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2003 Pontiac Grand Am

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Grand Am years

Owner complaints for the 2003 Pontiac Grand Am are substantially higher than the model-year median of 82.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

238 reports with mileage · 87 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 134 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Exterior Lighting. Review the 65 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 35 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

27 crash reports5 fire reports23 injury reports

Unknown Or Other complaints

8 reports
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Mileage unknown · Aug 4, 2025
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion SystemUnknown Or Other

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NHTSA ODI #11678132

70,000 miles · Jan 13, 2020
Air BagsUnknown Or OtherVehicle Speed Control

**THIS IS NOT A STANDARD 2003 PONTIAC, SINGLE OWNER CURRENT MILEAGE OF 70,000** UPON VEHICLE REACHING OPERATING TEMPERATURE IT EXHIBITS THE SYMPTOMS OF RECALL #04092 124/ ACCELERATOR PEDAL ARM.FAILURE RESULTS IN LOSS OF RPM AND SPEED CONTROL.THIS ITEM WAS ADDRESSED ON 1-11-2004 BY APPROVED DEALER. CAR LAST FAILURE OCCURRENCE W…

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**THIS IS NOT A STANDARD 2003 PONTIAC, SINGLE OWNER CURRENT MILEAGE OF 70,000** UPON VEHICLE REACHING OPERATING TEMPERATURE IT EXHIBITS THE SYMPTOMS OF RECALL #04092 124/ ACCELERATOR PEDAL ARM.FAILURE RESULTS IN LOSS OF RPM AND SPEED CONTROL.THIS ITEM WAS ADDRESSED ON 1-11-2004 BY APPROVED DEALER. CAR LAST FAILURE OCCURRENCE WAS ON 1/12/2020. THIS VEHICLE WAS ALSO INCLUDED IN RECALL#14350 IGNITION SWITCH. WHEN FAILURE OCCURS LOSS OF POWER,SPEED,AIR BAGS,ECT.. INITIAL RECALL REPAIR WAS ON 3-07-2014. AT THAT TIME A NEW KEY WAS CUT TO RESOLVE ISSUE. FAILURE HAS REOCCURED, LAST TIME BEING 12-23-19 WHILE DRIVING MID DAY NO EXCESSIVE TEMP OR DRIVING CONDITIONS.

NHTSA ODI #11299042

100,000 miles · Nov 16, 2018
Unknown Or Other

DASHBOARD COMPLETELY BULKED UP, EVERY GRAND AM OWNER THAT I KNOW HAS THE SAME PROBLEM

NHTSA ODI #11152005

182,703 miles · Feb 3, 2018
Unknown Or Other

MY CAR HAVES A SECURITY SENSOR, THAT PREVENTS THE CAR NOT TO START UP,I HAVE TO PUT THE IGNITION KEY TO THE ACC AND THEN THE SECURITY LIGHT WILL BLINK FOR 15 TO 20 MINUTES , AFTER THAT THE BLINKING WILL RESET IT SELF I THEN TURN THE IGNITION KEY TO THE OFF POSITION AND THEN TURN THE KEY TO THE ON OR RUN AND THE ENGINE WOULD STAR…

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MY CAR HAVES A SECURITY SENSOR, THAT PREVENTS THE CAR NOT TO START UP,I HAVE TO PUT THE IGNITION KEY TO THE ACC AND THEN THE SECURITY LIGHT WILL BLINK FOR 15 TO 20 MINUTES , AFTER THAT THE BLINKING WILL RESET IT SELF I THEN TURN THE IGNITION KEY TO THE OFF POSITION AND THEN TURN THE KEY TO THE ON OR RUN AND THE ENGINE WOULD START UP.IS THERE A WAY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM ! THIS IS GOING ON EVERY OTHER DAY. I WILL PUT THE KEY IN AND THE CAR WILL NOT START

NHTSA ODI #11066745

70,000 miles · Sep 3, 2015
Unknown Or Other

CAR WOULD NOT START AT ALL WHEN I CAME OUT OF WORK TONIGHT. I HAD NO WARNING LIGHTS (IN THE PAST THIS CAR HAS BEEN VERY GOOD WITH SHOWING WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE). I CALLED THE SECURITY GUARD FROM MY PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT WHO TRIED TO JUMP MY BATTERY FOR 40 MINUTES BEFORE REALIZING IT WAS NOT THE BATTERY. MY EMERGENCY LIGHT WOULD F…

