U.S. public vehicle records

1998 Pontiac GRAND PRIX problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

419 owner complaints analyzed

4 distinct recall campaigns

94,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1998 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 169 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Exterior Lighting:Headlights is the most frequently named component, appearing in 70 of 419 complaints (16.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Steering behavior	71	16.9%
Electrical and battery issues	25	6.0%
Braking behavior	23	5.5%
Engine operation	15	3.6%
Transmission and shifting	13	3.1%
Fuel system concerns	7	1.7%

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.

Exterior Lighting:Headlights

Steering:Rack And Pinion

Engine And Engine Cooling

Engine

Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls

Electrical System

Steering

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Exterior Lighting:Headlights	70
Steering:Rack And Pinion	50
Engine And Engine Cooling	37
Engine	33
Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls	21
Electrical System	17
Steering	16
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	15

Exterior Lighting:Headlights: 70; Steering:Rack And Pinion: 50; Engine And Engine Cooling: 37; Engine: 33; Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls: 21; Electrical System: 17; Steering: 16; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 15

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: 4; 25,000 to 49,999: 18; 50,000 to 74,999: 34; 75,000 to 99,999: 40; 100,000 to 149,999: 53; 150,000 and above: 20

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (53). 250 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

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2022

2023

2000: 39; 2001: 57; 2002: 65; 2003: 64; 2004: 47; 2005: 18; 2006: 12; 2007: 19; 2008: 18; 2009: 17; 2010: 9; 2011: 4; 2012: 2; 2013: 1; 2014: 2; 2015: 14; 2016: 22; 2017: 3; 2018: 2; 2019: 1; 2020: 1; 2022: 1; 2023: 1

Pattern summary

Exterior Lighting:Headlights leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 71 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 25 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 23 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 10005972 · 2003-02-03 (February 3, 2003)

RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILED, VEHICLE LOST CONTROL, RESULTING IN A COLLISION. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10005972 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10008343 · 2003-03-02 (March 2, 2003)

RECALL ON 1998 GRAND PRIX GT. (RACK & PINION) PONTIAC REFUSES TO REPAIR THEIR RECALL ON THE 98 GRAND PRIX.... HERE IS A LETTER I SENT THEM.....I BECAME AWARE OF THE CURRENT RECALL AND TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER. THE STEERING GEAR CONDITION HAS HAPPENED TO MY CAR. THE RACK AND PINION HAS RELEASED WHICH HAS CAUSED MY CAR TO HAVE NO POWER STEERING TO THE LEFT. THIS OCCURS WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS. IT HAS MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE THECAR. I WAS INFORMED THAT MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT RECALLED AT THIS TIME. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT COGGIN PONTIAC…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10008343 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10013720 · 2003-03-31 (March 31, 2003)

ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT BATTERY LEAKED WITH POSITIVE TERMINAL POST FALLING OUT. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. 77,701 miles reported. Look up ODI 10013720 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10014569 · 2003-03-27 (March 27, 2003)

THE KEYS HAD TO BE TURNED IN THE IGNITION TWICE, TO START THE VEHICLE. ALSO THE A/C, RADIO, AND DEFROSTER BUTTON MALFUNCTIONED. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THE IGNITION WIRING WAS LOSE.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. 16,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10014569 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10028760 · 2003-07-21 (July 21, 2003)

WHEN SHUTTING THE CAR OFF THE KEY GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION. WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN PARK IF I DON'T HEAR A CLICK, I KNOW THE KEY IS GOING TO BE STUCK IN THE IGNITION. I HAVE TO BACK UP AND DOWN THE DRIVEWAY AND POP THE STEERING WHEEL UP AND DOWN SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN THE KEY WILL COME OUT. AND IF IT CHOOSES TO NOT COME OUT NO MATTER WHAT I DO IT LOCKS THE WHOLE CAR UP AND THE REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY WILL NOT WORK AND IT DRAINS THE BATTERY. ALSO THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW SWITCH HAS SHORTED OUT CAUSING A SLIGHT SHOCK. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE ALT…

