IllustrationWHILE DRIVING ENGINE'S HEAD GASKET BLEW CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL. TS
1994 Pontiac Grand Am
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Grand Am years
Owner complaints for the 1994 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: 27 of 377 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 73 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 71 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 60 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
58 crash reports28 fire reports38 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
73 reportsTHIS IS THE 2ND TIME I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BLOCK ( 1ST TIME ONLY HAD 28145 MILES ON THE CAR AND NOW I HAVE 58294 AND IT CRACKED AGAIN) HOW MANY TIMES SEEMS LIKE EVERY 30000 MILES IT CRACKS. GM SAID NOT THEIR PROBLEM, BUT FROM WHAT I CAN SEE FROM THE CONSUMERS AND ALSO IN TALKING TO THE DEALERS AND THE MECHINICS THEY HAVE P…
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THIS IS THE 2ND TIME I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BLOCK ( 1ST TIME ONLY HAD 28145 MILES ON THE CAR AND NOW I HAVE 58294 AND IT CRACKED AGAIN) HOW MANY TIMES SEEMS LIKE EVERY 30000 MILES IT CRACKS. GM SAID NOT THEIR PROBLEM, BUT FROM WHAT I CAN SEE FROM THE CONSUMERS AND ALSO IN TALKING TO THE DEALERS AND THE MECHINICS THEY HAVE PROBLEMS WITH ALL THE 1994 GRAND AM'S ENGINES HAVING THE BLOCK CRACKED. SOMEONE NEEDS TO GET WITH GM AND SAY FIX THE PROBLEMS AND HAVE A GOOD REPLACEMENT SO THAT YOU CAN GET MORE THAN 30,000 MILES ON A ENGINE. I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER PONTIAC, AS IT HAS COST ME MORE MONEY THAN ANY OTHER CAR THAT I HAVE EVER HAD. BEFORE THIS CAR I HAD A FORD MUSTANG AND IT LASTED ME 12 YEARS. THIS CAR HAS LASTED ME 3 YEARS AND I STARTED PUTTING MONEY INTO IT. I COULD HAVE BOUGHT ANOTHER CAR WITH ALL THE MONEY I HAVE PUT INTO IT OVER THE YEARS. DT
AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS STEERING WHEEL SHAKES VERY HARD. TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, AND THEY ARE GOING TO REPLACE ENGINE MOUNTS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
AT APROX 65,000 MILES TOLD BY INDEPENDENT SHOP THAT ANTIFREEZE WAS PRESENT IN OIL, POSSIBLE CRACKED HEAD, DEALER SAID NO CRACKS - POSSIBLY BAD OIL, ABOUT 80,000 MILES TOLD AGAIN BY SAME SHOP AND DEALER THIS TIME THAT ANTIFREEZE PRESENT IN OIL, DEFINITELY CRACKED HEAD, REPLACED CYNLINDER HEAD AND ALL UPPER ENGINE PARTS, ABOUT 300…
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AT APROX 65,000 MILES TOLD BY INDEPENDENT SHOP THAT ANTIFREEZE WAS PRESENT IN OIL, POSSIBLE CRACKED HEAD, DEALER SAID NO CRACKS - POSSIBLY BAD OIL, ABOUT 80,000 MILES TOLD AGAIN BY SAME SHOP AND DEALER THIS TIME THAT ANTIFREEZE PRESENT IN OIL, DEFINITELY CRACKED HEAD, REPLACED CYNLINDER HEAD AND ALL UPPER ENGINE PARTS, ABOUT 3000 MILES LATER ENGINE THREW A ROD. *AK
WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE WOULD BE SLUGGISH AS IF IT WAS ABOUT TO STALL OUT. VEHICLE STARTED TO SMOKE. PARKED VEHICLE AND HAD IT TOWED TO MECHANIC. INFORMED POSSIBLE HEAD GASKET OR CRACKED HEAD. ENGINE HAD NOT BEEN PULLED TO BE CHECKED.*AK MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT A GOOD ONE. *SLC
WHILE DRIVING THERE IS A WINDING NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. DRIVER WOULD SMELL SOMETHING BURNING, AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE KEPT GOING TOWARDS HOT. DRIVER DROVE TO DEALER, AND THEY STATED THAT ENGINE HEAD WAS CRACKED, CAUSING ANTIFREEZE TO MIX WITH OIL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
