1999 Pontiac Grand Prix Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Dec 12, 2022 · 412 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Grand Prix years
More complaints than other years 5th of 14 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 412 complaints with NHTSA about the 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix. That ranks 5th out of 14 Grand Prix model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (152 complaints, 37%), typically at around 98,000 miles. Complaints mention 13 crashes, 125 fires, 9 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 6 defect investigations involving it.

Pontiac Grand Prix
2004-2007 Pontiac Grand Prix photographed in USA.. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Engine and Engine Cooling152 · ~98,000 mi
Steering58 · ~64,000 mi
Engine50 · ~160,000 mi
Electrical System47 · ~107,000 mi
Visibility30 · ~39,674 mi
Power Train24 · ~57,000 mi
Fuel System, Gasoline16 · ~108,500 mi
Service Brakes, Hydraulic16 · ~57,500 mi
Air Bags14 · ~100,000 mi
Equipment13 · ~56,284 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Engine and Engine Cooling problems15237%98,000“intake manifold” (20%)$2,050
Steering problems5814%64,000“rack pinion” (40%)—
Engine problems5012%160,000“engine cooling” (48%)—
Electrical System4711%107,000——
Visibility307%39,674——
Power Train246%57,000——
Fuel System, Gasoline164%108,500——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic164%57,500——
Air Bags143%100,000——
Equipment133%56,284——
Suspension102%101,000——
Wheels102%110,500——
Unknown or Other92%49,100——
Exterior Lighting82%78,900——
Vehicle Speed Control82%28,000——
Structure72%66,152——
Seat Belts51%92,500——
Fuel System, Other31%74,963——
Fuel/propulsion System20%88,000——
Tires20%———
Interior Lighting10%———
Latches/locks/linkages10%———
Parking Brake10%104,000——
Service Brakes10%104,000——
Service Brakes, Air10%———
Visibility/wiper10%———

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2003, with 68 complaints
1999: 1419992000: 352001: 2120012002: 312003: 682003682004: 412005: 1520052006: 142007: 2520072008: 322009: 1920092010: 142011: 820112012: 62013: 520132014: 102015: 1720152016: 282017: 320172018: 22019: 220192021: 12022: 12022

n = 412 complaints · Source: NHTSA

1999 Pontiac Grand Prix recalls (4)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe; engine and engine cooling:engineOct 26, 2015 · NHTSA campaign 15V701000 · 1,003,556 vehicles

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold.

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

Fix: The remedy applied under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engine’s front valve cover and gasket. Vehicles that are covered by recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, or 15V-201 that have not yet received the original remedy will instead receive the improved remedy under the original recall number. The recall began on February 19, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Oldsmobile customer service at 1-800-442-6537 and Pontiac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 15757. Note: Until the improved remedy has been applied, owners are advised to park their vehicle outside since the fire risk exists even when the vehicle is unattended.

Engine and engine coolingApr 8, 2009 · NHTSA campaign 09V116000 · 1,497,516 vehicles

Problem: General motors is recalling 1,497,516 my 1997-2003 buick regal, my 1998-2003 chevrolet lumina, monte carlo and impala, my 1998-1999 oldsmobile intrigue, my 1997-2003 pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l v6 naturally aspirated engine. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which drops of engine oil may be deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking.

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 and beyond increasing the risk of an engine compartment fire.

Fix: Dealers will replace the engineâ’s front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engineâ’s plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537, and pontiac at 1-800-620-7668 or http://www.pontiac.com or http:www.gmownercenter.com.

Engine and engine coolingMar 12, 2008 · NHTSA campaign 08V118000 · 207,542 vehicles

Problem: Gm is recalling 207,542 my 1997-2003 buick regal and pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l supercharged v-6 engine. These vehicles have higher front rocker cover gasket temperatures, creating the potential for earlier degradation of the front rocker cover gasket and eventual oil seepage.

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. If the manifold is hot enough and the oil runs below the heat shield, it may ignite into a small flame and, in some instances, the fire may spread to the plastic spark plug wire channel and beyond.

Fix: Dealers will replace the engineâ’s front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engineâ’s plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, along with the 1-3-5 spark plug wire retainers, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. , free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. Until the remedy is completed, gm strongly recommends that owners observe the following important precautions (1) that owners do not park their vehicle in a garage, car port, or other structure; (2) if owners notice a burning odor, they should have their dealer inspect the vehicle. The dealer will inspect the vehicle without charge; (3) use premium fuel (91 octane or higher) in the vehicle as recommended in the vehicle's owner manual. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080 or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668, or through their website at <a href=http://www.gmownercenter.com>http://www.gmownercenter.com</a> .

Air bags:frontalJan 25, 2002 · NHTSA campaign 02V027000 · 1,730 vehicles

Problem: On certain passenger vehicles and mini vans, the driver's air bag inflator modules could produce excessive internal pressure. In the event of a crash that would trigger a driver's air bag deployment, the increased internal pressure can cause the inflator module to explode.

Risk: Metal and plastic debris could cause severe injury to vehicle occupants.

Fix: Dealers will replace the driver air bag module. Owner notification began february 1, 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 pontiac at 1-800-762-2737.

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

  • Engine compartment fire (EA07008) — opened Jun 12, 2007, closed May 1, 2008, led to recall 08V118000.
  • Engine compartment fire (PE07006) — opened Jan 29, 2007, closed Jun 12, 2007.
  • Engine compartment fires (EA02030) — opened Oct 22, 2002, closed Mar 9, 2004, led to recall 04V090000.
  • Engine compartment fires (PE02050) — opened Jun 13, 2002, closed Oct 22, 2002.
  • Air bag inflator (EA01014) — opened Jun 11, 2001, closed Aug 26, 2002, led to recall 02V027001.
  • Driver air bag malfunction (PE01002) — opened Jan 10, 2001, closed Jun 11, 2001.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

1999 pontiac gran prix. Consumer writes seeking reimbursement for vehicle repairs made related to nhtsa safety recall.

Engine · received Dec 12, 2022 · NHTSA complaint 11497002

valve covers leaks oil on to the exhaust and started a lil fire

Engine · received Dec 7, 2021 · NHTSA complaint 11443019

Tl* the contact owned a 1999 pontiac grand prix. After the vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic and parked, it caught fire. The contact noticed black smoke under the hood and an abnormal fuel odor inside the vehicle. The mechanic was able to extinguish the fire. There were no injuries. The…

Engine · received Apr 29, 2019 · NHTSA complaint 11204317

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 08V118000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL…

Engine · received Apr 10, 2019 · NHTSA complaint 11195377

Car started on fire twice causing other damages besides recall defect. I was driving the car when these fires happened. Also i do not know if the air bags in this car are takata or not. I don't need these air bags to cause problems. The gm dealer seems to be harassing me about fixing this recall.

Engine · received Jul 9, 2018 · NHTSA complaint 11110142

Other Pontiac Grand Prix years

← 1998 Grand Prix · 2000 Grand Prix →

See all Pontiac Grand Prix problems by year, every Pontiac model, or the VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix?

Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, steering, engine problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 152 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix?

Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Grand Prix model years, the 1999 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.