2001 Pontiac Grand Prix Problems, Recalls & Reliability
427 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix, alongside 10 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 58/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 116,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1990–1993, 1996, 2003, 2005, 2008.
Avoid
Where 2001 sits among all Grand Prix years
What owners report
“Engine compartment fire approximately 15 minutes after shutdown. Incident 2015-00006331”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Grand Prix
“I was pulled over by police for no rear lights. Upon investigation, found multi-function switch bad/jammed. Hazard light button stuck in up position. If pushed to the side and held, lights operate as advertised for some period of time, but will at some point stop working without my knowledge.…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Grand Prix
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 278 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 97,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 60,000 and 152,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (10)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were…
Fix: The remedy applied under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engine’s front valve cover and gasket.…
DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 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: DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING 1,497,516 MY 1997-2003 BUICK REGAL, MY 1998-2003 CHEVROLET LUMINA, MONTE CARLO AND IMPALA, MY 1998-1999 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE, MY 1997-2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 3.8L V6 NATURALLY ASPIRATED ENGINE. SOME OF…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ENGINE’S FRONT VALVE COVER AND FRONT-VALVE-COVER GASKET WITH NEW PARTS OF AN IMPROVED DESIGN AND REMOVE THE ENGINE’S PLASTIC COVER AND PLASTIC OIL-FILL-TUBE EXTENSION, FREE…
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.
DORMAN IS RECALLING 979 STEERING KNUCKLES, DORMAN P/NOS. 697-902 AND 697-903, SOLD UNDER DORMAN'S "OE SOLUTIONS<SUP>TM</SUP>" BRAND NAME, AND NAPA P/NOS. 7-8502 AND 7-8503 WHICH WERE SOLD FOR REPLACEMENT USE ON THE VARIOUS VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. A POTENTIAL…
Fix: DORMAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE STEERING KNUCKLES FREE OF CHARGE AND REIMBURSE THE REPAIR FACILITY OR OWNER FOR LABOR. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 23, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT…
GM IS RECALLING 207,542 MY 1997-2003 BUICK REGAL AND PONTIAC GRAND PRIX VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 3.8L SUPERCHARGED V-6 ENGINE. THESE VEHICLES HAVE HIGHER FRONT ROCKER COVER GASKET TEMPERATURES, CREATING THE POTENTIAL FOR EARLIER DEGRADATION OF THE FRONT…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ENGINE’S FRONT VALVE COVER AND FRONT-VALVE-COVER GASKET WITH NEW PARTS OF AN IMPROVED DESIGN AND REMOVE THE ENGINE’S PLASTIC COVER AND PLASTIC OIL-FILL-TUBE EXTENSION, ALONG…
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.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND MINI VANS, SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A PASSENGER AIR BAG THAT WAS MANUFACTURED WITHOUT A CHECK VALVE PIN. AN AIR BAG WITHOUT THE CHECK VALVE PIN COULD PRODUCE INCREASED PRESSURE AT THE ONSET OF THE AIR BAG…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE PASSENGER AIR BAG. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN DECEMBER 16, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE…
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND MINIVANS. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG INFLATOR MODULES WERE BUILT WITHOUT THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF GENERANT, WHICH PRODUCES THE GAS THAT FILLS THE AIR BAG. SOME WERE BUILT WITH A DOUBLE LOAD OF GENERANT AND…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PASSENGER AIR BAG MODULE. TELEPHONE CALLS WERE MADE TO OWNERS ON JANUARY 29, 2001. FOLLOW UP OWNER MAILING BEGAN ON APRIL 17, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN…
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES, LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND MINI VANS EQUIPPED WITH TRW SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES. THE BUCKLE BASE OF THESE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES WERE NOT PROPERLY HEAT TREATED AND THEREFORE DO NOT PASS THE LOAD…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLE'S SAFETY BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY DATE CODES AND, IF NECESSARY, WILL REPLACE ANY SAFETY BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 08V118000.
Led to recall campaign 04V090000.
Technical service bulletins
374 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2001 Grand Prix 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 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix reliable?
The 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix drew 427 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 58/100, scored against the model's worst year (1997).
What are the most common 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix problems?
The top reported problems for the 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix are engine (173 complaints), electrical (83), and transmission & drivetrain (22).
At what mileage do 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix problems show up?
Owners most often report 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix problems around 97,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 60,000 and 152,000 miles.
Does the 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix have recalls?
10 recall campaigns apply to the 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix. 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.