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1989 Pontiac Grand Am

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1989 Pontiac Grand Am do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 82.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 1 of 44 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports3 fire reports1 injury reports

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

23 reports
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113,000 miles · Jan 15, 2004
Engine And Engine CoolingPower TrainCrash

TRANSMISSION LOCKING TORQUE CONVERTER SOLENOID DOES NOT ALLOW TORQUE CONVERTER TO UNLOCK RESULTING IN ENGINE STALL WHEN STOPPING. REPLACED SOLENOID. REPLACED SLAPPING TIMING CHAIN AND TIMING CHAIN GUIDES. CHANGED OIL AFTER REPAIR. DROVE THE CAR ABOUT 100 MILES WHEN 3 ROD BEARINGS SPUN. ONE HALF OF THE BEARING SPUN INTO THE OTHER…

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TRANSMISSION LOCKING TORQUE CONVERTER SOLENOID DOES NOT ALLOW TORQUE CONVERTER TO UNLOCK RESULTING IN ENGINE STALL WHEN STOPPING. REPLACED SOLENOID. REPLACED SLAPPING TIMING CHAIN AND TIMING CHAIN GUIDES. CHANGED OIL AFTER REPAIR. DROVE THE CAR ABOUT 100 MILES WHEN 3 ROD BEARINGS SPUN. ONE HALF OF THE BEARING SPUN INTO THE OTHER HALF RESULTING IN CRANKSHAFT DAMAGE AND PISTON TIPPING. REPLACED ENGINE WITH USED WHICH I REPAIRED BEFORE REPLACING. LOOKED LIKE OIL PUMP FAILURE. WAS TOLD THE ENGINE HAD BETWEEN 145-150 COMPRESSION.

NHTSA ODI #10070435

Mileage unknown · Jan 18, 2002
Engine And Engine CoolingFire

AFTER THE ENGINE OVERHEATED, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT #10-90-577) *YH

NHTSA ODI #564044

Mileage unknown · Dec 1, 2000
Engine And Engine CoolingFire

VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT SIDE OF HOUSE. CONSUMER WENT BACK INTO HOUSE, AND A FEW MINUTES LATER, A NEIGHBOR KNOCKED ON DOOR NOTIFYING HIM THAT VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. FIRE WAS COMING FROM ENGINE CARPARTMENT. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED, AND THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION. NO INJURIES TO REPORTED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #875878

Mileage unknown · Jun 6, 2000
Engine And Engine Cooling

THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH A QUAD 4 ENGINE. THROUGHOUT THIS PAST YEAR, THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN STALLING ON NUMEROUS OCCASSIONS AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR A WHILE. IN ADDITION, I SPENT ROUGHLY $2000 TO REPLACE THE HEAD GASKET AND CYLINDER HEAD. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ODI #723658

Mileage unknown · May 4, 2000
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine Cooling

ALTERNATOR FAILED. YH

NHTSA ODI #552135

Mileage unknown · Apr 4, 2000
Engine And Engine Cooling

THE ENGINE, RADIATOR AND OVERFLOW BUCKET WERE REPLACED.*ET

NHTSA ODI #783723

Mileage unknown · Mar 24, 1999
Engine And Engine Cooling

HEAD GASKET FAILED. *YC

NHTSA ODI #545032

Mileage unknown · Jan 21, 1999
Engine And Engine Cooling

THE HEAD GASKET HAD TO BE REPLACED AND AFTER NUMEROUS REPAIRS STILL DIDN'T FUNCTION PROPERLY. RUNS ROUGH, DOESN'T IDLE PROPERLY, FUEL INJECTION DOESN'T FUNCTION PROPERLY, OIL TURNS FOAMY.

NHTSA ODI #702456

Mileage unknown · Sep 3, 1998
Engine And Engine Cooling

ENGINE HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT.

NHTSA ODI #540558

Mileage unknown · Jan 8, 1998
Engine And Engine Cooling

CRACKED ENGINE GASKET.

NHTSA ODI #527983

Official recalls

2

92V150000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings

Oct 19, 1992

FRONT FUEL FEED HOSE ASSEMBLY COULD CRACK OR SEPARATE AT THE COUPLING ON THE ENGINE END OF THE HOSE ASSEMBLY, ALLOWING FUEL TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: FUEL LEAKING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT COULD RESULT IN ANUNDERHOOD FIRE.

Remedy: REPLACE FRONT FUEL FEED HOSE ASSEMBLY.

90V042000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings

Mar 5, 1990

FRONT FUEL FEED HOSE ASSEMBLY COULD CRACK OR SEPARATE AT THE COUPLING ON THE ENGINE END OF THE HOSE ASSEMBLY, ALLOWING FUEL TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: LEAKING FUEL IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy: REPLACE FRONT FUEL FEED HOSE ASSEMBLY.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

EA91055 · W-CAR Hinge Pin Failure

Opened Dec 5, 1991 · Closed Aug 17, 1992

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Structure

There is no summary currently available