Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1992 Pontiac Grand Prix submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 26 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.
The 25 most recent of 26, in the owner's own words
THE STEERING COLUMN ON MY 92 PONTIAC HAD STARTED TO SMOKE THREE TIMES SINCE I'VE OWNED IT. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN 1994. THE SECOND WAS AROUND 1996. THE LAST TIME WAS LAST MONTH. THE LAST TIME WAS THE WORST. EACH TIME I SHUT OFF THE KEY AND IT WOULD STOP SMOKING. *JB
I HAD BOUGHT A CAR FROM A USED DEALERSHIP AND THERE IS A LOT OF THINGS WRONG WITH IT THAT I FEEL THAT IT SHOULDN'T HAVE EVEN BEEN SOLD. I FEEL THAT IT FALLS UNDER THE LEMON LAW ACT. IT HAS BEEN TO THE REPAIR SHOP LOTS OF TIMES AND THEY STILL HAVEN'T FIXED IT AND NOW THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT THEY WONT FIX IT AND ONE OF THE THINGS IS THAT THE ODOMETER DOES NOT WORK AND I TOLD THEM THAT AND THEY WON'T DO NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. SO PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH ME SO I CAN FIND OUT WHAT TO DO. THE CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY WITH THE DEALERSHIP. THANK YOU, JAMIE HOCHSTETLER. *JB
VEHICLES RUNS ROUGH AND HESITATES DUE TO AN IGNITION MODULE FAILURE. CONSUMER HAS REPLACED THE IGNITION MODULE ONCE BEFORE, AND A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK
I WOULD HAVE TO RESEARCH ALL THE DATES NEEDED FOR ABOVE INFO. MY 1992 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX SE IS A HAZARD TO MY HEALTH AND EVERYONE ELSE ON THE ROAD. I HAVE SMOKE FROM STEERING WHEEL AND LOSS OF POWER AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT, AND MUCH MUCH MORE.
1) UPON STARTING THE CAR, SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE HAZARD LIGHT SWITCH. 2) AS I WAS ACCELERATING FROM A STOPLIGHT I HEARD A LOUD THUD AND THE CAR JUMPED, THINKING SOMEONE HAD HIT ME, I KEPT DRIVING TO PULL OVER AND NOTICED THAT I HAD NO STEERING. BY THE TIME I HAD STOPPED I WAS IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND NARROWLY MISSED SEVERAL CARS. THE MOTOR HAD SEPARATED ROM THE A FRAME. THE MECHANIC SAID IT LOOKED LIKE THE MANUFACTURER HAD FORGOTTEN A BOLT AND THE OTHER ONE GOT STRESSED. 3) THE BRAKES FAIL OR ARE SLOW AT STOPPING QUITE OFTEN EVEN WHEN PADS ARE REPLACED. 4) CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATES. THIS HAS CAUSED MANY NEAR MISSES. THIS HAPPENS AT ANY SPEED AND ALSO HAPPENS WHILE USING CRUISE CONTROL. THIS HAPPENS ALMOST DAILY.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
THIS WAS THE SCARIEST THING I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED AND I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE SAME THING THAT HAPPEND WITH MY CAR ALSO HAPPEND TO SOMEONE ELSE THAT I KNOW. NO SAFETY DEFECT.
I HAVE ALSO HAD PROBLEM WITH SIGNAL LIGHT NOT WORKING AND THE SMOKE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. *AK
CAR HAS FAILED TO START QUITE OFTEN. *AK
THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS FAULTY CAUSING CONTINUAL FAILURES OF THE ALTERNATORS, BATTERIES AND IGNITION MODULES WHICH CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING, THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW. NLM
WHILE DRIVING IN A LOW SPEED ON PARKING LOT OR IN SLOW TRAFFIC ENGINE WILL SHUT DOWN WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, BUT NEVER ON HIGHWAY AT HIGH SPEED. DEALER COULD NOT FIND OUT WHAT COULD BE CAUSING THE PROBLEM.*AK THE CUSTOMER IS CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY SINCE THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE FIXED AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUES.
