1996 Pontiac Grand AM Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 122 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 1996 Pontiac Grand AM, 27% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 107,350 miles. The words owners use most often: “ignition switch” (19% of reports).
- 122electrical system complaints
- 107,350median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 35%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Ignition switch: mentioned in 23 of 122 complaints (19%)
- Provide further: mentioned in 10 of 122 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 19 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 122 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 11 a fire, 2 an injury.
Pontiac Grand AM electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Grand AM | 40 | 39% | 87,814 |
| 2004 Grand AM | 140 | 48% | 92,000 |
| 2003 Grand AM | 134 | 41% | 75,000 |
| 2002 Grand AM | 148 | 37% | 80,795 |
| 2001 Grand AM | 232 | 43% | 85,000 |
| 2000 Grand AM | 130 | 19% | 85,000 |
| 1999 Grand AM | 132 | 16% | 79,000 |
| 1998 Grand AM | 33 | 19% | 74,899 |
| 1997 Grand AM | 105 | 27% | 106,358 |
| 1996 Grand AM | 122 | 27% | 107,350 |
| 1995 Grand AM | 120 | 29% | 126,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Electrical system:ignition:switch
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles. If the engine fails to start and the driver holds the key in the "start" position for an extended period, high current flows through the ignition switch, and sometimes produces enough heat to melt internal switch parts.
Risk: If the switch is damaged, a fire could occur in the steering column, even with the engine off and the key removed.
Fix: Dealers will install a relay kit in these vehicles to prevent high current from flowing through the ignition switch. Owner notification began march 27, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, pontiac at 1-800-762-2737, buick at 1-800-521-7300, or oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I was driving down hiway the car died i turned it to the right to get off the hiway and the airbag on drivers side exploded, i had the car towed and was told the pass key system or theft system went bad in ignition switch and no explanation why air bag went off? Or how to fix any of it, this is now…
Car would not start. Steering locked and transmission stuck in park.key would not turn. Towed car home. Removed the ignition switch and found the ignition lock had melted. The obvious fire hazard prompted a recall search for the make and model finding an ignition recall has been issued. I contacted…
I started my car in a parking lot and was driving approx 10mph when the car died almost immediately, after restart, it did it again. Then, it wouldn't even turn over. I had it towed to a mechanic who told me that it was probably a bad fuel pump. Turns out it was the pontiac anti-theft device that…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1996 Pontiac Grand AMs have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 122 owner complaints about electrical system for the 1996 Pontiac Grand AM (27% of the 450 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Pontiac Grand AM electrical system?
Yes: 1 safety recall list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 107,350 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 1996 Pontiac Grand AM?
The most frequent phrase is “ignition switch”, in 23 of 122 complaints, followed by “provide further” (10).
Other 1996 Pontiac Grand AM problems
See all 1996 Pontiac Grand AM problems or electrical system problems across all Grand AM years.