sporty cars and SUVs. However, as part of GM's restructuring plan, the brand is slated to be discontinued by the end of the 2010 model year.

Pontiac originated as the Oakland Car Company of Pontiac, Michigan, in 1907; it was founded by Edward Murphy. Acquired by General Motors in 1909, Oakland introduced the first Pontiac vehicle in 1926. Dubbed the "Chief of the Sixes," the car was powered by a six-cylinder engine and made its debut at that year's New York auto show. It was so successful that the Oakland name was phased out in favor of Pontiac, the name of an 18th-century chief of the Ottawa Indians. Throughout the 1930s and '40s Pontiac made coupes, sedans and wagons in the low-to-mid price ranges. A unique styling cue of Pontiac cars from the mid-'30s to the mid-'50s was known as "Silver Streak," a set of art-deco-inspired chrome "speed lines" that ran up over the length of the hood to the base of the windshield.

The 1950s saw the introduction of the Pontiac Bonneville. The sprawling, stylish cruiser offered equal measures of performance and luxury, and was a breakout hit. But it wasn't until the 1960s that the Pontiac brand truly came into its own. American manufacturers had begun to offer downsized alternatives to the gigantic cruisers that had ruled the highways in previous decades. Pontiac came to market with the compact Tempest. In 1964, Pontiac made its biggest impact yet with the creation of the GTO option for the Tempest. By equipping the car with the powerful 389 cubic-inch V8 from the full-size car line, Pontiac created the first "muscle car." Phenomenally successful, the GTO helped define the burgeoning muscle car category. Pontiac also saw tremendous success during the latter part of this decade with its Firebird and Firebird Trans Am.

The oil crisis of the '70s made fuel efficiency a priority for many car buyers. Following the lead of its GM siblings, Pontiac made compact vehicles like the Ventura and Phoenix a major part of its lineup. The '80s saw the launch of the two-seat Pontiac Fiero. Despite its modest beginnings (it was initially marketed as a "commuter car"), the Fiero eventually blossomed into a credible sports car.

The '90s saw the launch of Pontiacs like the Sunfire and Montana minivan. Pontiac has slowly lost sales due to changing tastes and a lack of differentiation between its models and those of other GM divisions. In hopes of recapturing past glory, the division embarked on a plan to retire aged models and introduce all-new ones with distinctive styling and personality. For a while, the effort seemed to be bearing fruit. New models like the Vibe, Solstice and G8 made Pontiac a brand to consider in many segments. However, GM's financial troubles in 2008 and 2009 have resulted in the company's decision to phase out Pontiac as a brand. It's expected 2010 will be Pontiac's last year for new models.

User Reviews:

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  Very Quirky - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By oldwiz09 - April 8 - 10:57 pm

  Im experiencing the same problems as many of these reviewers. Ive had 3 window regulators go bad and replaced them myself, which wasnt bad once I figured out how to remove the door panels. Interior lights frequently blow the fuse. Just replaced heater blower motor and resistor. Intermediate steering shaft bumps but tech bulletins say this poses no real problems. IP lights are slowly fading out. I have enjoyed owning this car overall but all these quirks make me want to never own another GM product.

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  Poor quality - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Brad - April 5 - 6:10 pm

  Ive had my car for about 4 years and it is now falling apart. The ABS and Traction control are a constant battle. I have had to take the car to the shop 6 times to have them worked on. Now I am having electrical problems. I have a 95 Neon with 130,000 that has considerably less issues then my 02 GA with 62,000. I would not buy another Pontiac.

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  Mechanics Dream - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By anthony - April 5 - 10:10 am

  I second nightmare on wheels. Ive sent my mechanic on a few vacations from this car. Brakes are sized for a Geo metro, needs new ones every year and recently my engine control module went out on me, at least thats what the mechanic thinks it is. Another cruise for him! GM definitely needs to get rid of some engineers for this one.