WHILE DRIVING COULD HEAR NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE. HAD CONTACTED DEALER, BUT PROBLEM STILL THERE. IT COULD NOT BE FIXED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK
MOTOR MOUNTS FAILED TWICE, A BANGING NOISE OCCURRED WHEN THE CAR WAS PUT INTO GEAR, REPLACE FRONT ENGINE MOUNT AND STRUT
PRIOR TO RECALL THE STEERING COLUMN OF THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS STARTING IT, THE CONSUMER HAD THE STARTER, KEY SWITCH, TURN SIGNAL AND RELAY KIT REPLACED. *YH (RECALL # 00V287)
ENGINE HEAD CRACKED DUE TO INTERNAL CORROSION.DEALER INDICATED PROBLEM WITH COMPONENT AND NEW PART"IS DIFFERENT SO IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN" RESEARCH INDICATES THIS A PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE AND MFG SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE.CAR WAS IN FOR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM RECALL AND OIL CHANGE .DEALER DISCOVERED PROBLEM DURING OIL CHANGE.*AK
Official recalls
200V287000 · Electrical System:starter Assembly
Oct 2, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE ENGINE STARTER FAILS TO ENGAGE AND THE DRIVER HOLD THE KEY IN THE "START" POSITION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, HIGH CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, PRODUCING HEAT THAT CAN MELT SWITCH PARTS.
Consequence & remedy
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.
94V122000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
Jul 1, 1994
THESE VEHICLES WERE CONSTRUCTED WITH WELDS IN THE REAR COMPARTMENT PAN ASSEMBLY THAT ARE NOT SUFFICIENT TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS PERTAINING TO FUEL TANK LEAKAGE IN THE EVENT OF A REAR IMPACT COLLISION. THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLIES DO NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO. 301, "FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY."
Consequence & remedy
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.
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
2EA00007 · Steering Column Fires
Opened Mar 3, 2000 · Closed Feb 7, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System
There is no summary currently available
PE99063 · Steering Column Fire
Opened Oct 7, 1999 · Closed Mar 3, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering
ODI HAS EXPANDED THE SCOPE OF ITS INVESTIGATION OF STEERING COLUMN FIRES TO INCLUDE ALL MODELS BUILT ON THE N-PLATFORM.GM HAS INDICATED IN ITS RESPONSE THAT THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH A ROTARY IGNITION SWITCH THAT HAS BEEN IN USE IN A NUMBER OF VEHICLE MODELS SINCE 1991 ON BOTH THE N AND J-PLATFORMS.HOWEVER, THE 1994-1995 N-PLATFORM IS OVER REPRESENTED ACCOUNTING FOR 83 (81%) OF THE COMBINDED TOTAL OF 102 REPORTS DESPITE BEING ONLY 14.2% OF THE COMBINED POPULATION. OF THE 10 NEW REPORTS RECEIVED SINCE OPENING EA99-063, 7 INCLUDE ALLEGATIONS OF A NO START CONDITION WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE THE STARTER.A FIRE IS CLAIMED TO HAVE ENSUED IN THE STEERING COLUMN IMMEDIATELY THERAFTER.GM ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) (NO. 433203) JULY 1994 WHIICH ADDRESSED OWNER COMPLAINTS THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH MAY NOT RETURN TO THE RUN POSITION AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS STARTED.THE TSB ADVISES THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH MOUNTING SCREWS MAY BE EXCESSIVELY TORQUED RESULTING IN DISTORTION OF THE SWITCH HOUSING.AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS WARRANTED TO DETERMINE THE ROOT CAUSE(S) AND TO DETERMIN IF A SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS.