IllustrationBRAKE FAILED. NLM. CONSUMER STATES PRIOR TO RECALL, A NEW STARTER WAS NEEDED AS WELL AS A NEW ENGINE AND ALSO A NEW LIGHTING SWITCH, CONSUMER HAS ALSO HAD TO GET NEW TIRES. *JB
1994 Pontiac Grand Am
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Grand Am years
Owner complaints for the 1994 Pontiac Grand Am are substantially higher than the model-year median of 82.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Grand Am years →Counts vary with age, sales 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: 27 of 377 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 73 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 71 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 60 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
58 crash reports28 fire reports38 injury reports
What owners actually said
377 reportsCONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 00V287000/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALL00079FOR ENGINE STARTER. DEALER DID NOT KNOW WHEN PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE. CONSUMER WILL HAVE TO CALL BACK IN TWO WEEKS TO SEE IF PARTS WERE AVAILABLE.*AK
THERE HAVE BEEN MANY PROBLEMS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPORTED OR TOLD BEFORE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE MAY FALL UNDER THE OHIO "LEMON" LAW. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED. *AK
THE HEAD CRACKED ON THE ENGINE AT THE MOLDING OR CASTING PULL OFF. THEIR WERE 3 OTHER VEHICALS THE SAME YEAR AND TYPE (QUAD 4) AT THE SHOP WHERE MY CAR WAS FIXED. THEY ALL HAD A CRACK AT THE SAME EXACT SPOT AS MY CAR DID ON THE HEAD. NO HELP FROM GM. SHOULD BE RECALLED BUT THEY WILL NOT DO IT. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE CRACK.*AK
GAS TANK IS LEAKING IN SEAMS BACK OF GAS TANK, AND GAS LEAKS ONTO GROUND.*AK CONSUMER STATED THAT TANK WAS FILLED WITH GAS AND BUCKETS HAD TO BE PLACED UNDER CAR TO CATCH THE LEAKING GASOLINE. *SLC
ABS BRAKE LIGHT AND THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED, INDICATING A MALFUNCTION IN SYSTEM, CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK PRIOR TO ABS LIGHT AND ENGINE LIGHT PROBLEM, THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED. *YH
RECALL NUMBER 00V287000. CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL INFORMATION CONCERNING ENGINE STARTER. CONTACTED DEALER, NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE TO REMEDY PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
AFTER RECEIVING RECALL NOTICE 00V-287 RELATED TO HIGH CURRENT FLOW THROUGH THE IGNITION, CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER ABOUT A PROBLEM THE VEHICLE WAS HAVING WITH OVERHEATING WIRES WHICH MAKES THE STEERING COLUMN TOO WARM TO TOUCH, THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THIS PROBLEM IS RELATED TO THE RECALL BUT THE DEALER IS UNSURE. NLM
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE 00V287000/ ENGINE STARTER. ALSO, EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH SWITCH THAT CONTROLLED EXTERIOR LIGHTS OF VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONING. EXTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD STOP OPERATING WHEN SWITCHING BETWEEN DIM AND BRIGHT. AT TIMES, THERE WAS SMELL OF BURNING WIRES. *AK PING OF TILT ON STEERING COLUMN BACKED OU…
Read full complaint
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE 00V287000/ ENGINE STARTER. ALSO, EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH SWITCH THAT CONTROLLED EXTERIOR LIGHTS OF VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONING. EXTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD STOP OPERATING WHEN SWITCHING BETWEEN DIM AND BRIGHT. AT TIMES, THERE WAS SMELL OF BURNING WIRES. *AK PING OF TILT ON STEERING COLUMN BACKED OUT TWICE. THE REPLACEMENT NEW SWITCH FAILED. THE DASH LIGHTS WERE OUT. THE WINDOW BRACKETS WERE WEAK. THE FRONT DISC BRAKE PADS FAILED FREQUENTLY. *YH
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY RATE OF SPEED VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTSDOWN WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK ALL NECESSARY PARTS WERE REPLACED BY THE DEALER AND VEHICLE HAS NO PROBLEM AS OF NOW. *YH
Official recalls
200V287000 · Electrical System:starter Assembly
Oct 2, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE ENGINE STARTER FAILS TO ENGAGE AND THE DRIVER HOLD THE KEY IN THE "START" POSITION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, HIGH CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, PRODUCING HEAT THAT CAN MELT SWITCH PARTS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A FIRE COULD OCCUR IN THE STEERING COLUMN AND SPREAD TO THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RELAY KIT AND VERIFY THAT THE VEHICLE WILL START WITH A PROPERLY CHARGED BATTERY IN GOOD OPERATING CONDITION (ADEQUATE RESERVE CAPACITY, OR COLD CRANKING AMPS). THIS CAMPAIGN DOES NOT COVER BATTERY REPLACEMENT OR UNRELATED STARTING SYSTEM OR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM REPAIRS.
94V122000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
Jul 1, 1994
THESE VEHICLES WERE CONSTRUCTED WITH WELDS IN THE REAR COMPARTMENT PAN ASSEMBLY THAT ARE NOT SUFFICIENT TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS PERTAINING TO FUEL TANK LEAKAGE IN THE EVENT OF A REAR IMPACT COLLISION. THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLIES DO NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO. 301, "FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CAN RESULT IN AN INCREASED RISK OF A VEHICLE FIRE IN THE EVENT OF A REAR IMPACT COLLISION.
Remedy: DEALER WILL INSTALL RIVETS ADJACENT TO THE LOCATIONS WHERE THE SUSPECT WELDS ARE LOCATED.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2EA00007 · Steering Column Fires
Opened Mar 3, 2000 · Closed Feb 7, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System
There is no summary currently available
PE99063 · Steering Column Fire
Opened Oct 7, 1999 · Closed Mar 3, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering
ODI HAS EXPANDED THE SCOPE OF ITS INVESTIGATION OF STEERING COLUMN FIRES TO INCLUDE ALL MODELS BUILT ON THE N-PLATFORM.GM HAS INDICATED IN ITS RESPONSE THAT THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH A ROTARY IGNITION SWITCH THAT HAS BEEN IN USE IN A NUMBER OF VEHICLE MODELS SINCE 1991 ON BOTH THE N AND J-PLATFORMS.HOWEVER, THE 1994-1995 N-PLATFORM IS OVER REPRESENTED ACCOUNTING FOR 83 (81%) OF THE COMBINDED TOTAL OF 102 REPORTS DESPITE BEING ONLY 14.2% OF THE COMBINED POPULATION. OF THE 10 NEW REPORTS RECEIVED SINCE OPENING EA99-063, 7 INCLUDE ALLEGATIONS OF A NO START CONDITION WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE THE STARTER.A FIRE IS CLAIMED TO HAVE ENSUED IN THE STEERING COLUMN IMMEDIATELY THERAFTER.GM ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) (NO. 433203) JULY 1994 WHIICH ADDRESSED OWNER COMPLAINTS THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH MAY NOT RETURN TO THE RUN POSITION AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS STARTED.THE TSB ADVISES THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH MOUNTING SCREWS MAY BE EXCESSIVELY TORQUED RESULTING IN DISTORTION OF THE SWITCH HOUSING.AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS WARRANTED TO DETERMINE THE ROOT CAUSE(S) AND TO DETERMIN IF A SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS.