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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  Decent overall, but has some problems - 2001 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Ken Y. - June 25 - 3:26 pm

  My girlfriend purchased her 2001 sunfire in July of 01. This has been a very reliable car, but it has had some recurring problems. Brakes - The front rotors have been replaced 3 times and I have having them replaced again this weekend. Every 15k miles, the brakes begin to pulsate and need service. The rotors can only be turned once, after that they have to be replaced. This is a horrible problem that is present on many GM vehicles, including the sister car the Cavalier. Build Quality - The fit/finish leaves a lot to be desired. Parts look very cheap and after 25 - 30k there are a lot of rattles etc. Overall the car has been very reliable and has never broken down in 95k miles

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  2005 evaluation - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Wildcat - June 17 - 4:40 am

  light at above 70mph. Vibration at initial startup from standing.Mileage excellent, Should be delivered with a floormat in rear. choppy ride.

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  Severe engine problems - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By multani4 - May 21 - 10:31 pm

  Great when bought brand new. but beware of engine problems. #1 lower intake leaks. Head Gasket leaks. hard on brakes. stay away from this vehicle or any other gm vehicle with the 3.4l and 3.6l and 3.8l engines they all have issues with leaks.

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  Piece of Crap - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By becky29 - May 13 - 7:01 am

  Bought this car with 52,000 miles on it for 11,500. Within the first 6 months I replaced the front main gasket and 3 driver side window regulators. I just replaced my passenger reg before Christmas. This car has been in and out of the shop since I bought it in 04. It has 120,000 miles now and is back in the shop as I speak. The oil, thermostat, and temperature sensors are being replaced along with power steering pump. Ive had O2 sensor, air compressor, plugs and wires replaced. The list goes on and on if you get my point. I wouldnt recommend or sale this car to my worst enemy!!!!

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  Beautiful but dangerous - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By twil - May 4 - 10:20 am

  I owned my 2005 G6 for 5 days. I purchased it from a local dealership as a GM Certified Vehicle.Unknowing to me, it had an open recall on it. It was a beautiful car, inside and out. It got great gas mileage and was a very affordable family functional vehicle. My problem is with the Steering. My family (all 4 of us) were on our way to my daughters school on Tuesday morning. The steering went out completely in a curve when we were going 50 mph. We spun through 2 lanes of traffic, flipped 4 times and landed upside down in a ditch. I dont know what component is at fault but I do know it was not driver error and I would not purchase another even though they are gorgeous.

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  Nice design but poor quality - 2001 Pontiac Montana
  By Dan_golfer - May 1 - 8:10 pm

  We like the performance of the van. But we do not like the braking. The pedal feels like it goes to the floor and the van takes forever to stop. Original tires only last 20,000 miles or less. We have had numerous repairs like: Air conditioner, Torque converter, Intake manifold gasket, power door, computer replaced, stereo replaced, and worn out brake rotors after only 40,000 miles. Make sure you buy the extended warranty, because I think you will need it.

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  Nothing but problems - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Dam Grand - May 1 - 2:00 am

  Fun to drive but the car had problems from the beginning. The tires went flat. Radio stopped working. Cooling system had several issues, the last being a leaking intake manifold. Drivers side power window need replaced. And several other little things.

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  Speed Racer - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By morpheus - April 6 - 10:00 am

  i like this vehicle but it is allittle to slow but i still like it.

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  I could keep goldfish in my headlights - 2004 Pontiac Montana
  By tuesdaysgone - March 24 - 2:53 am

  Just as other reviews have stated, I too have had to replace the bearings. The headlight housing fills up with water during every rain storm. This in turn has caused my Instrument Panel to kind of short out. First the heat/water gauge, next the gas gauge, then the speedometer. Which comes and goes at will. Its arount 700-800 $ to fix, but with the water short problem, I dont see the point with the poor design. Also everything plastic in this car has broken. The cupholder door in the front of the van. The window switches on both sides. The motor is going on the drivers side window which is used more. This is my second GM product and I wont be fooled again.

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  fine daily driver - 2002 Pontiac Sunfire
  By budneff67 - March 15 - 12:11 am

  ive had this car for 7 years now. the only things ive had to fix that arent considered regular maintenance are; the wire lead to the A/C compressor (stock one is too short and loses connection, wire extension can be purchased from a dealer for pretty cheap), both window motors, and an ABS connector. other than that, the car has been very reliable. i drive it daily here in the hot texas weather. its not quite as comfortable as my old Mazda MX-6 but a suitable choice for the 1.5 hr round trip for work every day.