IllustrationENGINE HEAD CRACKED. NO ACCELERATION, STALLED OUT AT LIGHTS. VEHICLE RESTARTED & REMAINED PARKED FOR 3 MONTHS. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP & INFORMED ENGINE HEAD WARPED & CRACKED. TWO INDEPENDENT MECHANICS LOOKED AT ENGINE & INDICATED HEAD WAS CRACKED. ALSO, EXHAUST WAS THICK/WHITE & SMELLED BADLY. *AK
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 reportsIGNITION SWITCH FAILED CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO SMELL A BURNING ODOR AND SOON AFTER WHITE SMOKE BEGAN TO BILLOWING OUT OF THE STEERING COLUMN. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. NLM
CONSUMER HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO A TECHNICIAN FOR VIBRATION, AND TECHNICIAN FOUND OUT THAT PROBLEM WAS WITH HEAD GASKET CRACKING. *AK
VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, OWNER LEFT VEHICLE TO CALL FOR ASSISTANCE AND WHEN RETURNED TO VEHICLE FOUND IT ON FIRE, DUE TO POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE. *MJS
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
DRIVING CAR AT 55MPH AND CAR APPEARED TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL, COASTED TO STOP. SPRAQUE ASSEMBLY FAILED PER MECHANIC, COMPLETE OVERHAUL OF TRANSMISSION. CAR WOULD APPEAR TO HESITATE AND SURGE AT AROUND 55 MPH, DIAGNOSTICS REPORTED ENGIN E HEAD GASKET LEAK OR BAD HEAD, FOUND TO HAVE EXTERNAL CRACKS TO HEAD AND CRACK BY PLUG. MECHA…
Read full complaint
DRIVING CAR AT 55MPH AND CAR APPEARED TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL, COASTED TO STOP. SPRAQUE ASSEMBLY FAILED PER MECHANIC, COMPLETE OVERHAUL OF TRANSMISSION. CAR WOULD APPEAR TO HESITATE AND SURGE AT AROUND 55 MPH, DIAGNOSTICS REPORTED ENGIN E HEAD GASKET LEAK OR BAD HEAD, FOUND TO HAVE EXTERNAL CRACKS TO HEAD AND CRACK BY PLUG. MECHANIC DESCRIBED AS LATENT DEFECT IN HEAD. CAR HAD NEVER OVERHEATED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING DOWN ON HIGHWAY AT HWY SPEED AND WHEN ACCELERATING VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE OR BUCK. WAS TOLD BY MECHANIC THIS WAS A RESULT OF COOLANT LEAKING ON SPARK PLUGS, AND CAUSING TO NOT FIRE CORRECTLY. CONTACTED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER. *AK
PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE WINDOW GETS STUCK. *ET
CONSUMER EXPERIENCING EXCESSIVE WEAR OF THE FRONT BRAKE PADS/ROTORS, AND CLIPERS. ALSO, UPON DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL CONSUMER NOTICED A LOUD GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE BRAKES. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS REPLACED THE BRAKES ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS . PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
CONSUMER IS UPSET BECAUSE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT HAVE PARTS AVAILABLE UNTIL MARCH, AND DEALER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PERFORM NHTSA RECALL 00V287000/MANUFACTURER'S RECALL P00079S REPAIRS CONCERNING ENGINE STARTER. CONSUMER FEELS RECALL IS NOT DONE IN TIMELY MANNER. AK
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.