Owner-reported narrative. 69,244 miles reported. Look up ODI 10028760 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10045679 · 2003-11-07 (November 7, 2003)

IGNITION KEY OCCASIONALLY (SOMETIMES FOR FEW MINUTES,SOMETIMES FOR DAYS) GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION LOCK IN A SLIGHTLY TURNED POSITION. I'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE 2002. ONE REPAIR SHOP SUGGESTED THAT THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH SHIFTER - BRAKE PEDAL - IGNITION LOCK, BUT DECIDED NOT TO TOUCH IT. *LA

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10045679 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10009174 · 2003-02-24 (February 24, 2003)

THE ENGINE STALLED, AND THE IGNITION LOCKED UP.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10009174 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10064864 · 2004-03-25 (March 25, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT WARNING. THIS OCCURRED 4 TIMES IN DIFFERENT DRIVING CIRCUMSTANCE. THIS FAILURE COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. THE DEALERSHIP HAS SERVICED THE VEHICLE 5 TIMES AND PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST, BUT NO FAILURE CODE WAS FOUND. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 55,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10064864 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10020977 · 2003-06-03 (June 3, 2003)

TRANSMISSION SOMETIMES WILL START TO MAKE A LOUD WHINING NOISE AND START TO SHIFT HARD AND SUDDEN. DOESN'T DO IT ALL THE TIME,USUALLY AFTER I HAVE BEEN DRIVING A WHILE. ALSO SOMETIMES FEELS LIKE IT IS SURGING. I HEARD THE 3800 TRANSMISSIONS WERE A GOOD TRANSMISSION, I DON'T KNOW. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10020977 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10060093 · 2004-03-01 (March 1, 2004)

THIS IS THE SECOND TRANSMISSION THAT I HAVE HAD TO PUT INTO MY WIFE'S 1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE FIRST ONE DIED AT 3600 MILES AND GM INSTALLED THAT ONE UNDER WARRANTY. NOW WITH JUST 57,700 MILES ON THE CAR I AM HAVING THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM AND THE CAR IS TECHNICALLY OUT OF ITS 5 YEAR/50,000 MILE WARRANTY. THE CAR IS IN NO WAY ABUSED AND I RELIGIOUSLY CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID EVERY 20,000 TO 25,000 MILES. I AM AN ENGINEER AND I KNOW WHAT QUALITY IS. FROM MY SEARCH ON THE INTERNET IT'S OBVIOUS THAT THERE IS A BIG PROBLEM WITH THESE TRANSM…

Owner-reported narrative. 57,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10060093 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10063707 · 2004-03-23 (March 23, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING NORTH BOUND ON US 31 HIGHWAY ON THE MORNING OF MARCH 12, 2004, THE CAR SUDDENLY DIED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. WITH SOME EFFORT, I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE CAR OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WHEN I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR, IT WOULD START AND SUDDENLY DIE AGAIN. HAD CAR TOWED TO NEAREST GM DEALER FOR REPAIR. THERE WAS NO EARLY INDICATION OF A MALFUNCTION (IE. NO WARNING LAMPS OF A POTENTIAL PROBLEM). ROOT CAUSE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A FUEL PUMP RESISTOR. SEARCHING THIS WEBSITE REVEALED THAT A RECALL HAD BEEN CONDUCTED FOR A CERTAIN REGION…

Owner-reported narrative. 118,089 miles reported. Look up ODI 10063707 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10065844 · 2004-04-09 (April 9, 2004)

VEHICLE STALLED AND WOULD NOT START WITHOUT WARNING ON RAINY NIGHT. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED AWAY. PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AS CRACKED FUEL PUMP RESISTOR LOCATED ON FRAME RAIL. PART REPLACED WITH KIT RELOCATING RESISTOR FROM FRAME TO UNDER HOOD. EXTENSIVE LABOR CHARGES INVOLVED.

Owner-reported narrative. 68,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10065844 at NHTSA ↗