IllustrationPASSENGER'S DOOR IS SIGHTLY HANGING OUT WHICH MAY CAUSE THE DOOR TO FALL OFF UNEXPECTEDLY, AND MAY RESULT IN INJURIES. PIN BROKE ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR. ALSO, VEHICLE HAS BEEN LOSING OIL DUE TO MALFUNCTIONING VALVE COVER GASKET. *AK
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 reportsINTERMITTENTLY WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECOME INOPERABLE, OBSTRUCTING THE VIEW OF THE DRIVER. VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED UNDER UNDER A RECALL. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. RECALL 97V017000. *AK
WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 12/15/99 AND 12/16/99 VEHICLE STALLED GOING 55 AND STARTED BACK UP AND STALLED TWO MORE TIMES. ALSO GAUGES ON VEHICLE JUMPED WHEN TRIED TO RESTART. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
DOES GMC CARE ABOUT THIS? 4 ALTERNATORS IN 3.5 YEARS. THIS IS EXPENSIVE, AND MY CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE DEALER SAYS THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THEY HAVE REPLACED MY ALTERNATOR TWICE NOW, AND I HAD A LOCAL SHOP DO IT THE OTHER TWO TIMES. (THE DEALER BEING THE 2 MOST RECENT.) THIS PROBLEM ALARMS ME. W…
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DOES GMC CARE ABOUT THIS? 4 ALTERNATORS IN 3.5 YEARS. THIS IS EXPENSIVE, AND MY CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE DEALER SAYS THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THEY HAVE REPLACED MY ALTERNATOR TWICE NOW, AND I HAD A LOCAL SHOP DO IT THE OTHER TWO TIMES. (THE DEALER BEING THE 2 MOST RECENT.) THIS PROBLEM ALARMS ME. WHAT IF MY WIFE IS DRIVING THE CAR AND IT JUST DIES? FORTUNATELY, I WAS AT A LIGHT WHEN THE CAR DIED. IN TRAFFIC? I SHUDDER AT THAT THOUGHT. AND WHEN THE DEALER SAYS "GM KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM" AND NOTHING IS DONE, THAT'S ANNOYING. MY BROTHER ALSO HAD A 92 GRAND PRIX (WHICH WAS TRADED IN) AND HE WENT THROUGH 3 ALTERNATORS ALSO. THAT IS 7 ALTERNATORS IN MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY. CAN ANYTHING BE DONE REGARDING THIS ISSUE? THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. *AK
I HIT A DEER AT 55MPH HOOD R FENDER HEADLIGHTS BUMPER COVER REPLACED PLUS RADIATOR. AT THIS SPEED THE AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED, HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT. *AK
RECEIVED RECALL #97V01700. CONTACTED DEALER. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. WAS INFORMED VEHICLE NOT UNDER RECALL. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER & INFORMED VEHICLE WAS RECALLED & CONSUMER SHOULD GO TO DIFFERENT DEALER. AT OTHER DEALER, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED VEHICLE ALREADY REPAIRED. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER & TOLD THERE WAS A PROBLEM & HAD INV…
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RECEIVED RECALL #97V01700. CONTACTED DEALER. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. WAS INFORMED VEHICLE NOT UNDER RECALL. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER & INFORMED VEHICLE WAS RECALLED & CONSUMER SHOULD GO TO DIFFERENT DEALER. AT OTHER DEALER, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED VEHICLE ALREADY REPAIRED. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER & TOLD THERE WAS A PROBLEM & HAD INVOICE SHOWING NOT REPAIRED. WINDSHIELD WIPERS HAVE FAILED DUE TO INCONSISTENCIES ON DEALERS PART. OWNER WANTS PROBLEM RESOLVED. *AK
ABS BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. COMMON PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
ALL SORTS OF BRAKE PROBLEMS, BROKEN HOOD OPENER, KNOBS FOR HEAT, ADJUSTMENT FELL OFF, LIGHTBULBS FOR LICENSE PLATE SHORT OUT, ALSO PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT BOTTOM TURN SIGNAL, AND FOG LIGHTS.
WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED PERFORMING DURING A RAINSTORM. DEALER SAID WINDSHIELD WIPER SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
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