IllustrationSTEERING WHEEL TILT WILL NOT LOCK, IT FLOPS UP AND DOWN. COMSUMER BELIEVES THIS IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE WHEEL IS JUST FLOPPING WHILE DRIVER IS TURNING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER ONCE BEFORE FOR SAME PROBLEM, AND HAS TO BRING VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER FOR SAME DEFECT. *AK
1993 Pontiac Grand Am
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Grand Am years
Owner complaints for the 1993 Pontiac Grand Am are substantially higher than the model-year median of 82.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Grand Am years →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: 11 of 204 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 54 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 51 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
10 crash reports20 fire reports9 injury reports
What owners actually said
204 reportsA SPECIAL EXTENDED WARRANTY GRANTED TO OWNERS OF CERTAIN VIN ENGINE CODES TO REPLACE CRACKED CYLINDER HEADS BY PONTIAC..MY VEHICLE MET THE MILEAGE AND IN SERVICE TIME SPECS BUT MY VIN NUMBER IS NOT WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF PONTIAC'S COVERAGE (CERTAIN MANUFACTURING PLANTS WITH HIGH INCIDENTS OF FAILURES)..THE CRACKED HEAD OCCURRE…
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A SPECIAL EXTENDED WARRANTY GRANTED TO OWNERS OF CERTAIN VIN ENGINE CODES TO REPLACE CRACKED CYLINDER HEADS BY PONTIAC..MY VEHICLE MET THE MILEAGE AND IN SERVICE TIME SPECS BUT MY VIN NUMBER IS NOT WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF PONTIAC'S COVERAGE (CERTAIN MANUFACTURING PLANTS WITH HIGH INCIDENTS OF FAILURES)..THE CRACKED HEAD OCCURRED WITHOUT CAUSE AND PONTIAC REFUSED TO COVER THE FAILURE. *AK
TWO ENGINE HEAD GASKETS FAILED. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MANUFACTURER'S EXTENDED WARRANTY. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
I WAS DRIVING APX. 25-30 MPH ON SLUSH COVERED ROADS. I SAW THE CAR AHEAD OF ME BRAKING, SO I STARTED TO APPLY STEADY PRESSURE. I WAS APX 8-10 CAR LENGTHS BEHIND, BUT I STARTED TO SLIDE. SO APPLIED MORE FIRM PRESSURE, STILL NOTHING. SO FINALLY I REALIZED MY BRAKES WERE NOT DO ANYTHING SO I PUSHED THEM TO THE FLOOR AND SLOWLY …
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I WAS DRIVING APX. 25-30 MPH ON SLUSH COVERED ROADS. I SAW THE CAR AHEAD OF ME BRAKING, SO I STARTED TO APPLY STEADY PRESSURE. I WAS APX 8-10 CAR LENGTHS BEHIND, BUT I STARTED TO SLIDE. SO APPLIED MORE FIRM PRESSURE, STILL NOTHING. SO FINALLY I REALIZED MY BRAKES WERE NOT DO ANYTHING SO I PUSHED THEM TO THE FLOOR AND SLOWLY TURNED THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT, TO GO IN THE DITCH. I CONTINUED TO SLIDE. MY ABS DID NOT WORK AT ALL. SOMEHOW MY CAR SLID LEFT AND I ENDED UP IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHERE I GOT HIT HEAD ON BY TWO DIFFERENT CARS, AND GOT HIT ON THE SIDE A COUPLE OF TIMES. MY CAR WAS TOTALED, BUT LUCKILY I WAS NOT HURT THAT BAD. *AK
INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS VEHICLE WILL SHUT DOWN DOWN AND DIE. PRIOR TO THE VEHICLE SHUTTING DOWN, THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH FLASHED ON AND OFF. DEALER HAS INSPECTED AND REPAIRED VARIOUS PARTS OF THE VEHICLE, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE NOTIFIED. *AK
COMPONENT #1 (BRAKES)-BRAKES WEAR OUT EVERY THREE MONTHS REGARDLESS OF DRIVING CONDITIONS OR DRIVING HABITS, HAVE HAD ALL COMPONENTS ASSOCIATED WITH BRAKES REPLACED AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURS; COMPONENT #2 (IGNITION) - ALMOST EVERY TIME I ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, THE ENGINE HESITATES AND SHUDDERS FOR APPROXIMATELY 3-5 SECONDS REGAR…
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COMPONENT #1 (BRAKES)-BRAKES WEAR OUT EVERY THREE MONTHS REGARDLESS OF DRIVING CONDITIONS OR DRIVING HABITS, HAVE HAD ALL COMPONENTS ASSOCIATED WITH BRAKES REPLACED AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURS; COMPONENT #2 (IGNITION) - ALMOST EVERY TIME I ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, THE ENGINE HESITATES AND SHUDDERS FOR APPROXIMATELY 3-5 SECONDS REGARDLESS OF WEATHER CONDITIONS OR TEMPERATURE OF ENGINE; COMPONENT #3 (TRANSMISSION) - ON MOST RIGHT TURNS THERE IS A CLUNK THAT EMINATES FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE; COMPONENT #4 (WINDOW) - THE WINDOW ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO ROLL DOWN OR UP, ESPECIALLY IN COOLER WEATHER
ON SERVERAL OCCASIONS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ENGINE STALLING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, AT APPROXIMATELY 60-70 MPH). VEHICLE BEEN IN/OUT OF DEALER SHOP ON SIX OCCASIONS, AND NOTHING COULD BE FOUND. PROBLEM STILL INTERMITTENTLY REOCCURING. *AK
THE ENGINE MOUNTS ON MY VEHICLE HAVE FAILED, THE EFFECT IS WHEN I MOVE MY CAR FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE OR VISVERSA THE ENGINE MOVES MOVING THE WHOLE CAR INCLUNDING ALL THE EXHAUST SYSTEM BELOW...VERY BIG SAFTEY HAZARD BECAUSE ENGINE CAN FALL OUT RIGHT UP UNDER....CAR IS ONLY 6 YEARS OLD.....I'VE DRIVEN MANY CARS FOR MANY YEARS AND …
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THE ENGINE MOUNTS ON MY VEHICLE HAVE FAILED, THE EFFECT IS WHEN I MOVE MY CAR FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE OR VISVERSA THE ENGINE MOVES MOVING THE WHOLE CAR INCLUNDING ALL THE EXHAUST SYSTEM BELOW...VERY BIG SAFTEY HAZARD BECAUSE ENGINE CAN FALL OUT RIGHT UP UNDER....CAR IS ONLY 6 YEARS OLD.....I'VE DRIVEN MANY CARS FOR MANY YEARS AND NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM....ANYTHING YOU DO WILL BE APPRECIATED...I CALLED THEM ALREADY AND TOLD THEM THAT THEY SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS....CAUSE MY FRIEND HAS ONE AND HIS IS DOING THE EXACT SAME THING....THATS WHY I AM E-MAILING YOU....PLEASE RESPOND ASAP...
Official recalls
193V153000 · Electrical System:ignition:switch
Sep 14, 1993
THE NEUTRAL START SAFETY SWITCH COULD HAVE BEEN FRACTURED DURING INSTALLATION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A FRACTURED SWITCH CAN RESULT IN A NO-START CONDITION.ALSO, A VEHICLE WITH A FRACTURED SWITCH CAN BE STARTED IN GEAR, CAUSING THEVEHICLE TO MOVE UNEXPECTEDLY, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT.
Remedy: THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE NEUTRAL START SWITCH. THE MANUAL SWITCH OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE ASSEMBLY WILL BE INSPECTED AND REPLACED IF AN OVERSIZED CONDITION EXISTS.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.