21 of the 1,064 complaints about the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix are about the body and structure — 2% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 80,000 miles.
21
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
STRUCTURE:BODY
ROCKER PANEL IS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. CONTACTED PONTIAC AND THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. MY CAR IS A '97 AND I HAVE OLDER CARS THAT DID NOT RUST AS BAD AS THIS.
NHTSA complaint #10118396 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE
THIS IS THE WORST AUTOMOBILE I HAVE EVER OWNED. IT IS NICKEL AND DIMING ME TO DEATH. BOTH BACK WINDOWS ARE BEING HELD UP IN PLACE BY STICKS THAT I HAVE PROPED UNDER THEM. THE FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW I PAID $300 TO HAVE REPAIRED. THE STEERING LOCKED UP ON ME AND I HAD TO DISH OUT $500 TO GET THAT REPAIRED, GM RECALLED IT A COUPLE OF WEEKS AFTER THAT, THANK GOD I GOT SOME OF MY MONEY BACK FOR THAT REPAIR. THE PASSENGERS SIDE HEAD LIGHT LENS COVER FELL OFF $75 TO REPLACE THAT. I AM PRESENTLY WORKING ON THE BRAKE TRANSMISSION SHIFT INDICATOR WHICH I JUST CALLED THE DEALER FOR A PRICE ON THE PART AND AM TOLD IT WILL BE $224.07 FOR THE PART AND PROBABLY $115 FOR THE LABOR. THE ENGINE LEAKS OIL I HAD MY WIFE TAKE IT TO THE SHOP FOR THEM TO TAKE A LOOK AT AND THEY TOLD HER THAT NO LEAKS WERE EVIDENT. WELL THE OIL IN MY DRIVEWAY IS COMING FROM SOMEWHERE. I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER GM PRODUCT IN MY LIFE AGAIN. NOT EVEN IF IT IS GIVEN TO ME AND 10,000 TO USE TOWARD THE REPAIRS OF IT.
NHTSA complaint #10070584 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE
UNDERBODY WHEEL COWLING AND BODY MOLDING PARTS FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #567744 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
APPEARS TO BE SOME SORT OF TAPE ON DIVIDER FRAMES BETWEEN FRONT AND BACK WINDOWS IS SLOWLY PEELING OFF, EXPOSING BARE METAL THAT IS SLOWLY RUSTING. ALSO, TAPE IS DETERIOTATING ON SMALL WINDOW FRAME DIVIDER IN BACK SEAT, EXPOSING BARE METAL AS WELL. THESE ARE OUTSIDE THE CAR, THUS THEY ARE SLOWLY RUSTING.
NHTSA complaint #756770 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #756092 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
POWER LOCKS WOULD CONTINUALLY LOCK AND UNLOCK BY THEMSELVES WHEN DRIVING UNDER 45 MPH. DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. *AK
NHTSA complaint #897354 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
LENS COVER, WAS INDICATED NOT TO BE COVERED BY THE WARRANTY WHEN IT WAS AN OBVIOUS DESIGN DEFECT, IN THAT THE GLUE CHOSEN TO ATTACH THE LENS COVER WAS NOT ABLE TO HANDLE THE HEAT OF THE HALOGEN LIGHT BULB AND/OR SOLAR HEAT COMBINED; THE GLUE BECAME BRITTLE AND CRACKED. BOTH FACIA ON THE FRONT DOOR PANELS HAVE COME LOOSE ON THE END. WHEN THE DOOR IS OPENED THIS FACIA BENDS THE QUARTER PANEL IT HITS AND AFFECTS THE ABILITY OF THE CAR DOOR TO BE OPENED. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM ON BOTH FRONT DOORS AND NEWER MODELS HAVE BEEN ALTERED TO ALLOW FOR A CLEARANCE BETWEEN THESE PARTS THAT IS NOT ON THE 1997 GRAND PRIX.
NHTSA complaint #737197 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
PASSENGER'S DOOR SLID FORWARD/FRAME SHIFTED. PRESENTLY, THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN, AND NOT FLUSH WITH FENDER. WHEN OPENING DOOR THE BODY CAVED IN. SHE HAS CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP.
NHTSA complaint #871208 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
SPECIFICALLY ASKED DEALER IF CAR HAD BEEN WRECKED AND WAS TOLD NO (WITH WITNESS) - MY CONCERNS ARE THAT CAR MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BEYOND ACCEPTABLE SAFETY LIMITS OR REPAIRS WERE NOT DONE PROPERLY, AS WELL AS MISREPRESENTATION AT TIME OF SALE (CAR WAS PRESENTED AND PRICED AS NON-WRECKED) AND NON-CONCERN WHEN I SHOWED THEM THE DAMAGE SIGNS WITHIN A MONTH AFTER THE SALE - I WOULD LIKE TO CHECK PREVIOUS TITLES FOR SALVAGE CLAIMS....HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY POPPED OFF WITHOUT WARNING....ABS SYSTEM STARTS CYCLING DURING NON-PANIC BRAKING MAKING IT HARD TO STOP, ALMOST CAUSING REAR-END ACCIDENTS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS....ROTORS BECAME DANGEROUSLY WARPED, I REPLACED THEM WITH NEW PADS (ALL FOUR) AND ROTORS ARE NOW WARPED AGAIN.
