2002 Pontiac Grand Prix Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 62 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix, 19% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 91,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “fire department” (21% of reports).
- 62engine and engine cooling complaints
- 91,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- 28%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.
- Fire department: mentioned in 13 of 62 complaints (21%)
- Intake manifold: mentioned in 12 of 62 complaints (19%)
- Engine compartment: mentioned in 10 of 62 complaints (16%)
- Consumer writes regards: mentioned in 5 of 62 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 44 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 62 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 32 a fire, 1 an injury.
Pontiac Grand Prix engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 Grand Prix | 5 | 3% | 61,400 |
| 2007 Grand Prix | 4 | 2% | 98,590 |
| 2006 Grand Prix | 6 | 3% | 49,000 |
| 2005 Grand Prix | 6 | 4% | 11,000 |
| 2004 Grand Prix | 41 | 9% | 52,500 |
| 2003 Grand Prix | 16 | 15% | 75,000 |
| 2002 Grand Prix | 62 | 19% | 91,000 |
| 2001 Grand Prix | 102 | 33% | 96,500 |
| 2000 Grand Prix | 151 | 33% | 91,582 |
| 1999 Grand Prix | 152 | 37% | 98,000 |
| 1998 Grand Prix | 90 | 18% | 109,791 |
| 1997 Grand Prix | 136 | 17% | 137,000 |
| 1996 Grand Prix | 13 | 16% | — |
| 1995 Grand Prix | 11 | 7% | 123,250 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe; engine and engine cooling:engine
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 engineÂs 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 cooling
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 engineâs front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engineâs 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 cooling
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 engineâs front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engineâs 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> .
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V701000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be serviced because it was an older vehicle, and the dealer…
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 pontiac grad prix. The contact stated that after the vehicle was serviced by an independent mechanic for a tune-up, oil change and no failure codes found. The contact stated after retrieving the vehicle from the mechanic, she was driving approximately 45 mph when smoke…
2002 pontiac grand prix. Consumer writes in regards to engine oil deposits onto exhaust manifold recall notice and seeks refund for engine compartment fire damages. *smd

Frequently asked questions
Do all 2002 Pontiac Grand Prixs have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 62 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix (19% of the 330 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 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix engine and engine cooling?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list engine and engine cooling. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 91,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix?
The most frequent phrase is “fire department”, in 13 of 62 complaints, followed by “intake manifold” (12).
Other 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix problems
See all 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Grand Prix years.