What is a high mileage for 2002 Pontiac Grand Am Se?

Question

I'm looking at getting a 2002 Pontiac Grand Am Se and it has 113k miles on it.

1.) I need to know if that is high miles for this car

2.) How reliable is this car and when would I start having problems with it

3.) If any of you actually know cars or have THIS car, do you recommend it at this state, with these miles?

Answer 1

Average milage is 12000 to 15000 per year.

Answer 2

Wife had a 2003, with the 3.4 liter and an automatic. Never had any problems at 100k miles, ran like when we bought it. Oil changes every 11k miles, transmission fluid changes @ 75k miles

Unfortunately, never got to 113k, I was rear ended by a guy in a truck at 45mph, totaled the car.

I have heard that the 4-cylinder versions were not as reliable from a mechanic friend.

The way it ran, I expected to get a lot more miles out of it, but alas, the old guy behind me just wasn't paying attention.

I would certainly buy it if it runs good, and the price is right, but always have it checked out by a mechanic first for unseen damage.

Keep the fluids changed regularly and it should last a long time.

Answer 3

1) Anything over 10 miles.

2) Pontiac = POS

3) I've owned a Grand Am, as well as two Firebirds and a Sunbird, and I swear I'll NEVER own another Pontiac as long as I live.

Answer 4

1. As a general rule, you want to allocate 12k to 15k miles per year for any car.  If this is  a 2002, anything above 90k would be considered high.

2. The car as a model is fairly reliable, but you ned to look at the maintenance history of the car before  you can determine when/if there will be problems.  Suggestion:  If the seller had regular maintenance that was done on the car, was it done somewhere that the record can be verified (like a Jiffy Lube or Valvoline Instant Oil Change)?  Run a report on the vehicle identification number (VIN) through carfax.com to see if it has had any previous issues prior  to your possible purchase.

3. Based on just the miles, no I would not recommend.  Unless you can verify a stellar maintenance record for this car, I would stay away from it.

Answer 5

It is high miles for that car. They are not the most reliable cars but there decent. Im a mechanic so I see these alot. I have rarely seen one over 180,000 miles. Its very common to see toyotas and hondas with over 200,000 mile though

Answer 6

Should be fine. I just worked on one with 175,000 and it looked good. Depends on the maintenance and body condition. All else fails have a good mechanic look it over.