IllustrationCONSUMER PARKED VEHICLE AT 8:15 AM, WHEN SHE CAME BACK TO VEHICLE BETWEEN 9:30 AND 10 AM, AND IT WAS BURNING. FIRE DEPARTMENT PUT OUT FIRE. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. CAUSE UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME. RECEIVED RECALL LETTER 00V287000, BUT REPAIRS HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMED. *AK
1995 Pontiac Grand Am
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Grand Am years
Owner complaints for the 1995 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: 33 of 409 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.
- Electrical System. Review the 120 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 75 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. 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.
59 crash reports41 fire reports45 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
120 reportsIGNITION STARTED SMOKING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AND THEN WOULD NOT START, THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED, CONSUMER LATER RECEIVED RECALL 00V287, DEALER STATED THERE WAS NO WAY TO TELL IF THE PROBLEM WAS RELATED TO THE RECALL BECAUSE THE RELAY SWITCH HAD NOT BEEN INSTALLED, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT IF HER REPAIRS …
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IGNITION STARTED SMOKING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AND THEN WOULD NOT START, THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED, CONSUMER LATER RECEIVED RECALL 00V287, DEALER STATED THERE WAS NO WAY TO TELL IF THE PROBLEM WAS RELATED TO THE RECALL BECAUSE THE RELAY SWITCH HAD NOT BEEN INSTALLED, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT IF HER REPAIRS ARE RELATED TO THE RECALL. *SLC
IGNITION WILL NOT REMAIN IN THE ON POSITION. IT IS POSSIBLE TO START THE VEHICLE AND GENTLY RELEASE THE KEY BUT AS YOU DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD A BUMP OR SOME TYPE OF CONTACT WITH THE KEY WILL CAUSE THE IGNITION TO SHUT OFF. LOSING ALL POWER IMMEDIATELY. *AK
IN EARLY SPRING OF 2000, THE HORN STARTED BY ITSELF. IT WOULD START BLAIRING AT ANY TIME. IT HAPPENED OFF AND ON DURING THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. I WOULD ESTIMATE 3-4 TIMES, WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. THE ONLY WAY I COULD STOP IT WAS TO TAP ON THE HORN. IN LATE JUNE, IT HAPPENED 5 - 6 TIMES IN ONE WEEK. …
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IN EARLY SPRING OF 2000, THE HORN STARTED BY ITSELF. IT WOULD START BLAIRING AT ANY TIME. IT HAPPENED OFF AND ON DURING THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. I WOULD ESTIMATE 3-4 TIMES, WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. THE ONLY WAY I COULD STOP IT WAS TO TAP ON THE HORN. IN LATE JUNE, IT HAPPENED 5 - 6 TIMES IN ONE WEEK. I FINALLY PULLED THE FUSE AND TOOK IT TO STAN OLSEN PONTIAC HERE IN OMAHA. THEY REPLACED THE HORN MODULE. I WAS TOLD IT WAS BENT, BUT THEY COULD NOT TELL ME HOW THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THIS BENT PLATE WAS PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE AIR BAG, AND I WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT THE BAG NEVER DEPLOYED, OTHERWISE, I COULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT WHICH PROBABLE WOULD HAVE BEEN QUITE SERIOUS. I PAID A TOTAL OF $692.74 TO HAVE THIS REPLACED. I HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN GREAT CARE OF MY CAR, BUT AS YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THIS IS OF GREAT CONCERN. AFTER RECEIVING THE RECALL ON THE IGNITION SWITCH, WHICH I HAD REPLACED, I BECAME CONCERNED THAT MAYBE THIS MODULE COULD HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *AK
CONSUMER STATED THAT VEHICLE JUST STOPPED COMPLETELY AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN, CONSUMER HAD BEEN AWAITING PARTS FOR RECALL ON RELAY KIT, CONSUMER HAD CAR FIXED AT OWN EXPENSE AND WAS TOLD SHE WOULD BE REIMBURSED MONIES PAID OUT OF POCKET. *JG
CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR RECALL REPAIR 00V287, DEALER STATED REPAIRS WOULD TAKE ABOUT 3 HOURS, HOWEVER REPAIRS WERE NEVER COMPLETED ON THAT DAY, CONSUMER HAS TO SCHEDULE ANOTHER DAY OFF WORK FOR RECALL WORK TO BE COMPLETED. *SLC
PRIOR TO RECALL NOTIFICATION (00V287000) IN WHICH CONSUMER STATES SHE DID NOT RECEIVE, EXPERIENCED UNUSUAL CAR TROUBLE, CONSUMER STATES AS SHE TURNED THE KEY TO THE START POSITION NOTHING HAPPENED, AFTER A THIRD TIME OF TRYING TO START VEHICLE SHE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD/STEERING COLUMN AREA CONSUMER THEN REMOVED…
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PRIOR TO RECALL NOTIFICATION (00V287000) IN WHICH CONSUMER STATES SHE DID NOT RECEIVE, EXPERIENCED UNUSUAL CAR TROUBLE, CONSUMER STATES AS SHE TURNED THE KEY TO THE START POSITION NOTHING HAPPENED, AFTER A THIRD TIME OF TRYING TO START VEHICLE SHE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD/STEERING COLUMN AREA CONSUMER THEN REMOVED KEY FROM IGNITION AND EVACUATED THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AND CONSUMER WAS ADVISED ABOUT RECALL AND REPAIRS THAT WERE PERFORMED. *JB
BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ON ALL THE TIME. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER 8 TIMES. DEALER SAID THAT WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK *SLC
WHILE TRYING TO START VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE MADE A TERRIBLE SOUND AND CONSUMER COULD SMELL BURNING AROUND THE IGNITION, THE STARTER AND IGNITION SWITCH WERE REPLACED, A WEEK LATER CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL P00079-S, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING A REFUND. *SLC
PRIOR TO RECALL NOTIFICATION (00V287000) CONSUMER'S VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE IN THE SWITCH OF HER VEHCILE WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER STATES SHE DID NOT RECEIVE NOTIFICATION UNTIL FIVE YEARS LATER AND AFTER THE DAMAGE HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE, MANUFACTURER INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENT AND CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE…
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PRIOR TO RECALL NOTIFICATION (00V287000) CONSUMER'S VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE IN THE SWITCH OF HER VEHCILE WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER STATES SHE DID NOT RECEIVE NOTIFICATION UNTIL FIVE YEARS LATER AND AFTER THE DAMAGE HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE, MANUFACTURER INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENT AND CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE ANY MANUFACTURING LIABILITY BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAD ALREADY BEEN REPAIRED. *JB
Official recalls
100V287000 · 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.
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.