Problems · by component
1998 Pontiac Grand Am engine and engine cooling problems
25 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1998 Pontiac Grand Am cite engine and engine cooling, 14% of all 179 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
25
14% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine and engine cooling
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“1999 ENGINE INSTALLED A 1998 CAR...FAULTY WIRES, CAR LEAKS WHEN IT RAINS, LOOKS TO HAVE BEEN IN A FIRE. KNOCK SENSOR BAD,EGR VALVE BAD...NUMEROUS THINGS WRONG WITH THE CAR AND LESLIE REED'S AUTO KNEW IT WAS A LEMON CAR. IT HAS A SALVAGED TITLE AND LESLIE REED'S AUTO NEVER GOT THE CAR REPAIRED BEFORE THEY SOLD THE CAR. *TR”
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT INSTALLED A FLUSH AND SEAL TUBE IN THE VEHICLE THAT ALLOWS ANTIFREEZE TO PENETRATE FASTER. SINCE THAT TIME, THE ENGINE HAS FAILED TWICE. THE ENGINE STALLED DURING THE SECOND FAILURE WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FLUSH AND SEAL TUBE CRACKED AND ANTIFREEZE LEAKED INTO THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 180,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. UPDATED 04/16/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THERE IS A PART NAMED FLUSH AND FILL SOLD WITH NO WARNING LABELS. UPDATED 04/16/08 *TR”
“I OWN A 98 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX,BLACK,FOUR DOOR AUTOMATIC.I HAVE BEEN PAYING FOR THIS CAR FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS.I WENT TO START MY CAR AND IT WAS DEAD SO WE HOOKED IT UP TO A POWER SAVE JUMPER CABLE BOX(THE ONE THAT DOESNT NEED ANOTHER CAR TO CHARGE THE BATTERY) IT STILL WOULDNT START SO MY STEP FATHER (WHO IS A MECHANIC) CAME OVER TO HELP, WE HOOKED IT BACK UP TO THE JUMPER CABLES AND HE TRYED TO TURN IT OVER, NOTHING.... I LEANED IN TO TRY AND TURN IT OVER AND MY FUEL INJECTOR MANIFOLD EXPLODED. THE PLASTIC CASING BLEW ABOUT 20 FT DOWN THE ROAD AND THE WHOLE TOP OF MY ENGINE WAS ON FIRE.THE FIRE BLEW MY MANIFOLD APART,MY FUEL INJECTOR IS COMPLETELY MISSING THE WHOLE PART WHERE MY SPARK PLUGS ARE IS BURNED AND SO ON THERE IS ALOT OF DAMAGE!!!I HEARD FROM MY INSURANCE COMPANY THAT THERE IS AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION INTO THE PONTIAC GRAND PRIX.I HAVE TRYED TO RECEIVE ANY INFORMATION THAT WOULD HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHY THIS HAPPENED. I HAVE CONTACTED GM PERSONALLY AND AM HAVING IT LOOKED AT BY A GM SPECIALIST(SUPPOSEDLY).IM JUST VERY THANKFUL THAT MINE NOR MY STEPFATHERS FACE WAS UNDER THAT HOOD OR ONE OF US WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY BADLY INJURED.”
“DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AFTER BEING PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY FOR A FEW HOURS. THE BATTERY CRANKED, BUT THE ENGINE FAILED TO TURN OVER. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE DEALER CAME TO THE HOUSE AND INDICATED SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE ENGINE, BUT GAVE NO CLEAR REASON FOR THE FAILURE. THE DEALER INDICATED THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.”
“GENERAL MOTORS NEED TO RECALL THEIR VEHICLES TO DIAGNOSIS THIS MAJOR ISSUE. MY CASE NUMBER WITH GM 1382341310 HOWEVER, THEY WONT ASSIST ME AND SAID THEY ARE CLOSING MY CASE. I INFORMED THEM NOT TO I AM NOT DONE WITH THIS ISSUE WITH THEM... THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM OR DEFECT WITH MY GENERAL MOTORS PONTIAC GRAND AM SE 3.1L V6 ENGINE IN THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD, 3 INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILURES IN LESS THAN 40,000 MILES, THE FIRST OCCURRING AT APPROX 24,000 MILES THE SECOND AT APPROX 27,000 MILES AND NOW AGAIN AT 40,000 MILES BUT I HAVE SUSPECTED THE ANTI-FREEZE I HAVE BEEN SMELLING IN THE CAB WHEN I TURN THE HEATER BLOWER ON, IS SOMEHOW CONNECTED TO THIS LEAK. WHICH MEANS ITS BEEN LEAKING FOR SOME TIME JUST NOT BAD ENOUGH TO DRIP ONTO THE GROUND BRINGING MY ATTENTION TO IT. I AM ONLY ONE OF THOUSANDS OF VICTIMS THAT GENERAL MOTORS HAS RAPED FINANCIAL OVER THE YEARS. THE REPEATED FAILURES OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET STARTED LONG AGO AND DUE TO THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS TO THE BBB AND GM YOU WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH TO ALARM GENERAL MOTORS THAT THEY ARE HAVING A MAJOR ISSUE, AND THEY SHOULD OF BEGAN A RECALL OF THEIR VEHICLES LONG AGO. IN THE YEAR…”
“VEHICLE SMELLED OF ANTIFREEZE SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TWICE TO THE DEALER FOR THE SMELL. I HAVE NOW BEEN INFORMED THAT THE INTAKE GASKET HAS BEEN LEAKING. PONTIAC HAS BEEN CONTACTED, AND I WAS INFORMED BY ONE REPRESENTATIVE THAT THERE HAD BEEN A PROBLEM, BUT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE PARTICULAR YEAR OF THE VEHICLE.*AK”
Showing 6 of 25 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 12, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.