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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  2001 Pontiac Montana - 2001 Pontiac Montana
  By Nick-Cassie - August 29 - 10:00 am

  Well, where do I start. Everything has gone wrong with the van. At first it was little things, the washer pump, the sliding door, the batterys positive cable corroded off. Then we had power steering problems, the front air went out, the rear air went out, the transmission was slipping so I took it to the dealership and they fixed certain parts in the transmission. By this time it was out of warranty so I had to pay to replace it. Then 2 months later the transmission went completely out. Needless to say, enough was enough and I just traded it for something else.

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  in the shop moe then - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By larryscott - July 23 - 10:00 am

  My car has been in the shop more then I have driven it. One of tires has come apart in pieces, the window on the drivers side did not roll up after 10,000 miles, they had to replace the guide the switch and the relay, I had to have the intake gasket replaced 2 times with only 20,000 miles on the car, then the blinker stayed on and when I took it to the dealer they said there was going to be a recall on the Grand AM. Over all this car is helping me make my mind on another car because all the rental cars that I have gotten while my car was getting fixed.

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  Did not meet expectations - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Ken - June 12 - 1:20 pm

  Maybe I was just blinded by the thought of a new vehicle but this car does not perform as expected. My Dodge SRT-4 is much faster than my six-speed GTO and cost over 10k less. The interior is the best I can say about this car. They should have put more into the engine.

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  Poor Reliability - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By MiaW. - June 10 - 2:00 am

  This car had a wonderful appearance and great reviews. However, I could not count on it to get me from point A to point B. I put as much money into fixing it over the 3 years I had it as I did buying it at 3 years old. Id recommend to any one thinking about purchasing this car (unless you are a mechanic with nothing to do), be careful.

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  dont buy this car!!! - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By david snepts - May 25 - 5:43 pm

  Stay away from this car! Ive had nothing but problems with it. Steering column replaced, steering shaft replaced, right control arm bushing, a link in right stabilizer, weather stripping due to wind noise, and part of the left fender had to be glued on to the car because it wasnt fit properly...all before 18000 miles. Oh, also brakes done (rotors and pads), and was told by guy at dealership I needed new tires. I dont drive hard, and I respect the vehicle. Enough said!!!

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  Looks R deceiving! - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By RnR Joe - May 16 - 6:00 am

  Bought based on VERY clean looks and quick test ride. Turns out passenger window motor is shot, brakes and struts needed immed replacement, drivers seat support fell through and radio display doesnt work! Not a great deal...

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  Cheap Car. Reliable for first 80K mi. - 2003 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Annie - May 8 - 12:06 pm

  This was the first car that I ever bought. Bought it with 32K miles on it. CD player broke after having it a week. Was fixed for free under warranty. Replaced brakes twice, but they are like $15 each. Seats are uncomfortable and front seat belt strap hits you across the neck. Car handles rough and shocks/struts start to go bad. Doesnt have much power. Car handles HORRIBLE in the rain and windy weather. Slow oil leak started around 60K but not a major issue. Fog lamps stopped working around same time. Drivers side door started catching on frame and wouldnt open. Have to get rid of it now at almost 85K because transmission is bad, but has been reliable up until that point.

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  It Sucks - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Anna - April 28 - 5:10 pm

  I have had my Pontiac Grand Prix GT ever since I turned 16, 2 years ago. I have had many problems with it. My windows are broken and they fall down while going down the road. The headlights are so dim that it looks like I am driving down the road using a flashlight. The gauges dont work. My panels came off the inside of the car. After the fuel pump went out I have had NOTHING BUT TROUBLE out of it. I have been stranded on the side of the road at least 6 times within 3-4 months. I have seen that only the GTs are getting the bad reviews, and I know why! My cousin has a GTP and he has no trouble out of his, but my GT sucks. Everything is wrong with this car!

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  This car almost killed my wife twice - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By mannheimer6 - April 15 - 1:53 am

  Twice now, unexplained and unfixable shut downs from 70 to 0 MPH in the middle of I-75 and I-4 respectively. We were told loose connector at B+ bulkhead terminal for fatal flaw excuse number 1. Now it is an overheating fuel pump module for fatal flaw excuse number 2. Letters to CEO GM sent. Car is now 2.5 hours away after Onstar recovered it. No matter what I am told about this car, we shall never trust it again, nor drive it again, and as far as we are concerned it can rot where it is, or I can park it right through the windows of a GM dealership and walk away. We are done with GM. Forever. DO NOT BUY HERE.

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  Montanas break!! - 1999 Pontiac Montana
  By missywi - March 29 - 10:00 am

  Bought used with 47K miles on it. Luckily bought the Gold extended warranty on it otherwise wed have had to pay over a 1K in repairs after only owning it for over a year. Water pump went, 2 weeks later the lower intake manifold gasket had to be replaced. The airbag light kept coming on and off then finally stayed on. Turns out GM knows that this is a defect(corroding wires) but considered part of the warranty. Could have to have it fixed again in 6 months at over $100 a pop. This is a safety issue. If the connection isnt there for the airbag, if in an accident, the airbag might not deploy. The left ti-rod needs to be replaced.