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Model file · PontiacUpdated · 16 sources

Sell your old Pontiac Grand Am as it sits

The Grand Am was recalled three separate times for the same ignition switch problem. Crank a stubborn engine with the key held over for a long time and heavy current flows through the switch; the notices warn the heat can melt parts. Each time, GM fixed the Grand Am with a relay kit, under 00V287 for the 1994-1995 cars, 02V070 for the 1996-1997 cars and 04V036 for the 1998 cars. All three campaigns also cover other GM models, so their vehicle totals (699,617, 1,589,948 and 1,415,231) are not Grand Am counts.

A white fifth-generation Pontiac Grand Am SE sedan with ribbed lower door panels, parked in a store lot
Photo: IFCAR · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Model years in EPA data
1985-2005
Complaints to NHTSA
5,578
Year with the most complaints
1999 (849)
Most-named component
Electrical system (1,249)
Recall campaigns
32
Last generation's engines
2.2 Ecotec four, 2.4 Twin Cam four, 3.4 V6
Replaced by
Pontiac G6 (2005)

The newest Grand Am is now more than 20 years old. When one needs more than it is worth, sell the whole car as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and pickup is free anywhere in the US.

Three generations, three sets of complaints

NHTSA's complaint file holds 5,578 complaints on Grand Ams from 1985 to 2005, counted as of October 10, 2026. Generations and engines below come from Wikipedia.

1985-1991: front-drive N-body (238 complaints)

The third-generation Grand Am was a front-drive compact built in Lansing, Michigan, on GM's N-body. Engines were a 2.0-liter LT3 turbo four, the 2.3-liter LD2 and LG0 fours and the 2.5-liter Tech IV four.

These years have few complaints. For most Grand Am years, engine and engine cooling tops the list. The recalls tell more: cracks around the door striker bolt hole in the body pillar on 1985-1986 cars (87V124), and fuel hoses that could crack and leak into the engine bay on 1987 cars (87V184) and 1988-1989 cars (90V042 and 92V150). Those campaign counts can include other GM cars.

1992-1998: the fourth generation (2,163 complaints)

Wikipedia gives four Grand Am engines: an L40 2.3-liter four, an LD2/LG0 2.3-liter DOHC four, an LD9 2.4-liter four and an L82 3.1-liter V6. Complaints climb fast. The 1994 has 59 complaints that flag a crash and 51 that flag an injury. The 1995 has 43 that flag a fire, and the electrical system leads with 107. On the 1996, air bags lead with 102.

Besides the ignition relay recalls, the 1996 has a recall for hazard lamps that may not flash (96V250) and one for interior lamps that come on while driving (98V027).

1999-2005: the last Grand Am (3,177 complaints)

The fifth generation was built from April 1998 to May 10, 2005, on the N-body/GMX130, alongside the Oldsmobile Alero and Chevrolet Malibu. Engines were the 2.2-liter L61 Ecotec four, the 2.4-liter LD9 Twin Cam four and the 3.4-liter LA1 V6.

These seven years hold more than half of all Grand Am complaints. The 1999 has the most of any year, 849, and service brakes lead it with 163. It also has 16 complaints that note a death. On the 2000, exterior lighting leads with 144. Every year from 2001 through 2005 has electrical complaints at the top.

Recalls for these years include the ignition key ring fix (14V400, 1999-2005), a console cover that won't stay closed (00V140, 1999-2000), a cracking hazard switch (03V327, 2000-2001) and an accelerator pedal arm that can stick in hot weather (04V528, 2003).

Complaints and recalls, year by year

Tallied from the NHTSA owner-complaint download dated October 10, 2026. Injury and death columns count complaints reporting one. A recall that spans several model years is counted in each. The thin 1985-1990 years share one row.

Model yearComplaintsInjuries reportedDeaths reportedRecallsMost-named component
1985-19901561114, 1, 2, 2, 2, 0 by yearEngine and engine cooling (most years)
199182722Engine and engine cooling (19)
19921681223Engine and engine cooling (48)
19932041421Engine and engine cooling (48)
19943775152Electrical system (66)
19954096201Electrical system (107)
19964506904Air bags (102)
19973833632Electrical system (82)
19981721121Service brakes (30)
199984960163Service brakes (163)
20006754045Exterior lighting (144)
20015381604Electrical system (196)
20023952301Electrical system (125)
20033252882Electrical system (115)
20042931812Electrical system (121)
2005102712Electrical system (34)

Across every Grand Am year, owners name the electrical system most (1,249), then engine and engine cooling (732), hydraulic service brakes (622), exterior lighting (406) and air bags (359).

Worth fixing?

Hold the shop estimate up to what a running Grand Am of your year sells for.

  • Look up recalls before anything else. Put the Grand Am's VIN into NHTSA's recall page and ask a dealer about open ones.
  • Won't start? On 1994-1998 cars, ask whether the ignition relay recall was ever done before you assume the engine is gone. If it is gone, see blown engine.
  • Brakes or lights? Those lead the late-1990s and 2000s complaints. The bad brakes guide covers when a brake job stops making sense.
  • Lots of small things? Read old or high mileage.

How the sale works

Gather three things: the VIN, the odometer reading and a list of faults. Then request an offer here or dial (877) 421-6008. Describe where the Grand Am sits (curb, backyard, carport) and whether the wheels turn, so the truck is set up for it. Pickup is free anywhere in the US. Keep the wheels, battery and catalytic converter on; anything already gone belongs in your description. When the driver arrives, the title, the keys and your ID change hands. After you sell covers plates and insurance by state, and selling with no title helps if the title is lost.

More Pontiacs: the G6, the Sunfire, the Grand Prix, or the Pontiac page.

Questions people ask

Which Grand Am model years have the most NHTSA complaints?
It's the 1999 Grand Am, at 849 complaints by October 10, 2026, ahead of the 2000 (675) and 2001 (538). All three are fifth-generation cars. The 2005 Grand Am, its final year, has 102, and those last cars spent the fewest seasons driving before owners could file.
What is the Grand Am ignition key recall?
Recall 14V400 covers 1999-2005 Grand Ams. Until the repair, the notice tells owners to strip the ring down to just the ignition key. The dealer fix adds two key rings plus a key slot insert, or puts a cover on the key head. The 5,877,718 vehicles in that campaign include other GM models.
My Grand Am won't start. Will you still buy it?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Tell us your Grand Am won't start, if its wheels turn, and where it's parked.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. EPA fuel economy data: Pontiac Grand Am model years fueleconomy.gov
  2. NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  3. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 00V287: ignition switch relay kit, 1994-1995 nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 02V070: ignition switch relay kit, 1996-1997 nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 04V036: ignition switch relay kit, 1998 nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 14V400: ignition key, 1999-2005 nhtsa.gov
  8. NHTSA recall 87V124: body pillar cracks, 1985-1986 nhtsa.gov
  9. NHTSA recall 90V042: front fuel feed hose, 1988-1989 nhtsa.gov
  10. NHTSA recall 92V150: front fuel feed hose, 1988-1989 nhtsa.gov
  11. NHTSA recall 87V184: fuel hoses, 1987 nhtsa.gov
  12. NHTSA recall 96V250: hazard lamps, 1996 nhtsa.gov
  13. NHTSA recall 03V327: hazard switch, 2000-2001 nhtsa.gov
  14. NHTSA recall 00V140: console latch, 1999-2000 nhtsa.gov
  15. NHTSA recall 04V528: accelerator pedal, 2003 nhtsa.gov
  16. Wikipedia: Pontiac Grand Am (generations, engines, production) en.wikipedia.org