2002 Pontiac Grand AM Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Grand AM years
- About as many complaints as other years 6th of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 395 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Pontiac Grand AM. That ranks 6th out of 11 Grand AM model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (148 complaints, 37%), typically at around 80,795 miles. Complaints mention 22 crashes, 3 fires, 23 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 395owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 22complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 148 | 37% | 80,795 | “ignition switch” (14%) | $660 |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 97 | 25% | 80,000 | “turn signal” (42%) | $580 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 54 | 14% | 56,937 | “timing chain” (19%) | $1,750 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 29 | 7% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 23 | 6% | 48,155 | — | — |
| Steering | 22 | 6% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 19 | 5% | 87,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 13 | 3% | 58,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 12 | 3% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 11 | 3% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 11 | 3% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 10 | 3% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 9 | 2% | 95,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 9 | 2% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 8 | 2% | 104,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 8 | 2% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 7 | 2% | 65,043 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 2% | 122,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 5 | 1% | 35,200 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 1% | 98,968 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 1% | 11,400 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 1% | 137,899 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 3 | 1% | 66,758 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 1% | 40,113 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 1% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 1% | 31,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Pontiac Grand AM recalls (1)
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.
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 (PE05055) — opened Sep 27, 2005, closed Jan 13, 2006.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
My pontiac grand am se 4ds 3.4 liter engine 2002 has a problem with the security light keeps coming on & stays on & then when i shut it off & then get back in car to start it , it wouldn't start the security light flashes & i have to wait 10 minutes or for it to go out leaving the car in on…
I was diving down hwy 70 going to pick up my first delivery for the day when, i'm not sure how but the key came out of the on postion and fell out on floor, scared i was going to crash i hurriedly reached down and put it back in and noticed the security light had came on and within minutes it lost…
I replaced the clock spring back in 2018 but the air bag light still on it has to be a airbag control module since i purchased my first car since 2011 it needs to be turned off
Takata recall transmission - shifts hard, went out with out any warning lights. Was at a stop light when i tried to go, it wouldn't go past 10 mph and went all the way up to 4th rpm. Power steering leaks bad.
Since the day i purchased the car it's had a strong gas odor that fills the inside of the car. It gets worse when you run the defrost and when the gas tank is on e. It's an everyday strong gas odor and most of the time it's everytime you drive it no matter how many times in one day or how long of a…
Other Pontiac Grand AM years
← 2001 Grand AM · 2003 Grand AM →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Grand AM | 102 | 2 |
| 2004 Grand AM | 293 | 2 |
| 2003 Grand AM | 325 | 2 |
| 2002 | 395 | 1 |
| 2001 Grand AM | 538 | 4 |
| 2000 Grand AM | 675 | 5 |
| 1999 Grand AM | 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
Embed this 2002 Pontiac Grand AM badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Pontiac Grand AM?
Owners most often report electrical system, exterior lighting, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 148 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Pontiac Grand AM?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 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 2002 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.