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1999 Pontiac Grand PrixProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 412 owner complaints about the 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 15V-701 the manufacturer reports only 26% of affected cars repaired.

26
CarFlaw IndexYear to avoid2.8× the Grand Prix median · #4 of 21 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Lowest repair rate 26%Owner complaints412146 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage97kEngine and engine cooling, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through December 12, 2022. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix has problems

412 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
Engine and engine cooling15272
Steering583
Engine5034
Electrical system4726
Visibility300
Power train243
Service brakes, hydraulic161
Fuel system, gasoline167
Air bags148
16 other systems749

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

4 recalls

1999 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.

26%repaired · 2017 Q3

Engine and engine cooling: engine

Recall 15V-701 · Oct 26, 2015 · 1,003,556 vehicles · 265,197 repaired

Risk. Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Engine and engine cooling

Recall 09V-116 · Apr 8, 2009 · 1,497,516 vehicles

Risk. IF THE MANIFOLD IS HOT ENOUGH AND THE OIL RUNS BELOW THE HEAT SHIELD, IT MAY IGNITE INTO A SMALL FLAME AND MAY SPREAD TO THE PLASTIC SPARK PLUG WIRE CHANNEL…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Engine and engine cooling

Recall 08V-118 · Mar 12, 2008 · 207,542 vehicles

Risk. CERTAIN UNDERHOOD FIRES MAY BE CAUSED BY DROPS OF ENGINE OIL, FROM SEEPAGE OR SPILLAGE, BEING DEPOSITED ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD THROUGH HARD BRAKING.

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.

Mileage at failure

When do engine and engine cooling problems start?

97kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 109 engine and engine cooling complaints. 51% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
3under 30k miles56under 100k miles53100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Engine and engine cooling

11 owners mentioned a cost

$1,200median

Middle half: $850 – $3,750

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

1999 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
6 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix, and the recalls they led to.

  1. AIR BAG INFLATOREA01014 · closed Aug 26, 2002
    Led to recall 02V-027
  2. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESEA02030 · closed Mar 9, 2004
    Led to recall 04V-090
  3. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIREEA07008 · closed May 1, 2008
    Led to recall 08V-118
  4. DRIVER AIR BAG MALFUNCTIONPE01002 · closed Jun 11, 2001
    No recall
  5. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESPE02050 · closed Oct 22, 2002
    No recall
  6. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIREPE07006 · closed Jun 12, 2007
    No recall
In owners' words

What Grand Prix owners report

Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IT CAUGHT FIRE. THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE FIRE STARTED UNDERNEATH THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT…
Complaint 10913684 · Oct 4, 2016 · 160,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, BLACK SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE TO STOP THE SMOKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS…
Complaint 10894849 · Aug 10, 2016 · 125,000 miles
1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE FIRE AND EXHAUST MANIFOLD RECALL NOTICE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE NO LONGER OWNS THE VEHICLE, SINCE THE FIRE OCCURRED A YEAR AGO. *JB
Complaint 10852639 · Mar 30, 2016

Own a 1999 Grand Prix?

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