Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Pontiac Grand Am submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 21 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
WHEN TRYING TO START THE CAR THE STEERING LOCKS UP AND YOU HAVE TO MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL BACK AND FORTH FOR IT TO CATCH AND FINALLY WILL START LIKE IT KEEPS LOCKING UP. MY SON BOUGHT THIS CAR AS HIS FIRST CAR SO NO SURE HOW LONG IT HAS BEEN LIKE THIS DOING THIS AS WE PURCHASED FROM A FRIEND AND HE DID SAY THAT SOMETHING WAS UP WITH THE STEERING WHEN TRYING TO START.
THE MOST RECENT OF PROBLEMS IS MY STEERING WENT OUT ON ME WHILE TURNING IN TO A PARKING LOT. HAD MY MECHANIC LOOK AT IT AND HE SAID IT WAS THE RACK AND PINION SEAL THAT CAUSED IT TO POUR OUT THE FLUID. I HAVE ALSO HAD MANY OTHER PROBLEMS SUCH AS GAS LEAKING EVEN THOUGH ALL LINES WERE REPLACED. POWER STEERING LINE REPLACED DUE TO PIN HOLE LEAKS, MULTIPLE WHEEL BEARINGS, RADIATOR. IGNITION SWITCH, AND ONE OF THE SENSORS IN THE UPPER BACK SIDE OF THE MOTOR SOMEHOW CAME UNDONE AND MELTED THE CONNECTOR AND CAUSED A DEAD SHORT IN MY CAR. *TR
PASSLOCK SYSTEM TURNED CAR OFF IN MIDDLE OF HIGHWAY HAD TO PUSH CAR TO SIDE OF ROAD WITH 100'S OF CARS PASSING ME AT 65 MPH (LIFE THREATENING) RESET PASSLOCK BUT HAS DONE THE SAME 4 TIMES. *TR
DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR STEERING RECALL FOR THE BEARING GEAR AS STATED ON THE RECALL NOTICE. *AK
LEFT SIDE STEERING COLUM PIN FELL OUT STEERING WHEEL ALMOST FELL OFF DASH
WHEN A TURN WAS MADE, THE STEERING WHEEL PRODUCED A LOUD RUBBING NOISE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK THERE WERE HIGH IDLE PROBLEMS. THE INTERIOR LIGHTS AND THE POWER LOCKS WERE REPLACED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON AND THE VEHICLE HAD STARTED TO RUN ROUGH, THE ALTERNATOR LIGHT HAD COME ON AND THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED. THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT AND WAS REPLACED, THE LOWER FRONT CONTROL ARM WAS REPLACED, THE BLOWER MOTOR WAS REPLACED, THE COMPRESSOR WAS REPLACED, WHEN STARTING THE ENGINE COLD, THERE WAS A KNOCKING SOUND ON THE RIGHT SIDE UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS WARM ,THEN THE NOISE WOULD GO AWAY, SURGING WOULD ALSO OCCUR AND WOULD WORSEN WHEN THE ENGINE WAS WARMED, THE VOLUME ON THE RADIO WAS ERRATIC(HAD GONE UP WHEN TRYING TO TURN DOWN), THE SENSOR THROTTLE POSITION SHORTED AND WAS INTERMITTENT, THE VALVE AIR CONTROL WAS REPLACED, AND THE FUEL FILTER WAS REPLACED. *SCC *JB
WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE STEERING FAILED. *NLM
PRIOR TO OCTOBER 1999 VEHICLE'S STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK UP WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE LEFT TURNS. ON ONE OCCASION CONSUMER WAS COMING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY WHEN STEERING LOCKED UP, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HIT THE CURB. THIS INCIDENT CAUSED SOME MINOR DAMAGE TO BUMPER. *NLM. *AK
WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT STEERING WHEEL TIGHTENS UP AND IS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. *AKCONSUMER COULD NOT TURN VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT AS IF POWER STEERING FOR THE RIGHT SIDE COMPLETELY FAILED. TURNING TO THE LEFT POSED NO PROBLEM. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE RACK AND PINION NEEDED REPLACING. *JG
