U.S. public vehicle records

2004 Pontiac GRAND PRIX problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

454 owner complaints analyzed

7 distinct recall campaigns

72,975 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2004 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 313 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 98 of 454 complaints (21.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Steering behavior	79	17.4%
Braking behavior	74	16.3%
Electrical and battery issues	58	12.8%
Engine operation	37	8.1%
Transmission and shifting	18	4.0%
Fuel system concerns	3	0.7%

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.

Engine

Electrical System

Steering

Exterior Lighting:Headlights

Engine And Engine Cooling

Service Brakes

Air Bags

Unknown Or Other

Engine: 98; Electrical System: 83; Steering: 48; Exterior Lighting:Headlights: 34; Engine And Engine Cooling: 27; Service Brakes: 25; Air Bags: 21; Unknown Or Other: 21

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: 82; 25,000 to 49,999: 43; 50,000 to 74,999: 35; 75,000 to 99,999: 34; 100,000 to 149,999: 55; 150,000 and above: 64

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (82). 141 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.

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2025

2003: 17; 2004: 68; 2005: 44; 2006: 29; 2007: 20; 2008: 20; 2009: 22; 2010: 15; 2011: 14; 2012: 16; 2013: 5; 2014: 38; 2015: 46; 2016: 55; 2017: 13; 2018: 13; 2019: 11; 2020: 5; 2021: 2; 2025: 1

Pattern summary

Engine leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 79 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 74 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 58 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 10049693 · 2003-12-13 (December 13, 2003)

VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS W/ STEERING WHEEL STRAIGHT. DEALER FOUND OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND ADJUSTED TOE BOTH SIDE. PROBLEM RETURNED W/IN 200 MILES.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10049693 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10051301 · 2003-12-30 (December 30, 2003)

VEHICLE PULLS TO RIGHT. WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND TOE ADJUSTED BOTH SIDES. PROBLEM RECURRED AFTER APPROX. 200 MILES. WAS FOUND TO BE OUT OF ALIGNMENT AGAIN AND TORQUE STEERING UPON ACCELERATION. DEALER LOOSENED CRADLE BOLTS AND SHIFTED CRADLE RIGHT, THEN RESET TOE EACH SIDE.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10051301 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10041760 · 2003-10-14 (October 14, 2003)

PROBLEM: BRAKING SYSTEM PROBLEM. OCCURRED ONLY ONCE SO FAR. I HAD STOPPED AT A STORE AND WHEN I LEFT, THE FIRST TIME I APPLIED THE BRAKE IT FELT THE SAME AS IF I HAD JUST GONE THROUGH A CAR WASH (MUCH GREATER PEDAL PRESSURE NEEDED TO STOP). I CONTINUED ON TO MY WORKPLACE AND HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES SEVERAL MORE TIMES. EACH SUBSEQUENT TIME THE SAME CONDITION HAPPENED. MUCH GREATER PEDAL PRESSURE WAS REQUIRED TO BRING THE CAR TO A STOP. IT FELT AS THOUGH 50-75% OF THE BRAKING POWER WAS GONE. I IMMEDIATELY CHECKED THE FLUID AND IT WAS RIGHT…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,005 miles reported. Look up ODI 10041760 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10049691 · 2003-12-13 (December 13, 2003)

CAN HEAR A SQUEAKING NOISE FROM REAR OF VEHICLE OVER BUMPS OR SIDE-TO-SIDE MOVEMENT. FOUND RIGHT REAR EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLE LOOSE AND RUBBING ON ABS WIRING HARNESS. REPAIRED AND PROBLEM REOCCURED. REPAIRED AGAIN.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10049691 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10080694 · 2004-07-09 (July 9, 2004)

