IllustrationLow beam lights quit randomly, running lights did once too. This has happened multiple times so I switch to hi beams before I crash. This is a documented safety issue and recall should include my car.
2008 Pontiac Grand Prix
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2008 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
80–25K
1425–50K
1950–75K
3075–100K
29100–150K
12150K+
112 reports with mileage · 30 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 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
9 crash reports3 fire reports8 injury reports
Exterior Lighting complaints
29 reportsWHEN I TURN OFF MY CAR MY DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT WILL NOT STAY OFF AND IT KILLS MY BATTERY. I LOOKED ONLINE FOR HELP WITH THIS AND IT SEEMS MY CAR IS NOT THE ONLY PONTIAC GRAND PRIX WITH THIS PROBLEM YET I SEE NO RECALLS FOR THIS. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME?
2008 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. CONSUMER WRITES IN REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR TURN SIGNAL SWITCH REPAIRS. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE SHUT OF WHILE DRIVING. THE CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL OVER WITH NO POWER STEERING, BRAKES, OR GAS. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED 5 MINUTES LATER.*JS
I WAS DRIVING AT DARK HOURS WITH HEADLIGHTS ON AND LIGHTS JUST WENT OUT. TURNED ON BRIGHT LIGHTS AND THE LIGHTS WORKED. TURNED BACK TO DIM AND LIGHTS WORKED FOR ABOUT HALF A MILE.LIGHTS WENT OUT AGAIN TURNED ON BRIGHTS AND SAME THING AS BEFORE THE LIGHTS WORKED. I THOUGHT I SEEN SOMEWHERE A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM. I …
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I WAS DRIVING AT DARK HOURS WITH HEADLIGHTS ON AND LIGHTS JUST WENT OUT. TURNED ON BRIGHT LIGHTS AND THE LIGHTS WORKED. TURNED BACK TO DIM AND LIGHTS WORKED FOR ABOUT HALF A MILE.LIGHTS WENT OUT AGAIN TURNED ON BRIGHTS AND SAME THING AS BEFORE THE LIGHTS WORKED. I THOUGHT I SEEN SOMEWHERE A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM. I GUESS I DIDNT.
TAKATA RECALL. AFTER DRIVING MY VEHICLE AT NIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY I NOTICED MY LOW BEAM LIGHTS WOULD NOT COME ON ALSO NO DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS. I PULLED OVER SHUT CAR OFF CHECKED CONNECTIONS AND FUSES TURNED CAT BACK ON STILL NO LOW BEAMS. HIGH BEAMS AND FOG LIGHTS WORK JUST NO LOW BEAMS
CAR IS TURNED OFF BUT HEADLIGHTS JUST RANDOMLY COME ON AND A LOUD FAN BLOWING TYPE NOISE UNDER THE HOOD.
THE HEADLIGHT MODULE (LOW BEAMS) AND/OR FUSE BOX, KEEPS FAULTING OUT. DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY GO OUT. VERY DANGEROUS. THIS THE 3RD MODULE IVE REPLACED, AN NOW IM ON MY 2ND FUSE BOX.THIS HAPPENS AT ALL TIMES, WHETHER MOVING, STATIONARY, OR ETC.
