IllustrationTHE STEERING COLUMN HAD TO BE REPLACED ON THE CONSUMERS 1994 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. *JB THE STEERING WHEEL HAD COME OUT OF THE POST. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE CONSUMER THE DIRECTIONAL LIGHT AND THE HAZARD LIGHTS HAD BECOME INOPERATIVE. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. *SC
1994 Pontiac Grand Prix
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Grand Prix years
Owner complaints for the 1994 Pontiac Grand Prix are substantially higher than 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: 10 of 213 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.
- Visibility. Review the 65 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 44 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
25 crash reports2 fire reports19 injury reports
Steering complaints
9 reportsI HAVE ALREADY REPORTED THIS, HOWEVER MY PROBLEM IS THAT GENERAL MOTORS REFUSES TO FIX THIS AT THEIR COST AND IT IS A POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD. THE STEERING COLUMN EMITS A SMOKE AND BURNING SMELL. THEN IN TURN MAKES THIS TIME THE TURN SIGNAL INOPERABLE AT TIMES. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM AROUND 6 TIMES AND THE FUMES COMING FROM IT …
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I HAVE ALREADY REPORTED THIS, HOWEVER MY PROBLEM IS THAT GENERAL MOTORS REFUSES TO FIX THIS AT THEIR COST AND IT IS A POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD. THE STEERING COLUMN EMITS A SMOKE AND BURNING SMELL. THEN IN TURN MAKES THIS TIME THE TURN SIGNAL INOPERABLE AT TIMES. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM AROUND 6 TIMES AND THE FUMES COMING FROM IT IS AWFUL I AM AFRAID ITS TOXIC OR THAT A FIRE MAY START. I SENT GM A LETTER WITH ALL THE RECURRING PROBLEMS AND THEY REFUSE TO FIX IT AT THEIR COST. THEY SAY THEY CAN'T HELP ME. I FEEL I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO KEEP PAYING FOR A RECURRING PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY ONE THAT MAY RESULT IN A FIRE. SHORTING OF WIRES IN THE STEERING COLUMN DOESN'T SEEM TO BE SERIOUS ENOUGH FOR GM TO TAKE ACTION.
DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30MPH DOWN THE ROAD, WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE COMING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION CROSSED THE CENTER LINE AN HIT THE VEHICLE HEAD-ON. THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. *AK
STEERING WHEEL INSTALLED INCORRECTLY PROHIBITING AIR BAG TO DEPLOY DURING CRASH AND STEERING COLUMN SMOKES.
SMOKE COMES OUT OF THE STEERING COLUMN.
WAS IN A HEAD-ON CIOLLSION, THE DRIVER'S AND PASEENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY AND DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT CAME LOOSE . *AK
THERE'S A SHORT IN THE STEERING COLUNM. IN ORDER TO OPERATE THE WINDSHEILD WIPERS THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL HAS TO BE ON . PLEASE DESCRIBE IN DETAIL *AK
SIGNAL SWITCH SHORTED OUT, CAUSING SMOKE TO ENTER VEHICLE. *AK
1) VEHICLE CONSUMES OIL W/NO INDICATOR TO IDENTIFY. SEVERAL DEALERS IN AREA CAN'T DETECT CONSUMPTION. 2) SPEED CONTROL ENGAGES W/NO ACTIVATION OF SWITCH. TT VEHICLE HAS ROUGH IDLE. TURN SIGNALS DO NOT TURN OFF SOMETIMES AND THEY MAKE LOUD NOISES, POSSIBLE WIRING PROBLEMS. RACK AND PINION STICKS. BRAKE DUST FLOWING FROM WHEE…
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1) VEHICLE CONSUMES OIL W/NO INDICATOR TO IDENTIFY. SEVERAL DEALERS IN AREA CAN'T DETECT CONSUMPTION. 2) SPEED CONTROL ENGAGES W/NO ACTIVATION OF SWITCH. TT VEHICLE HAS ROUGH IDLE. TURN SIGNALS DO NOT TURN OFF SOMETIMES AND THEY MAKE LOUD NOISES, POSSIBLE WIRING PROBLEMS. RACK AND PINION STICKS. BRAKE DUST FLOWING FROM WHEELS AND MAKES THEM RUSTY. VEHICLE LEAKS WHEN IT RAINS. WINDOWS WERE REPLACED AND STILL NOT VERY FUNCTIONAL. INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED, BATTERY ILLUMNATED, REPLACED ALTERNATOR. DASHBOARD IS SEPARATING. MUFFLER IS RUSTING. FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY, VEHICLE EXPERIENCES SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *SLC
Official recalls
197V017000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:switch/wiring
Feb 11, 1997
SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A STRAINED OR SEPARATED WASHER/WIPER SWITCH POWER FEED WIRE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CAN CAUSE THE WINDSHIELD WASHER/WIPER TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY AND COULD ULTIMATELY RESULT IN INOPERATIVE WIPERS. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR IN A SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION, DRIVER VISIBILITY COULD BE REDUCED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE OLD DESIGNED WASHER/WIPER SWITCHES WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED SWITCH.
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
2EA96010 · Windshield Wiper Failures
Opened Jun 18, 1996 · Closed Feb 19, 1997
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility
BY LETTER DATED FEBRUARY 4, 1997, GM NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT WAS GOING TO RECALL 349,331 MODEL YEAR 1994 AND 1995 W CAR VEHICLES.THE W CAR MODELS OF CHEVROLET, BUICK, OLDSMOBILE, AS WELL AS THE SUBJECT PONTIAC GRAND PRIX MODELS ARE INCLUDED.THE RECALL (97V-017) WILL INVOLVE REPLACING ALL THE OLD STYLE WINDSHIELD WIPER SWITCHES WITH THE LATER IMPROVED SWITCH, WITH THE LONGER WIRING HARNESS.DUE TO GM'S SAFETY-RECALL ACTION, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.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 FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
PE96011 · Windshield Wiper Failure
Opened Feb 8, 1996 · Closed Jun 18, 1996
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility
There is no summary currently available