WHILE DRIVING 20 TO 25 MPH STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP.WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL IT WILL LOCK UP. DEALER CONTACTED.*AK
CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT TURN UNLESS MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL, THE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY CAN SHIFT SIDEWAYS A COUPLE INCHES BEFORE IT HITS AND THEN STARTS TURNING THE WHEEL, MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE UPPER STUD INTO THE FIREWALL HAD BROKEN OFF AND THE CALMP HOLDING THE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY WAS BENDING ON THE LOWER STUD UNTIL IT FINALLY BROKE OFF. *ET
I COMPLAINED NUMEROUS TIMES BEFORE ABOUT PONTIAC, AND THE THEFT DETERRENT SYSTEM GOING OUT FIVE TIMES STANDING MY WIFE, CHILDREN, GRADNDCHILDREN AND MYSELF. THIS TIME WE ALL WERE ON VBACATION AND THE MOTOR BLEW UP. PONTIAC REFUSED TO PAY THE RE[LACEMENT COST OF $5,500.00. THE STUPID CAR SHOULD HAVE BEE RECALLED AND YOU DID NOTHING.*AK
CAR HAS 2 PIN HOLE LEAKS (SO FAR) IN HOSE OF POWER STEERING PUMP THAT IS CAUSING FLUID ON THE RACK AND PINION.
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE SUDDENLY BECAME VERY HARD TO STEER. ALSO, WHEN MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN STEERING DID THE SAME. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS. DEALERSHIP WAS CALLED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. OWNER WAS TOLD TO CHECK WITH MANUFACTURER. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED.*AK
COOLANT IS LEAKING ONTO RACK AND PINION, DETERIORATING THE RACK AND PINION, AND MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER VEHICLE WHEN MAKING A TURN. ALSO, THERE IS ALOT OF PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND NOISE WHEN TURNING. POWER STEERING HOSE HAS GONE BAD. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. *AK POWERE STEERING HOSE AND WATER PUMP LEAKED CAUSING RACK AND PINION DAMAGE. FRONT BRAKE SHOES FAILED. *YH
THE ENGINE QUITS RUNNING WHILE DRIVING AND WILL NOT RESTART. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT THEN COMES ON AND THE CLOCK WILL NOT SHOW THE TIME. THE DEALER HAS SERVICED THE CAR 3 TIMES FOR THIS AND SAY IT IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT EACH TIME, EVEN THOUGH THE CAR DOES THE EXACT SAME THING EVERY TIME. THE WARRANTY IS ALMOST OUT AND WE FEEL THIS IS REDICULOUS! *AK
I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS FROM THIS CAR AND, GM DOES NOT WANT TO HELP. I WAS SENT OUT OF THE DEALER SHIP WITH NO HORN FOR THREE DAYS. DEALERS ARE NOW SMART ENOUGH TO WORK AROUND THE LEMON LAW IN WORDING REPAIR ORDERS. I THINK WITH ALL THE MOTOR PROBLEMS AND, SAFETY ISSUES MAYBE AN INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE DONE BEFORE A CAR STALLS AND SOMEONE GETS KILLED. *AK
HOSE HAS DEVELOPED PINHOLE LEAKS ALL ALONG THE HOSE
CAR TRIES TO DIE AS ATTEMPTING TO TAKE OFF IN A INTERSECTION OR FROM A STOP. I'VE HAD IN THE SHOP 3 TIMES AND NEVER HAS BEEN FIXED. PARKING BRAKE DOESN'T ENGAGE UNLESS PULLED TO LAST CLICK. ALL OF THE ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. POWER STEERING PUMP. AND OIL PUMP REPACED. SERVICE PERSON AT BOB HOWARD TOLD ME MY CAR WOU.IS CAR SINCE PURCHASE. I'M PLANNING ON TAKING IT BACK FOR ITS 4TH TIME. PLEASE HELP. *AK
ALARM SYSTEM FAILED ( TWICE ), ALARM WAS INSTALLED AT DEARLER WHEN PURCHASED. *YC
STABILZER BUSHING FAILED CAUSING NOISE.
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .