1998 Pontiac Grand Am Problems, Recalls & Reliability
236 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1998 Pontiac Grand Am, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 18/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Brakes & stability leads the reports.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 1998 Pontiac Grand Am has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 1998 sits among all Grand Am years
What owners report
“Front brake rotors warp causing uneven braking and can cause the vehicle to skid and loose control.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Grand Am
“The engine and transmission operation very erratic, hesitation and poor acceleration almost resulting in near accidents.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Grand Am
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 57 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 80,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 40,300 and 120,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
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, AND CHECK THAT YOUR CAR WILL START WITH A PROPERLY CHARGED BATTERY AND, IF…
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
62 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 1998 Pontiac Grand Am. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1998 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 1998 Pontiac Grand Am reliable?
The 1998 Pontiac Grand Am drew 236 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 18/100, scored against the model's worst year (1999).
What are the most common 1998 Pontiac Grand Am problems?
The top reported problems for the 1998 Pontiac Grand Am are brakes & stability (45 complaints), electrical (40), and engine (26).
At what mileage do 1998 Pontiac Grand Am problems show up?
Owners most often report 1998 Pontiac Grand Am problems around 80,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 40,300 and 120,000 miles.
Does the 1998 Pontiac Grand Am have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 1998 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.