Problems · by component
1999 Pontiac Grand Am engine and engine cooling problems
134 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1999 Pontiac Grand Am cite engine and engine cooling, 16% of all 858 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
134
16% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
4
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine and engine cooling
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35-45 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY STALL. AFTER THE FAILURE, HE NOTICED THAT THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART AFTER THE CONTACT WAITED A WHILE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.”
“I HAVE A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM 3.4L. I'VE OWNED THIS CAR SINCE 2001 AND I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED MY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET (UNDER WARRANTY) IN 2002. I NOW HAVE TO REPLACE IT AGAIN! EXCEPT THIS TIME THERE WAS A FAULT IN THE GASKET IN THE ENGINE AS WELL, WHICH RESULTED IN SEIZED BEARINGS, SNAPPED CAMSHAFT, BROKEN AND BENT VALVE AS WELL AS THE CAPS TO THE OIL AND COOLANT BEING OVERHEATED AND NOT GOING ON PROPERLY. I AM TOLD THIS IS BECAUSE OF DEXCOOL AND THE GASKETS. *TR”
“HAD ALL WINDOW MECHANISMS REPLACED AFTER ENDURING A WONDERFUL GARBAGE BAG COVER TREATMENT FOR WINDOW BEAUTY ENHANCEMENT LAST WINTER 2007-08. FOUND MY IGNITION REFUSES TO START W/ 1 KEY. I STARTED NOTICING THE SMELL OF ANTIFREEZE. TOOK TO MY MECHANIC OF 22 YEARS. THOUGHT IT WAS A CRACK IN THE ACTUAL CONTAINER WHICH HOUSES ANTIFREEZE. THIS WAS REPLACED. NOPE. STILL LEAKING. CAR NEVER INDICATED ON PANEL THAT IT WAS ABOVE TEMP & OVERHEATED, STAYED WITHIN THE NORMAL RANGE. THE CAR NEVER ONCE OVERHEATED. MECHANIC COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. SAID IT WAS A FAULTY COMPUTER... INDICATES, TIRES NEED CHECKING, FLASHING LIGHTS, ABS OFF/ON...WHICH BY THE WAY WAS CAUSING ME TO NOT HAVE MY CAR PASS INSPECTION TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY!! FOUND I WAS ALL OF A SUDDEN REPLACING ANTIFREEZE BY THE GALLONS. WAS STILL PAYING OFF MECHANIC FROM PREVIOUS ISSUES. DON'T ASK, WHILE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE ANTIFREEZE PROBLEM! BROUGHT CAR IN TO HAVE RADIATOR CHECKED BY FRIENDS MECHANIC, FLUID WAS LITERALLY POURING OUT OF BOTTOM OF CAR. $1600. LATER!! HEAD GASKET SET,WATERPUMP,SERPENTINE BELT, RADIATOR HOSES, THERMOSTAT & GASKETS, CROSSOVERPIPES, AIRFILTER...NOW? 1 1/2 MONTHS LATER? WELL…”
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 110,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. UPDATED 03-07-08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED VARIOUS LIGHTS ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL SUCH AS: OIL PRESSURE LIGHT, AIR BAG, ENGINE LIGHT ABS. THE SECURITY PASSLOCK SYSTEM WAS INOPERATIVE. THE HAZARD AND TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. THERE WAS HESITATION UPON ACCELERATION. THE TRACTION CONROL WAS INOPERATIVE”
“THE 1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM - POSSIBLY THE WORST CAR EVER MADE. AT 30,000 MILES, THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED. AT 40,000 MILES, THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS REPLACED. RECALLS REPLACED THE STEERING WHEEL & CENTER CONSOLE, AND OTHER RECALLS HAVE BEEN MADE. AT 50,000 MILES THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED AGAIN. SHORTLY AFTER THE WARRANTY RAN, MAJOR ENGINE PROBLEMS CAUSED A $2,500 COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT. UNDER 90,000 MILES, THE GAS GAUGE STOPPED WORKING AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS NEEDED REWIRING. NOW, UNDER 92,000 MILES A NEW PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRICAL: THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS COME ON INTERMITTENTLY, THE TRUNK POPS OPEN ON ITS OWN, THE AIRBAG COMES ON AND OFF, THE CAR ONLY STARTS RANDOMLY, AND WORST OF ALL IT SHUTS OFF ALL ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET, SO YET AGAIN WE ARE FORCED TO HAVE DIAGNOSTICS RUN TO FIGURE OUT WHAT NEW AND COSTLY REPAIRS WILL NEED TO BE MADE. PONTIAC/GM SHOULD ADMIT THEY MADE A MISTAKE WITH THE GRAND AM/OLDSMOBILE ALERO AND PAY ALL THE CURRENT OWNERS SOME $$ AND TAKE ALL THE CARS TO A JUNK YARD. THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA COMPLETELY RECALLED THESE CARS FOR THE CITIZENS OF CANADA, YET IN THE U.S. IT'S THE UNFORTUNATE OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES WHO…”
“INTAKE GASKET ON 1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM FAILED FOR THE THRID TIME. THE SECOND TIME I ALMOST HAD ENGINE DAMAGE. THE CAR OVERHEATED AND WARPED THE HEADS, BUT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO BE REPLACED.*AK”
Showing 6 of 134 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 27, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.