NHTSA complaint #720093 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
SPECIFICALLY ASKED DEALER IF CAR HAD BEEN WRECKED AND WAS TOLD NO (WITH WITNESS) - MY CONCERNS ARE THAT CAR MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BEYOND ACCEPTABLE SAFETY LIMITS OR REPAIRS WERE NOT DONE PROPERLY, AS WELL AS MISREPRESENTATION AT TIME OF SALE (CAR WAS PRESENTED AND PRICED AS NON-WRECKED) AND NON-CONCERN WHEN I SHOWED THEM THE DAMAGE SIGNS WITHIN A MONTH AFTER THE SALE - I WOULD LIKE TO CHECK PREVIOUS TITLES FOR SALVAGE CLAIMS....HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY POPPED OFF WITHOUT WARNING....ABS SYSTEM STARTS CYCLING DURING NON-PANIC BRAKING MAKING IT HARD TO STOP, ALMOST CAUSING REAR-END ACCIDENTS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS....ROTORS BECAME DANGEROUSLY WARPED, I REPLACED THEM WITH NEW PADS (ALL FOUR) AND ROTORS ARE NOW WARPED AGAIN.
NHTSA complaint #720093 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
SPECIFICALLY ASKED DEALER IF CAR HAD BEEN WRECKED AND WAS TOLD NO (WITH WITNESS) - MY CONCERNS ARE THAT CAR MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BEYOND ACCEPTABLE SAFETY LIMITS OR REPAIRS WERE NOT DONE PROPERLY, AS WELL AS MISREPRESENTATION AT TIME OF SALE (CAR WAS PRESENTED AND PRICED AS NON-WRECKED) AND NON-CONCERN WHEN I SHOWED THEM THE DAMAGE SIGNS WITHIN A MONTH AFTER THE SALE - I WOULD LIKE TO CHECK PREVIOUS TITLES FOR SALVAGE CLAIMS....HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY POPPED OFF WITHOUT WARNING....ABS SYSTEM STARTS CYCLING DURING NON-PANIC BRAKING MAKING IT HARD TO STOP, ALMOST CAUSING REAR-END ACCIDENTS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS....ROTORS BECAME DANGEROUSLY WARPED, I REPLACED THEM WITH NEW PADS (ALL FOUR) AND ROTORS ARE NOW WARPED AGAIN.
NHTSA complaint #720093 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
VEHICLE WINDSHIELD WIPER ARM (DRIVERS) CREAKING NOISE (I BELIEVE A RECALL IS UNDERWAY). LOOSE TRIM THROUGHOUT. REARVIEW MIRROR REPLACED, BATTERY DIED (CAR WAS TOWED), POWER WINDOW FAILED (DEALER REPLACED), HEADLIGHTS ADMIT MOISTURE, ASHTRAY OPENS BY ITSELF, SEAT SQUEAKS, DASH RATTLES, RATTLE ALSO COMES FROM REAR OF CAR, VEHICLE VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, SEATBELTS DO NOT RETRACT, LEATHER ON SEATS IS CRACKING, KEY KNOB HAS TOO SHORT A RANGE, STICHING IS COMING OFF THE LEATHER WRAPPED STEERING WHEEL, ALSO THE CLUB LOCK BURNS INPRINTS INTO WHEEL IF LEFT ON IN THE SUMMER SUN, HEADLIGHTS TURN ON IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, BRAKES STOP WORKING IN HEAVY RAIN OR WHEN COMING OUT OF THE CAR WASH, THE POWER DOOR LOCK SWITHCH ON THE PASSENGERS DOOR FELL INTO THE DOOR, VARIOUS RETAINING CLIPS HAVE BROKEN OFF TRIM, ETC.
NHTSA complaint #719842 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #715819 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID
TRUNK LID SPOILER MAKING DIRECT CONTACT WITH TRUNKLID AND CAUSING PAINT UNDERNEATH THE SPOILER AND ON THE TRUNKLID TO CRACK , PEEL, FLAKE OFF, RESULTING IN PREMATURE RUSTING PROBLEMS , YET TO BE A TSB TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM BY PONTIAC MOTOR DIVISION. I AM CURRENTLY A MEMBER OF A 2500 MEMBERSHIP STRONG PONTIAC GRAND PRIX CLUB NATIONWIDE, THAT FACES THE SAME EXACT DILEMMA AS I AM GOING THROUGH. WE NEED A QUICK FIX METHOD OF REPAIR TO ELEVIATE THE PROBLEM FROM OCCURING AGAIN. PLEASE HELP, AS NOBODY HAS A SOLUTION TO OUR PROBLEM ON THESE $25,000 PLUS CARS.
NHTSA complaint #713228 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
BETWEEN THE REAR SEAT AND THE TRUNK THERE WAS NOTHING DEVIDING THE TWO. A 2 LITER BOTTLE IN THE TRUCK IMPACTED INTO A CHILDS BACK SEATED IN THE REAR SEAT CAUSING AN INJURY
NHTSA complaint #710799 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
DOOR PANELS FAILED. MJS
NHTSA complaint #608109 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
THE PASS THROUGH, BETWEEN THE TRUNK AND THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, DESIGN DOES NOT KEEP ITEMS STORED IN THE TRUNK FROM CRASHING THROUGH INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WHEN VEHICLE IS STOPPED SUDDENLY.
NHTSA complaint #538247 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
DOOR TRIM AND PANEL LOOSE DUE TO BAD RETAINERS.
NHTSA complaint #542681 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
DOORS LEAK AIR AND MOISTURE INTO VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #532933 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS
REAR BUMPER IS VERY FLIMSY AND LOOSE, THE CONSUMER FEELS IT CAN OFFER NO PROTECTION IN CASE OF ACCIDENT.
NHTSA complaint #522133 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS
TWO SIDED TAPE USED TO AFFIX FENDER TO BODY DID NOT SEAL WELL AND CAUSED THE FENDER TO COME OFF.
NHTSA complaint #515937 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.