IllustrationMY CAR WILL CRANK BUT WON'T TURN OVER AND START. *TR
2004 Pontiac Grand Am
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Grand Am years
Owner complaints for the 2004 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
280–25K
3925–50K
4550–75K
3275–100K
51100–150K
28150K+
223 reports with mileage · 70 unknown
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 140 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 53 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
24 crash reports7 fire reports12 injury reports
Engine complaints
17 reportsON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED TO TURN, WHICH LOCKED UP THE STEERING COLUMN, MANY TIMES THE KEY WOULD NOT RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH, THEREFORE IT WOULD NOT TURN OFF. *TR
IGNITION KEY CAUSED ENGINE TO TURN OFF WHILE CAR WAS IN MOTION. POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WERE DISABLED. I STILL OWN THE VEHICLE AND THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING EVER SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR. NO CRASH HAS EVER OCCURED BECAUSE THERE IS STILL SOME MINIMAL FUNCTIONALITY TO THE BRAKES AND STEERING WHEN THE KEY SHUTS OFF. HOWEVE…
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IGNITION KEY CAUSED ENGINE TO TURN OFF WHILE CAR WAS IN MOTION. POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WERE DISABLED. I STILL OWN THE VEHICLE AND THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING EVER SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR. NO CRASH HAS EVER OCCURED BECAUSE THERE IS STILL SOME MINIMAL FUNCTIONALITY TO THE BRAKES AND STEERING WHEN THE KEY SHUTS OFF. HOWEVER, MY WIFE HAS DRIVEN MY CAR AND LUCKILY HASN'T HAD THIS EXPERIENCE. I'M AFRAID THAT SHE WOULD LACK THE BODY STRENGTH NECESSARY TO HANDLE THE STEERING AND BRAKES. AT TIMES, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL AND RESTART WITH THE CAR STILL IN MOTION, BUT IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER AND COME TO A STOP WHILE TRYING TO RESTART AT THE SAME TIME. PLEASE ADVISE. *TR
CAR RANDOMLY WILL NOT START. PASSLOCK SYSTEM IF FLAWED, WITH TIME THE ELECTRICAL TERMINALS/CONNECTIONS START FAILING AND CAUSES SYSTEM TO THINK YOU ARE TRYING TO HOTWIRE THE CAR AND IT ENGAGES SECURITY OVERRIDE. SOMETIMES COMES ON WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING AND YOU MUST PULL OVER AND TURN YOUR CAR OFF OR ELSE IT WILL STOP WHILE YOU …
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CAR RANDOMLY WILL NOT START. PASSLOCK SYSTEM IF FLAWED, WITH TIME THE ELECTRICAL TERMINALS/CONNECTIONS START FAILING AND CAUSES SYSTEM TO THINK YOU ARE TRYING TO HOTWIRE THE CAR AND IT ENGAGES SECURITY OVERRIDE. SOMETIMES COMES ON WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING AND YOU MUST PULL OVER AND TURN YOUR CAR OFF OR ELSE IT WILL STOP WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING. YOU MUST PUT IN THE KEY TURN TO THE ON POSITION FOR 15MIN THEN START CAR, THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK EITHER. PASSLOCK SYSTEM IS BAD AND APPARENTLY FROM RESEARCH THE ISSUE RUNS ACROSS THE BOARD FOR GM VEHICLES FROM THIS TIME FRAME. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE CHIP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MIL…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE CHIP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000. *TR
WON'T START WITHOUT HOLDING KEY TO ON POSITION FOR 10 MINUTES. TURN SIGNAL KEEPS MAKING CLICKING SOUND FOR UP TO 2 MINUTES AFTER TURNING OFF SIGNAL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, HE FOUND THAT THE STEEL BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED AND THE VEHICLE EMITTED A LOUD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE FLOORBOARD AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, HE FOUND THAT THE STEEL BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED AND THE VEHICLE EMITTED A LOUD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE FLOORBOARD AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 119,000.
Official recalls
214V400000 · Electrical System:ignition
Jul 3, 2014
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14350.
04V301000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage
Jun 30, 2004
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH A FUEL TANK THAT DOES NOT MEET SPECIFICATION. A WELD ON THESE FUEL TANKS MAY BE INSUFFICIENT, RESULTING IN A FUEL LEAK.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FUEL TANK, AND REPLACE IT, IF NECESSARY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JUNE 23, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 OR PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.