Pontiac is a USA carmaker founded in 1926, now part of General Motors. The cars themselves are another matter: across 17 VIN prefixes on record they came off lines in 4 countries — the United States 85%, Canada 8.8%, Australia 3.4%. 17 models are tracked here (1984–2010). Reliable? mostly, with caveats — 3.7 out of 5 across 17 rated models, though the spread between model years is far wider than the badge suggests (every model ranked →).
Who makes Pontiac
Pontiac builds one of the most recognised vehicle lineups on the road.
| Pontiac | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1926 |
| Headquarters | USA |
| Owned by | General Motors |
| Models tracked here | 17 (1984–2010) |
| Assembled in | 4 countries |
Where Pontiac cars are actually built
A badge says where a company is registered, not where its cars were bolted together. The first three characters of any VIN — the world manufacturer identifier — say the second thing, and that is what we counted: 19,669 vehicles on record, 17 distinct manufacturer codes.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| the United States | 1G2, 5Y2, 1GM, 4G2 | 1995–2014 | |
| Canada | 2G2, 2CK, 262 | 1995–2009 | |
| Australia | 6G2 | 2004–2009 | |
| Mexico | 3G7, 3G2 | 1995–2005 |
Read your own: the first character is the region, the first three together identify the plant's manufacturer. A Pontiac beginning 1G2 was assembled in the United States.
All Pontiac models 17
Every Pontiac model we track, grouped by body type. Click any model for its VIN decoder, recalls, MPG, safety and ForCar Reliability Score — broken down by year.
Pontiac SUVs & crossovers 3
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pontiac Vibe | 2003–2010 | 51 | 1,872 | 29 mpg | 3.5/5 |
| Pontiac Torrent | 2006–2009 | 7 | 625 | 20 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Pontiac Aztek | 2001–2005 | 18 | 603 | 20 mpg | 3.5/5 |
Pontiac Cars & sedans 10
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pontiac GTO | 2004–2006 | 3 | 615 | 19 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Pontiac Wave | 2005–2006 | — | — | 26 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Pontiac Sunfire | 1995–2005 | 51 | 1,302 | 27 mpg | 3.5/5 |
| Pontiac Grand Prix | 1984–2008 | 82 | 4,569 | 21 mpg | 3.0/5 |
| Pontiac Grand Am | 1985–2005 | 52 | 4,870 | 27 mpg | 3.5/5 |
| Pontiac G8 | 2008–2009 | 8 | 215 | 20 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Pontiac G6 | 2005–2010 | 31 | 5,879 | 26 mpg | 3.5/5 |
| Pontiac G5 | 2007–2010 | 21 | 380 | 30 mpg | 3.5/5 |
| Pontiac G3 | 2009–2010 | 1 | 18 | 30 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Pontiac Bonneville | 1984–2005 | 21 | 1,633 | 21 mpg | 3.5/5 |
Pontiac Minivans & vans 2
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pontiac Monterey | 2005–2005 | — | — | 19 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Pontiac Montana | 2000–2006 | 44 | 808 | 20 mpg | 3.5/5 |
Pontiac More models 2
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pontiac Trans Sport | 1990–1999 | 19 | 712 | 19 mpg | 3.5/5 |
| Pontiac Solstice | 2006–2010 | 22 | 726 | 23 mpg | 4.0/5 |
Pontiac by the numbers
What the federal records say about the marque. Each line links to the full breakdown by model and year.
| Topic | Pontiac | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 431 campaigns | Most recalled: Fuel System, Other:storage:tank Assembly:pressure Relief Devices |
| Owner complaints | 22,996+ filed | Most reported: G6 |
| Fuel economy | 30 mpg best | Leader: G5 |
| Insurance | $1,444/yr typical | Cheapest: Montana |
Compare model years like a dealer does.
- Full research report on any model year
- Market chart: how this model holds value
- Exact values with mileage adjustment
- Price-drop alerts on the trims you're watching
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Get a Pontiac window sticker by VIN
Recreate any Pontiac's original Monroney label — MSRP, factory options, EPA MPG and safety — free from the VIN.
Pontiac window stickers →How to read a Pontiac VIN
Every Pontiac built since 1981 carries a unique 17-character VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). It encodes where and when the vehicle was made, its engine and body — here's what each part means:
- WMI (1–3) — country & manufacturer. Tells you it's a Pontiac and the country it was built in.
- VDS (4–8) — model, body style, engine, trim & restraints. The 8th digit is the engine code.
- Check digit (9) — a math check that proves the VIN is genuine.
- Model year (10) — the year it was built (e.g. R = 2024, S = 2025).
- Plant (11) — which factory assembled it.
- Serial (12–17) — the unique sequential production number.
The remaining digits — engine (8th), model-year letter (10th) and plant — follow the universal SAE standard. Our VIN lookup reads every position for you — engine code, model year, assembly plant and country of build.
Who owns Pontiac, and what you get
Pontiac belongs to General Motors.
| Pontiac | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | USA |
| Ownership | General Motors |
| Basic warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
| Powertrain warranty | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| Assembly countries | United States, Canada, Australia, Mexico |
⚠ Worth knowing before you rely on it: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, while basic cover here runs 3 years / 36,000 miles. See when Pontiac models actually start to break →
Pontiac — frequently asked
Is Pontiac usa?
Pontiac is a USA company and founded in 1926. The cars are a separate question: 85% of the Pontiac vehicles in our records were assembled in the United States.
Where are Pontiac cars made?
Across 17 manufacturer codes on record, assembly splits as: the United States (85%), Canada (8.8%), Australia (3.4%), Mexico (2.6%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the manufacturer and plant country — that is where these shares come from.
Who owns Pontiac?
Pontiac is part of General Motors.
How many Pontiac models are there?
We track 17 Pontiac models spanning 1984–2010. The full list is above, ordered by how often each is searched.
What is the Pontiac warranty?
New vehicles come with 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Terms vary by model year and market — confirm with a dealer.
Is Pontiac reliable?
It depends far more on the model and year than on the badge. Every Pontiac model is ranked by complaint rate here, along with the age at which each starts to fail.
Explore other brands
Mark ForCar as a preferred source and our data shows up first in your Google results. One click, no account.