IllustrationTHE STRUT TOWER ON THE PASSENGER WHEEL WALL HAD RUSTED OUT CAUSING NOISE, THE VEHICLE CAN NOT BE DRIVEN BECAUSE OF THE SEVERITY OF THE RUSTING, SEVERAL MECHANICS HAVE LOOKED AT THIS PROBLEM AND STATED THAT IT'S NOT NORMAL . *SLC
1990 Pontiac Grand Am
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 1990 Pontiac Grand Am are lower than the model-year median of 82.
Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.
About this comparison →38Owner complaints
Model-year median: 82
0Recall campaignsView recall details →
0InvestigationsView investigation details →
Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Inspection summary
1990 Pontiac Grand Am
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 38 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.
Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.
Top reported categories (up to 5)
- Engine And Engine Cooling: 14 reports
- Power Train: 7 reports
- Structure: 5 reports
- Electrical System: 3 reports
- Seat Belts: 3 reports
Full reported-category list and vehicle report
Recall links
No recall campaigns in this snapshot.
Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.
How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Grand Am years →Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 0 of 38 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports1 fire reports2 injury reports
Power Train complaints
7 reportsTORQUE CONVERTER SOLENOID CAUSES STALLING. CAN STALL IN INTERSECTION CAUSING ACCIDENT AND FATALITIES POOR GM DESIGN, THEY SHOULD PAY FOR THE JUNK THEY BUILD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TRANSMISSION CONVERTER FAILED.
AUTO-TRANSMISSION; ONCE SHIFTED WHILE IN DRIVE VEHICLE WILL STALL IMMEDIATELY. OWNER WAS TOLD THIS IS AN INTERNAL FAILURE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
CLUTCH FAILED.*SD
AUTO-TRAN: TRANSMISSION LOCKS UP IN HIGH GEAR WITHOUT WARNING; ENGINE DIES; SPEED 35 TO 45 MPH; LOSS VEHICLE POWER. TT
THE TRANSMISSION GET HOT THE FLUID BOIL UP COVERING ON THE VALVE MAKE CAR SHUT OFF THIS COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT . TT
Recall campaigns
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
Defect investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.