Why would a pontiac grand am bog down and shake when being taken out of

[Chuck C]

park and into reverse or drive? Im trying to purchase a 2000 grand am from a private seller and when i test drove it, everytime i took it out of park it seemed to lose alot of power to a poin that it would bog down and shake. I have very little mechanical skills so im stumped and dont want to buy a LEMON

 

[aerofisher]

The Problem that is occurring is most likely electrical which can be a hassle to fix.
I had the same problem with my ford contour

 

[kritik]

It could also be a broken transmission mount therefore when you shift it jumps.

 

[mikey123]

if you mean when you put it gear, it could be a dirty iac (idle air control) or dirty throttle body (cheap fix). If it accelerates and drives ok, my guess it's one of the 2. if it lacks power or shakes on acceleration, probably 1 or more cylinders aren't firing. could be as simple as a loose spark plug wire, bad coil pack or other electrical stuff. could be costly mechanical problems. get it checked out before you buy.