IllustrationTHE CONSUMER REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE'S DOOR'S, BRAKES AND OTHER COMPONENTS. *NM *SC *JB
1998 Pontiac Grand Am
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Grand Am years
Owner complaints for the 1998 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: 42 of 172 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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
12 crash reports5 fire reports10 injury reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
36 reportsWHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO STOP. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE BRAKE PADS AND FRONT ROTOR NEEDED REPLACE DUE TO CORROSION. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.…
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WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO STOP. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE BRAKE PADS AND FRONT ROTOR NEEDED REPLACE DUE TO CORROSION. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB
I THINK GRANDAM HAS THE WORST BRAKING SYSTEM ON THEIR CARS. I SPEND SO MUCH MONEY ALONE ON BRAKES. I'VE ASKED SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO ALSO OWN A GRANDAM AND THEY SAY THE SAME THING I CHANGE MY BRAKES AT LEAST 3-4 TIMES A YEAR. I OWN A 98 PONTIAC GRANDAM AND AS SOON AS I FINISH PAYING ON IT I AM GETTING RID OF IT.*AK
WHEN BRAKING VEHICLE DIDN'T STOP AT THE DESIRED STOPPING POINT. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO INDICATED THAT ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED AND THERE WAS NO REMEDY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. MECHANIC RECOMMENDS DISCONNECTING THE ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM BECAUSE IT WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE IN THIS CONDITION.…
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WHEN BRAKING VEHICLE DIDN'T STOP AT THE DESIRED STOPPING POINT. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO INDICATED THAT ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED AND THERE WAS NO REMEDY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. MECHANIC RECOMMENDS DISCONNECTING THE ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM BECAUSE IT WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE IN THIS CONDITION. *AK
BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AFTER 20,000 MILES. HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 5 YR BATTERIES 3 TIMES NOW AT MY OWN EXPENSE. LAST TIME RESULTED IN CAR NEEDING TO BE TOWED AND KEY NOT BEING ABLE TO BE TAKEN OUT OF IGNITION. TRIED JUMP STARTING AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OVER HEATED. MY COMPLAINT IS THIS I JUST RECEIVED A SA…
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BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AFTER 20,000 MILES. HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 5 YR BATTERIES 3 TIMES NOW AT MY OWN EXPENSE. LAST TIME RESULTED IN CAR NEEDING TO BE TOWED AND KEY NOT BEING ABLE TO BE TAKEN OUT OF IGNITION. TRIED JUMP STARTING AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OVER HEATED. MY COMPLAINT IS THIS I JUST RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL STATING THAT IF THE CAR IS HARD TO START IT COULD START ON FIRE IF JUMP STARTED MORE THEN 3 TIMES AND IF THE KEY IS ON THE ON POTION TO LONG. THEY WANT TO INSTALL A RELAY DEVICE TO PREVENT FIRES BUT WHY IS THE ELECTRICAL IGNITION PROBLEM NOT BEING FIXED. WHY DO WE HAVE TO REPLACE THE BATTERY EVERY YEAR. THE RELAY DEVICE WILL NOT FIX THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM IT WILL ONLY FIX THE FIRE THREAT. ALSO SIDE MIRROR ADJUSTMENT KNOB HAS FALLEN INSIDE CAR DOOR AND WINDOWS WILL NOT ROLL DOWN OR UP. CAR WILL NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE AT TIMES. FRONT TIRES WORE ON THE INSIDE OUT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE. *JB
THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE FUNCTION PREVENTS ME FROM BEING ABLE TO BRAKE MY CAR ON WET, SNOWY OR SLUSHY DAYS, BOTH MY DAUGHTER AND I HAVE HAD TO SHIFT DOWN AND PULL ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO PULL OVER, WE LIVE ON A LONG STEEP HILL. THIS RESETS THEABS BUT ONLY TEMPORARILY. ALSO, THE AUTO LOCKS MALFUNCTION AND THE FRONT WINDOWS DON'T ROL…
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THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE FUNCTION PREVENTS ME FROM BEING ABLE TO BRAKE MY CAR ON WET, SNOWY OR SLUSHY DAYS, BOTH MY DAUGHTER AND I HAVE HAD TO SHIFT DOWN AND PULL ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO PULL OVER, WE LIVE ON A LONG STEEP HILL. THIS RESETS THEABS BUT ONLY TEMPORARILY. ALSO, THE AUTO LOCKS MALFUNCTION AND THE FRONT WINDOWS DON'T ROLL UP AND DOWN, I AM AFRAID WE'LL BE TRAPPED IN AN OUT OF CONTROL CAR. ALSO THE ADJUSTMENT KNOB FOR THE EXTERIOR REAR VIEW MIRRORS FELL INTO THE DOOR SO I CAN'T ADJUST THEM WITHOUT STOPPING AS THE WINDOWS DON'T OPEN.*AK
BREAKS HAVE FAILED 3 TIMES IN THE LAST WEEK ALONE. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES HOWEVER INTERMITTENTLY. WE PURCHASED THIS CAR 2 YEARS AGO AND IT HAS BEEN IN PONTIAC SERVICE NUMEROUS TIMES. THEY HAVE PUT ON NEW BRAKES, PADS ETC. ADJUSTED THE BRAKES AND STILL THE PROBLEM IS UNRESOLVED. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE IMMEDIATELY…
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BREAKS HAVE FAILED 3 TIMES IN THE LAST WEEK ALONE. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES HOWEVER INTERMITTENTLY. WE PURCHASED THIS CAR 2 YEARS AGO AND IT HAS BEEN IN PONTIAC SERVICE NUMEROUS TIMES. THEY HAVE PUT ON NEW BRAKES, PADS ETC. ADJUSTED THE BRAKES AND STILL THE PROBLEM IS UNRESOLVED. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE IMMEDIATELY THIS CAR IS UNSAFE AND WILL CAUSE AN INJURY OR DEATH!*AK
WHILE TRAVELING AT NORMAL SPEED, CONSUMER STATES' PRESSED BRAKE PEDAL AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. CONSUMER HAD TO PUMP BRAKE TO GET VEHICLE TO STOP. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. MR
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PUMP THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM IS UNKNOWN BUT COULD BE RELATED TO A FAULTY MASTER CYLINDER. *TS *NLM
AFTER TURNING MY VEHICLE ON, I NOTICED THAT MY VEHICLE BRAKE AND ABS LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. IT WAS DETERMINED AFTER TAKING THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC THAT THE MOTOR PACK WAS IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. MY MECHANIC SUGGESTED THAT I FILE A REPORT SINCE THIS IS A RARE PROBLEM.*AK
Official recalls
104V036000 · Electrical System:ignition:switch
Jan 27, 2004
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE ENGINE FAILS TO START AND THE DRIVER HOLDS THE KEY IN THE "START" POSITION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, HIGH CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND SOMETIMES PRODUCES ENOUGH HEAT TO MELT INTERNAL SWITCH PARTS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE SWITCH IS DAMAGED, A FIRE COULD OCCUR IN THE STEERING COLUMN, EVEN WITH THE ENGINE OFF AND THE KEY REMOVED. THE FIRE COULD SPREAD TO THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR, WHICH COULD INJURE OCCUPANTS OR CAUSE DAMAGE TO ADJOINING STRUCTURES.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RELAY KIT IN THESE VEHICLES TO PREVENT HIGH CURRENT FROM FLOWING THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND CHECK THAT YOUR CAR WILL START WITH A PROPERLY CHARGED BATTERY AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION WILL BEGIN ON MARCH 1, 2004. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668, BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-630-6537. CUSTOMERS CAN ALSO CHECK THEIR VEHICLE ONLINE BY GOING TO WWW.MYGMLINK.COM AND ENTERING THE VEHICLE'S IDENTIFICATION NUMBER.
