1994 PONTIAC GRAND AM — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 373 complaints · 2 recalls
Most-reported system: ENGINE (60 complaints · 16.1%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 58
  • Fires 27
  • Injuries 48
  • Deaths 5
Compare with 1993 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution ENGINE appears in 60 of 373 owner complaints (16.1%) in this vehicle snapshot. ENGINE: 60 complaints, 16.1% of reports ENGINE 60 · 16.1% · 2 fire reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 59 complaints, 15.8% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 59 · 15.8% · 2 crash reports 21 fire reports SERVICE BRAKES: 51 complaints, 13.7% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 51 · 13.7% · 11 crash reports STEERING: 49 complaints, 13.1% of reports STEERING 49 · 13.1% · 3 crash reports 4 fire reports AIR BAGS: 33 complaints, 8.9% of reports AIR BAGS 33 · 8.9% · 30 crash reports POWER TRAIN: 21 complaints, 5.6% of reports POWER TRAIN 21 · 5.6% · 3 crash reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 14 complaints, 3.8% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 14 · 3.8% VISIBILITY: 14 complaints, 3.8% of reports VISIBILITY 14 · 3.8% · 1 crash reports SEAT BELTS: 12 complaints, 3.2% of reports SEAT BELTS 12 · 3.2% · 3 crash reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 276 complaints, 74.0% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 276 · 74.0% · 52 crash reports 21 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
ENGINE 60 16.1% 0 crashes · 2 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 59 15.8% 2 crashes · 21 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 51 13.7% 11 crashes · 0 fires
STEERING 49 13.1% 3 crashes · 4 fires
AIR BAGS 33 8.9% 30 crashes · 0 fires
POWER TRAIN 21 5.6% 3 crashes · 0 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 14 3.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
VISIBILITY 14 3.8% 1 crashes · 0 fires
SEAT BELTS 12 3.2% 3 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 276 74.0% 52 crashes · 21 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 1995; the first recall shown was reported in Jul 1994. 1995-Q1: 17 owner reports 17 1995-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 1995-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 1995-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 1996-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 1996-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 1996-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 1996-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 1997-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 1997-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 1997-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 1997-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 1998-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 1998-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 1998-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 1998-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 1999-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 1999-Q2: 12 owner reports 12 1999-Q3: 15 owner reports 15 1999-Q4: 12 owner reports 12 2000-Q1: 17 owner reports 17 2000-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2000-Q3: 19 owner reports 19 2000-Q4: 12 owner reports 12 2001-Q1: 43 owner reports 43 2001-Q2: 15 owner reports 15 2001-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2001-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2002-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2002-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2002-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2002-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2003-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2003-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2003-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2003-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2004-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2004-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2004-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2004-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2006-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2006-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jul 1994 Jul 2013 Recall campaign 94V122000 ◆ Recall campaign 94V122000 Recall campaign 00V287000 ◆ Recall campaign 00V287000 Investigation PE99063 ● Investigation PE99063 Investigation EA00007 ● Investigation EA00007
  • Campaign 00V287000 was reported 1,869 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1995-Q1 Owner reports 17
1995-Q2 Owner reports 13
1995-Q3 Owner reports 7
1995-Q4 Owner reports 3
1996-Q1 Owner reports 11
1996-Q2 Owner reports 4
1996-Q3 Owner reports 7
1996-Q4 Owner reports 2
1997-Q1 Owner reports 7
1997-Q2 Owner reports 6
1997-Q3 Owner reports 7
1997-Q4 Owner reports 7
1998-Q1 Owner reports 9
1998-Q2 Owner reports 13
1998-Q3 Owner reports 14
1998-Q4 Owner reports 5
1999-Q1 Owner reports 12
1999-Q2 Owner reports 12
1999-Q3 Owner reports 15
1999-Q4 Owner reports 12
2000-Q1 Owner reports 17
2000-Q2 Owner reports 2
2000-Q3 Owner reports 19
2000-Q4 Owner reports 12
2001-Q1 Owner reports 43
2001-Q2 Owner reports 15
2001-Q3 Owner reports 14
2001-Q4 Owner reports 3
2002-Q1 Owner reports 7
2002-Q2 Owner reports 8
2002-Q3 Owner reports 8
2002-Q4 Owner reports 2
2003-Q1 Owner reports 2
2003-Q2 Owner reports 4
2003-Q3 Owner reports 3
2003-Q4 Owner reports 3
2004-Q1 Owner reports 8
2004-Q2 Owner reports 3
2004-Q3 Owner reports 2
2004-Q4 Owner reports 1
2005-Q1 Owner reports 1
2005-Q2 Owner reports 1
2005-Q3 Owner reports 3
2006-Q1 Owner reports 2
2006-Q2 Owner reports 1
2008-Q1 Owner reports 1
2008-Q3 Owner reports 2
2009-Q1 Owner reports 1
2013-Q1 Owner reports 1
2013-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 94V122000
Recall campaign 1 00V287000
Defect investigation 1 PE99063
Defect investigation 1 EA00007
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (2)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 00V287000

    Report date
    Component:
    ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
    Consequence:
    A FIRE COULD OCCUR IN THE STEERING COLUMN AND SPREAD TO THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RELAY KIT AND VERIFY THAT THE VEHICLE WILL START WITH A PROPERLY CHARGED BATTERY IN GOOD OPERATING CONDITION (ADEQUATE RESERVE CAPACITY, OR COLD CRANKING AMPS). THIS CAMPAIGN DOES NOT COVER BATTERY REPLACEMENT OR UNRELATED STARTING SYSTEM OR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM REPAIRS.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 94V122000

    Report date
    Component:
    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
    Consequence:
    THIS CAN RESULT IN AN INCREASED RISK OF A VEHICLE FIRE IN THE EVENT OF A REAR IMPACT COLLISION.
    Remedy:
    DEALER WILL INSTALL RIVETS ADJACENT TO THE LOCATIONS WHERE THE SUSPECT WELDS ARE LOCATED.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 373 complaints · page 1 of 15

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources