IllustrationPASS LOCK PREVENTS CAR TO START. *TR
2002 Pontiac Grand Am
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Grand Am years
Owner complaints for the 2002 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
240–25K
5125–50K
6350–75K
5875–100K
49100–150K
25150K+
270 reports with mileage · 125 unknown
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 148 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 97 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 54 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
22 crash reports3 fire reports16 injury reports
What owners actually said
395 reportsWINDOWS FOR 2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM BREAK THE PLASTIC WINDOW SHIELD AND DROP INTO THE DOOR. POTENTIALLY CAUSE ACCIDENT DUE TO LOUD NOISE AND SUDDEN INCREASE IN AIR IN THE CAR. COULD BE DISTRACTING ENOUGH TO CAUSE ACCIDENT. THERE ARE SEVERAL CASES OF THIS INCIDENT ONLINE AND GM HAS BEEN MADE AWARE AND DOES NOTHING ABOUT IT. *TR
ABOUT A YEAR AGO CAR WOULDN'T START. HAD IT TOWED AND THE SERVICE GARAGE REPLACED THE IGNITION ASSEMBLY AND DID A SECURITY UPDATE. ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO CAR WOULDN'T START TRIED JUMPING, NOTHING. SECURITY LIGHT ON DASH WAS BLINKING. RESEARCHED ON COMPUTER AND FOUND OUT IF YOU TURN KEY ON FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES THEN TRY TO START THE CAR…
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ABOUT A YEAR AGO CAR WOULDN'T START. HAD IT TOWED AND THE SERVICE GARAGE REPLACED THE IGNITION ASSEMBLY AND DID A SECURITY UPDATE. ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO CAR WOULDN'T START TRIED JUMPING, NOTHING. SECURITY LIGHT ON DASH WAS BLINKING. RESEARCHED ON COMPUTER AND FOUND OUT IF YOU TURN KEY ON FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES THEN TRY TO START THE CAR IT WILL START. WELL I TRIED THIS AND IT WORKED. LEAVING THE KEY ON FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES RESETS THE SECURITY SYSTEM ON THE CAR. MY CAR HAS STARTED FOR THE LAST 2 WEEKS. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY CAN'T DISARM THE SECURITY SYSTEM AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR MY CAR. MAYBE THIS IS WHAT THE GARAGE DID A YEAR AGO AND CHARGED FOR A NEW ASSEMBLY BECAUSE I STILL USE THE ORIGINAL KEY. PLEASE HELP BECAUSE I AM NOT ALONE AND THIS PROBLEM REALLY CONFUSES THE REPAIRMAN ACCORDING TO THE WEB SITE I FOUND THIS EASY FIX ON. *TR
2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM SE - INTACT MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKING. I HAVE HAD THIS REPAIRED TWICE IN 2 YRS. I AM BEING TOLD THAT THE GASKET IS FAULTY AND GM IS AWARE OF THIS BUT THEY REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I HAVE ALSO SEEN ARTICLES STATING THAT THERE IS A LAW SUIT PENDING IN THE US AND CANADA. I HAVE SPENT APPROX. $800.00 T…
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2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM SE - INTACT MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKING. I HAVE HAD THIS REPAIRED TWICE IN 2 YRS. I AM BEING TOLD THAT THE GASKET IS FAULTY AND GM IS AWARE OF THIS BUT THEY REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I HAVE ALSO SEEN ARTICLES STATING THAT THERE IS A LAW SUIT PENDING IN THE US AND CANADA. I HAVE SPENT APPROX. $800.00 TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. *TR
2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM 2.2 ENGINE WILL CRANK BUT WILL NOT FIRE. SECURITY LIGHT IS ON. WILL NOT START ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. BELIEVED TO BE IGNITION SWITCH/THEFT PROTECTION ISSUE. CANNOT RELY ON CAR TO START. *TR
THERE WAS NO INCIDENT, I WOULD START MY CAR AND MY AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD STAY ON AND THEY AT TIME IT GO OFF AS REGULAR (SHORTAGE), THEN IT JUST START STAYING ON. I TOOK MY CAR TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED A NEW SDM MODULE THAT WOULD COST AROUND $500. MY AIRBAG WAS DISCONNECTED DUE TO WHAT WAS GOING ON, THEY TOLD …
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THERE WAS NO INCIDENT, I WOULD START MY CAR AND MY AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD STAY ON AND THEY AT TIME IT GO OFF AS REGULAR (SHORTAGE), THEN IT JUST START STAYING ON. I TOOK MY CAR TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED A NEW SDM MODULE THAT WOULD COST AROUND $500. MY AIRBAG WAS DISCONNECTED DUE TO WHAT WAS GOING ON, THEY TOLD ME IF I WAS IN AN INCIDENT IT MIGHT WOULD OR WOULDN'T DEFLATE OR EVEN IF I HIT A POT HOLE OR SOMETHING IT MIGHT DEFLATE. EITHER WAY IT WOULD BE VERY DANGEROUS. EVEN WITH IT BEING DISCONNECTED NOW IS NOT SAFE BUT I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO GET IT REPLACE. *TR
ON MY 2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED IN THE 2.2L ECOTEC ENGINE AT 75000 MILES. WHEN THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED THERE WAS NO WARNING AND THE CAR STALLED SUDDENLY AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. I WAS ABLE TO COAST THE CAR INTO A PARKING LOT AND LATER HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A PONTIAC DEALER. THE DEALERSHIP HAS ADVISE…
