IllustrationAFTER ENGAGING AND UNENGAGING THE HAZARD LIGHTS, TURN SIGNAL FAILED TO OPERATE, AND THE HAZARD LIGHTS WOULD NOT ENGAGE AS WELL. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MANUFACTURER'S RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK
1995 Pontiac Grand Am
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Grand Am years
Owner complaints for the 1995 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: 33 of 409 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.
- Electrical System. Review the 120 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 75 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. 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.
59 crash reports41 fire reports45 injury reports
What owners actually said
409 reportsTHE THERMOSTAT WENT TO THE HALF AND ALL OF THE COOLANT POURED OUT OF THE CAR AND THE OIL AND WATER MIXED. THERE WAS NO WARNING. THIS WAS THE FIRST AND ONLY TIME THAT THE CAR HAD OVERHEATED. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
POWER WINDOWS AND DOOR LOCKS FAIL TO LOCK AND WINDOWS HAVE TO BE ASSISTED BY HAND TO MOVE UP AND DOWN. NLM
THE CAR SET ON FIRE AND STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, BLEW A ROD AND MELTED THE SPARK PLUGS, THE COMPUTER FAILED AND THE TRANSMISSION BLEW.
WHEN THE BRAKE IS APPLIED IT WORKS UP UNTIL YOU ARE JUST GETTING READY TO STOP, AT THAT POINT THE CAR SLIDES AND THEN THE BRAKES GRAB VERY HARD. IT TAKES EXTRA DISTANCE TO GET THE CAR TO A COMPLETE STOP. I'VE HAD THE FRONT BRAKES REPLACED & THE BACK BRAKES ADJUSTED. NEITHER HELPED. SINCE THIS ISN'T A CONSISTANT PROBLEM IT'S …
Read full complaint
WHEN THE BRAKE IS APPLIED IT WORKS UP UNTIL YOU ARE JUST GETTING READY TO STOP, AT THAT POINT THE CAR SLIDES AND THEN THE BRAKES GRAB VERY HARD. IT TAKES EXTRA DISTANCE TO GET THE CAR TO A COMPLETE STOP. I'VE HAD THE FRONT BRAKES REPLACED & THE BACK BRAKES ADJUSTED. NEITHER HELPED. SINCE THIS ISN'T A CONSISTANT PROBLEM IT'S NEVER DONE IT FOR THE DEALER THEREFORE, THEY CAN'T DETECT THE PROBLEM. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH PONTIAC. THEY TOLD ME THERE WASN'T ANYTHING THAT COULD BE DONE UNTIL THE DEALER DIAGNOSIS THE PROBLEM. THE CAR IS VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *AK
VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, CONSUMER GOT OUT OF VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE STARTED ITSELF AND CAUGHT FIRE. *MJS
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
ENGIN E HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT. DEALER/MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED,AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER MANUFACTURER'S RECALL, AND REPAIRS WOULD BE DONE AT CONSUMER'S COST. *AK
THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED CAUSING THE SPEEDOMETER, FUEL GAUGE AND TACHOMETER TO ACT ERRATICALLY. NLM
Official recalls
100V287000 · 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.
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.