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1990 Pontiac Grand PrixProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 176 owner complaints about the 1990 Pontiac Grand Prix, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. It is covered by 8 safety recalls.

53
CarFlaw IndexSolid year12% below the Grand Prix median · #12 of 21 years by complaints
Safety recalls8Free fix at dealersOwner complaints17622 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem92Service brakes, hydraulic

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 19, 2007. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1990 Pontiac Grand Prix has problems

176 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Service brakes, hydraulic927
Structure251
Electrical system172
Engine and engine cooling160
Suspension131
Steering110
Exterior lighting90
Parking brake71
Power train50
9 other systems209

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

8 recalls

1990 Pontiac Grand Prix recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Structure

Recall 00V-189 · Jul 11, 2000 · 713,435 vehicles

Risk. IF BOTH BOLTS PULL THROUGH, THE FRONT OF THE CRADLE WOULD NO LONGER BE SUPPORTED AT THE MOUNTING LOCATIONS AND THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT COULD SEPARATE…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Wheels

Recall 95V-115 · Jun 5, 1995 · 22,361 vehicles

Risk. IF WHEEL SEPARATION OCCURS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE OCCURS, AND A VEHICLE CRASH COULD RESULT WITHOUT…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Wheels

Recall 94V-041 · Mar 28, 1995 · 198,163 vehicles

Risk. IF WHEEL SEPARATION OCCURS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE OCCURS, AND A VEHICLE CRASH COULD RESULT WITHOUT…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 4 more recalls
–no report yet

Seat belts

Recall 91V-005 · Oct 2, 1991 · 412,792 vehicles

Risk. WEBBING SEPARATION COULD OCCUR WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING ANDINCREASE THE RISK OF INJURY TO BELTED FRONT OUTBOARD OCCUPANTS IN A HIGH ENERGYCRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Seat belts

Recall 90V-054 · Mar 14, 1990 · 673,000 vehicles

Risk. SEAT BELT MAY NOT SUSTAIN LOADS REQUIRED BY FMVSS 210, AND IN A VEHICLE ACCIDENT, THE SEAT BELT MAY NOT PROPERLY RESTRAIN A PASSENGER, RESULTING IN INCREASED…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Pontiac.

Best & worst years

1990 vs. every other Grand Prix year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Grand Prix median. How we score

'65'66'70'72'73'74'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

1990 Pontiac Grand Prix safety ratings

1990 Pontiac Grand Prix 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
10 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1990 Pontiac Grand Prix, and the recalls they led to.

  1. ENGINE CRADLE SEPARATIONEA00011 · closed Jan 12, 2001
    Led to recall 00V-189
  2. JACK FAILUREEA91049 · closed Oct 28, 1992
    No recall
  3. STICKING THROTTLEEA92024 · closed Jan 31, 1994
    No recall
  4. FAILURE STOP LAMP SWITCHPE90088 · closed Oct 31, 1990
    Led to recall 90V-185
  5. STEERING WHEEL SEPARATIONPE91072 · closed Jul 8, 1991
    No recall
  6. JACK FAILUREPE91107 · closed Nov 26, 1991
    No recall
  7. WHEEL FAILURESPE93085 · closed Feb 28, 1994
    Led to recall 94V-041
  8. CORRODED REAR DISK BRAKESPE94063 · closed Dec 21, 1994
    No recall
  9. STRUCTURERP01001 · closed Jun 13, 2002
    Led to recall 00V-189
  10. CRADLE BOLT FAILURESRQ97017 · still open
    Led to recall 97V-058
In owners' words

What Grand Prix owners report

Recent service brakes, hydraulic complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

VEHICLE'S REAR BRAKES WERE INOPERATIVE. RUST ACCUMULATED ON THE SURFACE OF THE BRAKES. AS A RESULT THE ROTORS AND PADS DID NOT COME IN CONTACT. *NLM
Complaint 10012290 · Mar 24, 2003 · 900,000 miles
REAR BRAKES AREN'T RESPONDING APPEARING FROZEN ONLY LEAVING FRONT BRAKES TO ABSORB ALL STOPPING ABILITY. PLEASE DESCRIB DETAILS. TT
Complaint 975791 · Nov 30, 1995
ABS BRAKES: REAR BRAKES ARE RUSTING. HAD TO REPLACE CALIPER, BRAKE PADS, REAR ROTORS THREE TIMES. TT THE VEHICLE MAKES CLUNKING NOISE AT LEFT REAR. HOT SMELL COMES WHEN SHIFTING THE OVER DRIVE. *YH
Complaint 975441 · Nov 27, 1995

Own a 1990 Grand Prix?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.