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
1RQ03001 · Power Rack And Pinion Steering Failure
Opened Jan 2, 2003 · Closed Sep 15, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering; Steering:rack And Pinion
GM CONDUCTED A SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA # 02V286) TO ADDRESS A STEERING DEFECT PERTAINING TO A LOWER PINION BEARING (LPB) WITHIN THE RACK AND PINION STEERING GEAR (R&P). THE RECALL COVERED 1,159,156 MODEL YEAR 1997-1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX VEHICLES BUILT BETWEEN MARCH 1, 1996 AND OCTOBER 31, 1997, 1996-1998 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT, CHEVROLET LUMINA APV, CHEVROLET VENTURE, OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE MINIVANS, AND CHEVROLET CAVALIER AND PONTIAC SUNFIRE SEDANS BUILT BETWEEN JANUARY 1, 1996 AND OCTOBER 31, 1997.ODI OPENED THIS RQ AFTER RECEIVING REPORTS THAT OTHER VEHICLES WERE EXHIBITING THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS THE RECALLED VEHICLES.BASED ON ODI'S REVIEW OF TECHNICAL AND COMPLAINT DATA COLLECTED DURING THE RQ, THE W-CARS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH EITHER A HIGHER STEERING COMPLAINT RATE OR A HIGHER LPB FAILURE RATE THAN THE OTHER VEHICLES INVESTIGATED UNDER THE RQ AND ARE ABOVE OR NEAR THE RATES FOR THE RECALLED VEHICLES.THUS, ODI WILL FURTHER EXAMINE THE W-CARS (1996-1997 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS SUPREME, 1996-1998 BUICK REGAL, CHEVROLET LUMINA, CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO, 1997-1998 BUICK CENTURY, AND 1998 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE) UNDER A NEW INVESTIGATION, ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA)03-019.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Steering
GM CONDUCTED A SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA # 02V286) TO ADDRESS A STEERING DEFECT PERTAINING TO A LOWER PINION BEARING (LPB) WITHIN THE RACK AND PINION STEERING GEAR (R&P). THE RECALL COVERED 1,159,156 MODEL YEAR 1997-1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX VEHICLES BUILT BETWEEN MARCH 1, 1996 AND OCTOBER 31, 1997, 1996-1998 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT, CHEVROLET LUMINA APV, CHEVROLET VENTURE, OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE MINIVANS, AND CHEVROLET CAVALIER AND PONTIAC SUNFIRE SEDANS BUILT BETWEEN JANUARY 1, 1996 AND OCTOBER 31, 1997.ODI OPENED THIS RQ AFTER RECEIVING REPORTS THAT OTHER VEHICLES WERE EXHIBITING THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS THE RECALLED VEHICLES.BASED ON ODI'S REVIEW OF TECHNICAL AND COMPLAINT DATA COLLECTED DURING THE RQ, THE W-CARS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH EITHER A HIGHER STEERING COMPLAINT RATE OR A HIGHER LPB FAILURE RATE THAN THE OTHER VEHICLES INVESTIGATED UNDER THE RQ AND ARE ABOVE OR NEAR THE RATES FOR THE RECALLED VEHICLES.THUS, ODI WILL FURTHER EXAMINE THE W-CARS (1996-1997 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS SUPREME, 1996-1998 BUICK REGAL, CHEVROLET LUMINA, CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO, 1997-1998 BUICK CENTURY, AND 1998 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE) UNDER A NEW INVESTIGATION, ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA)03-019.
Steering:rack And Pinion
GM CONDUCTED A SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA # 02V286) TO ADDRESS A STEERING DEFECT PERTAINING TO A LOWER PINION BEARING (LPB) WITHIN THE RACK AND PINION STEERING GEAR (R&P). THE RECALL COVERED 1,159,156 MODEL YEAR 1997-1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX VEHICLES BUILT BETWEEN MARCH 1, 1996 AND OCTOBER 31, 1997, 1996-1998 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT, CHEVROLET LUMINA APV, CHEVROLET VENTURE, OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE MINIVANS, AND CHEVROLET CAVALIER AND PONTIAC SUNFIRE SEDANS BUILT BETWEEN JANUARY 1, 1996 AND OCTOBER 31, 1997.ODI OPENED THIS RQ AFTER RECEIVING REPORTS THAT OTHER VEHICLES WERE EXHIBITING THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS THE RECALLED VEHICLES.BASED ON ODI'S REVIEW OF TECHNICAL AND COMPLAINT DATA COLLECTED DURING THE RQ, THE W-CARS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH EITHER A HIGHER STEERING COMPLAINT RATE OR A HIGHER LPB FAILURE RATE THAN THE OTHER VEHICLES INVESTIGATED UNDER THE RQ AND ARE ABOVE OR NEAR THE RATES FOR THE RECALLED VEHICLES.THUS, ODI WILL FURTHER EXAMINE THE W-CARS (1996-1997 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS SUPREME, 1996-1998 BUICK REGAL, CHEVROLET LUMINA, CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO, 1997-1998 BUICK CENTURY, AND 1998 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE) UNDER A NEW INVESTIGATION, ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA)03-019.