PURCHASE 2004 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GTP ON OCTOBER 25, 2003 FROM FITZGERALD AUTO MALL, ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND. ODOMETER WAS AT 7342 MILES. PROBLEM OCCURRED WHEN TURNING INTO A PARKING SPACE IN A PARKING GARAGE. I HEAR A POP. A LOT OF SMOKE STARTS COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I TURN OFF IGNITION. I UNLATCH THE FRONT HOOD BUT DON'T OPEN IT. LUCKILY I HAD A FIRE EXTINGUISHER IN REAR TRUNK. I SPRAY EXTINGUISHER UNDER FRONT HOOD AND PUT OUT FIRE. I DISCONNECTED BATTERY TO MAKE SURE FIRE DOESN'T RESTART. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER (FITZGERAL…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,342 miles reported. Look up ODI 10080694 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10049688 · 2003-12-13 (December 13, 2003)

AFTER COLD VEHICLE START AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURES OF 45-55F VEHICLE SURGES OR STALLS AFTER A REVERSE-DRIVE SHIFT. DEALER STATES VEHICLE CALIBRATION WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10049688 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10082933 · 2004-07-29 (July 29, 2004)

MY CAR STALLED 5 DAYS AFTER I RECEIVED IT. IT WAS ABOUT 40 F OUTSIDE AND I REVERSED SLOWLY AND PUT THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE. IT SHUDDERED AND STALLED. THIS HAPPENED ONCE MORE THE NEXT DAY. ANY TIME THE TEMPERATURE IS BELOW 60 F THE VEHICLE SHUDDERS WHEN PUT INTO DRIVE. I'VE TAKEN IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP 4 TIMES FOR THIS SAME ISSUE BUT THEY SEEM UNABLE TO FIX IT. I'VE HAD THE PCM RE-FLASHED, INJECTORS CLEANED, AND SPARK PLUGS REPLACED. I HAVE HAD CONTINUED SHUDDERING AT LOW TEMPERATURES BUT NO MORE STALLING SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENTS. THERE I…

Owner-reported narrative. 800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10082933 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10099027 · 2004-10-29 (October 29, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE ENGINE DIED. A FEW MINUTES PRIOR TO THIS OCCURRING THE TRANSMISSION FELT LIKE THE GEARS WERE DROPPING. WHEN THE ENGINE DIED THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER STEERING. THE CONSUMER PULLED OFF THE ROAD, REMOVED THE KEYS FROM THE IGNITION, LET THE VEHICLE SIT FOR 10 SECONDS BEFORE RESTARTING. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED. THE DEALERSHIP WILL BE CONTACTED. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY OTHER GRAND PRIX OWNERS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES IN WHICH A CHIP HAS TO BE REPLACED. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 19,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10099027 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10111138 · 2005-01-12 (January 12, 2005)

THE VEHICLE BUCKED WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED BETWEEN THIRD AND FORTH GEAR. *NM ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN REVERES THE VEHICLE ROLLED FORWARD AND WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN REVERSE. THE CONSUMER HAD TO TURN THE VEHICLE AND RESTART IT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10111138 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10086891 · 2004-08-15 (August 15, 2004)

UPON COLD STARTUP VEHICLE WILL STALL, HESITATE OR SURGE UPON THE FIRST PRESS OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. COMPUTER HAS BEEN REPLACED AND REPROGRAMMED ON PRIOR ATTEMPTS ALONG WITH NEW THROTTLE BODIES AND STALLING NO LONGER PRESENT, BUT HESITATION AND SURGING ARE STILL PRESENT. SERVICE ENGINE SOON LAMP HAS STARTED ILLUMINATING. CODE IS P0452 FOR THE FUEL TANK PRESSURE SENSOR. ACCORDING TO A GM ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE TO DEALERS ON 4/2/04, "DEALERS ARE ADVISED TO ORDER FUEL TANK PRESSURE SENSOR P/N 16238399 INSTEAD OF P/N 09377680. FUEL TANK PRESSU…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10086891 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10115338 · 2005-03-17 (March 17, 2005)

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. THIS HAPPENS AT DIFFERENT RATES OF SPEED. IT DOES NOT MATTER IF THE FUEL TANK IS FULL OR HALF FULL. THIS HAPPENED A TOTAL OF 5 TIMES. GMC IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. CURRENTLY, CONSUMER HAS THE VEHICLE AT REPAIR SHOP.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10115338 at NHTSA ↗