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  Very Disappointed - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By drc60 - April 4 - 4:53 am

  Purchased our G6 in Dec. 2005 and had the brakes repaired twice under warranty. Now the front calipers are grabbing and causing rotors to overheat. Have a huge vibration problem on the exhaust when accelerating. Had the brake light come on and added brake fluid only to be told by mechanic I shouldnt have done that as it throws off the electronic sensor and they had to flush the hydraulic system out and put in measured amount of fluid to make sure it is accurate. For only 45,000 miles we have put a lot of money into service on this car. We are very disappointed with GM and will probably think twice about purchasing another GM product. They need to get their act together on quality.

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  1st time buyer - 2009 Pontiac G3
  By tcunningham - March 30 - 2:00 am

  I brought this car in Aug 09 and in Sept 09 the 1st accelerator chip was replaced and was assured it would not happen again. I have had the accelerator chip replaced two times in this car. Went out on the expressway. This was my first new car and now Im scared to drive it. The car doesnt save me gas because I drive more and fill up at lease 2 to 3 times a week. The chip will go out without warning while on the highway. This last time I was almost hit by a truck. This is not a reliable car, it is almost like a death trap.

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  Very Disappointed - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By kharv29 - March 25 - 10:00 am

  The car looked great. When we started driving, I noticed that there wasnt much legroom in the front passenger seat (the feet had to be almost together when legs were fully extended). I am only 6, so maybe that had something to do with it, but it shouldnt. Then the doors locked and the PLASTIC locking mechanism nearly fell off. You could see back inside the door panel. The VERY cheap interior plastics are unacceptable on a $20k+ car. Also, with only 2,154 miles on the car, one of the instrument panel dash lights goes on and off for no apparent reason.

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  Great when it wants to work - 2000 Pontiac Sunfire
  By keet - March 21 - 4:23 am

  The pontiac sunfire feels like a sporty little car for a four cylinder economy class vehicle. The acceleration is so-so and the car shakes at high speeds, but this is to be expected. What is completely inexcusable is how frequently everything breaks down and how unreliable the whole thing is. This car was used as a daily driver when it was only a few years old, yet within the first year the AC compressor blew out - twice. I paid for the full repairs. It blew out again within a years time. The shop told me that the compressors were garbage out the factory. The water pump broke twice in 4 years of light driver. I went through 3 batteries. This is all from light commuting! Garbage!

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  70,000 Miles - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Brandi - March 16 - 2:23 am

  I keep up the maintenance on it and I drive it with care. I have not had any of the brake and rotor problems that I read about. I did have a loose screw in my brake caliper and something was wrong with my rack and pinion that was covered under my warranty. The seats are hard and unsupportive. The plastic on my factory radio buttons has peeled off from normal use and until the motor warms up it has trouble switching gears (since I hit 60,000 miles). I get great gas mileage though around 28 MPG. Also due to the design, the back doors stay dirty and I cant keep them clean. I would recommend this car, but dont buy one new or you will be 8-10k upside down as soon as you drive off the lot.

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  Worst car Ive ever bought - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By pra22 - March 13 - 11:49 pm

  I bought this car used 3 months ago (with 118,000 miles), and in the 3000 miles Ive driven it, it has needed TWO catalytic convertors! It also needed repair on a window that was cobbled together (which of course, I couldnt see). It is also the NOISIEST car Ive ever had. It revs up alot each morning when it is cold outside until Ive traveled a few miles at higher speeds. I rue the day I bought this car and Im afraid to drive it for fear the transmission will be next. I clearly have a lemon.

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  Not very Fuel Friendly - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By ballbreaker910 - March 13 - 12:18 pm

  I purchased this car with 44k to replace a 2003 Mitsubishi Galant with 203,000 miles. It came equipped with a sunroof, remote starter, aux jack and onstar. Was excited to purchase this car especially since GM boasted that this car would get over 32 mpg hwy which was where this car would spend most of its time. However I was only able to get 17 mpg combined. I spoke to 3 GM mechanics & was sold a load of crap about winter air causing loss of fuel economy and trying to use Hess or Shell gas to get better gas mileage. Nothing worked. GM would do nothing to assist. This 4cyl car was a gas-guzzler. I also own a 2005 Grand Prix (V6) that gets way better gas mileage. Other than that, I liked it