1996 Pontiac GRAND AM problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
278 owner complaints analyzed
4 distinct recall campaigns
114,526 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1996 model year. Data snapshot: . 78 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Air Bags:Frontal is the most frequently named component, appearing in 45 of 278 complaints (16.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 27 | 9.7% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 25 | 9.0% |
| Steering behavior | 21 | 7.6% |
| Engine operation | 17 | 6.1% |
| Transmission and shifting | 7 | 2.5% |
| Fuel system concerns | 5 | 1.8% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Air Bags:Frontal | 45 |
| Air Bags | 31 |
| Electrical System:Ignition:Switch | 30 |
| Electrical System | 20 |
| Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator | 18 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 18 |
| Electrical System:Ignition | 16 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 15 |
Air Bags:Frontal: 45; Air Bags: 31; Electrical System:Ignition:Switch: 30; Electrical System: 20; Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator: 18; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 18; Electrical System:Ignition: 16; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip: 15
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 9 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 4 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 4 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 9 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 36 |
| 150,000 and above | 16 |
Under 25,000: 9; 25,000 to 49,999: 4; 50,000 to 74,999: 4; 75,000 to 99,999: 9; 100,000 to 149,999: 36; 150,000 and above: 16
100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (36). 200 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 12 |
| 2000 | 49 |
| 2001 | 42 |
| 2002 | 69 |
| 2003 | 21 |
| 2004 | 20 |
| 2005 | 10 |
| 2006 | 5 |
| 2007 | 8 |
| 2008 | 16 |
| 2009 | 6 |
| 2010 | 7 |
| 2011 | 4 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
1996: 12; 2000: 49; 2001: 42; 2002: 69; 2003: 21; 2004: 20; 2005: 10; 2006: 5; 2007: 8; 2008: 16; 2009: 6; 2010: 7; 2011: 4; 2012: 3; 2013: 2; 2014: 2; 2016: 1; 2017: 1
Pattern summary
Air Bags:Frontal leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 27 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 25 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 21 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10007119 · 2003-02-12 (February 12, 2003)
THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED, WHICH RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT.*JB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10007119 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10037841 · 2003-10-21 (October 21, 2003)
REAR BRAKES LOCKED UP WHICH MADE THE VEHICLE IMMOBILE. EVERY 15,000 MILES, THE ROTORS AND PADS HAD TO BE REPLACED. SINCE LAST REPORTED, THE CONSUMER CHANGED THE ROTORS, SENSORS AND BRAKE DRUM'S. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. *PH *JB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10037841 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10011602 · 2003-03-31 (March 31, 2003)
THE IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN OVER, THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LIGHTING LEVELS FLUCTUATED, THE DASHBOARD LIGHT FLICKERED ON/OFF, AND THE BATTERY DIED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE PARTS THAT HAVE BEEN REPLACED FOR A PROBLEM THAT HASN'T BEEN FIXED. SCC *NLM
Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10011602 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10016396 · 2003-04-23 (April 23, 2003)
CAR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING, DAYLIGHTS, ALL DASH GAUGES ETC. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT TROUBLE. MY TROUBLE APPEARS MAINLY WHEN HEADLIGHTS ARE ON WITH THE HEATER BLOWING ON DEFOGGER. IT COMES AND GOES EVERY SO OFTEN ESPECIALLY WHILE DRIVING AT 5:00 A.M. WHEN ITS COLD AND HEADLIGHTS ARE ON AND DEFOGGER IS NEEDED. ALTERNATOR WAS RECENTLY REPLACED BUT THE CAR IS STILL EXPERIENCING A CHRISTINE HAUNTED CAR SYNDROME WITH THE ELECTRICAL AND ITS GETTING DANGEROUS. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE CAR, AND SINCE IT IS INTERMI…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10016396 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10027178 · 2003-08-07 (August 7, 2003)
