1999 Pontiac Grand AM Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Grand AM years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 849 complaints with NHTSA about the 1999 Pontiac Grand AM. That is the most of any Grand AM model year in the database (11 years). The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (203 complaints, 24%), typically at around 58,250 miles. Complaints mention 73 crashes, 13 fires, 60 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 849owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 73complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1999 Pontiac Grand AM problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 203 | 24% | 58,250 | “brake pads” (14%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 133 | 16% | 65,000 | “manifold gasket” (23%) | $1,400 |
| Electrical System problems | 132 | 16% | 79,000 | “intake manifold” (5%) | — |
| Suspension problems | 107 | 13% | 72,339 | “coil spring” (33%) | $880 |
| Visibility problems | 88 | 10% | 72,535 | “side window” (20%) | $740 |
| Air Bags problems | 76 | 9% | 96,750 | “air bags deployed” (17%) | — |
| Steering problems | 70 | 8% | 72,750 | “steering pump” (11%) | — |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 68 | 8% | 56,500 | “turn signal” (28%) | — |
| Structure | 45 | 5% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 33 | 4% | 39,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 33 | 4% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 33 | 4% | 77,060 | — | — |
| Power Train | 32 | 4% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 23 | 3% | 63,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 17 | 2% | 56,268 | — | — |
| Seats | 16 | 2% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 14 | 2% | 22,500 | — | — |
| Wheels | 14 | 2% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 13 | 2% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 11 | 1% | 126,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 5 | 1% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 0% | 99,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 0% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 0% | 141,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 0% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1999 Pontiac Grand AM recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:ignition
Problem: 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. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Risk: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
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. GM's number for this recall is 14350.
Structure:body
Problem: Vehicle description: these vehicles do not comply with the occupant protection requirements of fmvss no. 201, "occupant protection in interior impact." the console cover on these vehicles does not stay closed when a specified vertical load is applied.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the console cover could open and the cover or items stored under it could injure an occupant.
Fix: Dealers will replace the console latch mechanism.
Steering: steering wheel/handle bar
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The steering wheel can come loose from the steering shaft because the steering wheel retaining nut could have been improperly tightened.
Risk: This condition could cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the steering wheel retaining nut for correct tightness and tighten if necessary.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Turn signal failures (RQ04005) — opened Jun 18, 2004, closed Nov 30, 2004.
- Front suspension coil spring fracture (EA03021) — opened Nov 4, 2003, closed Oct 19, 2004.
- Front suspension coil spring fracture (PE03031) — opened Jul 14, 2003, closed Nov 4, 2003.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Our braking system on this car failed us, and is probably crushed by now at no fault of my own. My safety was atârisk when the brakes lost pressure and if it wasnât for our seatbelts, I couldâve been thrown through the windshield. I hereby declare that [XXX] deliberately caused our accident…
The gas gauge will show full then without warning quickly drop to âEâ and the low fuel indicator will ding and the light will come on then just as quickly as it started it will go back to full or 2/3rds the slow creep back to the full position. (The tank was not full) While driving all the…
Tl* the contact owned a 1999 pontiac grand am. The contact stated that while driving about 60 mph, the vehicle crashed into a concrete barrier that was pushed over to the contact's lane, following an accident that involved two trucks. The passenger's air bag deployed. No other air bag deployed…
Windshield and rear window were broke and both have broke into shards. Windshield was approximently 3" in diameter and half inch wide and rear window was approximently 5" and quarter in wide.
The hazard switch makes a noise like the hazard lights are flashing when they aren't even on. To get my blinkers to work i have to push the hazard button on and off several times.
Other Pontiac Grand AM years
← 1998 Grand AM · 2000 Grand AM →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Grand AM | 102 | 2 |
| 2004 Grand AM | 293 | 2 |
| 2003 Grand AM | 325 | 2 |
| 2002 Grand AM | 395 | 1 |
| 2001 Grand AM | 538 | 4 |
| 2000 Grand AM | 675 | 5 |
| 1999 | 849 | 3 |
| 1998 Grand AM | 172 | 1 |
| 1997 Grand AM | 383 | 2 |
| 1996 Grand AM | 450 | 4 |
| 1995 Grand AM | 409 | 1 |
See all Pontiac Grand AM problems by year, every Pontiac model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Pontiac models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Pontiac Grand AM?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, engine and engine cooling, electrical system problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 203 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1999 Pontiac Grand AM?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1999 Pontiac Grand AM a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Grand AM model years, the 1999 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.