IllustrationTHE STEERING COLUMN ON MY 92 PONTIAC HAD STARTED TO SMOKE THREE TIMES SINCE I'VE OWNED IT. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN 1994. THE SECOND WAS AROUND 1996. THE LAST TIME WAS LAST MONTH. THE LAST TIME WAS THE WORST. EACH TIME I SHUT OFF THE KEY AND IT WOULD STOP SMOKING. *JB
1992 Pontiac Grand Prix
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1992 Pontiac Grand Prix do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 88.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Grand Prix 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: 7 of 114 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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
8 crash reports6 fire reports4 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
30 reportsI HAD BOUGHT A CAR FROM A USED DEALERSHIP AND THERE IS A LOT OF THINGS WRONG WITH IT THAT I FEEL THAT IT SHOULDN'T HAVE EVEN BEEN SOLD. I FEEL THAT IT FALLS UNDER THE LEMON LAW ACT. IT HAS BEEN TO THE REPAIR SHOP LOTS OF TIMES AND THEY STILL HAVEN'T FIXED IT AND NOW THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT THEY WONT FIX IT AND ONE OF THE THINGS…
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I HAD BOUGHT A CAR FROM A USED DEALERSHIP AND THERE IS A LOT OF THINGS WRONG WITH IT THAT I FEEL THAT IT SHOULDN'T HAVE EVEN BEEN SOLD. I FEEL THAT IT FALLS UNDER THE LEMON LAW ACT. IT HAS BEEN TO THE REPAIR SHOP LOTS OF TIMES AND THEY STILL HAVEN'T FIXED IT AND NOW THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT THEY WONT FIX IT AND ONE OF THE THINGS IS THAT THE ODOMETER DOES NOT WORK AND I TOLD THEM THAT AND THEY WON'T DO NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. SO PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH ME SO I CAN FIND OUT WHAT TO DO. THE CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY WITH THE DEALERSHIP. THANK YOU, JAMIE HOCHSTETLER. *JB
VEHICLES RUNS ROUGH AND HESITATES DUE TO AN IGNITION MODULE FAILURE. CONSUMER HAS REPLACED THE IGNITION MODULE ONCE BEFORE, AND A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK
INDICATOR LIGHTS ON INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHT UP ERRATICALLY. READ THAT THIS WAS SOMEWHAT COMMON IN THIS MODEL. STARTED WITH "CHECK GAUGES" LIGHT, THEN THE "LOW GAS" INDICATOR LIGHT AND NOW THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT. CAR WAS TESTED AND NO MECHANICAL ISSUES FOUND - ISSUE IS ELECTRICAL OR OTHER - NOT FIXED DUE TO COST .*AK
SMOKE AND BURNING SMELL CAME FROM STEERING COLUMN. THIS WAS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE OF THIS CONDITION IN LAST THREE YEARS.*AK
SMOKE WAS DISCHARGED ON 2 OCCASIONS FROM STEERING COLUMN. CONTACTED PONTIAC CUSTOMER INFORMATION AND DEALER ABOUT PROBLEM AND THEY HAD NOT HEARD OF THE PROBLEM. NO INJURY, JUST PANIC. *AK
1) UPON STARTING THE CAR, SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE HAZARD LIGHT SWITCH. 2) AS I WAS ACCELERATING FROM A STOPLIGHT I HEARD A LOUD THUD AND THE CAR JUMPED, THINKING SOMEONE HAD HIT ME, I KEPT DRIVING TO PULL OVER AND NOTICED THAT I HAD NO STEERING. BY THE TIME I HAD STOPPED I WAS IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND NARROWLY MISSED SEVERAL CARS.…
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1) UPON STARTING THE CAR, SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE HAZARD LIGHT SWITCH. 2) AS I WAS ACCELERATING FROM A STOPLIGHT I HEARD A LOUD THUD AND THE CAR JUMPED, THINKING SOMEONE HAD HIT ME, I KEPT DRIVING TO PULL OVER AND NOTICED THAT I HAD NO STEERING. BY THE TIME I HAD STOPPED I WAS IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND NARROWLY MISSED SEVERAL CARS. THE MOTOR HAD SEPARATED ROM THE A FRAME. THE MECHANIC SAID IT LOOKED LIKE THE MANUFACTURER HAD FORGOTTEN A BOLT AND THE OTHER ONE GOT STRESSED. 3) THE BRAKES FAIL OR ARE SLOW AT STOPPING QUITE OFTEN EVEN WHEN PADS ARE REPLACED. 4) CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATES. THIS HAS CAUSED MANY NEAR MISSES. THIS HAPPENS AT ANY SPEED AND ALSO HAPPENS WHILE USING CRUISE CONTROL. THIS HAPPENS ALMOST DAILY.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
THIS WAS THE SCARIEST THING I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED AND I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE SAME THING THAT HAPPEND WITH MY CAR ALSO HAPPEND TO SOMEONE ELSE THAT I KNOW. NO SAFETY DEFECT.
I HAVE ALSO HAD PROBLEM WITH SIGNAL LIGHT NOT WORKING AND THE SMOKE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. *AK
Official recalls
191V214000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Dec 6, 1991
THE REVERSE SERVO APPLY PIN MAY BIND IN THE CASE WHICH COULD CAUSE REVERSE BAND DISTRESS (LOSS OR SLIPPING OF REVERSE), REVERSE BAND DRAG IN DRIVE RANGE (POOR PERFORMANCE -- POOR POWER), OR THE TRANSMISSION TO REMAIN IN REVERSE WHILE THE SHIFT INDICATOR SHOWS NEUTRAL GEAR POSITION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE TRANSMISSION REMAINS IN REVERSE WHILE THE SHIFTINDICATOR SHOWS NEUTRAL, THE VEHICLE MAY UNEXPECTEDLY MOVE REARWARD AND RESULTIN A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
Remedy: REPLACE THE TRANSAXLE WHERE REQUIRED.
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
1PE94063 · Corroded Rear Disk Brakes
Opened Aug 12, 1994 · Closed Dec 21, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
There is no summary currently available