LOWBEAM LIGHTS TURN OFF AT SAME TIME RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS VERY HAZARDOUS AND YOUR "SAFETY COVERAGE" ONLY COVERS HDM MODULES TO BE REPLACED WHICH IS A TEMPORARY FIX (LASTS USUALLY 2 MONTHS) THIS IS WIDELY KNOWN ISSUE ON THESE VEHICLES DATING BACK TO 2005 AND IF I GET IN A SERIOUS WRECK DUE TO YOUR NEGLIGENCE I WILL BE …
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LOWBEAM LIGHTS TURN OFF AT SAME TIME RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS VERY HAZARDOUS AND YOUR "SAFETY COVERAGE" ONLY COVERS HDM MODULES TO BE REPLACED WHICH IS A TEMPORARY FIX (LASTS USUALLY 2 MONTHS) THIS IS WIDELY KNOWN ISSUE ON THESE VEHICLES DATING BACK TO 2005 AND IF I GET IN A SERIOUS WRECK DUE TO YOUR NEGLIGENCE I WILL BE TAKING ACTION. I'M SICKENED YOU WOULD COVER THE COSTS OF A PERMANENT FIX WHEN YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE SUCH AT A HIGH RISK OF FATALITIES WHILE DRIVING. (THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN REOCCURRING FOR THE LAST YEAR AND HAVE COME CLOSE TO MANY ACCIDENTS)
UPON STARTING OF THE CAR UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS, NOTICED A SLIGHT BURNT ELECTRICAL SMELL, AFTER INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, I DID NOT NOTICE ANY SMOKE OR OBVIOUS SIGNS, AND THE SMELL WENT AWAY, THIS HAPPENED TWICE WHILE OUT SHOPPING AT VARIOUS PLACES. ON THE FINAL LEG OF THE TRIP ON THE WAY HOME, I NOTICED THE SMELL …
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UPON STARTING OF THE CAR UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS, NOTICED A SLIGHT BURNT ELECTRICAL SMELL, AFTER INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, I DID NOT NOTICE ANY SMOKE OR OBVIOUS SIGNS, AND THE SMELL WENT AWAY, THIS HAPPENED TWICE WHILE OUT SHOPPING AT VARIOUS PLACES. ON THE FINAL LEG OF THE TRIP ON THE WAY HOME, I NOTICED THE SMELL BECOMING MORE APPARENT, AND THE SMELL WAS NOTICEABLE AT TRAFFIC LIGHT STOPS. ONCE HOME, I ONCE AGAIN INSPECTED THE COMPARTMENT, AND NOTICED A MELTED SPOT ON THE TOP OF THE FUSE BOX, AFTER OPENING, THE LOW BEAM RELAY WAS BURNT BEYOND RECOGNITION AND FUSED TO THE WIPER RELAY. IN ORDER TO USE HEADLIGHTS, I NOW HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE FUSE BOX DUE TO THE BURNT SPOT IN THE COVER AND THE FUSE BOX. SEE ATTACHED PICTURES. I COULD NOT ATTACH THE PICTURE OF PLASTIC DUST WHICH IS WHAT IS LEFT OF THE RELAY, DUE TO SIZE LIMITATIONS.
WENT TO CAR TO GO TO WORK AND FOUND DURING THE NIGHT THE FUSE BOX UNDER THE HOOD HAD BURNT UP WHILE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY OVER NIGHT.
Official recalls
114V400000 · 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.
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
1RQ17002 · Loss Of Headlights
Opened Apr 24, 2017 · Closed Mar 29, 2021
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting:headlights
The subject vehicles are model year (MY) 2002-2009 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, 2004-2007 Buick Rainier, 2003-2008 Isuzu Ascender, 2005-2009 Saab 9-7X, 2002-2004 Oldsmobile Bravada, 2003-2006 Chevrolet SSR, 2005-2009 Buick Lacrosse, and 2006-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix. This scope includes the Trailblazer/Envoy variants: 2002-2006 Envoy XL/Trailblazer EXT and 2004-2005 Envoy XUV. The original scope of this investigation was expanded to include all vehicles equipped with the subject Headlight Driver Module (HDM). The focus of the investigation was to determine whether actions performed by General Motors adequately addressed any unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety in the subject vehicles concerning the headlights and the HDM that controls them.Under normal electrical load and environmental conditions, the HDM can overheat inside the Underhood Electrical Center (UEC). This can cause the module to fail and result in a simultaneous loss of both low beam headlights and both daytime running lights (DRLs), often with no warning or prior detectability to the driver. This failure can be intermittent or permanent. No other exterior lights are affected. High beams, turn signals, brake lights, and reverse lights are still operational.General Motors addressed this issue with 2 recalls (14V755 & 15V519) and a special coverage program (N172091910). In view of the recalls and special coverage program implemented by GM and the vehicle high beams continuing to operate, ODI has tentatively concluded that the actions taken by GM mitigate any unreasonable risk to safety posed by HDM failure in the subject vehicles.Accordingly, the investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.The ODI reports cited above are available for review online at NHTSA.gov under the identification numbers in the attached document.