2003 Pontiac Grand Am Problems, Recalls & Reliability
436 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2003 Pontiac Grand Am, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 41/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 75,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2003 sits among all Grand Am years
What owners report
“Turn signal switch activates all by itself, at will, at any time. Switch is combo for hazard and turn signal. (same switch). Circuit opens and closes randomly.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Grand Am
“Car overheated cuz of a blown head gasket failure i have to replace the whole engine”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Grand Am
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 302 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 69,588 miles. Half of those reports fall between 40,000 and 101,100 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
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.
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 124, 'ACCELERATOR CONTROL SYSTEMS.' IN HOT AMBIENT CONDITIONS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ARM MAY STICK AT THE ATTACHMENT TO THE BRACKET AND NOT RETURN TO…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ARM AND REPLACE THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDAL ASSEMBLY WITH A NEW ASSEMBLY, IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 20, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT…
Technical service bulletins
461 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2003 Pontiac Grand Am. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2003 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 2003 Pontiac Grand Am reliable?
The 2003 Pontiac Grand Am drew 436 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 41/100, scored against the model's worst year (1999).
What are the most common 2003 Pontiac Grand Am problems?
The top reported problems for the 2003 Pontiac Grand Am are electrical (214 complaints), engine (42), and speed control (35).
At what mileage do 2003 Pontiac Grand Am problems show up?
Owners most often report 2003 Pontiac Grand Am problems around 69,588 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 40,000 and 101,100 miles.
Does the 2003 Pontiac Grand Am have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2003 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.