IllustrationWHEN RAINING AND APPLYING THE BRAKES PEDAL STIFFENS, AND VEHICLE FEELS AS IF REAR ENDED, AND KEEPS GOING. DEALER HAS SEEN 2 OR 3 TIMES. ALSO, DEALER REPLACED 4-WHEEL DRIVE LOCKING HUBS, AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *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
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
75 reportsTHE ABS LIGHT KEPT COMING ON & STAYED ON. AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD FLICKER. THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING. THE ALTERNATOR WOULD NOT WORK. KEPT GOING OUT. TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER. *AK
WHILE BRAKING AT ANY SPEED THE REAR BRAKES GRAB CAUSING POOR BRAKING ABILITY. *YC
ABS LIGHT ALWAYS ON AND ANTI-LOCK BRAKESDO NOT FUNCTION, ALLOWS MORE SLIDING IN ICY CONDITIONS. *AK
THE BRAKES DO NOT STOP PROPERLY AS INDICATED IN THE RECALLL FOR GM TRUCKS. I HAVE HAD THE MASTER CYLINDER CHANGED AND THE BRAKES CHANGED. PONTIAC REFUSES TO DO MORE. *AK
BRAKES FAILED WHEN CAR SAT ALL DAY OR OVERNIGHT AND I WOULD JUST START TO MOVE AT NO MORE THAN 10 MPH. THE FIRST THREE TIMES IT HAPPENED I COULD PUMP UP THE BRAKES UNTIL THEY WOULD BEGIN TO HOLD. THE LAST TIME THE BRAKES WOULD NOT PUMP UP, AND I HAD TO LET THE CAR ROLL SLOW ENOUGH TO BUMP INTO A CURB AND THROW IT INTO PARK. THE …
Read full complaint
BRAKES FAILED WHEN CAR SAT ALL DAY OR OVERNIGHT AND I WOULD JUST START TO MOVE AT NO MORE THAN 10 MPH. THE FIRST THREE TIMES IT HAPPENED I COULD PUMP UP THE BRAKES UNTIL THEY WOULD BEGIN TO HOLD. THE LAST TIME THE BRAKES WOULD NOT PUMP UP, AND I HAD TO LET THE CAR ROLL SLOW ENOUGH TO BUMP INTO A CURB AND THROW IT INTO PARK. THE LAST TIME CAR WAS UNDRIVABLE. DEALERS SERVICE MANAGER CAME OUT AND ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE CAR AND BRAKES FAILED. AFTER HEARING THE "CLANGING' NOICE I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT SINCE JANUARY, HE DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS THE ABS MALFUNCTION. THIS WAS CONFIRMED AT THE SERVICE CENTER AND THE ABS MOTOR PAK WAS REPLACED AT A COST TO OWNER OF $160. GM AND DEALER PICKED UP BALANCE OF REPAIR COSTS. DEALER CONFIRMED THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM IN JANUARY 1999 WAS THE ABS AND NOT MASTER CYLINDER--NEVER WAS THE MASTER CYLINDER. THE WARNING LIGHTS NEVER CAME ON AND THE SENSORS NEVER REVEALED THE PROBLEM ON THE DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. *AK
FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS FAIL INTERMITTENTLY.
BRAKES FAILED ON TWO OCCASIONS WITH NO WARNING LIGHTS TO INDICATE FAILURES, NO FAILURES FOUND IN BRAKE SYSTEM.
WHEN DRIVING AND WENT TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOORBAORD. ALSO, LOCKS DON'T WORK AND THE WINDOWS DON'T WORK. VEHCILE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP THREE TIMES FOR REPAIR, AND THE DEALER DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. *AK
WHEN DRIVING AT 30 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, BRAKE PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOORBOARD. ALSO, LOCKS AND THE WINDOWS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DON'T WORK. THE LIGHTER WENT OUT. THE VEHICLE USES EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF OIL. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP THREE TIMES AND THE DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK *ML
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.