NHTSA RECALL 02-V-070-000: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE ENGINE FAILED TO START AND THE DRIVER HELD THE KEY IN THE "START" POSITION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, HIGH CURRENT FLEW THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND SOMETIMES PRODUCED ENOUGH HEAT TO MELT INTERNAL SWITCH PARTS. THIS RECALL FAILED AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE.*AK CONSUMER HAD BACKED UP APPROX. FIVE FEET IN AN PARKING LOT WHEN THE ENGINE DIED AND SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. AT FIRST THE CONSUMER COULDN'T GET THE KEYS OUT AND THE VEHICLE WAS IN "PARK". AFTER WHIL…
Owner-reported narrative. 89,310 miles reported. Look up ODI 10027178 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10054049 · 2004-01-14 (January 14, 2004)
WHILE DRIVING AND TURNING TO THE LEFT THERE WAS NO STEERING. ALSO, BRAKE FAILED, AND VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 69,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10054049 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10000494 · 2003-01-03 (January 3, 2003)
THE ENGINE STALLED TWICE IN DRIVING. ALTERNATOR HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE IN THE LAST YEAR. WINDOWS GET STUCK IN THE MIDDLE AND DON'T GO UP AND DOWN. TS
Owner-reported narrative. 104,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000494 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10042598 · 2003-10-08 (October 8, 2003)
THE CHECK OIL LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD INTERMITTENTLY. VEHICLE STALLED AND SHUT DOWN. DEALER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE DRIVER REQUESTED THE DEALERSHIP MECHANIC TO LOOK AT VEHICLE BECAUSE IT WAS ON RECALL A YEAR AGO. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10042598 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10008516 · 2003-03-06 (March 6, 2003)
IN THE PAST 4 MONTHS, I HAVE REPLACED MY HEATER CORE, BECAUSE IT IS PLASTIC, AND THEN THE RADIATOR, NOW THE HEAD GASKET. PROBLEMS OF THIS NATURE FIRST SURFACED WITH HEATER CORE FAILURE, WHICH IS MADE OF PLASTIC AND THEN PROCEEDS THROUGH THE COOLING TO SYSTEM, TO MY CURRENT PROBLEM, HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT. THE WATER PUMP AND TRANSMISSION HAVE BOTH BEEN REPLACED, WHILE UNDER THE NEW CAR WARRANTY. I TOOK MY CAR TO HARDIN PONTIAC IN ANAHEIM, CA AT 3 PM ON MARCH 4TH. THEY HAVE NOW HAD MY CAR 2 DAYS AND THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME ANOTHER $80 TO FURTHE…
Owner-reported narrative. 78,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10008516 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10074051 · 2004-05-21 (May 21, 2004)
TRANSMISSION LOCKS WITHOUT WARNING. AS RESULT, VEHICLE SURGES UNCONTROLLABLY. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 102,353 miles reported. Look up ODI 10074051 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10489407 · 2012-12-20 (December 20, 2012)
I STARTED MY CAR IN A PARKING LOT AND WAS DRIVING APPROX 10MPH WHEN THE CAR DIED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, AFTER RESTART, IT DID IT AGAIN. THEN, IT WOULDN'T EVEN TURN OVER. I HAD IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC WHO TOLD ME THAT IT WAS PROBABLY A BAD FUEL PUMP. TURNS OUT IT WAS THE PONTIAC ANTI-THEFT DEVICE THAT WAS KEEPING IT FROM STARTING. WHEN YOUR KEY STARTS GETTING WORN AND ROUNDED OFF, (AS MOST KEYS DO AFTER SOME USE!) THE THEFT SYSTEM LOCKS YOUR CAR UP. THERE IS NO FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM OTHER THAN REPLACING THE ECU, IGNITION SYSTEM, KEY TUMBLER, OR A COM…
Owner-reported narrative. 136,141 miles reported. Look up ODI 10489407 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 567227 · 2002-08-23 (August 23, 2002)
CONSUMER HAD THE FUEL FILTER CHECKED FOR REPLACEMENT. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE CONNECTION FROM THE FUEL TANK TO THE FUEL FILTER WAS RUSTED TO THE POINT THE LINE AND FUEL FILTER HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JG *CB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 567227 at NHTSA ↗