RoadVitals

1988 Pontiac Grand Am Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
12
Latest May 6, 2002
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
39%
of 31 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1988 Pontiac Grand Am submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Engine
Filed May 6, 2002

ENGINE HEAD GASKET BLEWOUT. *AK

NHTSA ID
8009244
Engine
Filed Nov 15, 1999

AS STALLING EPISODES CONTINUED AND I COMPLETED NORMAL MAINTENANCE SERVISES, FINALLY A LOCAL PONTIAC DEALER DID COMPHREHENSIVE TESTS AND CHECKED WITHOUT CONCLUSIVE ANSWER TO PROBLEM . ON OCT.13TH.99. THE CAR BROKE DOWN , BACK FIRED, COULD NOT BE RESTARTED, WAS TOWED TO A PONTIAC DEALER WHO SAID HEAD GASKET HAD 1-1/2 INCH RUPTURE. NO REPAIR WAS DONE. CAR OPERATES AGAIN,AND CONTINUIES TO STALL. CAN IT BE ELECTRICAL CONECTION PROBLEM OR WHAT?

NHTSA ID
714827
Incident
Apr 1, 1999
Engine
Filed Jan 16, 1998

ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILURE.

NHTSA ID
529188
Incident
Jan 26, 1996
Engine
Filed Mar 25, 1996
Fire reported

INTERMITTENT STALLING FOLLOWED BY ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. *SD

NHTSA ID
503121
Incident
Mar 25, 1996
Engine
Filed Jan 25, 1996

ENGINE HEAD FAILED 2 TIMES. *SD

NHTSA ID
501070
Incident
Jan 25, 1996
Engine
Filed Jan 23, 1996

ENGINE HEAD GASKETS HAVE BLOWN IN THE QUAD 4 ENGINE, ALSO THERE IS FUEL LINE FAILURE. TT

NHTSA ID
978077
Incident
Jan 23, 1994
Engine
Filed Nov 27, 1995

BLEW THE HEAD GASKETS. TT

NHTSA ID
975438
Incident
Nov 21, 1994
Engine
Filed Sep 1, 1995

HEAD GASKET FAILED. *AK

NHTSA ID
483573
Incident
Mar 27, 1995
Engine
Filed Aug 23, 1995

STARTED ENGINE, CHECK GAUGE LIGHT CAME ON; CHECK GAUGES; SHOWED NO OIL PRESSURE; ENGINE COULD HAVE SEIZED UP. ALSO, IGNITION COIL COVERS GOES BAD. GIVE DETAILS.

NHTSA ID
970953
Incident
Aug 15, 1995
Engine
Filed May 11, 1995

ENGINE HEAD BLEW OUT, CAUSING WHITE SMOKE TO BE EMMITED THROUGH EXHAUST PIPES. RECALL REPAIRS REFUSED DUE TO AGE AND MILEAGE OF VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
486220
Incident
May 5, 1995
Engine
Filed Feb 27, 1995

VEHICLE WAS MAKING ABNORMAL SOUND, GUIDE ON TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN, ALSO REPLACED BELT TENSIONER. TT

NHTSA ID
960673
Incident
Nov 7, 1994
Engine
Filed Feb 27, 1995

REPLACED WATER PUMP. *AK

NHTSA ID
160673
Incident
Nov 3, 1994

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .