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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  another pontiac failure - 1999 Pontiac Sunfire
  By phxSuns - March 17 - 10:00 am

  I bought a used 99 sunfire pontiac, expecting to get a great american vehicle. I have had major problems with the accessories, whereas the machine and the transmission are great. Mostly I expected a better Fuel Economy, and a better heat endurance from the vehicle. This car made me think of an european vehicle for next purchase.

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  Lemon Lemon Lemon - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By jakeybo - March 5 - 2:00 am

  This car is junk.I would not recommend it to anyone.Problems all the time.Everything electrical going wrong.Signal light switch,emergency switch,power window motor,blower motor,bad breaks,intake gasket,and alot of check engin lights.All after warrenty ran out within 6 months.LEMON.

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  One big headache - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By mmabry - March 5 - 2:00 am

  The car started out great, fun to drive and handled well. I put a lot of miles on it but it looks great and Ive taken care of it. But the brakes shake, even after being replaced. The Intake gasket leaks and may cause engine damage. The drivers window no longer rolls up the whole way. People have made comments that it doesnt sound good and that it makes a lot of noises. Not being able to check the transmission fluid caused a problem when the dealership failed to put enough in and I couldnt tell without taking it back to them. It just seems to be a constant headache.

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  Warning! - 1998 Pontiac Bonneville
  By VincentModrak - March 4 - 9:26 pm

  I bought this car a year ago off my Dad and ever since it has been a nightmare. Shutting off randomly at first. Then the water pump blew out in October, $300. One month later my Upper Intake Manifold cracked for a second time in 3 years flooding the engine with coolant causing my starter to blow as well when trying to restart. The Upper Intake Manifolds on these cars are made of cheap plastic. They will crack on your car around 100k to 130k. Its a 1200 dollar repair bill as well. After happily owning a 95 Grand Prix, 94 Trans Am and an 02 Grand Am I was very disappointed by the Bonneville..

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  Run away from Bonneville & GM - 1998 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Nomorbonnevilles - March 4 - 10:00 am

  I purchase my Bonneville SSE new in 1998. At $56,000 the plastic intake manifold cracked, allowing fluid into the cylinders which locked down the engine. Now at 102,000 miles the same thing. No help from GM either time. I am out over $2000 for this poor engineering design. The more I look into it, this is a very common problem with this engine. From day one, the car has had a vibration. I replaced the Goodyear tires with Michelin and the dealer replaced 2 more sets until he found tires that were close enough to perfect to reduce the vibration. Is the suspension so bad I have to search the country for 4 perfect tires so the vehicle doesnt vibrate?

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  do not buy this car - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By barefoot67 - March 2 - 12:06 pm

  i would warn anyone against buying this vehicle. I bought mine a year ago with very low mileage and still in warrenty. recently I noticed the service airbag light coming on and also that i could not get the car into 4th gear. took it to the local GM dealer and was told it would cost $700- $800 to fix the airbad and another $1500 to fix the transmission. I am looking at $2500 or more to get the car back to where i can sell it or trade it. the car has a rough ride and no trunk at all. it is not a very practical car. they said the transmission is made in Taiwan so no telling how long it will be before i get parts or my car back. this is a nightmare. stay away from this car.

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  GM Night Mare - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By wilfred63 - March 2 - 11:03 am

  I HAVE A PONTIAC G6 GT HARDTOP CONVERTIBLE 1.Transmission repaired then Replaced 2. Exhaust system replaced 3 times 3. Waterpump replaced 4.Cable to XM needs replace 5. Top gromitts replace 2 times 6. Key Remote Replaced 13 times and even more 7. CrossOver Gasket Replaced coolant 8.Replac Rack-n-pion & outer tie rod ends (Thats why your going through tires GM WILL NOT HELP JUST KEEP YOU IN A CIRCLE THERE #1-866-790-5700 PROOF #21124 NUMBERS THEY GIVE YOU TO NOT HELP

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  honeymoon is over with the 08 g6 - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By steve - February 21 - 9:30 am

  Bought this 08 g6 back in sept, 2007. At about 9,000 miles the steering system broke and needed to be replaced. Then the brake rotors began to warp shortly afterwards. Service adviser told me that these are some of the common problems with the g6 and Pontiac has no plans to fix or remedy the problem. I traded in the g6 a few months ago for a Honda Civic. Thank you Honda. Buyer beware! Avoid the g6 at all costs!

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  LOVE HATE RELATIONSHIP - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By Joe - February 19 - 4:43 pm

  I love my aztek for its practicality and verstility. There s tons of room for my kids, dog and gear. Unfortunatley its got reliability issues. All the wheel bearing have been replaced, computers have failed. Versatrak rear differential was replaced for $6000. Head gasket leaked. Whats next? I m torn because I like the car so much but I m scared of whats going to break next. My next car is definately not going to be a GM.

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  junk van - 2003 Pontiac Montana
  By DRat - February 13 - 2:00 am

  At 36,700 miles had to replace the manifold intake gasket. Had to fight with GM to get them to pay for the 1,000 dollar repair. At 37,400 had to replace a head gasket. GM automatically paid for this expensive repair. I was hoping to pay it off and drive it for many years but I think I might have to trade it in on a toyota or honda. DONT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I MADE. DO NOT BUY A MONTANA MINI-VAN.