Problems · NHTSA complaints
2004 Pontiac GTO problems
Owners filed 245 complaints about the 2004 Pontiac GTO with NHTSA between May 2004 and Nov 2021. The most-cited component is suspension (169).
Complaints
245
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
7
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
10
People reported injured
Deaths
2
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Suspension169
- Tires79
- Power train17
- Electrical system14
- Fuel system, gasoline6
- Steering6
- Structure6
- Engine and engine cooling6
- Air bags5
- Wheels4
- Service brakes, hydraulic4
- Visibility3
- Seats3
- Seat belts2
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 Oct 29, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
11
35
35
107
24
11
8
1
1
3
6
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 11 |
| 2005 | 35 |
| 2006 | 35 |
| 2007 | 107 |
| 2008 | 24 |
| 2009 | 11 |
| 2010 | 8 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 3 |
| 2014 | 6 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
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.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Suspension
169 reports2 crashes
“I GOT NEW TIRES PUT ON YESTERDAY. THEY ARE THE STOCK SIZED TIRES. SHORTLY AFTER I HEARD A LOUD SOUND COMING FROM THE BACK RIGHT SIDE. I NOTICED THE TIRE WAS RUBBING ON THE FENDER. THE CAR SAGS MORE AND MORE EACH DAY. THEN YESTERDAY, I WAS JUST DRIVING NORMALLY FROM STOP LIGHT TO STOP LIGHT, AND MY CAR WOULD WOULDN'T GO INTO 3RD OR 4TH GEAR. SO I CHECKED FLUIDS AND IT WAS OK ON THAT. I HAD TO DRIVE 30MPH BACK HOME. *TR”
Tires
79 reports
“2004 PONTIAC GTO TIRE BLOW OUT WE PURCHASED OUR 2004 PONTIAC GTO NEW, AND HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH RUBBING SOUNDS AND VIBRATIONS SINCE IT WAS NEW. THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS 45,000 MILES AND WE HAD A BLOW OUT. APPARENTLY THE TIRES ON 2004 GTO'S RUB THE SPRING POCKET OF THE STRUT CAUSING THE INNER SIDE WALL OF THE TIRES TO FAIL PREMATURELY. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE WEAR UNLESS THE TIRE IS REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE. PONTIAC HAS REPLACED THE TIRES ONCE UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO THIS ISSUE, BUT WHEN I RETURNED TO GM TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE PREVIOUS "FIX" DID NOT WORK - THEY DISMISSED ME STATING THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS IS OUR THIRD SET OF TIRES WITHIN 45,000 MILES AND MY WIFE FEELS THAT THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE OF HER BLOWOUT EXPERIENCE. I NEED GM TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE RESEARCHED AND SPOKEN TO MANY GTO OWNERS ONLY TO FIND THAT THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME ISSUE, AND SOME DEALERS HAVE RETROFITTED GTO'S WITH THE APPROPRIATE 18" WHEEL AND TIRE COMBINATION, BUT CARL BLACK IN ROSWELL GA AND THE DISTRICT MANAGER "ROD" WILL DO NOTHING TO HELP US. PLEASE - CAN YOU HELP? *TR”
Power train
17 reports2 crashes
“MY PROBLEM WAS WITH THE 6 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION WHICH WOULD CAUSE A GRINDING SOUND WHILE SHIFTING AND "POPPING" OUT OF GEAR WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS THE CLUTCH. THEY REPLACED THE CLUTCH BUT THE PROBLEM NOT ONLY STILL EXISTED BUT IT GOT WORSE. IT BECAME SO BAD THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR AT ANY SPEED. I HAD THE CAR TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER ABOUT A WEEK LATER. NOW THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION. OK. SO I TOLD THEM TO REPLACE IT BUT IT TOOK 4 WEEKS UNTIL GM COULD SUPPLY ONE. IT CAME WITH A 3 YEAR, 100K WARRANTY AT A COST OF $4000. THIS PLUS THE $1200 FOR A NEW CLUTCH MADE FOR A VERY EXPENSIVE OUT-OF-WARRANTY REPAIR. *TR”
Electrical system
14 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC GTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAN USED FOR THE AIR CONDITIONING AND THE HEATER THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE REMAINED ACTIVATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS OFF OR ON. THERE WAS ALSO CONDENSATION ON THE FLOOR THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW WHERE THE ABNORMAL CONDENSATION ORIGINATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 152,000.”
Fuel system, gasoline
6 reports1 fire
“WHILE DOING A SPRINGTIME CHECK OF MY GTO, NOTICED COIL COVER RUBBING ON FUEL RAIL FEED LINE. ABRASION WAS ALMOST ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE LINE. HAD TO REPLACE WITH STEEL BRAIDED LINE FROM RUSSELS. COULD HAVE CAUSED FIRE IN THE ENGINE BAY. *TR”
Steering
6 reports1 crash
“I GUESS I WAS JUST WONDERING AFTER READING SO MANY PEOPLE WITH COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE 2004-2006 PONTIAC GTO WITH THE SAME 3 PROBLEMS, STRUTS, STEERING COLUMN, AND IGNITION PROBLEMS, THAT NOTHING IS BEING DONE TO TAKE CARE OF THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY SAFETY ISSUE. PLEASE CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT IF YOU HAVE 2004-2006 WITH ALL THE SAME ISSUES THAT SHOULD HAVE LONG AGO RAISED ALOT OF ATTENTION STILL HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. *TR”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 29, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.