2002 Pontiac Grand Am Problems, Recalls & Reliability
549 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2002 Pontiac Grand Am, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 37/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 79,250 miles.
Below average
Where 2002 sits among all Grand Am years
What owners report
“The left rear turn signal went out i have replaced all bulbs and nothing the headlights auto dosent work most of the time the turn signal stopped working thrday afterbi bought the car.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Grand Am
“Oil leak oil leaking on hot exhaust manifold causing fire while either running or driving may cause engine fire don't seem safe to me someone ownng and driving this car as i smell oil burning when i shut off car not safe to me if gm knows about this problem that's the way i wanna go car fire safty…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Grand Am
“The car was bought used in july of 2003, it had 36k. In febuary 2005 the car had 53k, and needed the fromt brake pads changed. The pads were changed, and it's now may 2005, and the pads are almost gone. I've some research on the internety and found that several others have had this same problem…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Grand Am
“While driving 40 mph, the right knuckle separated causing the right wheel to break and turn onto its side while on the highway. The capability of steering was gone and there was no way to control the vehicle. As a result, the car turned over onto its top in a ditch. This accident totaled the…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Grand Am
“Pass lock sensor.wont start due to security light.have to wait 10 min until it stops flashing to turn car on.happened 4 times this month.getting worse.a friend had this problem also,she told me what to do.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Grand Am
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 367 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 70,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 42,000 and 101,500 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
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.
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
457 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2002 Pontiac Grand Am. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2002 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 2002 Pontiac Grand Am reliable?
The 2002 Pontiac Grand Am drew 549 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 37/100, scored against the model's worst year (1999).
What are the most common 2002 Pontiac Grand Am problems?
The top reported problems for the 2002 Pontiac Grand Am are electrical (260 complaints), engine (66), and brakes & stability (47).
At what mileage do 2002 Pontiac Grand Am problems show up?
Owners most often report 2002 Pontiac Grand Am problems around 70,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 42,000 and 101,500 miles.
Does the 2002 Pontiac Grand Am have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2002 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.