1999 Pontiac Grand Am Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,318 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1999 Pontiac Grand Am, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Brakes & stability leads the reports, typically around 40,500 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 1999 Pontiac Grand Am sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1990–1991, 1998, 2005.
Avoid
Where 1999 sits among all Grand Am years
What owners report
“Brakes - i had a terrible squeeling coming from the brakes replaced pads 5x's and rotors 3x's”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Grand Am
“Mechanic notice that upon impact to the right front, whether it is small or large impact, the battery tray either breaks off or the battery slides off of the tray causing severe acid damage to the abs unit, radiator fan shroud assy, transmission, wiring, exhaust heat shield, manifold and intake. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Grand Am
“Engine running hot/over heating due to coolant leak. The leak was caused by faulty intake manifold gasket.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Grand Am
“1999 pontiac grand am brakes creek all the time had fixed three times, just lost the spring in left rear tire , could have resulted in a accident.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Grand Am
“Cigarette lighter does not work, hazard lights and blinkers work intermittently, gas cap is broken, windshield has 3 chips, radio volume knob works intermittently, steering has jerked when rounding corners, heater fan speeds 1 and 2 do not work at all, cruise doesn't work intermittently, rubber…”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Grand Am
“Passenger air bag failed to deploy and seat belt failed during the accident but deployed later when the passenger touched the dashboard causing injury. Yh”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Grand Am
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 395 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 70,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 40,600 and 89,990 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring.…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2014.…
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
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 TRADESONIC COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108,…
Fix: TRADESONIC WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JULY 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TRADESONIC AT 626-934-8884.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: THESE VEHICLES DO NOT COMPLY WITH THE OCCUPANT PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 201, "OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN INTERIOR IMPACT." THE CONSOLE COVER ON THESE VEHICLES DOES NOT STAY CLOSED WHEN A SPECIFIED VERTICAL LOAD IS APPLIED.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CONSOLE LATCH MECHANISM.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE STEERING WHEEL CAN COME LOOSE FROM THE STEERING SHAFT BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL RETAINING NUT COULD HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY TIGHTENED.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE STEERING WHEEL RETAINING NUT FOR CORRECT TIGHTNESS AND TIGHTEN IF NECESSARY.
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
155 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on visibility & wipers and body & structure — are on file for the 1999 Pontiac Grand Am. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1999 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 1999 Pontiac Grand Am reliable?
The 1999 Pontiac Grand Am drew 1,318 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (1999).
What are the most common 1999 Pontiac Grand Am problems?
The top reported problems for the 1999 Pontiac Grand Am are brakes & stability (271 complaints), electrical (236), and engine (155).
At what mileage do 1999 Pontiac Grand Am problems show up?
Owners most often report 1999 Pontiac Grand Am problems around 70,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 40,600 and 89,990 miles.
Does the 1999 Pontiac Grand Am have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 1999 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.