ON-GOING / INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH SMOKE COMING FROM HORN ASSEMBLY; INSPECTED BY DEALER ON TWO OCCASIONS, AND INFORMED THAT HORN MUST BE DISASSEMBLEDTO LOCATE THE PROBLEM WHICH WOULD BE AT CONSUMER'S COST. SEEKING HELP FROM NHTSA IN THIS MATTER. *AK
1993 Pontiac Grand Prix
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1993 Pontiac Grand Prix do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 88.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Grand Prix 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: 6 of 131 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 57 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
131 reportsWHILE DRIVING 20-30MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, AND SEAT BELT DID NOT DID RETRACT, RESULTING IN MINOR INJURIES. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
THIS 3.4L DOHC IS KNOWN FOR FRYING ALTERNATORS. I'VE HEARD MANY CASES. *AK
BRAKES OVERHEAT CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND THE PEDAL TO GO TO THE FLOOR. NLM
CAR CUTS OUT AND CHUGS - THERE WAS A EMISSIONS MODULE RECALL DONE ON THIS VECHILE IN LATE OCT-EARLY NOV. OF 98 SINCE THEN WE HAVE HAD THIS CHUGGING - IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR IS NOT GETTING GAS OR THAT THECAR IS HAVING COMPUTER PROBLEMS 2 WEEKS AFTER RECALL WAS DONE ON THIS CAR ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY WENT OUT , THAT WASN'T ALL THE …
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CAR CUTS OUT AND CHUGS - THERE WAS A EMISSIONS MODULE RECALL DONE ON THIS VECHILE IN LATE OCT-EARLY NOV. OF 98 SINCE THEN WE HAVE HAD THIS CHUGGING - IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR IS NOT GETTING GAS OR THAT THECAR IS HAVING COMPUTER PROBLEMS 2 WEEKS AFTER RECALL WAS DONE ON THIS CAR ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY WENT OUT , THAT WASN'T ALL THE BRAKES QUIT WE HAD TO REPLACE 3 ALTERNATORS BEFORE FINALLY IT STARTED WORKING RIGHT AGAIN . THEN APROX. A MONTH LATER IT STARTED CUTTING OUT WHILE YOU TRIED TO EXCEL. ANY AND ALL HELP WILL BE APPRECIATED
PAINT PEELING INLARGE CHUNKS TRUNK LEEKS AT FENDER SEEM
UPON STARTING THE CAR IN THE MORNING, SMOKE EMINATED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN/WHEEL ASSEMBLY FILLING THE INTERIOR WITH SMOKE AND A STRONG BURNT ELECTRICAL ODOR. *AK
WHEN DRIVING 45-50 MPH THERE IS A VIBRATION IN THE FRONT END. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED THE OUTER TIE ROD ENDS WERE FOUND TO BE WORN OUT. THE OUTER TIE ROD ENDS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. THE OLDER TIE RODS COULD NOT BE LUBRICATED, WHICH WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
MY PROBLEM IS THAT THE BRAKES ON MY CAR DO A SUBSTANDARD, UNSAFE AND UNPREDICTABLE JOB OF STOPPING THE VEHICLE. IN EMERGENCY MANEUVERS, THEY HAVE REPEATEDLY PROVEN THEMSELVES TO BE INADEQUATE, AND I FEEL LIKE I AM DRIVING WITH AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. SOMETIMES, I WILL STAND ON THE BRAKES (TO THE FLOOR), BUT THE CAR IS …
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MY PROBLEM IS THAT THE BRAKES ON MY CAR DO A SUBSTANDARD, UNSAFE AND UNPREDICTABLE JOB OF STOPPING THE VEHICLE. IN EMERGENCY MANEUVERS, THEY HAVE REPEATEDLY PROVEN THEMSELVES TO BE INADEQUATE, AND I FEEL LIKE I AM DRIVING WITH AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. SOMETIMES, I WILL STAND ON THE BRAKES (TO THE FLOOR), BUT THE CAR IS STOPPING AS IF I HAD BEEN MODERATELY BRAKING. OTHER TIMES, THE BRAKES PULL THE CAR TO ONE SIDE. OF ALL THE CARS THAT I HAVE EVER DRIVEN (INCLUDING MANY GM THAT MY FAMILY OWNED), THIS CAR HAS THE WORST BRAKES, AND BY A FAR MARGIN. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, I HAVE HAD MECHANICS INSPECT THE BRAKES (DEALERS AND LOCAL MECHANICS). I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THEM THAT THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO TO IMPROVE MY SITUATION; THAT IT IS JUST A "PROBLEM WITH THE GM W-BODIES." I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THESE BRAKES TO MECHANICS FOR OVER 60,000 MILES, WITH NO HELP (I HAVE DOCUMENTED THIS -- THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY WHEN I STARTED). I HAVE HAD REAR CALIPERS REPLACED, BRAKE PADS REPLACED WITH ONES OF DIFFERENT COMPOUNDS, ROTORS TURNED, ALL TO NO AVAIL. I HAVE HAD FRIENDS DRIVE THE CAR AND TELL ME THEY THOUGHT THE BRAKES WERE BAD. I FEEL THAT I HAVE RUN OUT OF OPTIONS WITH THIS, SHORT OF SELLING THE CAR AND BUYING A NEW ONE (WHICH I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DO FOR THIS).
4 FRONT AND REAR BRAKE FAILURES EVERY 20K-30K SINCE NEW
Official recalls
193V035000 · Seats
Mar 9, 1993
THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT SEAT MANUAL RECLINING MECHANISMS DO NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 207, "SEATING SYSTEMS." THE SEAT BACK MECHANISMS WILL NOT LATCH UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE SEATS MAY RECLINE WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, RESULTINGIN A HAZARD TO SEAT OCCUPANTS AND POSSIBLE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.
Remedy: REPLACE THE MANUAL SEAT RECLINER MECHANISM WITH A MECHANISM THAT COMPLIES WITH FMVSS 207.
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
1PE94063 · Corroded Rear Disk Brakes
Opened Aug 12, 1994 · Closed Dec 21, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
There is no summary currently available
Illustration