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ON MY 2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED IN THE 2.2L ECOTEC ENGINE AT 75000 MILES. WHEN THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED THERE WAS NO WARNING AND THE CAR STALLED SUDDENLY AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. I WAS ABLE TO COAST THE CAR INTO A PARKING LOT AND LATER HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A PONTIAC DEALER. THE DEALERSHIP HAS ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE IS RUINED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE FOUND A GREAT DEAL OF INFORMATION ON THE 2.2L ECOTEC ENGINE ONLINE AND THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2002 AND 2003 MODELS OF THIS ENGINE. GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN OILIER NOZZLE ON THESE ENGINES BUT GM HAS NOT 'RECALLED' THE ENGINE. HAD WE BEEN ON A BUSY HIGHWAY THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR
WEAKNESS IN BODY UNDER FUEL TANK FILL COMPARTMENT. A DEFECT IS ALLOWING WATER TO GO DOWN BEHIND OUTER BODY AND RUST OUT RIGHT BELOW GAS TANK FILL AND NO WHERE ELSE ON BODY. *TR
2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM WINDOW CLIPS BREAK THEY ARE PLASTIC CLIPS AND THEY BROKE AND ALL THE REPLACEMENT WINDOW THAT I LOOK UP TO BUY ALSO HAVE BROKEN CLIPS. *TR
THE TURN SIGNALS IN MY 2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM EITHER WORK PROPERLY, FLICKER OR FAIL TO WORK AT ALL AT ANY GIVEN TIME. *TR
Official recalls
114V400000 · Electrical System:ignition
Jul 3, 2014
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14350.
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
1PE05055 · Turn Signal Failures
Opened Sep 27, 2005 · Closed Jan 13, 2006
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting:hazard Flashing Warning Lights:switch; Exterior Lighting:turn Signal:switch
IN DECEMBER 2004, GM ISSUED A SPECIAL POLICY FOR MY 1999-2000 ALERO, GRAND AM AND MALIBU VEHICLES NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL 03V327. THE POLICY COVERED TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILURE FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES (WHICHEVER OCCURRED FIRST) TO PROVIDE A NO COST REPLACEMENT OF THE HAZARD SWITCH. GM SENT LETTERS TO OWNERS STARTING DECEMBER 30, 2004.IN JANUARY 2006, GM WILL UPDATE THE SPECIAL POLICY TO INCLUDE MY 2002 ALERO, GRAND AM AND MALIBU VEHICLES NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL 03V-327.THE POLICY COVERS TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILURE FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES (WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST) TO PROVIDE A NO COST REPLACEMENT OF THE HAZARD SWITCH.GM WILL SEND LETTERS TO OWNERS STARTING LATE APRIL 2006.THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE MANUFACTURER IS SUFFICIENT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FUTURE ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Exterior Lighting:hazard Flashing Warning Lights:switch
IN DECEMBER 2004, GM ISSUED A SPECIAL POLICY FOR MY 1999-2000 ALERO, GRAND AM AND MALIBU VEHICLES NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL 03V327. THE POLICY COVERED TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILURE FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES (WHICHEVER OCCURRED FIRST) TO PROVIDE A NO COST REPLACEMENT OF THE HAZARD SWITCH. GM SENT LETTERS TO OWNERS STARTING DECEMBER 30, 2004.IN JANUARY 2006, GM WILL UPDATE THE SPECIAL POLICY TO INCLUDE MY 2002 ALERO, GRAND AM AND MALIBU VEHICLES NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL 03V-327.THE POLICY COVERS TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILURE FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES (WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST) TO PROVIDE A NO COST REPLACEMENT OF THE HAZARD SWITCH.GM WILL SEND LETTERS TO OWNERS STARTING LATE APRIL 2006.THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE MANUFACTURER IS SUFFICIENT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FUTURE ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
Exterior Lighting:turn Signal:switch
IN DECEMBER 2004, GM ISSUED A SPECIAL POLICY FOR MY 1999-2000 ALERO, GRAND AM AND MALIBU VEHICLES NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL 03V327. THE POLICY COVERED TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILURE FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES (WHICHEVER OCCURRED FIRST) TO PROVIDE A NO COST REPLACEMENT OF THE HAZARD SWITCH. GM SENT LETTERS TO OWNERS STARTING DECEMBER 30, 2004.IN JANUARY 2006, GM WILL UPDATE THE SPECIAL POLICY TO INCLUDE MY 2002 ALERO, GRAND AM AND MALIBU VEHICLES NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL 03V-327.THE POLICY COVERS TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILURE FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES (WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST) TO PROVIDE A NO COST REPLACEMENT OF THE HAZARD SWITCH.GM WILL SEND LETTERS TO OWNERS STARTING LATE APRIL 2006.THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE MANUFACTURER IS SUFFICIENT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FUTURE ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.