Problems · by component
1999 Pontiac Grand Prix engine problems
50 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix cite engine, 12% of all 412 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
50
12% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
34
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND PARKED, IT CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT NOTICED BLACK SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD AND AN ABNORMAL FUEL ODOR INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT NOTIFIED AND THERE WAS NO FIRE REPORT FILED. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS NOT PERFORMED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V116000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 08V118000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. HATFIELD BUICK GMC (301 E REDLANDS BLVD, REDLANDS, CA 92373, (909) 748-5385) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.”
“CAR STARTED ON FIRE TWICE CAUSING OTHER DAMAGES BESIDES RECALL DEFECT. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR WHEN THESE FIRES HAPPENED. ALSO I DO NOT KNOW IF THE AIR BAGS IN THIS CAR ARE TAKATA OR NOT. I DON'T NEED THESE AIR BAGS TO CAUSE PROBLEMS. THE GM DEALER SEEMS TO BE HARASSING ME ABOUT FIXING THIS RECALL.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN A PARKING SPACE IN A LOT, IT ERUPTED INTO FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD NEAR THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO A YARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC OR A DEALER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V701000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) YEARS LATER AND NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE FAILURE CAUSED CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED NO RECOURSE FOR THE CONTACT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.”
“THE CARS HEADLIGHTS WILL RANDOMLY SHUT OFF OR ONLY HIGH BEAMS WILL WORK, THE 3800 MOTOR HAS MANY ISSUES WITH PARTS MALFUNCTIONING OVER AND OVER NO MATTER WHAT MANUFACTURER THAT'S USED TO SUPPLY THE PARTS OEM OR AFTERMARKET, I'VE REPLACED MANY MAF, TPS, IAC, CPS SENSORS OVER THE BRIEF AMOUNT OF TIME OWNING PRETTY MUCH ANY VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH THE 3800 SERIES II V6, GAUGE CLUSTERS RANDOMLY STOP WORKING BUT THAT A KNOWN GM ISSUE FOR MULTIPLE VEHICLES FOR SEVERAL YEARS, COOLANT COROSSIAN AND INTERNAL RUST FROM DEX COOL COOLANT”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V116000 (ENGINE) TWO DAYS BEFORE THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT OBSERVED AN ABNORMAL ODOR AND BLACK SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE HOOD WITHOUT WARNING. WHEN THE CONTACT OPENED THE HOOD, FLAMES WERE PRESENT. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE IF A REPORT WAS FILED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HELPED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.”
Showing 6 of 50 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.