IllustrationWHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY FOR ONLY 10 MI NUTES IT WAS ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. FIRE DEPARTTMENT CAME TO PUT FIRE OUT. CONSUMER CONTACTED MANUFACTURER ALSO DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
1991 Pontiac Grand Am
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1991 Pontiac Grand Am do not stand out strongly from 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 →82Owner complaints
Model-year median: 82
2Recall 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
1991 Pontiac Grand Am
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 82 owner complaints · 2 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: 22 reports
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 11 reports
- Visibility: 11 reports
- Electrical System: 9 reports
- Seat Belts: 6 reports
Full reported-category list and vehicle report
Recall links
- 92V043000 — Visibility:power Window Devices And Controls
- 91V018000 — Steering: Steering Wheel/handle Bar
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: 3 of 82 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 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
9 crash reports4 fire reports6 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
9 reportsWHILE DRIVING TO THE STORE ABOUT A HALF OF MILE AWAY, HEARD A HISSING SOUND IN THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. CONSUMERR THEN SAW SMOKE, AND STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND GOT OUT. THEN THE ENTIRE VEHICLE WENT UP IN FLAMES. THERE WAS NO WARNING BEFORE. POLICE SAID THAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE ELECTRICAL PANEL INSIDE OF THE DOOR. *AK
VEHICLE LOST POWER AND STALLED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE IN RUSH-HOUR TRAFFIC ON A MAJOR INTERSTATE. ACCIDENT NARROWLY AVOIDED. OWNER NO LONGER TRUSTS RELIABILITY OF VEHICLE.
A SHORT TRIPLE BLACK/HITE/ORANGE WIRE THAT RUNS TO BACK SEAT READING LIGHTS SHORTED OUT, MELTED THE METAL AROUND THE TOP OF REAR SEAT AND LEFT A HOLE IN THE METAL. *AK
VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO 60 MPH AND STAYED THERE MOMENTARILY BEFORE DROPPING DOWN. UPON APPROACHING A TOLL EXIT, THE VEHICLE STALLED. IT TOOK SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART. ENGINE SOMETIMES IDLES VERY HIGH AT START UP AND SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT WOULD COME ON. ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE SHUT DOWN TO CORRECT IDLE.
VEHICLE FIRE.
ALTERNATOR HAS FAILED SEVERAL TIMES.
HEAD GASKET BLEW. *SD
VEHICLE STALLED IN TRAFFIC WITH OUT ANY PRIOR WARNING DUE TO DEFECTIVE ALTERNATOR. TT
Recall campaigns
292V043000 · Visibility:power Window Devices And Controls
Apr 1, 1992
MOISTURE CAN ENTER THE EXPRESS-DOWN ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE AND CAUSE A SHORT CIRCUIT THAT CAUSES WINDOW OPERATION WITHOUT OPERATOR CONTROL, AND LEAVES THE WINDOW IN THE DOWN POSITION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE WILL FAIL FROM OVERHEATINGAND COULD RESULT IN A FIRE HAZARD INSIDE THE DOOR PANEL.
Remedy: REPLACE THE WINDOW EXPRESS-DOWN ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE.
91V018000 · Steering: Steering Wheel/handle Bar
Jan 4, 1991
No summary supplied.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Not supplied
Remedy: REPLACE STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY.
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.