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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  Intake Manifold Stinks - 2003 Pontiac Montana
  By Bummer2 - March 13 - 11:10 am

  Im seeing a repeat of complaints having to do with the intake manifold. Guess what, mine is shot too. DONT BUY GM ANYTHING. We will eventually be buying a Honda Odyssey.

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  My Last American Car - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By brett44 - March 8 - 2:00 am

  This is a fun car to drive, but a nightmare to own. I purchaced this ride with 49,000 miles in Aug. 2001 and since replaced: water pump, raditor, driver and pass-rear power window motor, driver power seat motor, radio, pass side wheel bearing assy., blower motor, three fog lamps, two headlamps, alternator, all four rotars/brake pads, and finally a battery. Finally I got everything in working order and one hit in the rear from a F-150 later, its a total. Best thing thats happened to the car since I bought it. Next car will be a Nissan or Honda.

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  hates it - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Bree - March 4 - 1:36 am

  i have had my grand prix for 2yrs and i have had nothing but problems with it i had to replace the transmission new intake manifold, wheel bearings,starter, and every time it rains my car fills with water???? I could go on and on just basically everything you could think of i would never buy another pontiac again!!!!.

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  Not Bad - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By snickers - February 24 - 10:00 am

  I leased a 2004 GYP Competition Group. I love the pick-up and go. The extra power is noticeable. It handles excellent and just a fun car to drive. I needed a new computer after one day.

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  Traded It In - 2002 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Traded It - January 25 - 2:16 am

  This car got me thru college but once I graduated from school, I left this car behind. The engine was ridiculously loud, had trouble starting it, the air only worked on full blast, and the exterior paint chips and dents with a strong wind. If you are looking for a cheap car just to get around in then go for it. Otherwise spend your money on something more reliable.

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  Known Engine Problems - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By molina67 - January 19 - 11:31 pm

  I bought this car new, and was not told of the potential problem with the engine. Before I get into the engine problems, the V6 gets terrible gas mileage for the horse power. Most 4 cylinder cars are faster than the V6 and the most youll get is 24 mpg highway. After 28000 miles the check engine light comes on, I take it to the dealer and it sits in maintenance for a week because of camshaft problems. I did research and found that the problem is well known. Needless to say I traded it in. For a Optima Turbo that gets 274 HP and 34 MPG highway.

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  great looking car, not so great quality - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Disappointed buyer - January 11 - 11:40 pm

  Purchased my Pontiact G6 new. Loved the look but disappointed in workmanship. Was back at dealer during the 3 year warrenty period many times. 4 Paneled sunroof took several trips to dealer to fix major rattle. Kept the car a week. 3 years later roof rattles again. Check engine light comes on about every 6 months. Changed sensors several times.Plastic parts on doors, windows constently rattle. Stereo speakers needed replacement. Biggest problem is with steering on cold days. Recall work done has not solved it. Love the car but Pontiac needs to get their act together and stand behind their workmanship! I might have to buy Japanese cars next time if they dont get their act together!

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  Gaskets gone bad - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By david - January 11 - 8:26 am

  Head Gasket as well as just about every other gasket Blew at 36K miles--- To find out this is a VERY common problem with this engine. Costs a lot to fix! The car is OK but the reliability has a lot to be desired. I’m getting out of this lease before something else happens. Time to buy a Honda!

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  It is the devil - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By kandb09 - December 25 - 1:43 pm

  I got this car 5 years ago with 60,000 miles it now has 123,000 and it was fine up until a year after I bought it. Then it became trouble. My side mirror just randomly fell off, the inside dash is falling apart for no apparent reason, my dome light fell out just the other night when I closed the door! Ive replaced the fuel pump, the oil pan, the radiator hose, 2 car window motors, a tail light, the stereo system twice, blinker fuse box, and now the head gasket is offically pooing out! I hate this car with a passion. I believe it is the devil! Also, I started by getting great gas mileage and now I can barely get 24mpg on the highway! And I get maybe 16 in town!

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  Bad experience - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By not happy - December 23 - 7:26 am

  Bought used with about 60k miles, at 63k all the problems began with the check engine light. GM said it was the ECM, electronic control module. It resembles a long cable (wrapped in black plastic) that is underneath the car and plugs into a socket like thing on the undercarriage. Very exposed to the road elements! GM wanted $1100 for the part & another $900 to install. I paid, and the engine light still stayed on. GM tried to say it was not the ECM after I paid $2,000! I took it back to the Dealer prior to any of this, that was a hoot. That is another story. I could not get the car inspected, so traded it recently, took a beating and learned a lesson, run away from Pontiac Cars!