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CAR WOULD NOT START AT ALL WHEN I CAME OUT OF WORK TONIGHT. I HAD NO WARNING LIGHTS (IN THE PAST THIS CAR HAS BEEN VERY GOOD WITH SHOWING WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE). I CALLED THE SECURITY GUARD FROM MY PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT WHO TRIED TO JUMP MY BATTERY FOR 40 MINUTES BEFORE REALIZING IT WAS NOT THE BATTERY. MY EMERGENCY LIGHT WOULD FLICKER A FEW TIMES AND THE KEY SEEMED TO BE STUCK IN THE IGNITION. I HAD TO JIGGLE IT FOR ABOUT A MINUTE BEFORE IT WOULD TURN, BUT NO SOUNDS WOULD COME FROM THE CAR. THIS WAS NOT ONLY INCONVENIENT, BUT ALSO DANGEROUS AS THE CAR WAS PERFECTLY FINE WHEN I LEFT IT IN THE PARKING LOT BEFORE WORK.

NHTSA ODI #10761154

166,978 miles · Aug 3, 2015
Unknown Or Other

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES PER HOUR, 2003 GRAND AM PONTIAC STOPS WHILE ON STREET NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. SECURITY SYSTEM LIGHT BLINKING. SUSPECTED FAILED SECURITY SYSTEM.

NHTSA ODI #10745710

82,221 miles · Jan 4, 2014
Unknown Or Other

I HAVE TO DO THIS EVERYTIME I START THE CAR. TURN MY KEY TO THE "ON" POSITION, AND WAIT TEN MINUTES THEN TURN THE KEY TO START IT, AND IT WILL START AFTER THE 2ND OR 3RD ATTEMPT AT THIS. MY SISTER BOUGHT THE CAR FOR ME IN JULY 2013, AND IT WAS STARTING FINE BEFORE OCTOBER, THEN AFTER OCTOBER, WHEN I GO SOMEWHERE, TURN OFF THE CA…

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I HAVE TO DO THIS EVERYTIME I START THE CAR. TURN MY KEY TO THE "ON" POSITION, AND WAIT TEN MINUTES THEN TURN THE KEY TO START IT, AND IT WILL START AFTER THE 2ND OR 3RD ATTEMPT AT THIS. MY SISTER BOUGHT THE CAR FOR ME IN JULY 2013, AND IT WAS STARTING FINE BEFORE OCTOBER, THEN AFTER OCTOBER, WHEN I GO SOMEWHERE, TURN OFF THE CAR, AND HAVE TO TURN THE KEY ON AND LET IT SIT FOR 10 MINUTES, AND THE CAR STARTS RIGHT OFF. HAVE A WARRANTY ON IT. BOUGHT THE CAR AT NISSAN OF NEWPORT NEWS, VA. I MOVED TO LYCHBURG VA AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH PINKERTON CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER FOR FEB. 2, 2014. I AM ON A FIXED INCOME, AND MY SISTER IS PAYING OFF THE CAR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10558486

Mileage unknown · May 28, 2003
Unknown Or OtherInjury

CUT HAND/FINGER ON DOOR SHEET METAL. THE METAL FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE DOOR WRAPS AROUND THE BACK EDGE OF THE DOOR AND HAS A VERY SHARP EDGE. WHEN CLOSING OR OPENING THE DOOR AND GRABBING IN THIS REGION OF THE DOOR, IT IS VERY EASY TO GET CUT BY THE SHEET METAL. ONE INCIDENT OF CUTTING FINGER.

NHTSA ODI #10020614

Official recalls

2

14V400000 · 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.

04V528000 · Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal

Nov 1, 2004

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 124, 'ACCELERATOR CONTROL SYSTEMS.' IN HOT AMBIENT CONDITIONS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ARM MAY STICK AT THE ATTACHMENT TO THE BRACKET AND NOT RETURN TO THE ENGINE IDLE POSITION WHEN THE OPERATOR LIFTS HIS FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: FAILURE TO RETURN TO IDLE COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ARM AND REPLACE THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDAL ASSEMBLY WITH A NEW ASSEMBLY, IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 20, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-630-6537.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.