ELECTRCIAL PROBLEMS OFF AND ON FOR YEARS. COULD NOT FIND SOURCE. MY SON BARELY MADE "IT OUT IN TIME" ON JULY 20TH; THE CAR BURNED UP ON INTERSTATE 25. *AK
INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED ON THERE IS SMOKE COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. TURN SIGNALS NO LONGER WORK. WAS ORIGINALLY TOLD BY DEALER THAT IT WAS GREASE INSIDE COLUMN. APPT SCHEDULED WITH NEW DEALER. *AK *ML
I'VE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL (3.4 DUAL OVERHEAD CAM ENGINE). MOST RECENTLY WAS A SERIOUS OIL LEAK WHICH RESULTED IN AN ENGINE REBUILD. THE LEAKS STARTED AGAIN AND WAS REPAIRED BY A GM DEALER. THE ENGINE LOCKED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AT AN ESTIMATED COST OF $3,500. I'M THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. A DEALER TRIED TO REPAIR THE HOOD ALIGNMENT PROBLEM ON 3 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS BUT NEVER SUCCEDED. I'VE REPLACED THE STARTER 3 TIMES, THE DRIVERS SIDE POWER WINDOW MOTOR TWICE (2); WATER PUMP TWICE (2) TURN SIGNAL SWITCH FOUR TIMES (4) AND STILL GET SMOKE FROM STEERING WHEEL; ETC. ETC
INFORMATION REQUEST DUE TO A DEFECTIVE ALTERNATOR WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL UNEXPECTLY WHILE DRIVING WHICH MAY HAVE RESULTED IN AN COLLISION. DEALER REPLACED ALTERNATOR TWICE. *YC
ENGINE WAS ON BUT VEHICLE WAS IN PARK POSITION WITH KEY IN THE IGNITION, HEARD A NOISE AND SMOKE COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN, BUT IT DID NOT START A FIRE. NOISE SOUNDED LIKE THAT OF AN IGNITION STAYING ENGAGED. AFTER REPAIRS, VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY ONE AND A HALF MILES AND PARKED FOR THREE AND ONE HALF HOURS. WHEN CRANKED VEHICLE MADE SAME NOISE. REPAIR SHOP REFUSED TO TOW AND SAID CONSUMER SHOULD TOW IT THEMSELVES. KEY WAS PUT IN THE IGNITION SO THAT STEERING WHEEL COULD BE MOVE THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. *AK
I PURCHASED MY 92' GRAND PRIX FROM THE ORIGANAL OWNER. SINCE THIS TIME ( 4/97 ) I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE FISRT THAT WENT WRONG A MONTH AFTER IT WAS BOUGHT A GASKET HAD TO BE REPLACED UNDER THE AIR PLENUM MANIFOLD ( COST $475 ) THE CAR WAS RUNNING ON ONLY 5 OF 6 CYLINDERS. THE NEXT PROBLEM I HAD WAS THE ENGINE. I WAS ON THE FREEWAY AT NORMAL SPEED WHEN THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF. THERE WAS NO POWER. THE ENGINE HAD BLOWN. WHAT HAPPEND HERE WAS THE IDLER PULLEY THAT KEEPS TENSION ON THE SURPENTINE BELT BROKE OFF. ACTUALLY THE BOLT HOLDING THE PULLEY IN PLACE SNAPPED. THIS CAUSED THE PISTON VALVES TO COME OUT OF TIME AND SMACK TOGETHER. THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. BEING THE DEALERS WERE CHARGING IN EXCESS OF $5000 TO REPLACE IT I HAD TO FIND OTHERS MEANS. A USED ENGINE WAS TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL. ( COST $1720 ). TWO MONTHS LATER THE ALTERNATOR BURNED UP WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED AND RUNNING AT AN IDLE ,COST $550. IN NOVEMBER OF 1998, THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING. I HAD THE FLUID AND FILTER CHANGED TWICE TO MAKE SURE IT WAS CLEAN. REVERSE IN THE TRANSMISSION WAS WIPED OUT AND HAD SOMEHOW RUPTURED 2ND GEAR AS WELL. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT, BUT FAILED AGAIN BEFORE I EVEN GOT THE CAR BACK. THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED WITH ANOTHER ANSD WAS REBUILT. I UDERSTAND THAT VEHICLES WITH HIGHER MILEAGE ARE SUBJECT TO MALFUCTION, BUT I FEEL THIS WAS A BIT MUCH.BETWEEN THE COST OF THE INITIAL REPAIR AND THE INTREST FORM THE LOANS TAKEN TO GET THE REPAIRS DONE, I HAVE SPENT OVER $6000 IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS JUST TO KEEP THE VEHICLE ON THE ROAD. AND NOW I HAVE ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE. I AM NOT SURE WHAT IT IS YET BECAUSE IT JUST STARTED RUNNING TERRIBLY ON 1-23-99. I HAVE NOT DRIVEN IT SINCE. I FEEL THAT THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD BE PAID FOR BY GENERAL MOTOR CORPORATION DUE TO LACK OF WORKMANSHIP STATED BY THE RECALL SET IN 91. PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP IF I CAN GET HELP MY SITUATION.THANKYOU. *AK
DIRECTION SWITCH FAILURE. HEAVY SMOKE COMES FROM BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL.
ALTERNATOR FAILED FIVE TIMES IN FIVE YEARS.
CONSUMER STATED THAT UPON TURNING THE INGITION NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT IT WAS DUE TO THE TURN SIGNAL WHICH SHORTED OUT, CAUSING A FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN. TURN SIGNAL WAS REPLACED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AND MAKING TURNS OR BRAKING, THE VEHCILE JUST DIES. IT JUST STOPS. *AK
WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START VEHICLE, SMOKE WAS COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN.*AK
TURNED ON IGNITION SMOKE CAME OUT OF STEERING COLUMN BEHIND THE WHEEL. SMELLED ELECTIRCAL. *AK
HEAD GASKET FAILURE. *AK
THE IGNITION SWITCH CAUSED THE CAR TO CATCH FIRE. TT *SLC
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 .