IllustrationDRIVE TRAIN FAILED/LEAKED.
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
What owners actually said
213 reportsDRIVING AT APPROX 25-35 MPH REAR ENDED VEHICLE IN FRONT DUAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. $9000 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO FRONT END ALONE. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THROUGH INTERSECTION WHEN A VEHICLE RAN A RED LIGHT AND CREATED A HEAD-ON COLLISION. CONSUMER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLO., THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY $,5000 IN DAMAGES TO CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS INJURED DURING IMPACT, HER FOOT BROKE IN FIVE PLACES. *AK
DRIVERS DOOR LOCK CONTROL MODULE FAILED, PREVENTING DOOR FROM LOCKING OCCASIONALLY.
RIGHT SIDE (BOTH FRONT AND BACK WINDOW MOTOR STOPPED GOING UP AND DOWN.
DOOR FAILS TO OPEN OR CLOSE.
ENGINE OVERHEATED; OPERATING TEMPERATURE GOES AS HIGH AS 240 DEGREES, NOT SUPPOSE TO GO OVER 195 DEGREES. *AK
ACCELERATOR BRAKE CABLE BROKE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE. BY STEPPING ON THE BRAKE WA SABLE TO COAST TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF INTERSTATE AND STOP. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED BEFORE/AFTER RECALL REPAIR.
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ABOUT 25-30 MPH, VEHICLE SHUT DOWN OR STALL OUT FOR NO REASON, COAST TO SIDE OF ROAD TRIED RESTARTING BUT FAILED TO START, FINALLY TOOK TO DEALER AND WAS PUT ON DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE AND INFORMED ELECTRIC SHORT; WIRES ON ENGINE BURNED & CAUSE COMPUTER TO SHUT DOWN. *AK *JB
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