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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  performance of my 1998 grand am se - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Karen Kirby - February 1 - 3:26 pm

  I would have to say in the 3 years Ive had my car, its been reliable. Brakes need to be replaced often. And it seems that some places have a problem getting the brakes to work correctly. almost exclusively the rear brakes. They tend to brake uneven, like your car is tilting. After having gone to about three different repair shops, the problem was finally resolved when they changed the rotors as well. Struts need to be reolaced, and power windows are going out, but I have never been stranded.

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  More bad reviews for G6 - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By annette - January 30 - 10:13 pm

  I too have replaced the rotor and brakes on my car. I cannot believe I have spent so much money on this car. My air compressor went out and I lost control of my car. I am so frustrated with this car. I cannot wait to get rid of it. I havent purchased anything but GMC. I have always been loyal but now I question where is their loyalty? I am out money.

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  What a disappointment! - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Cooper - January 30 - 8:20 pm

  I have had nothing but problems with this vehicle. It has been to the Pontiac service department 16 times and counting. The defroster does not function properly, which ahs been acknowledged by the dealership. They say it is the same on all Grnad Prixs - it is "normal." The dealership is unable to repair problems without numerous visits. What a disappointment this car has been!

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  Will never buy a Sunfire again! - 2003 Pontiac Sunfire
  By carner - January 29 - 8:16 am

  I have been in 3 front end crashes and my airbags still have not gone off, kinda scary if you ask me. Very comfortable but no space for drinks. It was a good high school car but not for anything else.

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  Whats up with the wheel bearings? - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Melissa - January 22 - 5:06 am

  From 20000 miles until today I have replaced a total of 5 wheel bearings each and then again the rear passenger side. I cannot for the life of me figure out what is causing this! The first two were under warranty the last 3 have cost a whopping $ 400 each incl. labor. Fortunately today my mechanic gave me a break on the parts and discounted my bill I hope that this is the last that needs replaced but I fear it wont be.

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  2006 Pontiac g6 GT - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By dnikole - January 21 - 5:05 am

  My mother bought this car in 2008 I believe, and gave it to me about 2 years ago for better mpg. It was perfectly fine never had a problem. Then everything started to go wrong. The passenger headlight went out, the CD player stopped ejecting the CDs, the brakes squeak no matter what, Ive already tried to fix it multiple times, and my power steering just recently went out almost caused me to wreck, scared the living daylights out of me. I didnt even have all these problems with my 87 IROC.

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  Born to run - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By fcpride - January 17 - 5:18 am

  I own a couple of GM products. I love putting the top down. In my stable currently is three convertibles and a T-Top. I was interested in the G6 because of the hardtop convertible aspect and the car has some nice appeal on the outside. I have owned it for a couple of months now. Since it is a hardtop, I drive it everyday with out weather worries. I have owned plenty of muscle cars in my life span. This prior knowledge gives me some view points on this G6. I will start with the favorite features.

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  This car is bleeding me dry - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By mmyy66 - January 11 - 2:00 am

  The car us fun to drive, but the build quality is so pathetic. Ive put thousands into repairs ... and not just routine maintenance like new tires and brakes. GM still has yet to figure out how electronics work. Many lights in the dash dont work. The steering-wheel radio controls are kaput. The computer chips have gone haywire at different times. Both door windows have gone bad multiple times. Two weeks ago it was a fuel pump. A few days ago it was a window switch. Sorry to say, GM, but youre sorry-ass car will lead me to buy Honda or Toyota. The statistics bear out the undeniable fact that GM really doesnt build quality cars.

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  Wish I Could Sell Already ! - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By tinalitt - January 5 - 2:00 am

  The dash raddles,at 13000 miles a new master cylinder was put on,the door strykers have been readjusted several times to keep the doors secure.The material on the seat is wearing through . Other than that the car is ok.

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  Alternators3 - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By NicholsS - January 3 - 10:00 am

  The alternator has been replaced three times( the first two by GM, and the third one by me). Each time the alternator was replaced, I had another electricial problem some place else(The radio , the amp and the light replay switch). GM needs to fix the alternator problem(it may be the location of the unit or the quality of the unit itself). make sure you go to a shop thath will replace the unit as long as you owns the cars.