Problems · NHTSA complaints

1997 Pontiac Grand Am problems

Owners filed 394 complaints about the 1997 Pontiac Grand Am with NHTSA between Oct 1996 and Jun 2020. The most-cited component is electrical system (105).

Complaints
394
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
32
Reported by owners
Fires
13
Reported by owners
Injuries
37
People reported injured
Deaths
3
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Electrical system105
  2. Engine and engine cooling82
  3. Service brakes, hydraulic66
  4. Air bags42
  5. Vehicle speed control36
  6. Visibility34
  7. Suspension24
  8. Steering22
  9. Power train21
  10. Fuel system, gasoline18
  11. Equipment15
  12. Exterior lighting13
  13. Tires10
  14. Structure10

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
19961
199718
199850
199951
200059
200142
200270
200333
200420
200514
20069
20077
20089
20091
20102
20112
20121
20131
20142
20150
20161
20170
20180
20190
20201

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Electrical system

105 reports2 crashes9 fires2 related recalls
“THE THEFT WARNING SYSTEM KEEPS THE IGNITION SWITCH FROM ENGAGING. THE CAR WILL NOT START UNLESS THE KEY IS IN THE "ON" POSITION FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES AND RESETS THE SYSTEM. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 4, 2020Electrical systemODI 11327228

Engine and engine cooling

82 reports2 crashes1 fire
“COOLANT LEVELS IN RESERVE TANK ALWAYS WOULD DROP BELOW MINIMUM LEVELS, AND WE WOULD CONTINUE TO ADD COOLANT. LAST OIL CHANGE IN JUNE 2009 REVIEW NO PROBLEM. NOVEMBER 2009, WHILE SON WAS DRIVING HOME FROM COLLEGE (APPROXIMATELY 80 MILES) CAR BEGAN TO OVERHEAT WITH TEMP GAUGE READING IN THE RED. HAD CAR TOWED TO LOCAL SHOP AND REPORTED THAT COOLANT HAD LEAKED INTO CORE, ENGINE DESTROYED (ESTIMATED REPAIR - NEED NEW/REMANUFACTURED ENGINE $2500-3000). SEEMS WHILE REVIEWING THIS SUBJECT ONLINE AND W/NHTSA WEB SITE THAT THIS HAS BEEN A RE-OCCURRING PROBLEM WITH 1997 PONTIACS 4 AND 6 CYLINDER ENGINES. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 13, 2009Engine and engine coolingODI 10292067

Service brakes, hydraulic

66 reports3 crashes2 fires
“1) FRONT ABS BEGAN TO PULSATE AS IF THE VEHICLE WERE IN A SKID HOWEVER THIS HAPPENED DURING NORMAL DRIVING AND BRAKING WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP. 2) ABS WIRING HARNESS WAS FAULTY DUE TO WEAR AND TEAR FROM TURNING THE WHEEL 3) HAD TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT RIGHT AND LEFT ABS WIRING HARNESSES THIS BRAKING SYSTEM IS FAULTY AND CAN LEAD TO SERIOUS BRAKING ISSUES. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 3, 2007Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10210701

Air bags

42 reports19 crashes
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM. WHILE TRAVELING 70 MPH, BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT SIDE AIRBAGS HAD DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 189,000. UPDATED 02/01/118 LJ THE CONSUMER AND HER PASSENGER WERE INJURED DUE TO THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAGS. UPDATED 03/18/11 *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 12, 2010Air bagsODI 10360091

Vehicle speed control

36 reports
“NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING A 1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM FOR REPAIRS/ REPLACEMENTS OF PARTS. DOOR WINDOWS DO NOT FUNCTION, MOTOR HAS HAD TO BE REPLACED BY FORMER OWNER, WE HAVE REPAIRED MOTORS ON DOOR WINDOWS SEVERAL TIMES ON OUR OWN, WINDOWS WOULD NOT GO UP AND DOWN AT ALL, COST TO REPAIR AT MECHANICS WAS OVER 400 AND WAS DONE BY FIRST OWNER AT LEAST ONCE. CAR SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, HAD TO REPLACE ENTIRE COMPUTER SYSTEM AND NOW SAME PROBLEM IS HAPPENING AGAIN, CAR IDLES HORRIBLY, SOUNDS LIKE IT WILL BE BLOWING UP, AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. PRIOR TO THE REPLACEMENT OF THE COMPUTER CAR FREQUENTLY STALLED OUT WHILE DRIVING IN MID TURN OR WHILE GOING FORWARD, AND CAR FREQUENTLY WAS DIFFICULT TO START, EVENTUALLY NEEDING TO BE TOWED TO A REPAIR FACILITY WHO HAD TO REPLACE ENTIRE COMPUTER. CAR HAS WHEEL BEARINGS THAT MAKE A LOT OF NOISE, SOUNDS LIKE WHEEL IS GOING TO FALL OFF. CAR HAS ACCELERATED ALL ON ITS OWN WITHOUT THE DRIVER STEPPING ON GAS PEDAL OR DOING ANYTHING AT ALL WITH ACCELERATOR, CAR RANDOMLY DECIDES BY ITSELF TO LUNGE FORWARD AND TRY TO DRIVE ITSELF. THIS STOPPED BRIEFLY AFTER THE COMPUTER WAS REPLACED AND IS NOW HAPPENING AGAIN. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 28, 2006Suspension, Electrical system, Visibility, Vehicle speed controlODI 10166688

Visibility

34 reports1 fire
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM. WHILE DRIVING 30-35 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND ON THREE DIFFERENT TIMES. THE WINDOWS WOULD NOT ROLL UP AND DOWN PROPERLY UNLESS CONTROLLED BY THE DRIVER'S SIDE CONTROL SWTICH. THE FOG LIGHTS DO NOT WORK AS WELL AND THE FUSES ARE CHARRED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 128,728.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 12, 2008Electrical system, Exterior lighting, VisibilityFire reportedODI 10217821
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.