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:

• 

  Unreliable - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By luminitam - December 15 - 10:00 am

  New car was bought in 1998. Despite being very well maintained and with less than 26,000 on board, the car has experienced ongoing problems with the radio/cassette player, wiring and more recently, serious problems with defective ABS system and rear end motor, all which need replacing, costs exceeding $2,000.

• 

  No Cash 4 This Clunker - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By NoCash4ThisClunker - December 14 - 9:36 pm

  I bought my 2006 Pontiac G6 brand new with only 7 miles. After a few months and some rain I got in my car to go to work one morning and noticed my seat belt was soaking wet (due to leaky sunroof). A couple of months after that I had a terrible vibration when turning left and come to find out my steering column was almost about to snap into! Hows that 4 safety? Also having some starter issues that no one seems be able to figure out. All in all Ive had the leaks fixed 5 times, brand new steering column 2 times, and I guess one day Ill get in it and it wont start from the starter issues Im having. All of my problems started from the get go and dont look like its getting any better.BAD CAR

• 

  Alot of trouble w/ few answers - 2001 Pontiac Montana
  By kelbels - November 1 - 10:00 am

  Terrible vibration in front end that could not be explained or fixed. Loud jack hammer noise during braking that no one seemed concerned about(except me). Took 4 trips to dealership(not a rental car offered) before finding a thermal auxillary exhaust valve was the culprit. Hard shifting and unreliable performance from the transmission. Vehicle always felt like it was dragging. Went over the mountains and had a hard time maintaining 55 mphs. Despite all my major mechanical defects I have recieved poor customer service, lack of sympathy, even when I felt my vehicle was unsafe to drive they failed to be concerned.about situation.

• 

  Terrible Pontiac experience - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By Bad Experience - October 6 - 10:13 pm

  The Pontiac G5 coupe that I purchased and drove for two weeks has problems. The wind noise in the car is terrible. You can hear the wind noise above the radio when driving at speeds above 50 mph. I had warped rotors on the car that cause the steering wheel to shake upon braking. The trunk opening space is very small and makes things difficult to put in.

• 

  Dont buy - 2008 Pontiac Torrent
  By joslin3 - October 6 - 6:43 am

  Absolutely horrible and because you now must deal with GM they dont want to recall these vehicles because that would cause them to fix a problem that Pontiac created.I have owned one for almost 2 years and I have had nothing but problems,within a month of owning it the radio didnt work, the lock on the drivers door costs 300 to fix because unless you actually try to open it while it is locked you would of never known it doesnt lock, the rear windshield wiper motor went, the wheel bearings are 300 a piece, and because of how they are made it is common for rocks and sticks to get into the cv shaft and cause 200 in damage.Stabilitrak & ABS light constantly on & off.

• 

  wehatesit - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By sickofit - October 2 - 2:00 am

  At first sight we loved it, after a year we hate it! The alternator went out twice, along with the battery. This will cause the motor to shut down sei zing your gaershift and ability to retrieve your keys.Fuel pump, fuel injector, abs sensors, four rotors with pads,swing arm all replaced. Trans mission also runs noisy in lower gears.Radio is going bad now and my side view mirror even fell of while washing the car one day! Overall pontiac made a loser when they put this hunk of metal together.

• 

  Not So Grand AM - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Bill Mitchell - September 28 - 7:33 am

  This has got to be the poorest car investment I have ever made. My Grand Am 4 dr. SE as soon as I passed the 60,000 km Warranty the car has been biodegrading on the road. Paint has literally been flying off the bumpers and the doors as i drive At 70,000 Km my air conditioning quit and some type of relay switch in the blinker has gone when I turn the clicking noise of the blinker keeps going for 45-60 seconds after the turn is completed. The fog lamps in the front tend to come loose and point in strange directions I have used Duct tape to hold them in place When called the dealer and told them of my concerns she said Oh they are prone to those problems but bring it in Pay for an Inspection

• 

  i got a lemon - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By aaron - September 27 - 10:38 pm

  i bought the car bran new in 06 the car was great but at 60k miles the transmission went out first time left me stranded 50 miles out of town, sents then ive had replaced the trasmission its gone out 3 more times up to now it has 210,000 miles not to mention i had the motor rebuilt 2 times as well. on that note the car is only worth $4,500 and i have well more money in repair costs than its worth now but when its not breaking down i really love the car

• 

  What the heck" - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Myra - September 6 - 1:53 pm

  I brought my 07 G6 Pontiac going on two years ago. My car been in the shop more than 12 times for different issues. Steering gear went out 3 months of me having the car. Three months later it happens again. Back lights went out. Air bags need service light comes on but never been in an accident. Brakes replaced. The computer system reset had to get a jump for it to get reset. Wheel bearing needs to be replaced. So many issues with this car not a good car to buy. They need to have a recall on these cars or give us our money back!

• 

  Never buy a Montana! - 2001 Pontiac Montana
  By DOHN NAGY - September 3 - 3:13 pm

  Last week my Transmission went and this was the last straw! Ive had trouble with the windshield leaking water into the light on the centre roof, handles come off the right sliding door(Twice) right door wont open easily or at all. Hood corroded and had to be repainted. As to the transmission replacement, it was $3672.79 and this for a vehical with just 144.0 kms on it and less than four years old. The original cost was going to be $4300.00 but was reduced at the dealer(Popham on the Queensway in Toronto) I have no quarrel with the dealership but General Motors in my mind is not a reliable vehicle to own any more and we have four GM vehicals in my family...I just dont trust GM anymore...