U.S. public vehicle records

1997 Pontiac GRAND AM problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

265 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

95,550 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1997 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 67 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System:Ignition:Switch is the most frequently named component, appearing in 32 of 265 complaints (12.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	43	16.2%
Electrical and battery issues	30	11.3%
Steering behavior	29	10.9%
Transmission and shifting	13	4.9%
Engine operation	12	4.5%
Fuel system concerns	3	1.1%

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.

Electrical System:Ignition:Switch

Electrical System:Ignition

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls

Air Bags:Frontal

Engine And Engine Cooling

Vehicle Speed Control

Electrical System

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Electrical System:Ignition:Switch	32
Electrical System:Ignition	19
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	19
Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls	19
Air Bags:Frontal	16
Engine And Engine Cooling	14
Vehicle Speed Control	13
Electrical System	11

Electrical System:Ignition:Switch: 32; Electrical System:Ignition: 19; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip: 19; Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls: 19; Air Bags:Frontal: 16; Engine And Engine Cooling: 14; Vehicle Speed Control: 13; Electrical System: 11

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 2; 25,000 to 49,999: 9; 50,000 to 74,999: 10; 75,000 to 99,999: 17; 100,000 to 149,999: 17; 150,000 and above: 12

75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (17). 198 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.

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2016

2020

2000: 59; 2001: 42; 2002: 68; 2003: 33; 2004: 20; 2005: 8; 2006: 9; 2007: 6; 2008: 9; 2009: 1; 2010: 2; 2011: 2; 2012: 1; 2013: 1; 2014: 2; 2016: 1; 2020: 1

Pattern summary

Electrical System:Ignition:Switch leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 43 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 30 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 29 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 10000319 · 2002-12-20 (December 20, 2002)

WHILE IN THE DRIVE POSITION AND STOPPED ON AN INCLINE WITH THE BREAK DEPRESSED, UPON RELEASE OF THE BRAKE THE CAR MAKES A GRINDING NOISE. TS

Owner-reported narrative. 52,124 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000319 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10028605 · 2003-07-18 (July 18, 2003)

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE CAR A "CLICKING" SOUND OCCURRED AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED, AND ALL WAS WELL FOR A WEEK. THEN, THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. ALSO, ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON, THE GAUGES FLASHED BACK AND FORTH ,AND THE CAR STOPPED. WOULD NOT RESTART UNLESS WAS SET FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. WHEN IT STARTED THE SAME INCIDENTS REPEATED. WARNING LIGHTS WOULD OFTEN COME ON AND OFF WITHOUT THERE BEING ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE SYSTEM THAT THE LIGHTS WERE INDICATING. ONCE THE CAR WAS PULLED TO A STOPPING…

Owner-reported narrative. 87,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10028605 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10008769 · 2002-04-16 (April 16, 2002)

SENSOR IN TRANSMISSION FAILED. DRIVER'S WINDOW HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPLACED/ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. NOW, HAVING PROBLEMS IN THE OTHER WINDOWS/AND THE ONE REPLACED.**** DIMS 11 IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS****760764. *AK *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 108,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10008769 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10003976 · 2003-01-15 (January 15, 2003)

PRIOR TO OCTOBER 1999 VEHICLE'S STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK UP WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE LEFT TURNS. ON ONE OCCASION CONSUMER WAS COMING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY WHEN STEERING LOCKED UP, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HIT THE CURB. THIS INCIDENT CAUSED SOME MINOR DAMAGE TO BUMPER. *NLM. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10003976 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10018196 · 2003-05-05 (May 5, 2003)

WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE STEERING FAILED. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10018196 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10000315 · 2002-12-20 (December 20, 2002)

THE CAR HAS A HARD START BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND GEAR THAT HAS HAPPENED FOR THE PAST 60K AND NO ONE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM. THE CAR IS NOW AT 96K AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING A P1870 CODE WHICH TRIGGERS THE LIGHT AND IS CAUSED BY A WORN TCC APPLY VALVE ON THE 4T60E GM TRANSMISSIONS. HAVE HEARD FROM SEVERAL OTHER INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS ON THEIR 1997 4T60E TRANSMISSIONS. THIS ITEM SHOULD BE RECALLED SINCE IT IS ONLY THE CONTROL VALVE BODY WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED WITH A…

Owner-reported narrative. 96,498 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000315 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10000318 · 2002-12-20 (December 20, 2002)

TRANSMISSION SHIFTS OUT OF DRIVE TO NEUTRAL GEAR. I FOUND A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN #677164 WHICH THE DEALER SAID WAS NOT A RECALL NOTICE AND WOULD NOT HONOR IT. THE NOTICE STATES TO REPAIR THE CONTROL VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY. THE POWER LOSS RESULTED IN A REEVE OF THE ENGINE AT 70 MILES PER HOUR ON INTERSTATE 10 IN ARIZONA AND ALSO WHILE DRIVING LOCALLY OFF HIGHWAY 101 AT 65 MILES PER HOUR. THE CAR GEARS SHIFTED OUT OF DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL GEAR. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED BEFORE IT CAUSES INJURY. TS

Owner-reported narrative. 95,550 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000318 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10010093 · 2003-03-07 (March 7, 2003)

IF CAR DOES NOT RUN FOR 10 MINUTES OR SO, IT STALLS WHEN DRIVEN. WHEN RESTARTED, IT BOGS VERY BADLY FOR A FEW MINUTES, THEN IS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN. THIS OCCURS IN ANY WEATHER CONDITIONS AND HAS BEEN OCCURRING SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 1998. IT IS A 1997.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. 28,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10010093 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10070666 · 2004-01-15 (January 15, 2004)

WHEN YOU RUN THE AIR, THE CAR STALLS AND WON'T START ANYWHERE FROM ONE HOUR TO THREE OR FOUR POSSIBLY THE NEXT DAY. THE HORN WORKS SOMETIMES, THE RAIDIO WORKS SOMETIMES AS DOES THE DISPAY, THE VOLUME GOES UP AND DOWN. THE FUEL SYSTEMS SHUTS DOWN ALONG WITH THE CAR WHEN THE AIR IS RUNNING. THE POWER WINDOW QUIT WORKING IN APRIL, I REPLACED THE ONE OF THE PASSENGER SIDE ONLY TO HAVE THE ONE ON THE DRIVER SIDE TO STOP WORKING. THE BRAKES WENT OUT WITH NO WARNING. ANYTIME THE CAR HAS ANY PROBLEMS NO LIGHTS COME ON TO WARN YOU IT WILL JUST STO…

Owner-reported narrative. 85,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10070666 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10089903 · 2004-08-27 (August 27, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM PERTAINED TO THE LEAKAGE IN THE FUEL TANK. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 122,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10089903 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10443692 · 2012-01-13 (January 13, 2012)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STARTED THE IGNITION BUT THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY STALLED. THE SAME FAILURE OCCURRED ON A SEPARATE OCCASION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE FUEL TANK PRESSURE RELIEF DEVICE WOULD REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07E021000 (FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER: STORAGE: TANK ASSEMBLY: PRESSURE RELIEF DEVICES) BUT THE CONTACT'S VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILUR…

Owner-reported narrative. 76,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10443692 at NHTSA ↗