FaultScore

1998 Pontiac Grand Prix acceleration problems

11 of the 618 complaints about the 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix are about the throttle and cruise control — 2% of everything reported for this model year.

C

11

Complaints

1

Crashes

1

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Vehicle Speed Control 7 63.6%
Accelerator Pedal 2 18.2%
Cables 1 9.1%
Linkages 1 9.1%

Acceleration & Cruise Control across every Pontiac Grand Prix year

1994 21 26.6%
1995 13 16.5%
1997 16 20.3%
1998 11 13.9%
2004 18 22.8%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

Bascom, OH

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 65 MPH APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THEN, VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SPEED. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BY PULLING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IN ORDER TO STOP. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED.

NHTSA complaint #10100003 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Rogers City, MI

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE GEAR SHIFT BROKE. DEALER NOTIFIED, REPAIRED AND 20,000 MILES LATER PROBLEM REOCCURRED. PH

NHTSA complaint #10002041 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pittsford, NY

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

SPEED CONTROL WAS DEFECTIVE. NLM

NHTSA complaint #559970 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Allen Park, MI

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

CONSUMER ACCELERATED TO PASS A CAR AND THROTTLE STUCK OPEN, CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO GET IT TO RELEASE, THE BRAKES WERE BURNED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP VEHICLE, PONTIAC WOULD NOT FIX VEHICLE UNTIL A SATISFACTORY REASON FOR THE THROTTLE STICKING WAS FOUND. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #883283 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Alsip, IL Crash

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

MY CAR ACCELERATOR STUCK ON ME THIS MORNING WHEN I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AND THE NEXT THINK I KNEW WAS UP ON A SNOW BANK, THEN WHEN I PUT FOOT ON BRAKE AND WAS PUTTING IT INTO REVERSE TO COME OFF SNOWBANK, BEFORE I COULD EVEN GO NEAR THE GAS PEDAL, IT FLEW BACKWARDS ABOUT 100 FEET INTO A FENCE, AND WOULD ONLY STOP WHEN I FINALLY GOT A HOLD OF THE KEY TO TURN IT OFF. WHEW!! COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. TOOK IT TO THE PONTIAC DEALER BECAUSE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG, AND CHARGED ME A 75.00 INSPECTION FEE. COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. I ALMOST KILLED MYSELF AND KNEW IT WASNT ME, BECAUSE I WAS NEVER EVEN NEAR THE GAS WHEN IT HAPPENED.

NHTSA complaint #739851 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Oklahoma City, OK

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

VEHICLE REVVED UP TO MAXIMUM OF 4000 RPMS. CONSUMER HAD TO SHUT ENGINE OFF, SPEED WAS 20 MPH . VEHICLE STARTED TO ACCELERATE. BUT, DUE TO SNOW ON ROAD TIRES WERE JUST SPINNING. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO SHUT OFF ENGINE.

NHTSA complaint #877175 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Largo, FL

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED TO 75MPH. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #859307 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Dayton, OH

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND ATTEMTPING TO CHANGE LANES THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELORATD AND WENT INTO OTHER LANES.

NHTSA complaint #847345 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Canoga PAR, CA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

ABS SYSTEM FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SKID, RESULTING IN ACCIDENTS.

NHTSA complaint #608059 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Peachtree, GA Fire

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

VEHICLE WAS APPROACHING TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN INCURRED A SURGE IN ACCELERATION. DRIVER APPLIED BRAKES BUT ALSO HAD TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL TO AVOID HITTING OTHER VEHICLE. DROVE VEHICLE .7 MILES BY SHIFTING BETWEEN DRIVE AND NEUTRAL WITH ENGINE AT HIGH RPM. TURNED ENGINE OFF AND THEN PLUG WIRES AND WIRING HARNESS BURST INTO FLAMES.

NHTSA complaint #540120 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Racine, WI

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

ACCELERATOR CABLE CAME OUT OF THE NORMAL CHANNEL IN THE FIREWALL AND WAS STUCK IN A WIDE-OPEN POSITION , CAUSING SUDDEN ACCELERATION.

NHTSA complaint #530259 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix problems

← Full 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix report