1996 Pontiac Grand Am Problems, Recalls & Reliability
672 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1996 Pontiac Grand Am, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 56/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 104,000 miles.
Below average
Where 1996 sits among all Grand Am years
What owners report
“Vehicle has had continued problems with fuses shorting out causing loss of hazard, turn and brake lights.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Grand Am
“The sensor, due to water in and under the carpeting,caused the driver side air bag to deploy. Yh”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Grand Am
“My extended waranty put a used engine in after the original blew up. The engine they sent had to be sent back because it was also no good . It had 18,000 on it when it was sent to replace. Now they are sending another engine . It is now a month later then when i took it to the shop and it is still…”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Grand Am
“Coonsumer was driving approximately 65mph when she smelled smoke. Pulled to the side of the road, and there was smoke at driver's and passenger's front brakes.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Grand Am
“Had all 4 power window motors fail within the past yr. Also pass power lock failure”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Grand Am
“While driving at 65 mph no prior warning vehicle started to lose power. Consumer pressed on the accelerator, and vehicle felt like it wanted to cut off. But, vehicle didn't cut off, and consumer was able to get vehicle to dealer. Dealer checked the vehicle and noticedtransmission fluid should have…”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Grand Am
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 104 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 103,494 miles. Half of those reports fall between 69,000 and 142,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
CERTAIN DELPHI FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS, P/NOS. FP10020-11B1, FP10026-11B1, AND FP10027-11B1, SOLD AFTER JANUARY 9, 2007, AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE UNIVERSAL PRESSURE REGULATORS (UPR) WERE PRODUCED WITHOUT AN…
Fix: DELPHI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE UPR FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 23, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT DELPHI AT 877-411-8770.
CERTAIN DELPHI AFTERMARKET FUEL PUMP MODULES / MODULE RESERVOIR ASSEMBLIES (MRA) THAT WERE SOLD FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED VEHICLES. DURING PRODUCTION THE MRAS VENT AND FUEL RETURN TUBES WERE REVERSED. THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN THE VEHICLE NOT RUNNING…
Fix: DELPHI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE MRAS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 20, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT DELPHI AT 1-877-335-7443.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE ENGINE FAILS TO START AND THE DRIVER HOLDS THE KEY IN THE "START" POSITION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, HIGH CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND SOMETIMES PRODUCES ENOUGH HEAT TO MELT INTERNAL SWITCH PARTS.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RELAY KIT IN THESE VEHICLES TO PREVENT HIGH CURRENT FROM FLOWING THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 27, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN…
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR THE INTERIOR LAMPS TO COME ON UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE THE VEHICLES ARE BEING DRIVEN. THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 101, "CONTROLS AND DISPLAYS."
Fix: DEALERS WILL RUN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST ON THE LAMP CONTROL MODULE AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE IT.
THE FRONT AND/OR REAR HAZARD WARNING LAMPS (FOUR-WAY FLASHERS) DO NOT FLASH WHEN THE HAZARD SWITCH IS ACTIVATED. THIS FAILS TO COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."
Fix: DEALERS OR VEHICLE OWNERS WILL INSPECT FOR PROPER FUNCTION OF THE HAZARD WARNING LAMPS. IF NECESSARY, DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HAZARD LAMP SWITCH.
THE STEERING COLUMN LOWER PINCH BOLT WAS NOT PROPERLY TIGHTENED DURING ASSEMBLY.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE STEERING COLUMN PINCH BOLT FOR CORRECT TORQUE AND, IF NECESSARY, TIGHTEN THE BOLT TO THE SPECIFIED TORQUE.
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: AIR BAGS
ON JUNE 26, 1998, GENERAL MOTORS BEGAIN A SAFETY RECALL, 98V-146, TO RECALIBRATE THE AIR BAG SENSING AND DIAGNOSTIC MODULE (SDM) IN THE 1996 AND SOME 1997 J BODY CARS, CAVALIER AND SUNFIRE.DUE TO CERTAIN CALIBRATIONS IN THE AIR BAG SDM, THERE IS AN INCREASED RISK OF INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT…
Technical service bulletins
66 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and brakes & stability — are on file for the 1996 Pontiac Grand Am. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1996 Grand Am TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1996 Pontiac Grand Am reliable?
The 1996 Pontiac Grand Am drew 672 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 56/100, scored against the model's worst year (1999).
What are the most common 1996 Pontiac Grand Am problems?
The top reported problems for the 1996 Pontiac Grand Am are electrical (170 complaints), airbags (108), and engine (83).
At what mileage do 1996 Pontiac Grand Am problems show up?
Owners most often report 1996 Pontiac Grand Am problems around 103,494 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 69,000 and 142,000 miles.
Does the 1996 Pontiac Grand Am have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 1996 Pontiac Grand Am. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.